At first glance, you might think that a UI designer and a front-end developer have the same specialization. In fact, there is a fundamental difference between these two professions. The first one focuses on the visual part and the convenience of a digital product. A front-end developer takes on the technical part, namely, converting a ready-made image into working code.
Let’s look at an example. Imagine the process of building a mobile food delivery app. What does a UI designer do? A specialist draws menu cards, chooses a template and color scheme, determines the location of buttons and content blocks, and makes animations. However, all these elements are devoid of life; they are just images. A front-end developer converts static pictures into functional blocks.
Key Takeaways:
- Creating a visual concept is the main task of a designer. A creator is responsible for the style, colors, and images that they make in programs like Figma or Adobe XD.
- A front-end developer works with code. They have to make sure that all pages of the site load correctly and quickly, all buttons work correctly, and the site is connected to the admin panel.
- A business needs both specialists to launch any digital product, but a designer and a developer must have different soft and hard skills.
Front-end and UI Developers: Similar, But Not Identical
Front-end is a term from software architecture. It represents the presentation layer in software. The back-end is the data access layer. Front-end is what you click on, back-end is what makes things happen after your click. User Interface (UI), on the other hand, covers the whole spectrum of designing human-machine interactions. You could say that your keyboard, mouse, and screen make up the UI for your computer.
Let’s talk about web and application development. Here, front-end and UI mean the same thing. And Front-end Developers could be called UI Developers, but that’s not the industry standard. Front-end is used for development roles, UI is used for design roles.
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Developer vs. Designer Comparison in a Nutshell
Keep in mind that these roles intersect a lot of the time. Especially in the case of smaller teams. Startups and small companies have limited resources. Developers have to design, marketers have to code, founders switch roles every few hours to keep everything going and take care of design, development, SEO and so on. We all probably know what it’s like.
As teams grow it gets more important to outline the difference – even if it’s just to avoid putting the wrong title on a job posting. Once we enter medium-size and bigger teams, the roles of Front-end Development and UI Design are typically structured like this:
| Front-end Developers | UI Designers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Toolset | HTML, CSS, JavaScript, frameworks, code libraries, code repository | Software for graphic design, prototyping, wireframing | |
| Main responsibility | Build usable app / web interface in line with the UI Designer’s vision OR design and build interface (when there is no designer) | Create a wireframe / graphic representation of app/web interface in line with branding, current trends, and marketing/sales strategy | |
| Focus on | Speed, usability, integration with back-end, tech stack limitations | Aesthetics, user flow, design principles, style, branding |
Are the UI designers always necessary in software projects?
Not really. For a small project, one Full Stack Developer can design, build and maintain websites/apps without a problem. Designers come into play when a project is big. Or when it’s starting to scale. The examples of hybrid apps can show the significant scope of job for designers to do. Or when there’s large funding involved, and you can afford to hire an expert or outsource the design.
Should UI designers know front-end technologies?
In a perfect world – yes. Or at least have an understanding of limitations. Depending on the tech stack, some design ideas might not always be easy to implement. Designers aware of these limitations could potentially shorten the overall development time. But is it absolutely crucial for designers to know all about the tech? No. That’s the developer’s thing.
Is UI design becoming obsolete due to the popularity of frameworks and templates?
Frameworks allow developers for hire to build interfaces out of pre-designed elements. If you want to build an app or a website, there are endless frameworks and templates you can use. They don’t eliminate the need for design, though. They are useful for building usable, good-looking interfaces if you have no time or resources for custom design.
And they’re still useful when you have more resources for custom design. You can customize the pre-built components of a framework or a template. Overall if you want a unique app that looks and feels like none other, then hiring designers is the way to go.
Should designers earn less or more than developers?
They might earn more but only when unusual circumstances arise. Developers typically earn the most. This tendency is proven for in-house hiring, outstaffing, and freelancing. That’s just how it is in the industry right now. Your project might be different, though.
For example, there might be huge competition in your market. In this case, the design could make all the difference between profitability and bankruptcy. This could lead to hiring designers with rates bigger than your developers.
Understanding the Difference Between UI/UX Designer and Front-End Developer Skill Sets
UI developers, also known as UI engineers, focus on how websites or apps look and feel. They usually use tools like Adobe Photoshop, Cores, and Expression Blend as their main focus is to create intuitive and user-friendly design. Front-end programmers, on the other hand, primarily focus on implementing the functionality and behavior of the user interface (UI).
While UI devs create prototypes and mockups, front-end developers employ coding techniques and technical theory to implement features. What they both have in common is the need to have good HTML, CSS, and JavaScript knowledge but each uses these technologies for quite different purposes.
Aside from basic web technologies, UI devs have to have advanced design skills and know how to use design software. UI developers ensure the interface is visually appealing and intuitive while front-end programmers ensure the functionality and smooth operation of the site or app.
Since they have such different goals and projects, it’s no surprise that UI/UX designers and front-end developers work differently. UI developers are focused more on how the website looks and feels to users, while front-end developers are prioritizing the site’s operability and functionality. To succeed at these unique web development goals, they require drastically different skill sets.
Here are some important things to know about the sorts of skills and abilities each type of developer will need:
- Tools — When it comes to UI developer vs front-end developer tools, both use technological tools and types of software. However, UI/UX developers tend to use things like Adobe Photoshop, Corel, and Expression Blend while front-end developers work with web browsers, code libraries, and integrated development environments. They often use at least one of these programming languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, ReactJS, or Vue JS.
- Methods — UI/UX design involves a broad blend of design, psychology, and engineering. They often have to communicate with other team members and take into account things like sales tactics, marketing, and brand recognition while creating a variety of prototypes and mockups. Meanwhile, front-end developers often work independently or with a small development team, and they mostly employ methods like coding, algorithms, and technical theory.
- Skills — The divide between UI UX designer vs front end developer skills is actually smaller than you think. Though each of these careers involves different projects and tools, they both require the same general skills. Both types of people need to be creative, intelligent, and logical. They need to excel at problem-solving and pay attention to small details. The only big difference is that UI/UX designers need more style and design skills while front-end developers need more coding, debugging, and development skills.
So, when we are comparing UI engineer vs front-end developer, it’s clear that these specialists have different roles but it’s also fair to note that some of their responsibilities may overlap. Ultimately, both roles are essential for creating successful digital products, and understanding their difference is crucial when you need to hire remote developers.
Financial Issues and Career Prospects of Experts
What worries a specialist the most? We think that the first place is occupied by salary. Yes, you can look for a company that aligns with your values and has a corporate culture that resonates with you; however, financial compensation is of great importance. This is what works for business as well. The manager should understand the budget he will allocate to a designer and a developer. So, we talk about this below.
Comparing Designer and Developer Rates
Statistics show that technical specialists earn more than designers. Is this absolutely true? We are not ready to confirm. In fact, it depends on the company and the complexity of the tasks. Let’s recall Apple. The appearance of products decides everything. Users are ready to pay for the smallest details that make a new iPhone unique. That is why their designer costs an arm and a leg, while an experienced engineer has a market salary.
If we take the general temperature of the ward, the query UI UX vs front-end developer salary shows a very specific picture. Glassdoor analysts claim that coders have higher checks. Why? They constantly have to learn new frameworks and adapt to new requirements.
Region | UI/UX Designer (Annual Salary) | Front-End Developer (Annual Salary) |
United States | $75,000 – $110,000 | $90,000 – $130,000 |
United Kingdom | $50,000 – $80,000 | $65,000 – $95,000 |
Western Europe (Germany, NL) | $45,000 – $75,000 | $55,000 – $90,000 |
Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Poland) | $20,000 – $45,000 | $30,000 – $60,000 |
Latin America (Brazil, Mexico) | $15,000 – $35,000 | $25,000 – $50,000 |
Asia (India, Philippines) | $6,000 – $15,000 | $8,000 – $22,000 |
By the way, an interesting story happened in 2018 with Amazon. They were holding a global sale. Suddenly, their site could not withstand the load and crashed. Despite the fact that the technical specialists fixed everything within an hour, the business lost $ 100 million. Reliable code is expensive. This is something you definitely should not save on.
Starting a Career as a UI or Front-End Developer
If you think that your education and degree matter or can help, you are wrong. Stack Overflow reports that about 25% of professional developers do not have specialized higher education. Want an interesting example? When Google hires technical specialists, they do not pay attention to the degree. However, we will tell you about what really matters.
The main difference between a front-end developer and a UX designer at the start of the career is the portfolio. Let’s say you chose design. Ready-made cases on Behance or Dribbble can be a great advantage for you. Tell the employer how the redesign affected the customer’s business. If you decided to code, add your GitHub link.
Common Examples of UI/UX Designer Projects
To better understand the difference between front end developer and UI developer, it’s useful to take a look at the projects UI/UX designers work on. Generally, a UI developer’s duties are conceptual, big-picture jobs. To design a system that users will appreciate, every UI designer project must address these questions:
- Will the interface let users perform necessary tasks?
- Is the interface easy and convenient to use?
- Does the interface look visually appealing?
Here are some examples of ways UI/UX designers work to fulfill these priorities.
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How UI/UX Designer Can Help Improve Customer Retention
Companies often bring in a UI/UX designer to help them retain customers. The UI/UX designer can improve the way a user interacts with their product, so people are less likely to get frustrated and go to work with the company’s competitor. This project typically requires designers to analyze data, identify potential problems, and create solutions.
For example, a UI/UX designer could notice customers keep beginning the sign-up process and then leaving the site before creating a password. This would tell the developer that they need to redesign the password creation process to be less complicated.
And the Impact on Lead Generation
A huge part of user interface design is making a site or app that allows the company to generate leads. UI designers help a company capture the attention of casual visitors and turn them into actual customers. To succeed at this goal, UI/UX developers may create and analyze multiple wireframes to find user flows that create the most leads. Even small things like the layout of a call-to-action button can have a big impact on conversion rates.
Studies have shown that a well-designed UI can increase your website’s conversion rate by up to 200%. Likewise, a better UX design could generate up to 400% higher conversion rates. — Forbes.com
That is why the demand for skilled UI designers is very high. If you are not sure whether to outsource your UI project or hire a freelancer – consider different hiring options and platforms for finding the freelancers you need.
Planning User Systems and Internal Procedures
This is one of the main reasons people get confused about front-end developer vs UX designer responsibilities. Both developers have a say in how the technology behind the site runs. Even though UI designers don’t focus as much on implementation as front-end developers do, they still have some input in how internal procedures and systems work.
UI designers use their understanding of human psychology to think about how customers will expect the website or app to behave. Then they consider the available tools and technology and come up with ideas for how to make this tech best suit users’ needs.
Also we have listed some examples of projects that can require the participation of a UI engineer:
- Website Design and Development: Creating user-friendly websites for businesses, organizations, or individuals.
- Web Application Interfaces: Designing and developing interfaces for web-based apps such as online banking portals, e-commerce platforms, and more.
- Mobile App Interfaces: Crafting interfaces for hybrid mobile apps as well as across various platforms, including iOS and Android.
- Content Management Systems (CMS): Designing and customizing user interfaces for CMS platforms like WP, Joomla, or Drupal.
- E-commerce Platforms: Developing interfaces for online stores, including product listings, shopping carts, and checkout processes.
- Dashboard and Analytics Interfaces: Designing interfaces for displaying data, analytics, and reports, often used in business intelligence or data visualization tools
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: creating interfaces for software that manages customer interaction and data, commonly used in sales and marketing.
- Software as a Service (SaaS) Platforms: creating UI for cloud-based software applications, catering to various industries and business needs.
- Responsive Design Projects: Adapting existing interfaces or designing new ones to be responsive across different screen sizes and devices.
- Redesign Projects: Improving existing UI to enhance usability, accessibility, and visual appeal, often based on user feedback or changing business requirements.
When Your Project Actually Needs a Front-End Developer
Sometimes managers think that they can release a product after receiving mockups. Even if the “Pay” button is very beautiful, stylish, and well-thought-out, that is not enough. The element must securely transfer transactions to the server. If it cannot do this, it is useless. In such moments, you can best feel the difference between a front-end developer and ux designer.
A UI specialist can cope with a simple landing page. Larger projects require a developer’s involvement. Let’s consider situations when you cannot do without a technical expert:
- API integration. Reliable linking of beautiful visual elements with real databases on the backend.
- Complex business logic. Creating smart filters and dynamic search (like in the web version of Airbnb or Spotify).
- State management. Here, we mean working with the cart, authorization, and guest accounts.
- Uncompromising speed. Code optimization. 53% of mobile users close a tab permanently if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
- Scalable architecture. Using professional ecosystems like React and maintaining clean code on GitHub for complex SaaS products.
- Cross-browser stability. Heavy functionality should load easily, including on non-standard device screens.
Of course, visuals play a huge role. A well-known Forrester Research study shows that thoughtful design delivers a crazy ROI: every dollar invested in the interface can yield up to $100 in profit. However, all this incredible financial potential will be multiplied by zero if the application starts giving errors during order processing.
The conclusion is simple: hire a developer when you need not just a beautiful storefront, but a powerful, reliable engine that can withstand market loads and generate real income.
UI isn’t always the same as front-end, but in web and application development – it is
Hopefully, after this article people won’t use the term “UI Developer” in job postings anymore. It’s best to use standard industry terminology. It’ll help you find the right people faster, and avoid confusion for all people involved. And the standard is that Front-end is married to development, and UI is married to design.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this article. If you’re currently looking for Front-end developers on outstaffing service, come and see how Talmatic can help you with that.
