Wait, Wait… What is a Full-stack Web Developer After All?

Summary: a full-stack web developer is someone who has honed skills in both front-end web design/development and back-end/server coding. You can count on a full-stack web developer to design, code, implement and maintain a fully functional modern interactive website on his/her own (not just a static website with a few pages).

Full-stack Web Developer

With the ever evolvement of the almighty World Wide Web, new job functions are created virtually every day. Just a few years ago, you only needed a web designer to create the visual design in Photoshop and/or Dreamweaver and a web developer to code the front-end/back-end scripts and the website was ready to go. At that time, websites were charged based on the number of “pages” (a concept borrowed from print design).

Fast forward to the present, we now have (not a exhaustive list) :

• visual designer
• web designer
• UI designer
• UX designer
• interaction designer
• art director
• front-end developer
• back-end developer
• web developer
• mobile developer
• database developer
• database administrator
• web master
• web server administrator
• SEO specialist
• web analyst
• web security professional
• quality assurance tester
• project manager
• growth hacker
• …

Several roles may be taken up by the same individual depending on the size of the company and the resources. Very large and profitable companies may gather experts from each field in their teams with a view to create the best-ever-possible web products of the world.

But normally, in the down-to-earth company, the web designer/developer distinction still applies. The web designer will be responsible for the visual/web/UI/UX/interaction design while the web developer will do the front-end coding/back-end coding/database administration/server setup/debugging/etc. However, problems always occur in areas when the two have to work together yet only either one takes responsible. Factors like miscommunications/false assumptions of job role and scope/misunderstanding of the technology/etc. will render the end product a subpar one.

This is where a full-stack web developer can fill the gap. A full-stack web developer masters the best of both worlds (or to a minimum understands both worlds). (S)He will be able to steer the web projects in the right direction utilizing the best practices and latest advancements in the technology. (S)He will design and code the whole web project themselves or supervise others to perform the tasks by overlooking the whole process from scratch to finish.

When websites and web applications become more and more interactive and sophisticated, understanding the technical capabilities of the systems and having an eye for artistic/usability judgement are critical to the success. So it is natural for web professionals to evolve to full-stack web developers in due course.

Designers will become more like programmers as programming becomes more like design.

However, designing and coding are two distinct skills that require different regions of the brain to master . The right brain is for visual and creativity and the left brain is for structure and organization. Designers are predominately right-brainers while coder left-brainers. So there is still only a handful of full-stack web developer on the market .

Benefits of Being a Full-Stack Web Developer

1. You can build a professional website from scratches for your employer.
2. You can be a competent member in cross-functional Agile teams where you can perform both front-end and back-end development. As Agile project management is fast becoming the norm for web application development and UI/UX is gaining in importance for the success or failure of any web application, you will be seen as a valuable team member contributing to the success of projects.
3. You can start your own website design and development business.
4. You can build your own websites and monetize them through Adsense, affiliate marketing, selling your own products and more. The best of this is the flexibility of earning extra money alongside your regular job. There are many great examples of web developers turning this business into a career and quitting their regular jobs.
   • as an example, you can utilize your knowledge in web development to help others to select the most suitable website hosting plan with an earning of US$85 per referral.
     • Click here to join the A2 Hosting affiliate program for free. For a limited time, you will get US$10 upon signing up (there is a earning threshold of US$100 (i.e. 2 referrals) before they will send you the money). You will need to have a website to be eligible for the program.
     • Don’t worry if you don’t have a website, you can get unlimited hosting for a monthly fee as low as US$3.89 (with use of coupon code: WHTPRIME, please activate the discount here and click “Web Hosting” on the menu bar).

Reference

• Job Titles in the Web Industry by Chris Coyler
• Don’t call me that by Colm Tuite
• Understanding Your Brain for Better Design: Left vs. Right by Kayla Knigth