For over 10 years I’ve worked as a web developer, for most of that time my company has worked as the subcontracted development team, working alongside web designers on websites and applications. In addition, we have developed our own small CMS product, Perch, which is used by many web designers to provide simple content management for their sites. In the course of supporting Perch I get to see how people work, and the concepts that they struggle with.

A designer who freelances or runs their own agency, may find that they need to confidently explain technical concepts to clients. The end client is often unaware of the various specialisms behind launching a new site and relies on their web designer to guide them through the process. Therefore even if you tend to outsource development work, having an understanding of development can pay dividends in allowing you to discuss the technical parts of the job with your clients. In addition, when working with developers your knowledge will help to speed up communication and prevent misunderstandings.

This article contains some small tips and links to further reading, on subjects that I’ve found myself explaining when working with web designers on projects and when supporting Perch.

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