Web designing is a discipline that requires an intricate balance between the technicalities of programming and the art to represent ideas in an appealing, eye-grabbing manner. The process of web design, therefore, involves multiple elements – layout, graphics, colour, fonts, content, structure, style, and so on. It is when you learn how to fuse these elements together into a cohesive scheme seamlessly can you say that you’ve mastered this discipline. In terms of technical know-how, this involves knowledge of ASP, Ski, and PHP for server-side scripting, HTML and CSS for visual creation, Ajax and Javascript for enhanced UX, and Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for creating page mock-ups. While there are many web designing software available in the market today that perform all of these tasks for you with just drag-and-drop functionalities, the old fashioned process still rules the roost. Fortunately, there are many online web design courses – free and paid – available today to help you learn these nuances:
Pluralsight
Formerly known as Code School, Pluralsight stands out for its approach of teaching coding by doing, making it an ideal web designing course for beginners who have an underlying passion for the subject and want to hone their skills through web development classes. They leverage coding in the browser and interactive videos to teach you different aspects of web designing. The online web design courses run by Pluralsight specialize in Ruby, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, and show you the fundamentals of front-end, design, and UX. For just $25, you can get access to their tutorial videos, and at $29 per month, you can access their intermediate and advanced level courses.
Shaw Academy
When it comes to the best online web development courses, Shaw Academy emerges as a clear front runner. Their Online Diploma in Web Design is hands-down the most well-rounded and exhaustive of the online web design courses. The course curriculum has been broken down in four modules and presented in simple and easy to understand language to support a seamless initiation into this technological world for beginners. The course covers languages such as HTML and HTML 5, CSS, Python, and JavaScript. It is supported by a host of video tutorials and study material drafted by experts for easy learning. Master the different aspects of this discipline through Shaw Academy’s web development classes.
Learn Layout
These aren’t exactly web designing courses for beginners but a learning website where people who already know the basics of web design can hone their skills and acquire more advanced skills. Learn Layout is one of the few online web design courses that are centered on CSS, even though it does cover HTML in bits and parts. Consider signing up for these web development classes if you already have some experience in the field.
Treehouse
The treehouse was founded in 2011 with an objective to offer technology education at affordable price points, and it continues to operate on that core objective even today. The online web design courses offered by Treehouse comprise video-based tutorials that start training from scratch and touch upon many programming languages as you go along, making it one of the better web designing courses for beginners. To bring in an element of fun in their web development classes, they have also incorporated some games that let you collect rewards for your performance, thus encouraging you to push the boundaries of learning.
edX
If you are looking for web designing courses for beginners that impart you enough skill to create websites with the potential to reach a broad audience without shelling a penny, the edX online web design courses may be right up your alley. These web development classes are also conducted through video tutorials that touch upon topics such as CSS, HTML, HTML 5, JavaScript, interaction and production design, ideation, and game design. They also run an introductory program on mobile application development.
Don’t Fear the Internet
Want to sign up for web designing courses for beginners that do not require you to get in thick intensive coding? Well, the online web design courses on Don’t Fear the Internet could be just what you need. However, be warned that their web design curriculum isn’t exactly tailored to help you garner the skills to create complex, dynamic websites. But if you are in a profession that requires a web presence and you want to build a beautiful yet simple website for it on your own, their seven-video series offered can do the trick.
Code Academy
Once again, people looking for free web development classes must take note. Code Academy offers one of the best online web development courses in that space. Describing its online web design courses as the ‘easiest way to learn how to code’, it offers some valuable insights and lessons for beginners. The tutorials provided by Code Academy touch upon languages such as HTML, JavaScript, CSS, Ruby, PHP, Python, and jQuery.
Lynda
Lynda has the distinction of running the most versatile online web design courses with a wide range of tutorials on a host of subjects. This is a subscription-based online learning platform with web development classes and video tutorials, ranging from the basics of HTML to advanced-level CSS integration and more. Apart from programming, their curriculum also touches upon the handling of text, multimedia, metadata, images, and more. You also get a 10-day free trial to decide whether or not you want to sign up for this course.
Alison
For those of you looking to develop just enough skill to create web pages, the free online diploma by Alison is one of the best online web development courses for you. Their online web design courses are organised in the form of a nine-part tutorial series that touched upon the basics of HTML, Adobe Dreamweaver, CSS, and other fundamental elements involved in making a web page. These free web development classes can be beneficial for both beginners and intermediate-level programmers.
Code Avengers
Code Avengers also primarily runs web designing courses for beginners. The online platform has a range of content on programming languages such as HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and jQuery, divided into over 100 lessons. You can start with the basics of HTML and CSS and eventually graduate to more complex areas of web design. The online web design courses offered by them also cover the essentials needed to customise headers and footers, add cool effects, or play with font styles and images. These web development classes are geared toward adding an element of customisation to your design approach.
The Best Pick
There is no shortage of online web design courses available on the internet today, and each of them has something interesting to offer. However, as a beginner, you need a well-rounded course curriculum that helps you delve deep into the world of web design gradually, while equipping you with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in that environment. On that count, the online diploma offered by Shaw Academy far outdoes the others.
