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There are plenty of inspiring websites that a front-end developer can check, and here are some of the most inspired websites one can come across in 2018:

Distance to Mars. Clearly one of the most innovative and fun websites in recent memory, it’s a simple website with a simple premise – create a sense of scale for the distance between the Earth and Mars, but with pixels. Clearly, a labor of love, its novel idea, and friendly design are sure to inspire plenty of front-end developers everywhere.

Inside Abbey Road. From the get-go, this website is a sensory treat and is handled perfectly by those who coded and designed it. Every nook and cranny of the legendary studio is available for exploration, a miniature version of Google Maps if you will. While being a beautifully handled website, Inside Abbey Road is chock full of features, from the integration of a mixing feature and an automatic commentary that leads visitors to its key features without forcing the content. Overall, this is a website that all front-end developers should look to for inspiration.

Crypton Trading. It might look simple at first, but scroll the mouse down and you’ll be amazed at what this website can do. It’s a winner for Site of the Day, and understandably so: the marriage of design and development to make this website possible is so evident from the first few seconds of visiting this website. It’s better to visit this website to know exactly how amazing it is.

Ogilvy One. Most front-end developers might have heard of this website, but this makes it all the more reason to include it in this list. The website is clear, crisp, easy to navigate, and makes sense of a complicated issue very easily through the use of effective design.

Web design and web development are completely different beasts from the ground up. Practically, web design refers to the aesthetic portion of a website, or what can be seen immediately by the webpage visitor. This requires a more visual-aesthetic skillset, as a web designer directly designs what people will see from a website.

This is practically as important as the code running the website, as websites are primarily a visual-oriented medium. If a website is easy on the eyes, then it contributes to more visits and potentially, return visits from previous visitors.

Web development, on the other hand, is taking that web design and putting that into practice by bringing the website to life- quite literally, with code.

One of the main core differences between web design and development is the tools involved. Design requires visual tools such as Adobe Photoshop, and more recently, Sketch. Figma is also a great tool used in web design, which offers both free and paid options used for both designing and prototyping websites.

Web development’s tools, primarily, are programming languages for the web. Those are HTML, JavaScript, CSS and PHP.

Both go hand in hand, as they support each other; great design, coupled with great code running it makes for a great website. Conversely, a website that’s coded properly lets great design shine and makes the design work as intended. In some cases, it even improves upon design by turning static layouts into dynamic webpages.

The first thing you’ll want to do when developing an app is research. This covers all aspects that might directly relate to the app, and that includes the target audience/market, what similar apps are already available and what separates you from them, and the logistics required to get the app done and published.

Additionally, since technology is constantly changing and improving, part of your research will be to find out which languages/software/frameworks you’ll need to get the app done at the best possible cost and time-efficiency, along with the manpower required to make the app.

First things first, you’ll need to ask yourself- is the app idea feasible? Feasibility could be dictated by so many things but the most important ones are (1) market research, (2) how novel, or what sets the app apart from so many other competitors of the same function.

Once you’ve figured that out, make sure that you have the features for the app down pat; check if you have the competencies to cater to the app’s programming requirements or in the case of outsourcing, make sure that the app development company you’re hiring has experience that can assist in the making of the app.

Here is the toughest part of app development, besides actual production: taking care of the cost for the app. Mobile applications can cost anywhere between $5000 to $1000000, and plenty of those in the industry will agree that they don’t come cheap; make sure that you have all the features that you need within the app and cut away the rest that you don’t need or don’t contribute to its functionality.

Yes, it does. The tech industry has struggled with the fact that it is impossible to create a fully-functional software product without multiple technologies. Generally, developing any complete software product requires several tools and programming languages, a combination known as a complete tech stack. Different approaches are used when it comes to software products since it includes the client’s side and a server. Although there are usually two separate stacks that cover each of the layers, full-stack development is utilized by building a web or mobile application from A to Z.

What Makes Full Stack Developers Special in 2018?

Full-stack developers are specialists who are equally capable of back-end and front-end development. With this in mind, one could say that the more skills a person has demonstrated as a professional, the more valuable he or she becomes. This makes the full stack developer highly coveted for a wide range of projects and the skills they offer in high demand.

This is a list of things to learn if you’re a technician or things to ask for if you’re a business owner:

HTML and CSS

Semantic HTML.

Learning the CSS Box Model so you could know its principles and distinctive traits.

CSS preprocessors — their benefits for software development.

Bootstrap

JavaScript

Learning the working principles of DOM and JSON.

Focusing on the language’s important features: prototypal inheritance, event delegation, etc.

Paying much of your attention to one framework of your choice.

Having a common understanding of testing frameworks.

Databases and Storage

Getting to know NoSQL databases and situations when to choose a certain one.

Peculiarities of relational data.

Understanding how to link a database and a back-end language you’ve chosen.

Web storage.

HTTP

Learning fundamental points about REST.

Designing RESTful API.

Using Chrome DevTools.

Learning more about SSL Certificates.

Architecture

Gathering information about platforms as a service.

Working on optimization of the app.

MVC.

Learning codebases from the GitHub large projects — people there know what they’re doing.

Git

Learning the full list of Git commands.

Examining a basic tutorial on Git usage.

Back-End Language.

The best way to answer this would be to compare it to frontend development.

Frontend development deals primary with the user experience, and it dictates or designs how a website looks and feels. Backend, on the other hand, deals with the “server” side of things. Backend development is the nuts and bolts of the programming that makes the website functional.

The backend is an integral part of the entire development process, as this makes sure that the mobile app you’re developing connects to backend cloud storage/processes. A good example of this would be push notifications, geolocation, user/login management and integration to third party systems (if applicable), among many other “server” processes.

A backend developer takes care of all these, and works hand-in-hand with frontend development so that the user experience gels well with server and business logic.

Backend developers don’t need to be fluent with most frontend languages, but should be fluent with .Net, Java, PHP and Ruby.

Since backend development deals with what can’t be seen immediately from the user experience, one of the key responsibilities of a backend developer is to ensure the efficiency and responsiveness of an app.

This is very important and app responsiveness/speed is a factor that makes or breaks the app experience for users.

Mobile development frameworks offer developers a basic skeleton that can be adapted for mobile app software.

1. NativeScript

NativeScript is a tool designed to facilitate how native platform APIs are accessed and how the source code is transpiled. Transpiling with NativeScript in this way uses the V8 JavaScript engine as a leverage for Android and JavaScript Core for iOS, making all device APIs directly accessible from the JavaScript code. Being familiar with NativeScript removes the necessity of being knowledgeable with plugins as well as Java, Objective-C, and Swift.

When it comes to the compiling phase, there is no need for WebView if you use NativeScript because all XML components are transpiled to native Android and iOS components before they are combined as an application binary. Using this process makes an application efficient and user-friendly.

2. Flutter

Flutter, backed by Google, can help you build native iOs and Android applications, but in a different way from some of the other cross-platform frameworks. In Flutter, you will be using Dart (Google's programming language) when developing Android and iOS applications. It uses a 2D rendering engine called Skia to create visual components on the screen. You can also easily do testing without restarting the application.

3. React Native

With React Native you’re building a truly native mobile application where React Native components are transpiled to native iOS and Android components, while using JavaScript and the React framework. If you’re already using React on the web, then React Native would be a logical choice in mobile development.

4. Ionic

Ionic is the perfect choice when you need to make a high-performing app. It can help you build native and progressive web applications that work perfectly on the latest mobile devices. Ionic also has an Ionic Market wherein you can download templates and projects built by other programmers. With the help of Ionic command line utility, you can build, emulate, and run your app.

5. Ext JS

The same reason why any kind of mobile development on any kind of platform is expensive: labor. While you’re paying for many other things within the app such as licenses or any other possible API agreements/connection, talent takes the lion’s share of a given budget for development.

Even when outsourcing, managers tasked with development are usually shell-shocked when they see the actual cost of app development; this should come as no surprise, though. Like the art industry, developers are paid for their talent and the work they put into learning all the various programming languages. Coding isn’t an easy job, and it’s expensive for a good reason!

According to PayScale, the average app developer salary is around $64k, with reported salary ranges of $43,000 to $100,000 per year. Some cities such as New York, Houston, Atlanta and Washington even report an average of $76-80k.

Add to that the fact that apps usually aren’t built by just one person; they’re built by a team of engineers and designers working together to create the app. Multiply the annual cost mentioned above by the number of team members that you need, and you should have a clear idea of why it costs so much. If you are savvy and pick the right team, you can significantly reduce costs with offshore development.

Your app’s level of complexity also dictates how long it will take to finish the app, and if you’re outsourcing development this will obviously cost a lot more if what you’re developing is incredibly complex.

Standalone apps normally cost less (these are apps that require no connection to the internet); but apps that consume data or connect to the internet need more time and money. If the app doesn’t just connect to the internet and needs log-in authentication, account management, etc., then it will need a server running in the background; this will then cost more than your regular standalone app.

On top of all this, developing for Apple has the annual cost of $99 ($299 if you’re representing an enterprise), during which period you have the ability to push as many apps as you want. Android, by comparison, has a $25 one-time fee with Play Store.

This all depends on what you truly prefer, and what form of development you find more interesting. Generally, frontend mobile developers are in great demand in the market right now, and it will be generally easier to find employment there.

Frontend development is for people who are more into the creative side of development as this deals primarily with UI/UX design. A lot of intuitive work goes into this along with a deep understanding of how development deals with user experience.

If you’re more into designing the moving parts that make up the user experience and are more of a visual and kinesthetic individual then this form of development is perfect for you. What you’re designing is the visual experience for your clients.

On the other hand, backend development primarily deals with what isn’t seen or felt by the user, and that includes server-side activity and information handling. You’ll be making a system that does the complex computations required within an app.

With web development, the need is more pronounced. But it’s becoming more prominent in mobile development with the advent of complex apps that require more server activity than the rest, and this is a very important and challenging role.

Ideally, it would be best if you’re familiar with both frontend and backend so that should you start developing, you’re aware of the workflows involved with both ends of the development stack. This makes sure that you remain a very competent developer in a market of hundreds of thousands of developers.