Can You Be a Front End Developer? Know the Right Skills

We know that a front-end developer needs a deep understanding of technology. With the right skills, a front-end developer could help increase conversion.

A front end developer is very important when it comes to creating websites and mobile apps. It’s not just that the website could not be developed without this position, but it’s also because there should be a proper understanding of the matter before it could be transformed into graphics. 

The front-end developer is basically the person in-charge of converting data into graphics. The interface will be established through HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The goal is for users to interact with data. Data, as is, will not reach users’ hands without being converted into graphics. 

If the developer or developing team doesn’t have the capacity to deeply understand the data, then maybe the graphical interface will not be something that users can actually understand. The thing is, technology has made things simpler for people. The graphical interface, too, will make things simpler for people. 

Youngsters will not remember this but people used to type so many things on the computer in order to allow it to do something. Imagine how long it takes for the computer to create an output when the user has to type a lot of things before things can be done. 

Nowadays, with just a click of the button, people can order the computer to do something for them. But if the front end web developer doesn’t create a neat and understandable graphical interface, then there is no sense in having it at all. You see, it takes skills to actually achieve an interface that will make things easier for users. 

What are the skills needed to be a good front-end developer?

Understanding of technology is a given, so we will not include that in our list. If you don’t know how to use a computer, then what’s even the point of doing something technical? Of course, if you are reading this, you probably know your stuff around the computer and technology in general. 

So let’s begin:

Knowledge of coding languages

This is very important. There are a lot of graphic designers out there, but not all of them will be cut out to be a front-end developer. But as long as you are tech-savvy, you can always find the time to learn more. It will be easier to understand coding languages when you are already technical in nature. 

What are the coding languages?

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript

Let’s start by explaining the matter in simple terms. A back-end developer ensures that the system works. They are basically the counterpart for the front-end developer, which ensures that everything is laid out properly. 

Take a look at how the hotel industry works. There is a manager, who should be on top of everything. Then there is an operations supervisor, who ensures that everything is working out well in the hotel. 

Let’s consider the operations manager as the back-end developer. They should be aware of the schedules of everybody who works in the hotel. They should also ensure that utilities are working well. The operations manager is someone who doesn’t really interact with hotel users. 

The concierge, on the other hand, is the one that interacts with people. This is the person that people staying in the hotel actually see and talk to. This is someone we can compare with a front-end manager. The concierge will ensure that everything is working well even if the people don’t understand what is going on behind closed doors. 

While you might think that web users don’t actually interact with the front-end developer like a concierge, it is more on the output. The output of the developer allows the user to interact with the system, and in essence, the company that commissioned the website. 

Basically, the code run by the back-end developer is reflected in the web server, while the one developed by the front-end runs on the browser. That’s why they are called as a front-end developer because what they do is something that users actually see. 

One of their most important jobs is beyond making sure that what people see is something attractive. It should be really neat, understandable and useful. 

Problem-solving skills

Actually, people involved in creating technical systems should have problem-solving skills. But it is a skill that is particularly apparent among front-end developers. Remember what we told you about them being the concierge in a hotel? That’s because they are problem solvers like the concierge. 

The littlest problem in a website will reflect on the company and it will not be great at all. This is why every minute problem that can be seen on the graphical interface should be solved right away. But the front-end developer could do an amazing job and ensure that people will not be saddled with any kind of problem while they are navigating the system. 

That goes back to the planning stage. The developer should be able to anticipate problems and solve them. That’s what a great developer does, they would prevent any problem from occurring. Technically, they should prevent any future problems in the system. Difficult, right? That’s exactly why this is an important job and why this position is in demand. 

Testing and debugging

A great writer writes and then edits the article every now and then so that it will be the best version when it is released. It is the same for the front-end developer. 

It’s a reality that bugs happen in the process of creating a system. The bugs can only be discovered when the system has been tested. Here, we are talking about internal testing. There is also a formal testing for the system that involves a third party. But a front-end developer can conduct his own testing, too, to make sure that it is working out fine. 

In the process of testing, the developer will usually find bugs in the system. They will then have to debug in order to make the system work properly. 

There is a unit testing to check if each section with source code is working properly. Then there is the functional testing to guarantee that the website is working as it should. Even if it is working better than it should, you should still check why it is not following the code. It may be better but there might be something in the system that makes it not work the way you intended it to. If it works better for one segment, the same result may not be expected on the next one.