A webmaster oversees the technical maintenance and day-to-day operations of a website, while a web designer creates the visuals and layout. They can overlap on smaller sites, but are usually separate roles. Both can work together to update or create a new site.
The difference between a webmaster and a web designer can be somewhat subtle, depending on the various tasks required for a specific website. In general, however, a webmaster is usually someone who is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities and functions of a website and overseeing ongoing maintenance and operations. A web designer, on the other hand, is usually someone who actually creates the various visuals and other elements used on a webpage and puts them together to create a website. There are some instances where someone can be both a webmaster and a web designer, though these can also be mutually exclusive careers.
One of the main distinctions between a webmaster and a web designer is the difference between art and technical maintenance. A webmaster is usually someone who ensures that the technical aspects of a website are taken care of and supervised. If a particular browser program has compatibility issues with a site, for example, the webmaster or administrator for that site is usually contacted and efforts are made to correct those issues. The regular maintenance of a website is usually performed or supervised by a webmaster and errors or other problems that may arise over time are usually handled by him.
While a webmaster and web designer are responsible for working on an internet site, the designer is usually involved with the creative side of a website. A client, for example, might approach a web designer with a general idea for a website and then work with that developer to choose different possible fonts, colors and basic layouts to use. The web designer or developer creates a web page for this client through a combination of graphic arts and programming. Some very large sites, such as pages for large online retailers, may be created by a team of designers working with one or more web producers.
However, there may be cases where the work of a webmaster and web designer can overlap, particularly on smaller sites. Since the designer has extensive personal knowledge of how a website is created, he or she can continue to provide webmaster services to a client. Much of this depends on a designer’s preferences, however, and the types of work he or she prefers to do. Both a webmaster and web designer can also work together when a page needs updating or when a client wants a new site based on older designs. A webmaster can provide a new designer with information about various strengths and weaknesses of a previous page, which he can then use to create a new, superior site.
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