Difference Between Front End Developer and UI/UX Designer

In the field of application development, there are two key roles that are often misunderstood – Frontend developers and UI/UX designers. People who are starting out in these two fields are often confused regarding which specialization to follow. Both of these two roles intersect and collaborate closely, these roles play important roles in shaping the website and application experiences.

Who is Front-End Developer?

• A Front-End Developer is a professional in the field of web development who specializes in designing and implementing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of websites and web applications.
• The primary role of a front-end developer is to create the visual elements and interactive features that users see and interact with directly on the front end of the website or application.

Why Frontend Development

• Low barrier to entry: Degrees are not required for front-end development for most companies. Skills matter the most therefore barrier to entry is low.
• Awesome job prospects and increasing demand: There are about 1.7 billion websites. And websites require frontend developers, frontend development demand has been increasing for a decade.
• Simpler and straightforward to learn: Compared to other niches of technologies, front-end development is simpler to understand.
• High salaries: The average salary of a frontend developer is about $100k in the US

Who is UI/UX Designer?

• A UI/UX Designer, referred to as a “User Interface/User Experience Designer,” is a professional who specializes in creating the visual interface that is then implemented by Front-end developers.
• The role of a UI/UX designer is to ensure that website, mobile app or the software is user-friendly and visually appealing for the user.

Why UI/UX Design

• Low barrier to entry: Degrees are not required for frontend development for most of the companies. Skills matter the most therefore barrier to entry is low.
• Awesome job prospects and increasing demand: Thousands of websites are being created every year and most of the professional websites require a UI/UX designer to create the design.
• High salaries: average salary of a UI/UX designer is about $90k in the US
• Can be a great launch pad for other tech careers.

Difference between Front End Developer vs UI/UX Designer

	Frontend Developer	UI/UX Designer
Technology required	HTML & CSS JavaScript React.js or any other popular JavaScript Library. Git	Figma, Adobe XD or Sketch User research and testing Visual design principles Web accessibility best practices
Coding required	Decent level of coding.	Beginner level or zero coding required.
Salary	In India, average salary of a Frontend developer is ₹5.5 LPA. Average salary of a Frontend Developer in the US is about $100k	Average salary of a UI/UX Designer in India is ₹4.1 LPA. Average salary of an UI/UX Designer in the US is $90k.
Responsibilities	Implementing user interfaces based on design mockups Adding interactivity and functionality using JavaScript and libraries/frameworks Communicating with Backend developers for adding backend to the application. Optimizing website loading speed and working on SEO. Collaborating with UI/UX designers for implementing the exact design.	User research and analysis Creating wireframes and prototypes with tools like Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, etc. Designing the entire application from layouts to icons and the entire interface. Collaborating with Frontend developers. Ensuring design consistency across platforms Staying updated with the latest design trends and new tools for UI/UX Design.
Skills & Methods	HTML & CSS Responsive Coding JavaScript ReactJS/ NextJS/ VueJS or any other popular JavaScript Library. Soft Skills	Wireframing and Prototyping using tools like Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, etc. User research & testing Visual design principles & tools Web accessibility best practices
In-team communication	Frontend Developers mostly communicate with the backend team for implementations of the website backend Frontend Developers also communicate with the UI/UX designers to implement the design.	UI/UX designers mostly only communicate with the frontend developers for proper implementation of the design.
Work Life Balance	The Glassdoor estimate for Front End Development gives a rating of 4 stars in work life balance.	The Glassdoor estimate for UI/UX Designing gives a rating of 4 stars in work life balance.
Education Requirement	people from any background can work as a Frontend Developer or a UI/UX Designer.	people from any background can work as a Frontend Developer or a UI/UX Designer.

Conclusion

There is not a generalized for the question, “which one to choose – Front End Development vs UI/UX Designing”, there is no single answer that fits everybody. I think the most important factor in choosing between Frontend development or UI/UX designing is what interests you the most? because in longer term passion towards the skill matters more.

Now that you have a decent knowledge about both the fields, we hope that you can answer this question for yourself “which one to choose – frontend development vs UI/UX designing?”