Learn Web Design:
The Best Courses and Resources
If you want to kickstart your career as a web designer or advance your skills, take advantage of the wide range of web design courses available online. Many online platforms and schools offer courses to become web designers, full-stack web developers, and user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) designers.
The best online web design courses cover the fundamentals of web development and visual design. You can take classes online to learn in-demand programming languages, design tools, and techniques. These courses also offer specialization options for advanced learners.
Online platforms make it easy to learn the most popular technical skills and design practices. The growth of e-commerce and advancements in technology increase the demand for skilled web designers. With the right set of skills, you can have great prospects for your career.
What Are Web Design Courses?
Web design courses help aspiring web designers get the skills to design functional websites. They teach you everything you need to start your career in web design and development. These courses are for students with beginner to advanced levels of programming knowledge.
In beginners courses, you will learn the fundamentals of programming and website design. Some schools offer prep courses that are for absolute beginners with no coding experience. You walk out of these immersive courses with hours of coding experience.
Many of these courses offer networking opportunities. You can join in for interesting discussions and learn more about the current trends in web development. Some schools even offer job guarantees to ensure you start your career in tech as soon as possible.
What Jobs Use Web Design Skills?
The field of web design offers many appealing career paths for aspiring designers. Your web design skills can have many applications in a range of careers related to web development. We’ve listed some of the jobs that benefit from web design skills below.
UX/UI designer
A user experience (UX) designer’s role is to ensure that website visitors have an easy time navigating web pages. This requires the designer to work on user personas and site maps.
The user interface (UI) designer focuses on the visual aspect of the website like the color palette, fonts, and images. Their goal is to create visually attractive web pages.
Web content designer
Web content designers make sure that customers can find relevant up-to-date information. They research customers’ needs and communicate useful information to their audience through their writing and graphic design skills. These professionals are also familiar with front end technologies.
Web designer/developer
Web designers and developers have distinct roles but these roles can also be done by the same professional. A web designer creates a functional website based on a business’s needs and specifications. This job involves creating the design and layout of the page. They can also be tasked with updating a site.
A web developer brings the website mockup to life by adding visual and design elements, which is known as front end development. They also work on the architecture, security, and search features of the website, also known as the backend.
QA developer
A quality assurance (QA) developer writes test suites to check if the website is functioning or has issues that need to be resolved. They also gauge protection against viruses, cyberattacks, and security breaches. They are involved in the software development process from the beginning.
Steps to Learn Web Design
If you want to become a web designer or a UX designer, there are different learning pathways available. These range from self-study to earning a degree at a college or university. You can enroll in a boot camp for a short but intense learning experience.
Below are the steps to follow for a successful career in web development.
1
Earn a Degree or Enroll in a Bootcamp
Degrees and certifications are not necessary to enter the field of web design. In fact, you can study industry-standard programming languages and tools by yourself. There are cheap self-paced courses and tutorials available online.
Alternatively, you can enroll in an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree and major in computer science or software engineering. This is the traditional education path, which can take anywhere from two years (only associate degree) to six (bachelor’s and master’s degree combined).
Web design boot camps offer a shorter route. Some boot camps teach particular technical skills like HTML, PHP, and JavaScript. Fluency in programming languages is a transferable skill across many tech roles.
Bootcamps are rising in popularity. In these short but intense courses, you will learn the skills needed to kickstart your career in web design. A benefit of coding bootcamps is that in a few months you’ll be ready to join the workforce.
2
Take a Design Course
You can reinforce the skills learned in your degree with a graphic design or UI design course. As you progress in your web design career, an online course can help you advance your knowledge of colors, fonts, and other visual design concepts.
You should have some level of familiarity with WordPress, Dreamweaver CC, Weebly, Google Web Designer, and content management systems. Any expertise in these topics can make you a more competitive applicant in the field of website and application development.
3
Freelance
Once you start designing functional websites, you can work as a freelancer. Freelancing is a great way to keep learning, build a portfolio, and master the tools you use regularly. Unlike some other careers, you can start to work without a license or certification. You can even use tools like page builders to design and build web pages without any coding.
There are freelancing platforms that specialize in web design projects. You can build a portfolio of diverse freelance jobs designing websites. This will showcase your creative potential to future clients.
4
Specialize
Some web designers like to focus on a specific programming language or development tool. Specializing in full stack web development or WordPress can take your career to the next level. Employers will see your passion and hire you based on that specific skill.
There is a lot of coding involved to make the user experience of websites highly satisfying. It’s a good idea to master your programming skills first.
The Best Courses to Learn Web Design
We have compiled a list of the best courses to learn web design. These courses take the quality education of traditional schooling into the virtual classroom. Students can participate in hands-on projects online and attend lectures from anywhere in the world.
The following courses are some of the best ways to get started with web design and open the door to exciting job opportunities.
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 6 months, self-paced
Cost: The course can be audited for free
Outcome: Certificate of completion for a fee
This course will give you an understanding of responsive web design with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, and how to build web applications for various platforms. You can then build dynamic database-backed websites and applications using PHP, MySQL, jQuery, and Handlebars. This program features assignments to apply the lessons. This course can be your ticket to a great entry-level web developer job.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 11 weeks
Cost: $11,000
Outcome: Certificate by University of Utah Professional Education
DevPoint Labs offers an accelerated program to build a solid foundation using an advanced curriculum. From React.js to Ruby on Rails, it sketches a path towards mastering some of the most sought-after skills in the tech industry. Since programming is always evolving, the focus is on “learning to learn.” This will prepare you to think like a software engineer and grow in the technology field.
This course offers access to career services and exposure to a growing network. You will do mock interviews, attend workshops, learn from guest speakers, and attend professional events. They have career coaches to guide students and support them in job searches. You can finance this course with a loan or an installment plan.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 16 weeks (full-time) or 26 weeks (part-time)
Cost: $14,950
Outcome: Certificate of completion
This online course provides an intense and immersive experience, focusing on both front end design and backend development. You will learn about APIs, version control technologies like Git, Node.js, and HTTP. After graduating, you’ll be on your way to a successful web design career.
The curriculum is always adapting to new technologies so you will be familiar with the main tools used by web designers today and in the years to come. Although it has a higher price point, this is a comprehensive bootcamp that makes for a great investment.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 7 months, self-paced
Cost: $1,000
Outcome: Professional certificate
This is a program designed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which is also the creator of the Web standards. It focuses on the necessary skills for full stack web development and building interactive and responsive user experiences on the web.
This program will deepen your knowledge of HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. You will be guided step-by-step to develop websites using the latest Web standards. You will learn coding with modern HTML5 tags, drawing and animating graphics, and playing audio and video elements. This will prepare you well for a career in the tech industry as a web designer.
Level: Advanced, Graduate
Duration: 10 months, self-paced
Cost: $2,000
Outcome: MicroMasters program certificate
This is an advanced program where you will learn interaction design, evaluate good user experiences, and understand user-centered processes for digital product development. You get into the depths of each user-centered development phase including UX research, design, prototyping, and evaluation. You start with prototyping low-tech mock-ups and move to creating high-fidelity interactive interfaces.
The course places emphasis on solving industry-relevant, real-world problems during assignments and projects. It is a rigorous program that can contribute toward a Master of Science degree, which makes it an excellent value for the money.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 8 weeks
Cost: $6,750
Outcome: Certificate of completion
This is a relatively short program that’s the perfect starting point for a full stack web development career. It provides a clear learning path where you focus on core full stack development skills including object-oriented programming, frameworks, HTML and CSS, and API functionality. You also learn application deployment, domain modeling, model associations, Git and GitHub, and JavaScript.
Throughout the course, you develop and build your own app. Beyond the core curriculum, guest speakers, company tours, and other community events will let you connect and network with professionals.
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 5 months (full-time) or 6 months (part-time)
Cost: $12,150 (full-time) or $7,900 (part-time)
Outcome: Certificate of completion
This is a great bootcamp to learn UX and UI design. Supported by industry professionals and career mentors, you learn skills like wireframe prototyping and information architecture. During your capstone project, you’ll demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the design process and industry best practices.
It is a pricey program but offers flexibility in payment. You can pay upfront or month-to-month, or choose a deferred payment plan or loan. They also offer a full refund of tuition if you don’t land a job in the industry within six months of graduating.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 3 to 9 months
Cost: $199/month
Outcome: Certificate of completion
If your focus is front end web development, this is a great program to start. The curriculum is divided into nine projects and taught through interactive videos, workspaces, and online quizzes. You’ll build a well-rounded portfolio, including your capstone project, that demonstrates your newly acquired skills.
Peer reviews are an integral part of the program. This is important because as a professional in the industry you’ll often be asked to review other people’s code and design. Once you complete this course, you will have plenty of experience giving and receiving feedback.
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 4 months
Cost: $1,200 or $430 a month
Outcome: Nanodegree
This course gives you a thorough understanding of the end-to-end process of development. You’ll be introduced to the fundamental tools and skills for API development and learn the skills JavaScript developers use every day. You will also cover essential topics like databases, querying, and API architecture.
Automated deployments to deliver features to customers quickly, a rare and valuable skill, is also part of the curriculum. Students get to practice through real-world projects and benefit from the feedback of technical mentors.
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 18 hours, self-paced
Cost: $139.99
Outcome: Certificate of completion
This short and affordable course by Udemy focuses on the aesthetics of web pages. You will learn tools to create stunning website designs with custom graphics and beautiful icons. By applying UX principles, you will see results without any coding.
This course has professionally edited lectures and interactive demos. It blends clear, concise instruction with real-world examples and hands-on exercises. You’ll have access to premium tools to create inspiring projects. With just a basic understanding of Photoshop, this course will help you master the principles of web design and typography.
Best Web Design Resources
Throughout your learning journey and career, you can make use of a host of online resources to learn about web design concepts and gain insight into the latest trends. Use the following resources to stay informed on web design topics that interest you.
Blogs
The blogs run by Coursera and Udacity regularly share articles and content. The blog by General Assembly shares stories of alumni, tips for career development, and how to use your skills. It also offers content on topics related to coding, data, UX design, business, and marketing.
Certifications
If you want to advance in a web design career and validate your skills, you can get industry-recognized certifications like Google Analytics Individual Qualification and Adobe Certified Expert.
Bootcamps
Online and in-person bootcamps are some of the best resources to kickstart your career in web design. The best coding bootcamps can propel your career forward or make it easier to shift to a tech career if you work in another field. Bootcamps are becoming increasingly popular within the tech industry as they offer immersive lessons on tech subjects.
Why Learn Web Design
Web design is a creative, fun, and lucrative career. Web design is one of the top technical jobs in the world right now. Whether you choose to focus on UX/UI design, web development, or mobile applications, your future as a web designer is bright.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, openings for web developers and digital designer positions will grow by eight percent by 2029. These professionals earn an average salary of $60,202.
There are opportunities to work from home, either as a freelancer or remotely at a tech company. So many companies and website owners want to make their websites mobile-friendly to attract more customers; consider this an opportunity to apply your web design skills.
In summary, if you are a creative individual with an eye for detail looking for a lucrative and satisfying career, consider web design. Web design gives you plenty of opportunities to use your technical skills and your creativity. As a skilled web designer, you can build interactive websites for any type of business, from food delivery apps to ecommerce firms.
