What is a Front End Web Developer & Designer?
I consider myself to be a front end web developer and a front end web designer. The distinction between 'front end' and 'back end' roles have become more prominent in recent years as the digital industry has matured. Generally speaking creatives do the front end, while programmers do the back end:
- Front End
- This is basically everything you see as a user. This can range from graphics through to complex client-side javascript.
- Back End
- This refers to the logic and programming behind the scenes, i.e. server-side stuff - PHP, Perl, ASP.net, database queries and so on.
As well as the distinction between front and back end there is also a difference between the roles of a designer and a developer. I'd say you only really get developers for the back end, but you can have designers and developers for the front end - this what I consider the three different roles to be:
- Front End Designer
- This is a creative role. A front end designer is responsible for the 'look and feel', how each page is laid out and the way features work. User experience (UX) is an important part of the role - they must make the interface intuitive and easy to understand. Its not all about pretty pictures, often they will have to work out how to display lots of raw data in a clear, interesting way. A front end designer will have to work closely with the front end developer.
- Front End Developer
- The front end developer is responsible for actually implementing the designs created by the front end designer. This means writing the XHTML, CSS, Javascript and Flash. The front end developer must ensure their code correctly parses the data from the back end, displays it in the way the front end designer intended and is fully accessible. The front end developer will work closely with both the back end developer and the front end designer.
- Back End Developer
- The back end developer is the programmer who writes all the scripts that process the data, query the databases and keep the system secure. This person may also be responsible for the management and maintenance of the server. They will work closely with the front end developer.
In some situations all three roles may be three different people, in others they may be one person. It depends on the organisation and the project really. I personally believe that it is best to have a good understanding of all three roles but specialise in either front end or back end.
I know enough PHP, Perl and MySQL to be able to do some back end work but I would describe myself as a front end web developer & designer. Thats the bit I'm best at and the bit I enjoy most.