10 Online Sources of Cool Web Design Education

For many decades a college degree was the most readily recognized and respected pathway to any high-end career. It is still quite important in most lines of work, although college education is so common nowadays that it is no longer a guarantee of a well-paid job like it was one day. There are, however, a number of notable exceptions, web design being one of them.

It is one of those careers that puts a much greater emphasis on talent and skills rather than any kind of formal education - which means that online education, even if you don't get any degree or certificate as a result, is often much more preferable to spending several years and hefty sums on college. So, where should you search for this kind of education? Let's take a look.

How to Make a Website: A Complete Beginner's Guide by Lifehacker

Lifehacker is often a good place to start, and web design isn't an exception. This guide probably won't turn you into a pro in one go, but it isn't designed for this anyway. Instead it contains the basic instructions on creation, styling and launching your first ever website, neatly packed in one place. If you want to try your hand at this line of work without dedicating a great deal of time, don't go any further just yet.

Web Design for Everybody by Coursera

Another general course, covering everything from HTML5 and CSS3 to Javascript. It doesn't go deep into particular areas, but after emerging from it you will be able to fairly competently design a website on your own. Also, don't forget that you can find literally hundreds of courses with this specialization on Coursera, so if you need anything more specific - go on!

Learn to Code HTML and CSS by Shay Howe

A rather comprehensive guide to the two staples of web design, HTML and CSS. Beginner-friendly and well-organized, it is an excellent place to start - and there are advanced guides by the same author for those who like the style of teaching.

Treehouse Web Design Training

Treehouse is more than a thousand videos created by professional web designers, allowing you to learn web design even if you have no background education in this area. In addition to that, there is a thriving and supportive community always ready to help the beginners out.

HTML 101 by Berkeley Knight Digital Media Center

High-quality educational content specifically aimed at students without tech background (it was initially designed for journalists). It's a good place to get your bearings if you are a complete newbie in this area. If you've had any other beginner's course, however, you are unlikely to find anything new here.

HTML5 Doctor

HTML5 Doctor consists of two basic parts. Firstly, it has a collection of around a hundred articles teaching the basics of HTML5 standards. Secondly, there's the element's index, giving one-paragraph summaries of all primary HTML5 elements. It isn't specifically designed as a course - it is more of a knowledge bank providing the necessary information in concise form, thus helping you to learn on your own.

Getting Started with HTML5 by Geek Champ

The main benefit of this course is how it is organized - it is carefully divided into small fragments, each covering a particular fundamental aspect of HTML and ensuring you never bite more than you can chew. For those willing to start their acquaintance with CSS, there is an introductory course in it as well.

CSS Deck

If you've already learnt some basics of CSS and are capable to see the appeal of a beautifully written code, welcome to CSS Deck. This website allows members of its community to display the examples of their CSS code and design. Feel free to look through them, pick the ones to use, imitate or get inspired by, and enrich your own coding abilities.

Web Developer's Handbook 2.0

A go-to resource for anybody with a serious intention to study web design and coding. It contains an enormous list of useful resources, reference books, tools, code checkers, links to awesome web design-oriented content and much, much more. While not an educational website per se, it provides instruments that will be of great help for you both in study and work.

Stack Overflow

If you have a question concerning some aspect of web design or coding, it has highly likely already been answered on Stack Overflow. And if it wasn't, ask for help there, and you will receive a dozen helpful answers in a matter of minutes. Getting assistance from living people in real time is an invaluable addition to any education.

These resources are just a drop in the ocean of online web design learning; they are, however, more than enough to satisfy the needs of both beginners and advanced coders. So don't be afraid and start out now!

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