How to Differ Frontend Developer from UI Designer?

Developers vs Designers

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:

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. For example, you might need to hire sharepoint developer for your Microsoft Sharepoint app. 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. If you need freelance developers, check to find out what Toptal company is and how it can help you in hiring freelancers online. 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

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.

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.

Improving 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.

Generating Leads

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. 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 assess what is better than Upwork in 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.