I was wondering if you use or buy templates for a site and don't actually desgin the layout, but you wrote  the codes for the web features, Doesn't that classify you are as a Web programmer not a web designer. Just thought I  throw it out there.

Call my argument location-biased, but to me a designer is the one who comes up with the "comp (graphics)" for the site. In other words, he/she is the photoshop maestro.

I developer (or programmer) is the one who cuts up the graphics, lays out the page(s) and does any (html, css, javascript, php, database, jsp, etc) coding.

So to summarize (and to answer your question), in my books (and again, this is how the job description is laid out where I live), if you do the graphics, you are a designer and if you as much as open a text editor for the purpose of typing anything that results in a web page, you are a developer/programmer.

But that's just me

In my opinion, web designer is more like artistic graphic concepts to do design web page layout using Photoshop/Paint Pro Shop, Illustrator, and any artwork designing. Also incorporate template layout into web page. Very similar to desktop publisher (Microsoft Publisher).

Web developer/programmer is more like advanced technical concept to do code the programming employing actions/behaviors resulting in PHP, HTML, CSS, XML, database, Flash Actionscript, Javascript, ASP, C++, etc on the website. Also parsing any external files such as PDF, Doc, video files, audio file, mp3 into web page and do web designing job as I mention above.

All template-driven sites you buy or use that are created by professional web designers to sell their copyrighted template in order to make their money. You want to modify the template-driven site that you purchased, you have to pay extra charge to a specified web designer who make that template or use your own Photoshop/Illustrator to modify at your own if the owner of the template provided a raw file. Usually raw file are protected file, some don't.

@my2cents, as usual you have hit the nail on the head. I, for instance migrated to "web design" after programming for some years. My graphics design skills is just average at best, i have to rely mostly on templates and browsing countless sites before coming up with a design, but when it comes to scripting whether client-sided like jscript,vbscript or server-sided like perl,asp,php,mysql,asp.net i can handle those ones pretty easy, that will qualify me as a web programmer if we are to speak facts.
I call myself a web/windows programmer but to most local folks, once you can design a website "any kind of website", that makes you a web designer.

But then, i believe a web designer should work more like a graphics artist, building nice layouts with stuffs like photo shop, macromedia fireworks,

But don't you think it's really obvious that peeps who call them self web programmer, always find them self in designing and programming the whole thing, so what do you call those ones, webdesignerprogrammer lol, 9ja can never be like white

smart, nice one!

In Nigeria, where the average web guy does everything from DB design to HTML, I no sabi as you go take call am. Perhaps web designer/developer? I don't see anything wrong with that.

People who know nothing more than just checking emails, using google, see web developers as ppl that "design" website.
in other words, they see website only from the aesthetic side, I have met clients who judge from just looking at the home page, they tell me "you mean you did this, dont worry, we are going to give it to you". they dont want to know if the forms on the pages work. Ppl like this will always call you a website designer

But i feel a web developer is one who does the graphics, layouts, programming etc. even when you purchase a template to build ur site, you still need some knowledge of a graphic designer to customize it.
a web developer because you developed the site from scratch (or decide what template you want) and finished it

I feel a web designer [/b]is one who specializes in graphics for the web, like the last place i worked, we have guys who's job is to use photoshop to design how the site will look, do the necessary slicing and forward it to us([b]Web Programmers).

I slightly disagree with most of the posts here. A website designer does not design the layout of a website, and those that design layouts are not website designers - they are simply graphic designers.

A web designer thus can be said to be someone that slices up the image, codes up the basic HTML and CSS, giving unique styles to elements like the heading tags, the font tags, and every other coded enhancements that give the site a unique and appealing look.

A developer can then be called someone that goes beyond the designer, to write dynamic scripts in programs such as PHP, Javascript, and any other dynamic contents of the website. The output of the developers work, takes the style and feel of what the designer has done.

Be it as it may, in general terms, both designers and developers are called "WEBSITE DESIGNERS".

Cheers!

I agree with @cnario. If you look at most of the job ads, you can tell that designers are mostly people who deal with front-end, and client side technologies. Designers deal with more with the aesthetic aspect of development. Some of the technologies used include HTML, JavaScript, Flash, CSS, XAML etc. Programmers, on the other hand, deal with server side and back-end technologies.

It is possible for a designer to have both front-end and back-end knowledge, same is true for programmers. However, from experience, the quality of code produced, on either tier, usually tell more of where the person’s skills are best applied. In my opinion, designers should try focus on design work and leave the backend work to programmers. Shops that apply this usually ship out the best designed, and some of the best programmed websites.

Kobojunkie:

I agree with @cnario. If you look at most of the job ads, you can tell that designers are mostly people who deal with front-end, and client side technologies. Designers deal with more with the aesthetic aspect of development. Some of the technologies used include HTML, JavaScript, Flash, CSS, XAML etc. Programmers, on the other hand, deal with server side and back-end technologies.

It is possible for a designer to have both front-end and back-end knowledge, same is true for programmers. However, from experience, the quality of code produced, on either tier, usually tell more of where the person’s skills are best applied. In my opinion, designers should try focus on design work and leave the backend work to programmers. Shops that apply this usually ship out the best designed, and some of the best programmed websites.

Agreed.

Interface developers are classified as designers - but some of us can manage to get everything right - so i for instance prefer to refer to myself as a web developer - rather than web programmer - though i am more of a programmer 'cos i spend more time with codes than with interface editing,

dhtml:

Interface developers are classified as designers - but some of us can manage to get everything right - so i for instance prefer to refer to myself as a web developer - rather than web programmer - though i am more of a programmer 'cos i spend more time with codes than with interface editing,

When you talk of Interface design, are you refering to Graphic User Interface Design? If so, then I'll have to remind you that Interface design is a whole different field entirely. Only a negligible section deals with website design.

By interface developers - i was referring to those that design layout of websites - and you can also extend it to graphics design. There is a thin line between these things - like saying graphics design, animation, flash developer, coder, programmer, they are just ways of streamlining your defination. I really do not like arguing on these points - the most important thing is to deliver to your clients.

And that your footer - carryin your website na the bomb!

dhtml:


, And that your footer - carryin your website na the bomb!

Thanks. I was actually thinking to myself today that it's outdated and due for replacement.

Outdated? Well, we will be looking forward to seeing the new one.

That'll be if I ever find time to do the new one.

enjoy every bits of the discussion now seun came up with nairaland he install the software and did some configuration so where does he belongs to a web designer or developer please i need an answer

i will say developer, cos he designed the favicon, decided what color will be good for where, the programmed out the search and intergrated google search, and modified the homepage to accomodate Mostly nairalist ads. seuntini

How you dey webdezzi long time. I always like reading your comments. Please could you help me send the complete tutorial on building a dynamic websites i read on nairaland my email is jeturn16@yahoo.com

I'll classify him as a WEB MERCHANT. And believe me, I think the look of this site sucks - just the default theme. He couldn't even get a designer to customize it at least.

feyisara:

enjoy every bits of the discussion now seun came up with nairaland he install the software and did some configuration so where does he belongs to a web designer or developer please i need an answer

He is a web developer.

cnario:

I'll classify him as a WEB MERCHANT. And believe me, I think the look of this site sucks - just the default theme. He couldn't even get a designer to customize it at least.

which one did you create for people like us to use?

@yusufu, fanks

I am yet to compile the tutorials but i plan to do that later on.
I will buzz you with one when am done

A web programmer can be a designer, but a designer does not nessecarily have to be a programmer.

The end product of a designer's job might be called a website while that of a programmer might be called web application

So, i web designer is responsible for the structure, graphics and the presentation logic of the job.

A web programmer is responsible for giving it life, its interactiveness with the user, and its dynamism.

Well, in nigeria here we all fall into the two categories ooooo !!!!

Ok . . How mych am i charging my client that i would go and look for someone to do the design then i do the programming, that means we whoukd have to share the money right? Hell No !!!!

A web programmer can be a designer, but a designer does not nessecarily have to be a programmer.

I think there is something wrong with this statement so I don't even know how to best respond to it. Something about the "can be" in the first half and the "does not" in the 2nd rubs me the wrong way. Both jobs are interchangeable. It all depends on interest and skill set, IMHO. Both parties, again IMHO, should work together anyways.

he end product of a designer's job might be called a website while that of a programmer might be called web application

I don't think this is right. Again, both should be capable of doing both though the work of one might be "better" than the work of the other. Again, both disciplines should work together to take advantage of economies of scale.

k . . How mych am i charging my client that i would go and look for someone to do the design then i do the programming, that means we whoukd have to share the money right? Hell No !!!

Therein lies the problem with some of us. We want to chop alone. What is wrong with having someone do the graphics for you if you aren't good at it for say, 20K and you in turn, transfer this cost to the client? Does the client have to know? Oh well, I guess if you are charging 50K per project it makes sense that you want to chop alone. If on the other hand, you are charging 100K, paying a good graphics designer 20K doesn't sound like a lot to me (I speak from experience cos I outsource my designs )

I will say it again - the safe terminology i will use will still be web developer - and i think that kinda encompasses it - whether you can now program like many of us here (your business) - but what the client needs to know is - that you get the job done - opari

And so i will still classify seun as a web developer (not because i am a moderator) - but he is doing a good job - keepin the ball rolling - graphics or no graphics - i know many of us (even me) can design far better graphics than this - but that is not all there is to making something work and successful (which is the important thing) - so a web developer's job does not just end at writing codes / downloading codes,

Maybe we should adopt words like "Smart Web Developers" vs "O-lenu-pa Web Developers" - that should help to separate the boys from the men. And i will chose to classify yawa as part of the men with-respect-to this categorization.

To me its more like a panel-beater and a mechanic.
A panel-beater works on the body of a car to make the car look nice while a mechanic works on the engine to make it work as a car, thats more like the way a web designer works on the interface of a website to make the website attractive while a web programmer is responsible for the internal coding which might not be visible like what the designer has done, more like the engine of the website,

To the new comers, this thread has to do more with ego than any other thing. If you call me a web designer for instance, am-a-gonna get mad @ you.
I am a web developer. o pari. I can code, and i can design (and my designs do not suck). ditto.

Think of a web designer as an architect and a web developer/programmer as an engineer. To be a good web designer you need to know a little about the back end and same for a web developer with the front end.

Though the lines get blurred nowadays because there are so many free resources that some one with just a little understanding of each side can build and maintain a really complicated site. All thanks to open source.

If you're doing enterprise scale web application development though the lines get unblurred really fast!

A web designer designs a static site while a web developer create a dynamic site or works with the database