Most people think that a web designer and a graphic designer may do the same job. But there are few differences between graphic design and web design. It is important to understand these differences or you might hire the wrong designer for your company. Both the designers perform the same piece of artwork but a web designer only designs a website.
Some people want to design a website for their company but end up hiring a graphic designer. Both designers can't do the same work there are few differences. You can click here to Learn more info about web design. To have a better understanding of web design and graphic design first we need to understand both of the designers separately.
What is Web Design?
A web design is designed by a web designer. For a web designer, the knowledge of graphic design and programming is a must.
A web designer may perform all the work as a graphic designer but he designs a website. A web designer can add graphics, images, typography, to a webpage to communicate with others using his ideas.
A web designer is responsible for making a webpage beautiful and creative. It will not only look good but will also perform well. He is responsible for the website loading speed and optimizations.
A web designer needs to know HTML and CSS to design a website. They also need to know programming languages. There are 2 specializations in web design one who is responsible for the User Experience (UX) of the website and the other who is responsible for User Interface (UI). Both UX/UI designers have to work together to design a beautiful webpage.
What is Graphic Design?
Graphic design is the use of graphics to share or communicate your ideas visually. A graphic designer can add anything in their design from color, images, typography, graphs, background and so much to communicate or reflect their ideas visually. You don't need any programming skills to become a graphic designer. But you need to know how certain software works like Adobe Photoshop and more.
A graphic designer can create graphics for a website or a print. A graphic designer can design the logo of your company. A graphic designer is more of an artistic work where you can be innovative and creative with your ideas. You can design anything new.
Differences Between Web Design and Graphic Design
Now to understand both the designers better let's look at some of the differences a web design and graphic design have.
Limited Font Style
When it comes to typography a graphic designer can choose from various font styles without worrying about the final delivery of the font because a graphic designer is focused mainly on design uniqueness. A graphic designer can select as many fonts as they want. But this is not the case with a web designer. A web designer has to be very careful while choosing a font style for their webpage. They have to check how their outcome looks on different platforms and different sites. The font style for a desktop and mobile can be different to make sure the style is suitable for all the platform web designers are limited with the font style they choose. Also, a website designer shouldn't be extending more than 2-3 font styles in one website design.
Loading Speed and File Size
A web designer is always worried about their website loading speed and file size of the images. If the file size is too big then it can lead to the slow loading speed of a webpage. So, every time a web designer is choosing a file, they are concerned about the size and quality of their file that might slow down their website and could be very bad for the website. If a website takes too long to load for a user, they will leave the page instantly so this is the reason web designers are concerned about file size but at the same time, it should look good on their webpage. But this is not the case with graphic designers. A graphic designer is not worried about any file size or loading speed because they are not designing anything that might affect a website's speed. All the work done by a graphic designer is in the form of print. Until the size of the design is too big to fit somewhere it's all gone.
Work Together
Any designer needs to work together. It would be very wrong to say that a designer works all alone. If someone hires a designer, they are designing something for someone that should indicate a brand.
Good communication skills are also important to understand the work. But a web designer has to work together with a website developer to understand and design the type of website required. Both developers and designers have to understand each other to create the perfect website. The designer must understand the needs of the developer. But this is not the case with a graphic designer. They work alone with their skills and knowledge.
Unless someone hires you to design something for you according to their ideas you are all free to be creative with your own ideas. A graphic designer believes in the originality of the design. A graphic designer is more focused on communicating with people visually.
The Medium
Both the graphic designer and web designer have to work in different circumstances. Graphic designers are designing for print and they are not concerned about the website or restricted by the online medium. But a web designer is designing for a web or online. The goal of a web designer is to create a beautiful website that will increase more interaction with users.
A graphic designer is mainly focused on the artwork and the visual content. They are communicating with their art. A website designer needs both designing as well as programming skills but this is not the same for a graphic designer as they don't need any programming skills.
Information
Both graphic and web designers are carrying information to their viewers. But the way it is carried is different. Graphic designs are everywhere from paper, clothes, buildings, products and the list goes on. The details are limited by the size of the product on which the design is being created. It cannot be changed once it is printed so the chances of error should be minimal. You cannot change the design of a product once it is made.
But website design is done online and all the information goes through online and the information available is not limited by any means. Moreover, the chances of error are high but can also be updated with time. Web designers can change any kind of mistake if they find one. They can rework their design to improve it for a better user experience.
Different Understanding
Web designers have a different understanding of their work. This is because they are designing a website according to their need and how someone sees their design. Web designers have to understand how their design will feel for their users and how would it look in the end.
Web designers also have to test their design before they can fully release it for anyone. If they find any kind of error, they need to rework the design to improve it.
A graphic designer needs to understand the principle of design and the way they communicate their message to someone. Once the design is printed you cannot rework your design as it is already printed. You will show your ideas to others so a graphic designer is not restricted to someone's idea. A graphic design can design even using a pen and paper and later print design.
These are some of the basic differences between a web design and graphic design. You have to understand the differences before you go hiring anyone for your company. Both designers need skills and experience. Better the skills and years of experience better will be your work.
A website designer can only design a website and a graphic designer may not be able to design a website for you. If you want to hire a designer for your company know which designer you want to hire whether it is a graphic designer to design your logo or a web designer to design your website. Both designers have their sets of skills and understanding and they will work accordingly.
A graphic designer should also have some knowledge about basic coding to understand a website developer. You cannot aspect a web designer to be a good graphic designer and a graphic designer a good web designer because both have their skills and knowledge and both work in a different field.
Now you know the difference between graphic design and web design so the next time you go hiring someone for your company you will have a better understanding between a graphic designer and a web designer. You first need to know which designer you are looking for in your job. Either you need artistic skills or programming skills you will know who you need to hire.
