In this insightful post, Brian Reindel discusses the different disciplines typically associated with “web development.”
The true nature of Web development is a complicated metric to gauge without being in the field for many years, and without reading about and listening to thousands who are in the field with you. It can be a frustrating experience for any one person graduating college and starting their career, or wanting to transition into a separate discipline. I decided to try and change that with some personal reflection.
Information Architecture
Information architects had previously performed the role of business analyst or programmer, but the field has centered fundamentally now around library and information sciences practices. Several veterans began their career focusing on an entirely separate discipline, but graduates entering the field will usually have a strong focus on behavioural sciences like psychology, sociology, or a degree in human-computer interaction. The role is often given to those demonstrating a high capacity for organizing information in a fashion that benefits profiled groups of users.
Web Design
There is a misnomer in the field that Web designers must be practitioners of client-side programming, standards and accessibility. However, this continues to be the result of an outspoken minority who claim to speak for a vast majority. The reality is that many very successful Web designers understand the medium and the constraints without ever touching code. It is simply that more individuals have chosen to branch out, and there is no indication of competence as a Web designer with respect to client-side development skills.
Client-side Programming
Client-side programming (or scripting) has become a mixed-bag of sorts, and can be masked behind several titles like Front-end Developer, Web Developer and even Web Designer. In the early days of the profession, a basic knowledge of HTML could land you a well-paid position. This is no longer the case, and the best client-side programmers are experts with XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, ActionScript, XML, standards, accessibility, have a very firm grasp of design theory, and often have some basic experience with a server-side language like PHP, Ruby, Java, or C#.
Server-side Programming
There are several titles for this discipline, which include Programmer, Software Engineer and Web Developer to name a few. The field has seen numerous changes over the last five years, and it covers a broad spectrum of languages, platforms, technologies and frameworks. More than any other discipline, this one has the greatest number of passionate voices, who often grasp onto a concept and never seem to let go. It is highly competitive, stressful, and regularly requires “work” outside of work.
