If you are involved in web development, you have probably heard of the front end web developer. But if you are not, then it’s probably an alien position to you. It is actually one of the most important positions within a web development company. However, a lot of people don’t usually hear that position being thrown around.
People, even those who are not tech-savvy, have heard of graphic designers. Some may even be familiar with UX and UI designers. But what does a front-end web developer do?
In the most basic terms, a front-end web designer is responsible for translating data into codes and implementing them so that they will become an understandable graphic interface. Meanwhile, the graphic interface is a blend of how the website looks and how it works.
When you talk about how the website looks, then you are basically referring to the web design. But when it comes to how everything works, then that is part of the front-end web development. It pertains to how the website design functions.
The position of front-end web developer is a perfect balance between knowledge and skill. You cannot have a great design if you just depend on one of those assets. A developer should have both.
Every front-end developer should have knowledge of the coding languages. It is just impossible for one to be a developer without coding knowledge. There are three important codes that a front-end web developer should master. These are the HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Let’s discuss them one by one:
Hyper Text Markup Language or HTML is the one of two basic building blocks when we talk about coding for the web. It is impossible to create a website without this. You cannot format or add images without an HTML. Therefore, knowledge on this matter is crucial.
This means Cascading Style Sheets. This is the second basic building block when it comes to web development. Do you know what happens to your website without HTML and CSS? It will be a page filled with text. It’s boring and ugly. Those are two things you cannot have in a website.
Even if you don’t have the experience in creating a website, you can already create a basic website as long as you have HTML and CSS. But who wants a basic website?
In order to move up from a basic website, then a front-end web developer should also have knowledge of JavaScript. So what is that? It is a coding language that allows you to add functionality to the website. More importantly, you can actually add web applications to the website.
JavaScript makes websites so much easier to use. HTML and CSS may seem more important as there is no website without them, but JavaScript can be considered just as important because the website won’t seem to have a life without it. By the way, you should also know that JavaScript is actually the most popular coding language in the tech world.
This refers to Representational State Transfer. It is a technological architecture that makes network communication so much easier. This way, users won’t have a hard time understanding your web’s structure.
The aim of REST is fast performance. Every front-end web developer knows this and they are the authority in REST.
Here’s the thing: when the website works fast, users will intend to stay in the site longer. This will possibly lead to conversion, which is the goal of every company. That’s why REST is crucial and why a great front-end web developer should have advanced knowledge of REST.
Furthermore REST allows the web service to perform better. Fast is not enough to create a great website. There is also performance to consider. Fast is not the same as good performance. Technology is really a combination of various things.
Basically, if you want a great website, you have to consider the proper implementation of REST in the development process.
A front-end developer shouldn’t just think about the regular website design. They should also consider the mobile design. If you notice, more and more people access the internet through their mobile phones. There is a large possibility that people will actually check any website on their phone.
There was a time when mobile design wasn’t something developers thought about. So when people access a website on their phone, it looks terrible. The web page doesn’t seem so neat on phones. Nowadays, though, if the design looks terrible, then people won’t be invested in the website. This is definitely not the way to increase conversion.
The mobile design has to be responsive, too. This is exactly what we talked about—fitting the page on the mobile phone. A responsive design means that page seems like it belongs on the mobile phone. You have to remember that different mobile phones or devices, in general, come in different screen sizes. When the design is responsive, it doesn’t matter what mobile device you are using. The page will fit perfectly.
When the design is responsive, it also means that the page has been optimized. It isn’t just about fitting the page on the phone screen. If that is the case, the regular page will have small texts and images on the phone. That’s not how a responsive design looks. In a responsive design, the layout of the page will change on the mobile device. This is what optimization means.
This is a skill that a good front-end web developer needs to internalize. This could be learned from experience. This could also be adapted with the right knowledge.
The goal of every company is to make money. A good front-end web developer will always have that in mind. Conversion should be a consideration in the development process. What better way to earn money than to allow the user to shop on the website.
This is where an e-commerce platform comes in. It is also considered a web application because the user can do something else while on the same site—shopping. Now only a good front-end developer could create a comprehensive website with an e-shopping platform.
While shopping is great, people wouldn’t actually do it if the e-commerce platform will not make it easy for them. This is another segment where the developer has to depend on responsive design and REST.
Being a front-end web developer is not easy at all. There should be a good balance between knowledge and skill to develop a website.
Read more:
What Does A Front-End Developer Do?
Front End Web Developer Portfolio: How To Impress
The Importance Of The Front End Web Developer
Top Web Development Companies: Defining Ecommerce Success Is Pretty Simple
Reasons Why You Need A Front End Service Provider