Many specialists are involved in the process of creating and maintaining websites. They are front-end developers and back-end developers. When speaking about a particular CMF, there are three main types of Drupal developers. Taking into account that the success of a result depends on more than one person, an important characteristic of a top web developers is the ability to work in a team. As long as any site or app needs to be not only multifunctional, but attractive too, the work of UX designers and UI designers is also required. So today we are going to talk about smooth and harmonious cooperation between developers and designers and ways to painlessly get a web resource both convenient to navigate and pleasant to look at.
Communication
Communication is a key factor of any productive interaction and relationship between human beings. The more people communicate, the fewer misunderstandings and disagreements occur. When specialists who are working on a common goal are able to clear up misconceptions as quickly as possible, the project is more likely to avoid delays or missed deadlines.
Before starting a web project, developers and designers should take some time to come to consensus on what the end result should look like and how it should function, which technology developers can use to make designers’ ideas true.
This communication should go on during every stage of web development. Both sides should be able to suggest improvements and discuss them in meetings during the whole process to get a mutually satisfactory outcome in the end of their cooperation.
Proximity
As communication is key, sitting right next to each other encourages more trustful and open, and thus more productive, communication. If there is no opportunity to work face-to-face in one office, then frequent video calls and chats can help keep constant contact.
Documenting
To prevent arguments, there should be a record of all the things used by the developer, like names of color shades, names of fonts, dimensions and so on. Every documented detail with specifying annotations will help developers implement web design on a live website the way designers were expecting this, and the end result will likely satisfy both parties involved.
Understanding the basics of each other job
It’s good when designers try to understand what’s behind the design, and when developers in their turn try to understand what’s behind the code. The more people figure out the technologies and tools that their colleagues use, the smoother the process will be run.
Designers should be aware of the CMS or platform the site is to be built on, so they can take its specifics into consideration. For example, it’s helpful to know some “golden rules” to follow when designing for Drupal sites to ease coding for programmers. Also, knowing the basics of HTML and CSS allows them to structure designs in a way that simplifies coding and retrieving the needed images from designers’ files. On the flip side, when programmers feel comfortable with the theory and practice of design, they could, for instance, create their own assets from the designers’ layouts.
Industry trends and novelties monitoring
It’s especially crucial for designers’ work to constantly monitor current tendencies in the world of web, to stay aware of which web design trends remain trendy — like flat design — and which new trends for e-com sites come into play in 2017. To provide a positive user experience, it’s worth knowing not just the possible design options but also their impact on end users, like which design elements annoy and discourage users to not abuse them, and which are the most effective to gain user loyalty with their help.
Developers should stay informed about the latest novelties like the latest available releases of Drupal 8 modules in 2017 and other tools. Otherwise, there is no point in designing a fashionable look for buttons, web forms, search fields and other elements if developers can’t handle them and keep them functioning properly.
Cross-device thinking
Nowadays, it’s impossible to ignore the invasion of mobile devices. That’s why both designers and programmers should consider that the web product will be displayed differently on different devices and screen sizes. To provide mobile solutions, they should be aware of UX design for mobile and other ways to go mobile, including knowing how responsive web design works and how to create flexible layouts and flexible media files. It’s useful to be aware of already existed mobile web development tools that help designers turn their sketches and mockups into mobile prototypes, help developers with responsive CSS modules and other useful things.
We hope your developers and web designers always work in harmony. If you have any questions about web projects, contact us, as we would love to hear from you.