Many people use the two terms “web design” and “web development” interchangeably, but they really do have two different meanings. If you’re looking for a new job or someone to build your website, you need to know the difference.

Web design is the customer-facing part of the website. A web designer is concerned with how a site looks and how the customers interact with it. Good web designers know how to put together the principles of design to create a site that looks great. They also understand about usability and how to create a site that customers want to navigate around in because it’s so easy to do.

I have never met a web designer who knew absolutely no JavaScript, PHP, or HTML. And I’ve never met a developer who wasn’t aware of the importance of design to a website.

But when you apply for a job or look for someone to work on your site, you need to know what you’re looking for — web design or web development. Even if you can do or hire someone to do both jobs, knowing the difference is key to getting the job done.

What do you think?

So what does it mean to be a developer?