LightSpeed » website http://lsdev.biz Website Development - WordPress - Cape Town Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:00:56 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Digital Construction: Bits vs Bricks http://lsdev.biz/digital-construction-bits-vs-bricks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=digital-construction-bits-vs-bricks http://lsdev.biz/digital-construction-bits-vs-bricks/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:37:05 +0000 Barend Potgieter http://lsdev.biz/?p=3773 Digital Construction

For those that are starting out in the world of Website creation it can often be a bit confusing understanding exactly what skills are needed and what goes into creating a great online space. In the world of webdesign, where once it was possible for one lone maverick to build up and maintain a site on his or her own, it is increasingly more prevalent that you’ll have a colleague or two with you in the trenches, helping you out and lending a hand. As the industry has evolved the different skills have been labeled and titled much like any other profession. So for the uninitiated, I’ve found this little breakdown that explains the different roles quite nicely.

Bricks

Architect: Draws up the blueprints; makes sure the only bathroom isn’t off the garage and the plumbing doesn’t run to the roof.

Engineer: Ensures that the building is sound, that the proper materials are being used, and that the wind won’t blow it over.

General contractor/foreman: Makes sure that everyone shows up to work, that the plans are followed, and that the building gets built.

Interior/exterior designer: Selects the paint colors; what art to hang on the walls; and whether to use carpet, tile, or hardwood. Basically, this person makes sure that things look nice.

Basement/foundation builders: Pours the concrete for the foundation of the structure.

Framer/carpenter/drywaller/painter: Builds the structure; turns the architect’s vision into reality.

Plumber/electrician: Puts in the pipes and wires to make the house come alive. You can live in a house without plumbing and electricity, but it isn’t much fun.

Bits

Information architect: Draws up the site map; makes sure site search isn’t available only from the “Contact Us” page.

Technical lead: Ensures that the systems in place will handle the traffic and that the technology decisions are sound.

Project manager: Makes sure that the programmers don’t spend all their time playing video games and that the project gets done on time.

Designer: Selects the color palette and fonts; develops the graphics and selects the images. In other words, the designer makes sure that things look nice.

System administrators/database administrators: Creates the infrastructure that supports the website.

HTML/CSS developer: Structures pages properly; puts the designer’s vision into practice.

Programmer/developer: Adds interactivity to pages through client-side and server-side scripting.

Despite these breakdowns, you can still find a single person or a small group of people filling all or a few of these roles, and being a generalist is a common way to go.

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