Front-End, Back-End and Web Designer

Last updated: Feb 22, 2020

Two terms thrown around a lot in the web industry are front-end development and back-end development. It can be a little annoying since the difference between the front-end and back-end isn't always perfectly clear. While they're both terms often used to describe aspects of the web industry, the front-end is also referred to as the client-side and is sometimes considered "web design" and the back-end is often called the server-side. While that explanation seems simple, the line between the two can often be blurry.

The front-end is everything involved with what the user sees, including design and some programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These titles are subjective, hers an example; you could be a web designer, at one company you could design the page with Photoshop or Fireworks but never touch the code, but at a different company you could do all of the designs and then work on HTML and CSS coding.

The back-end is everything the user can't see in the browser, like databases and servers. it can be referred to as the server-side, it is how the site operators, updates, and changes. Back-end developers are mostly concerned with things like security, structure, and content management.

Is front-end developer a good career?

Firstly, the front-end of a website is the part that users interact with, from fonts and colours to dropdown menus and sliders, is a combo of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript being controlled by your computer’s browser. Front-end web development is also referred to as client-side development. it is the practice of web design and producing HTML, CSS and JavaScript code for a website or Web Application so that a user can see and interact with them directly. The challenge of being a front-end developer is that the tools and techniques used for the front-end of a website are changing constantly and so the developer needs to constantly be aware of how the field are evolving. SKILLS AND TOOLS Front-end developers are responsible for the building of webpages and user interfaces for web-applications. The structure, design, behaviour, and animation of everything you see on the screen. In order to do this, front-end developers, must be adept at three main languages: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript which commonly runs in a web browser but can also run in a headless browser. Furthermore, front-end developers need to be familiar with frameworks like Bootstrap, Foundation, Backbone, AngularJS, and EmberJS, which optimise your content to look great despite the device, and libraries like jQuery and LESS, which simplify and package code so the developers “write less, do more”.

Using these tools, front-end developers work closely with designers or user experience analysts to bring mock-ups, or wireframes, from development to delivery. Strong front-end developers can also accurately identify specific issues in user experience and provide recommendations and codified solutions to influence the design.

SALARY

the median salary of a front-end developer is $110,000/year in Australia, ranging from 100k to 120k. The current number of available front-end developer jobs on seek is 4,342 in Australia.

Is back-end dev a good career?

The back-end of a website is the server, applications, and database. It is the term used to describe the behind the scenes activities that happen when performing any action on a website. A back-end developer builds and maintains the technology that supports the user-facing side of the website. When you navigated to this website, the It Boost servers sent information to your computer or mobile device, which turns into the page you’re seeing right now. Additionally, if you log into a website the storage of your personal information - the fact that each time you return to the site and log in, your data is called up - is accredited to a back-end developer.

SKILLS AND TOOLS

In order to communicate between the server, application, and database, back-end developers use tools like MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server to find, save, or change data and serve it back to the user in front-end code, and server-side languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, Java, and .Net to build an application. Job openings for back-end developers often call for experience with PHP frameworks like Zend, Symfony, and CakePHP; experience with version control software like SVN, CVS, or Git; and experience with Linux as a development and deployment system.

SALARY

The median salary of a back-end developer is $130,000/year in Australia, ranging from 120k to 140k. The current number of available back-end developer jobs on seek is 1,129 in Australia.

Is full stack developer a good career?

Another option is full stack developer since the distinction between front-end and back-end are unclear Front-end developers often need to learn those additional back-end skills and vice versa. Full-stack developers offer the full package. Oftentimes, you have to be a generalist, working on both the server-side and client-side professionally opens more opportunities. however, full-stack development isn’t without its challenges. You can be good at front-end or back-end, but mastering both take time and experience.

SKILLS AND TOOLS

Full-stack developers work similar to back-end developers, on the server-side of web programming, however they can also manipulate the front-end languages that control how content looks on a site’s user-facing side. Full-stack developers should be knowledgeable in every level of how the web works: setting up and configuring Linux servers, writing server-side APIs, diving into the client-side JavaScript powering an application, and turning a “design eye” to the CSS. Using these tools, full-stack developers need to be able to immediately identify the client-side and server-side responsibilities of a solution and judge the pros and cons of various solutions.

A Low-code platform is a popular tool for non-technical developers. Low-code enables developers of varying experience levels to create applications for web and mobile, using drag-and-drop components and model-driven logic through a graphic user interface. This tool can be used efficiently on both sides of development.

SALARY

the median salary of a full stack developer is $110,000/year in Australia, ranging from 100k to 120k. The current number of available front-end developer jobs on seek is 1,411 in Australia.

Web design as your future career?

Over the past ten years, the demand for web designers has surged rapidly. If you think of the Web Design as your future career you are in the right place. Keep reading to learn more about Web Design and how to switch to this in-demand vocation.

What does a web designer do?

A Web Designer is a person who is creative and technical, both attributed to build and design an attractive and functional website. The main job of a Web designer is to design web pages. Although it may not be apparent at the first look, there are a lot of factors to consider in the process.

The most important aspect of a web page is its visual appearance. A website should not just look aesthetically appealing to the target audience but also make them stay more and probably shop. That’s where a professional web designer gives the website a unique personality by selecting the appropriate layouts, colors, fonts, and images.

In addition to considerations related to the aesthetic aspect, the usability of a website is a priority. The website should fit into any screen size including mobile devices and tablets and relates well to the target market. A well-designed website is also well-organized and optimized for search engines.

Difference between a Web Designer and a Web Developer?

It is very easy to get Web Designers and Developers confused. Both contribute to building a website but work in very different areas. A Web developer is a technical savant and code-inclined person that is responsible for building the core structure of a website using programming languages.

On the contrary, a Web Designer is more visually creative and user-focused. He/She usually goes hand in hand with marketing to improve user-experience and though sale. To accomplish this mission, a Web Designer has to utilize all his weapons like colors, fonts, and images to create an intuitive and attractive web site layout.

On the other hand, the Developer’s job is to write the codes that work behind the scenes that let a website to operate smoothly and efficiently. For example, when you’re using a login page to get access to your page on Facebook or retrieving the updates from Instagram the code is developed by Web Developers are doing the job for you in the shadow.

How can I learn to do Web design?

Learning Web Design on your own could be complex and even daunting. If you have determined to choose this career, here is two different paths we suggest for you:

1- Attend Local Web Design Courses and Learn From Professionals

The best way to learn a new skill is to learn it from an experienced professional. If you have enough time and money, you can take part in the local courses and boot camps to learn from top professionals around you. Choose courses that are project-based and focus on the practical aspects of web design.

2- Sign Up for a Web Design MOOC

You don’t have enough time for Web Design courses? No, Problem! There are many fine online courses for Web Design. For example, Codecademy offers a full path for front-end web development. The lessons are project-based and are accompanied by instructions. If you prefer a free course, you can try FreeCodeCamp, it is a charity founded a teacher called Quincy Larson and provides interactive courses for coding and web design free of charge. Coursera, edx, Udaciy and other online learning platforms have some high-quality Web design and development courses. There is also a tone of YouTube tutorials that teach you principals of Web and UI design, as well as coding.

Is Web Design a good career?

The short answer is Yes! Becoming a good web designer will provide you secure employment and comfortable life. Insofar as the internet exists, Web Design is going to be on-demand. But remember that website building technologies and trends change very fast. You should update your website design knowledge and skills frequently, else, it is more likely that you fall behind in the market.

Now you know what is the web design and what it looks like, you can better decide whether to choose it for your future job. Why not pursue one of the most demanded careers in the era of the internet and social media?