Designers versus Developers

In the early days of the web when there was very little that could be done, it became fashionable for graphic designers to switch to creating web sites. With the advent of sites linked to databases it became necessary for computer prgrammers to get involved to write the code - known as cgi - to interface between the web pages and the database.

The software available for creating web sites has advanced greatly since the early 1990's and the distinction between designers and developers has become slightly less clear. Designers can now safely do some things that were previously the sole domain of programmers; most will now have some understanding of markup languages, the code used to specify layout of web pages.

However, relying on the software is a gamble, even for the limited tasks that it aims to perform. If someone connects to a database without understanding what they are doing, at best they will be able to offer only the functionality provided to them by the package they are using. At worst they will hand over a ticking bomb. When your site stops working and your data is compromised you will need to call a developer to sort out the mess. As always it is cheaper to get the job done properly in the first place.

Larger web development companies employ programmers and designers who work side by side. This is ideal and you will pay more for this level of expertise. For many, though, it will be a choice of either one or the other and which you choose should be guided by exactly what you require from your site.

scideas have experience in commercial IT projects which goes beyond web applications and we produce standards-based solutions to internet problems.