Web designer. Web developer. The terms are not interchangeable.
A web designer often has skills in HTML and CSS as well as training or experience in graphic design. A web developer typically writes code, JavaScript, Java, PHP, Ruby, ActionScript, HTML, CSS, or the like. And while the two jobs often overlap (particularly in HTML and CSS) there are strong differences.
Making the transition from designer to developer absolutely requires reading, training, and practice. The person making this change will effectively be learning a new language or languages.
Why Make the Transition
Deciding to add development skills to your resume is no small matter. The process will likely take a couple of years—at least—of consistent work and learning, but the payoff could be worth it.
According to PayScale, web developers earn about 9.6 percent more than web designers in the first year. As time goes on the disparity grows to 26.6 percent after 20 years of experience. Bottom line, web developers earn more and get more raises or pay increases over time.
For some specialized web developers the pay can be even better. For example, some Flex developers with just five years of experience are earning more than $120,000 per year plus benefits.
But how does one get started on this path. I would suggest you start by reading.
Basic PHP and MYSQL
Recently, O'Reilly Media released the fourth edition of one of my favorite books, Build Your Own Database Driven Web Site Using PHP & MYSQL from Kevin Yank.
Yank's work uses a real word example (a joke website) to walk readers through the process of building a PHP website from scratch. The specific tasks that Yank includes, and even the encouraging tone he uses, are just the sort of thing you'd need as you try to make the transition from being a front-end web designer to a web developer.
Chapter Specifics
Several of the book's chapters provide the basic information that will be essential to becoming a good PHP developer. Of particular interest are Yank's discussions of building a content management system in Chapter 7; regular expressions in Chapter 8; and MYSQL administration in Chapter 10.
Very Readable
Perhaps, the best thing about this text is that it is very readable, even if the reader doesn't have a technical background. In fact, I would argue that Yank does a good job of describing beginning PHP principles without ever speaking down to the learner.
Summing Up
If you're trying to learn PHP development, Kevin Yank's Build Your Own Database Driven Web Site Using PHP & MYSQL is a good place to start.
