Designers write crunch
Developers write fluff
That's a super loose way to look at it. Designers work the RPG line, and developers work the Campaign setting lines (including modules and AP's)
From my understanding those positions are also fairly mutable in those regards.
Basically, a designer's job is to design the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game's core rules systems. They primarily work on the hardcover line, although they work on other products based on the company's need and their own interest. For example, Stephen and Mark both worked heavily on the Advanced Class Origins player companion. (I want to say that Logan and Jason did as well, but I don't have my ACO in front of me at the moment.)
A developer's job is more like being a project manager. They outline specific Paizo products (namely the Player Companion, Campaign Setting, and Module lines), assign work to freelancers, and then organize and alter that work so it fits Paizo's writing standards. From what I gather, they also help the art team commission artwork and maps.
As BDTB mentioned, job responsibilities are fairly flexible at Paizo and people do what they need to do in order to assure that qualify products leave Paizo HQ and reach your doorstep (or inbox) with speed and efficiency.
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It's actually not as simple as "designers=crunch, developers=fluff."
Leaving aside the PFACG, which functions somewhat differently, designers perform similar functions on the RPG line to what developers do on the AP, Campaign Setting, Player Companion, Module, and fiction lines. They also design the rules systems.
A developer is essentially the director/head screenwriter/executive producer for his line, if you want to think of it in movie terms. He comes up with ideas for new books in the line, pitches to and gets approval from management for them, outlines the books, selects and manages freelancers to write the content, puts together an art brief for what art will go in it and works with the art team to make that happen, develops and even rewrites text as needed, copyfits the text after the book is laid out (which often involves additional writing if more text is needed), and so on.
Developers may also design spells, feats, and other rules elements for books in their line, and in the case of the APs, may even design entire rules subsystems.
Designers, as I mentioned above, design most of the rules systems, but they also function as developers for the RPG line.
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Project Managers make sure everyone does what they need to do, as well as they can do it, when they need to do it so that projects/products are finished on time, with the highest quality possible and with as few problems as humanly possible.
Can you tell I've worked with plenty of Project Managers? :)
Creative Director
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Yeah. Without a project manager around to keep us on track, chances are good we'd just tinker with products forever and the only ones who'd ever get to see our books would be us!
So, in a way... Jessica's the reason you all get to see Pathfinder stuff at all in the first place! :-P
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So Ms. Price is one of Paizo's secret Overlords?
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Wow. I'm glad I clicked on this thread. The software industry is SOOOO different.
Designer = "This is what the user interface should look like. This is how it should behave. This is the information we need stored. This is which of that information should be protected and encrypted. This is how pages should flow, etc."
Developer = Code monkey who makes things work the way the designer wants them. (In theory.) (And honestly, "code monkey" is a misnomer. "Developers" use application tools to achieve their ends. "Engineers" write raw code.)
VERY different terms in my industry!
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Chief Technical Officer
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Leaving aside the PFACG, which functions somewhat differently...
On the Adventure Card Game, the difference between designer and developer depends on who you ask.
If you ask our partners at Lone Shark Games, they would tell you that Mike Selinker is the game designer, and Chad Brown, Tanis O'Connor, Paul Peterson, Liz Spain, and Gaby Weidling are developers. Mike created the primary architecture of the game, and the others contribute lots of ideas, including both cards and mechanics, but much of their role is about refining things, and Mike ultimately has the final say when it come to mechanical issues. They would also tell you that Brian Campbell and I are editors. (The published credits reflect this view of things.)
In Paizo's terms, though, Lone Shark as a whole acts as the design team, while I'm acting as the lead developer (and Brian does something that pretty much everyone would agree is editing).
Wow. I'm glad I clicked on this thread. The software industry is SOOOO different.
Designer = "This is what the user interface should look like. This is how it should behave. This is the information we need stored. This is which of that information should be protected and encrypted. This is how pages should flow, etc."
Developer = Code monkey who makes things work the way the designer wants them. (In theory.) (And honestly, "code monkey" is a misnomer. "Developers" use application tools to achieve their ends. "Engineers" write raw code.)
VERY different terms in my industry!
I was about to post this. Even in the digital game industry, this is pretty much the case. I'm technically a Game Programmer, but people also call me a developer or engineer.
Designers often come up with feature requests and use building block tools to create levels and macro systems, etc. while developers implement larger systems in code and empower designers when they can.
Personally, we have very powerful design tools that let designers come up with new 'rules' (like a level specific system or one-off interaction) on a small scale, but anything major and core goes through the developers and into the engine itself. Almost the opposite as it is in RPGs, I guess.
You're too kind, James. :-) I'm sure someone else would eventually pry books out of your fingers if I wasn't around.
Video game development is mostly structured like software development, yes, so the terms are different from how they're used at Paizo.