Website Development

Website Development — questions and answers

What happens during the handoff from design to development, and what format should design files be in?

Developers typically receive designs as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD files, which allow inspection of spacing, colours, typography, and assets. A smooth handoff includes annotated components, responsive breakpoints, interactive states like hover or error messages, and exported assets in appropriate formats. Missing specifications—like font weights or spacing for mobile—create guesswork and slow progress.

How does responsive design actually work in the code?

Responsive design uses CSS media queries to apply different styles based on screen width, height, or device characteristics. A layout might stack vertically on narrow screens and arrange in columns on wider ones. Developers write breakpoints—commonly around 768px for tablets and 1024px for desktops—and test across real devices, since browser emulators sometimes miss rendering quirks.

What's the difference between a static site and a dynamic site in terms of how they're built?

Static sites serve pre-built HTML files directly to visitors, often generated by tools like Jekyll, Hugo, or Eleventy. Dynamic sites generate pages on request using server-side code that queries databases. Static sites load faster and need less server resources, but dynamic sites handle user-specific content, frequent updates, and interactive features more naturally.

Why do browsers sometimes display the same website differently?

Browsers interpret HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through different rendering engines—Chrome uses Blink, Firefox uses Gecko, Safari uses WebKit. Each handles edge cases, newer features, and standards slightly differently. Developers test across browsers and use techniques like CSS resets, vendor prefixes, and feature detection to ensure consistent appearance and behaviour.

What's involved in making a website accessible, beyond adding alt text to images?

Accessibility requires semantic HTML so screen readers understand structure, keyboard navigation for people who can't use a mouse, sufficient colour contrast, focus indicators on interactive elements, and ARIA labels where HTML alone falls short. Forms need clear labels and error messages, and dynamic content must announce changes. Testing with actual assistive technologies reveals issues automated tools miss.

When a website needs to handle file uploads, what technical considerations come into play?

File uploads require server-side validation of file type, size limits to prevent abuse, secure storage outside the web root, and often resizing or format conversion for images. Large files benefit from chunked uploads or direct-to-cloud storage. Developers must handle upload failures gracefully, scan for malware, and ensure proper permissions prevent unauthorised access to uploaded content.