Why your website may not look exactly like your design

In the fast-paced world of web development, the process of turning a carefully crafted web design into a fully functional website can sometimes lead to unexpected challenges.

Web development is the process of creating and maintaining websites or web applications. Web design is the aspect of web development that focuses on the visual appearance and usability of a website or web application. Web designers create mockups or prototypes of how they want the final product to look and function, using tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, or Figma. Web developers then use these mockups as a guide to implement the design using code, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or PHP.

However, sometimes the final web development is not exactly as designed. There may be some differences or discrepancies between the original design and the final product. This can be frustrating for both web designers and clients, who may have certain expectations or preferences for how their website or web application should look and work.

In this article, we will explore some of the technical reasons why final web development is not exactly as designed:

Browser compatibility

One of the technical reasons why final web development is not exactly as designed is browser compatibility. Browser compatibility refers to how well a website or web application works across different browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Safari. Different browsers may have different standards, features, or limitations that affect how they render or display a website or web application.

For example, some browsers may not support certain CSS properties, JavaScript functions, or HTML elements that are used in the design. This may cause some elements to appear differently or not at all in some browsers. Alternatively, some browsers may have different default settings or behaviors that affect how they interpret or execute the code. This may cause some elements to behave differently or unexpectedly in some browsers.

To avoid or minimize browser compatibility issues, web developers should follow the best practices and standards for web development, such as using valid and semantic code, testing and debugging the code across different browsers and devices, and using tools such as polyfills, prefixes, or fallbacks to provide alternative solutions for unsupported features. Web designers should also be aware of the browser compatibility issues and limitations when creating their mockups or prototypes, and avoid using features that are not widely supported or consistent across browsers.

Responsive design

Another technical reason why final web development is not exactly as designed is responsive design. Responsive design refers to the ability of a website or web application to adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, or smartphones. Responsive design aims to provide an optimal user experience regardless of the device used to access the website or web application.

However, responsive design also poses some challenges for web development. Web developers have to consider how the layout, content, images, fonts, colors, and interactions of a website or web application will change or adjust depending on the screen size and resolution. Web developers have to use techniques such as media queries, breakpoints, grids, flexbox, or bootstrap to create flexible and fluid layouts that can accommodate different screen sizes and resolutions.

Web designers also have to consider how their design will look and work on different devices when creating their mockups or prototypes. Web designers have to create multiple versions of their design for different screen sizes and resolutions, and ensure that their design is consistent and coherent across devices. Web designers also have to prioritize the most important information and features for each device, and avoid using elements that are not suitable or functional for smaller screens.

Performance optimization

A third technical reason why final web development is not exactly as designed is performance optimization. Performance optimization refers to the process of improving the speed and efficiency of a website or web application by reducing its loading time, bandwidth consumption, memory usage, CPU usage, etc. Performance optimization aims to provide a fast and smooth user experience by minimizing delays, interruptions, errors, or crashes.

However, performance optimization also requires some trade-offs or compromises in web development. Web developers have to balance between the quality and quantity of the elements on a website or web application. Web developers have to use techniques such as compression, minification, caching, lazy loading, or prefetching to reduce the size and number of files that need to be downloaded, parsed, or executed by the browser. Web developers also have to use techniques such as code splitting, service workers, or progressive enhancement to improve the functionality and reliability of a website or web application.

Web designers also have to consider how their design will affect the performance of a website or web application when creating their mockups or prototypes. Web designers have to use high-quality images, fonts, colors, and animations that are optimized for web use.

Web designers also have to use simple and clear elements that are easy to load and understand by the users.

Accessibility and usability

A fourth technical reason why final web development is not exactly as designed is accessibility and usability. Accessibility and usability refer to the degree to which a website or web application can be used by people with different abilities, preferences, or situations, such as people with disabilities, older people, people with low bandwidth, people with different languages, etc. Accessibility and usability aim to provide an inclusive and equitable user experience by removing or reducing barriers or difficulties that may prevent or limit the use of a website or web application.

However, accessibility and usability also entail some adjustments or adaptations in web development. Web developers have to follow the guidelines and standards for web accessibility and usability, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the User Interface Design Principles (UIDP), or the User Experience Design Principles (UXDP). Web developers have to use techniques such as semantic markup, keyboard navigation, alt text, captions, transcripts, contrast ratio, font size, etc. to make a website or web application more accessible and usable for different users.

Web designers also have to consider how their design will comply with the web accessibility and usability guidelines and standards when creating their mockups or prototypes. Web designers have to use elements that are compatible and consistent with the web accessibility and usability techniques. Web designers also have to use elements that are intuitive and user-friendly for different users.

Content management

A fifth technical reason why final web development is not exactly as designed is content management. Content management refers to the process of creating, editing, organizing, storing, and delivering the content of a website or web application, such as text, images, videos, audio, etc. Content management aims to provide relevant and updated content for a website or web application by using tools such as content management systems (CMS), databases, APIs, etc.

However, content management also involves some changes or variations in web development. Web developers have to integrate the content of a website or web application with the design and functionality of a website or web application. Web developers have to use techniques such as templates, placeholders, variables, or dynamic rendering to display the content of a website or web application according to the design and functionality of a website or web application. Web developers also have to use techniques such as validation, sanitization, or encryption to ensure the quality and security of the content of a website or web application.

Web designers also have to consider how their design will accommodate the content of a website or web application when creating their mockups or prototypes. Web designers have to use elements that are flexible and adaptable for different types, formats, or sizes of content.

Web designers also have to use elements that are coherent and harmonious with the content of a website or web application.

Conclusions

In conclusion, final web development is not exactly as designed due to various technical reasons such as browser compatibility issues, responsive design challenges, performance optimization trade-offs, accessibility and usability adjustments, and content management changes.

However these reasons are not necessarily negative or detrimental for the project. They can also provide opportunities for improvement and innovation in web development.

Web development is a dynamic and complex process that requires collaboration and communication between web developers, web designers, and clients.

By understanding the technical reasons why final web development is not exactly as designed, and how to avoid or minimize them, web developers, web designers, and clients can create better websites and web applications that meet their needs and expectations.

Bibliography

[1] J. Kyrnin, "What Is Browser Compatibility?" The Balance Careers, 2020. [Online]. Available: 1.

[2] M. Heusser, "What Is Responsive Web Design?" Mozilla Developer Network, 2020. [Online]. Available: 2.

[3] A. Kyrnin, "Web Development Best Practices," The Balance Careers, 2020. [Online]. Available: 3.

[4] W3C, "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview," W3C, 2020. [Online]. Available: 4.

[5] N. Norman, "10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design," Nielsen Norman Group, 2020. [Online]. Available: 5.

[6] D. Boisvert, "What Is Content Management?" Techopedia, 2020. [Online]. Available: 6.

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