Which Web Design Course Is Right for Me?

One of the wonderful things about how prolific the Internet is today is that it’s easy to find a course and learn nearly anything you can imagine. That means there are dozens upon dozens of web design course options available. Whether you’re a beginner in the field of design, or you are a pro and want to brush up on your skills, there’s something there for you.

No matter how small or big your learning budget, there are courses available to help you become a better designer. If you have no funds whatsoever, many free courses offer in-depth details. On the other hand, if you can afford to invest in your design skills, there are some truly stellar and easy-to-follow courses, as well as more advanced topics, out there.

With so many options available, figuring out which web design course is right for you isn’t an easy task. We’ve taken time to sort through the online selection and find what we believe are the best choices out there for a variety of skill levels.

1. HTML5 & CSS3 Fundamentals

Channel 19 offers a course titled HTML5 & CSS3 Fundamentals: Development for Absolute Beginners, which can help you learn web coding from scratch. This course is best for beginners because it explains the basics in the simplest of terms, working up to more advanced concepts. The instruction breaks each concept down into simple, easily digestible steps. You’ll also get plenty of chances to try out your newfound skills along the way.

The course even covers how to write code, which is helpful to wannabe designers who’ve never worked with coding languages. The course features 21 episodes, all free to access. If you still need more direction, they have other topics in their Absolute Beginner series to help you along the way, such as Windows 10 development and C# and Javascript fundamentals.

2. HTML, CSS & Web Design Circuit

General Assembly offers very in-depth courses, such as this HTML, CSS & Web Design Circuit course. Students in this course complete lessons via samples and video instruction. This course is probably best for an intermediate-level coder who needs to brush up skills and learn how to apply them to design. While a beginner can follow along, it is easier to follow this course if you already have a basic idea of how coding language works.

The course runs for 10 weeks online and includes guidance from a mentor for one-on-one learning. You’ll learn about the web design tools professionals use, build sites on your own and find out how to make sure your sites are mobile-responsive. The cost of this course is $1,250, but remember you’ll work with a professional mentor to ensure you’re fully grasping concepts. The mentor also answers any questions you have along the way.

3. Aquent Gymnasium

Aquent Gymnasium allows you to take free courses from beginner design concepts to more advanced methods. You can learn about responsive design, how to design on the front end, designing for the user experience and CSS and HTML languages. Topics cover Javascript, Flash and coding for designers. Their library is extensive, so if there is a specific topic you’d like to learn more about, take time to browse through their offerings.

If you’re looking for a free web design course, the classes at this site are an excellent place to start. You can also take more advanced courses on topics such as a grid layout in Bootstrap 3, learning to create a WordPress theme from the ground up or organizing HTML5 forms. All these courses are 100 percent free to take. Their philosophy is to give back to the coding community by always offering complimentary training.

4. Advanced Web Developer Course

Do you already have web design skills and want to take things to the next level? Udemy offers an Advanced Web Developer Course that delves into topics such as how to install and master a Linux OS, Ruby essentials, using Git, configuring an Apache server and developing your own web apps with APIs. The course normally runs $99.99, but watch for sales at various times, as Udemy often reduces the price to under $20. For example, the course recently cost only $10.99 to take.

The course is made up of 10 hours of videos you can watch whenever is convenient to you, and you’ll receive a certificate upon completion. If this course seems a bit too advanced, Udemy also offers a wide range of courses on web design, including ones for the beginner or intermediate developer. No matter what topic you want to learn about, Udemy probably has something for you. Be sure to read reviews and find the course and instructor that best match your learning style.

5. Codecademy

If you want to learn to code, Codecademy offers a wide range of follow-along courses for free. The tutorials allow beginners to learn the basics of programming for web development. First, you’ll get familiar with front-end HTML and CSS coding, and then more in-depth and back-end structure elements such as Ruby on Rails and Python. You’ll learn code and get a chance to try it out as you go along.

If you want a general overview, start with “Make a Website,” then move onto some of the basic coding knowledge for HTML and CSS. The material features drills to help ingrain the coding language in your memory. They also have an entire team of coaches who can answer any question you might have and give you some individual guidance as you learn.

Their courses are best for beginner and intermediate designers. However, if you would like to share your expertise on a specific topic, you could also sign up to be a coach and learn by teaching.

6. Code Avengers

Code Avengers offers a wide variety of courses. If you’re a beginner, start with courses on how to build a website and the basics of coding. If you already have knowledge, start at a higher level and learn how to build a game or app or add new features to your websites.

They offer a free one-week trial, so you can see if the courses are right for you. After that, it is $150 for six months of access, which gives you the ability to take as many courses as you’d like in that timeframe. The site also offers courses geared for kids, so if you have a youth wanting to learn design, this is an excellent option for them.

Choosing a Web Design Course

One smart way to invest in your career is to take the free courses first and build those basic coding skills you need for web design. Once you have the basics in place, you can then invest in more advanced paid courses to further hone your skills. Especially as you become more skilled as a web designer, it’s a good idea to either find or pay for a mentor or coach to help you improve even more.