A designer decides what the site looks like and how someone moves through it. A developer builds the thing that runs. On a small business project the same person often does both, which is why the distinction confuses people who are only buying one website.

What the designer does

Works out what each page needs to achieve and in what order the information should appear. Chooses layout, typography, colour and spacing. Decides where the buttons go and what they say. Designs how it behaves on a phone, which for South African traffic is the version that matters most.

The output is usually a set of designs, in Figma or similar, that show what the finished site will look like before anyone builds it.

What the developer does

Turns those designs into a working site. Sets up the platform, builds the templates, makes the forms submit and the payments process, connects anything that needs connecting, and makes it load quickly.

The output is a site that works, on every browser and every screen size, without breaking when someone edits a page.

Where they overlap

Task	Whose job
What the site should say	Copywriter, often the designer
Page structure and navigation	Designer
Visual design	Designer
Building the templates	Developer
Forms, payments, integrations	Developer
Speed and technical health	Developer
Making it work on a phone	Both
Hosting and going live	Developer

Which one a small business needs

For a standard business website, usually one person or one team that covers both. A five to twelve page site on WordPress needs design judgement and build competence in roughly equal measure, and hiring them separately adds coordination cost without adding much quality.

Hire them separately when the project is large enough that neither role is part-time, when you already have a design system to build against, or when the functionality is genuinely custom.

The titles you will also see

Front-end developer. Builds what the visitor sees and interacts with.

Back-end developer. Builds what happens behind it: databases, accounts, integrations. Most small business sites need very little of this.

Full-stack developer. Both.

UX designer. Works on structure and flow before visual design starts. Real discipline, mostly justified on complex sites.

Webmaster. Keeps an existing site running: updates, backups, small changes. Different job again, and the one most small businesses forget to budget for.

What each costs in South Africa

Freelance designers and developers both run roughly R350 to R900 an hour depending on experience. Someone who does both usually quotes per project rather than hourly, from about R12,000 for a standard business site and R25,000 to R60,000 for something larger.

All figures exclude VAT. Advertising spend is billed separately by the platform and is never marked up by Juicy Designs.

Beware of quotes that look cheap because they cover only half the job. A design that nobody builds is a picture, and a build with no design decisions behind it usually looks like one.

What to ask before you hire

Will you handle both the design and the build, or do I need someone else for part of it? Who writes the copy, because that is the most commonly unassigned task on a website project. Who sets up hosting and takes it live? What happens when I need a change in three months, and what does that cost?

That last question separates people who build sites from people who maintain them, and you need both over the life of a website.

Juicy Designs covers design, build, copy and ongoing care in one team. See web design, website development and website maintenance. Related: what web design covers and choosing a web designer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a web designer and a web developer?

A designer decides how the site looks and how someone moves through it. A developer builds the thing that runs. On a small business project one person often does both, and on anything larger they are separate roles with separate skills.

Which one do I need for a small business website?

Usually someone who does both, or a small agency that covers both. A standard business site on WordPress needs design judgement and build competence in roughly equal measure, and splitting the roles adds coordination cost without adding much.

Do I need a developer if I use WordPress?

Not for a standard site. WordPress with a good theme covers most small business needs. You need a developer when you want custom functionality, an integration with another system, or something the theme cannot do.

What does each cost in South Africa?

Freelance designers and developers both run roughly R350 to R900 an hour. A designer-developer who does both typically quotes per project instead, from about R12,000 for a standard business site.

What about a UX designer?

A UX designer works on how the site is structured and how people move through it, before any visual design happens. It is a real discipline and it matters most on complex sites. A five-page business site rarely justifies a separate UX role.