A common misconception exists among people that front-end developers and UI developers are doing the same jobs with different titles. The above-mentioned statement holds no validity as the two perform completely different tasks and very different professions

What does the UI Developer do?

The UI Developers mainly works with design softwares such as Adobe PhotoShop, Illustrator and many similar softwares. They draw sketches and create graphic materials. Auxiliary tools that the UI developer use may include Microsoft Expression Design and Expression Blend. The designer must be well-versed with the UI guidelines to work on specific operating systems.

A crucial trait to become a UI developer is to think logically. UI developer is a thorough tech-savvy individual with a little knack for pure art. They use the mathematical and scientific approach to solve problems.
A good UI developer is a person with exceptional design skills and technical know-how and their work deals with the visual depiction of the user interfaces.

What about the front end developers?

Front-end development is the type of interface development from the client’s side. Front-end developers are responsible to keep the interface running and operating seamlessly, in comparison to the visual depiction by the UI Developer. The Front-end developer needs to be well-equipped with a lot more programming languages and skills than a UI developer. They are well-versed with the HTTP protocols, how the servers and browsers work, etc. Biggest challenge associated with the front-end development is that the tools used to establish a website’s front-end tends to change rapidly so the developer must be apt with the latest industry norms and knowledge.

The 3 basic pillars on which front-end development is based today includes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. As a front-end developer, he/she must be learned in the field of algorithms, coding patterns, object-oriented programming, functional approach, etc. Many times a front-end developer must find solutions regarding the UI problems on their stage of the development. That is why many front-end developers in a professional web design company know UI basics as well. The front-end developer is well educated with web architecture as well.