Learning how to design professional websites is something you can easily learn from home. Website design impacts conversion rates on your website, so it’s necessary to either buy a good design or create one yourself. Web designers are also in high demand, especially those who know how to create responsive websites. Responsive website design causes a website to automatically adjust itself based on screen size and type of device. Below we have listed the top seven online web design courses that make it easy to learn:
Online Web Design Courses Worth Taking
1. Diploma in Web Design
Alison, a site that offers free certified learning, has a course called Diploma in Web Design among several other web development courses. It’s suitable for novice and intermediate web designers. Diploma in Web Design deepens your understanding of web development techniques and tools. You’ll create much better websites after completing the course.
Examples of tools you’ll learn how to master are Dreamweaver, HTML, and CSS. Simple steps in creating a website, such as registering a domain name and choosing a good web host, are touched on as well. If you complete the course and score at least 80% in all of the assessments, then you can receive a Diploma-level certification for a small fee.
2. Don’t Fear the Internet
One of the best online web design courses for creatives is Don’t Fear the Internet. The quirky title alone attracts the artistic type. This course is geared at photographers, print designers, and other artists. It helps them learn HTML and CSS in an easy way through short tutorial videos. The limitations of this course, however, is it’s only intended to help artists improve how their websites look. You’ll have to take other online web design courses for in-depth knowledge on HTML and CSS.
3. Web Design for Everybody (Basics of Web Development and Coding) Specialization
The University of Michigan teaches this course on Coursera. You can find other online web design courses on Coursera too, but Web Design for Everybody (Basics of Web Development and Coding) Specialization is one of their best. This course covers how to deliver interactive web experiences with JavaScript. It also teaches you how to correctly write HTML5 and CSS3. Knowledge of these topics is necessary for designing attractive websites that work well on all devices. In other words, Web Design for Everybody Specialization teaches you how to create responsive websites.
Most people who have a website or business know that they need a responsive website to rank higher in the search engines. Thus, if you plan on becoming a web designer, you’ll need to master this skill. The Web Design for Everybody Specialization is an in-depth course consisting of five total courses. You have the chance to earn a certification if you meet the requirements for becoming certified as well. No previous experience in web design is needed to easily take the course.
4. Code School’s The Elements of Web Design
Code School provides interactive lessons for beginners and advanced web developers. With a free account, you have access to their 13 introductory courses. If there’s another course you want to take, they require you to become a paid member. A monthly subscription is $29 per month, and their yearly subscription plan averages out to $19 per month at a one-time cost of $228. Code School helps you learn by doing via coding challenges throughout each course. They have an iOS app that makes learning easy when you’re not at home.
Another benefit of Code School is they run a community forum where you can ask any questions that arise while going through the online web design courses. Code School’s The Elements of Web Design course is ideal for those who want to design user-centered websites with good UX (user experience). Designing a website isn’t just about aesthetics; it needs to deliver a positive user experience or else visitors will leave the website.
5. HTML5 & CSS3 Fundamentals: Development for Absolute Beginners
This beginner course called HTML5 & CSS3 Fundamentals: Development for Absolute Beginners explains the fundamentals of HTML5 & CSS3 programming. It is presented in 21 video lessons in which Bob Tabor of Developer University walks you through important lessons on HTML5, CSS3, and web principles. You can download the course to have easy access to it on your computer. The videos range from 10-50 minutes in length, allowing you to learn in manageable chunks.
6. Aquent Gymnasium’s Creating a WordPress Theme
Aquent Gymnasium offers free online courses on in-demand skills for creative professionals. It’s a great place to learn about designing a WordPress theme because they have a course called Creating a WordPress Theme. Prerequisites for this course are basic to intermediate knowledge of HTML and CSS and introductory-level experience with WordPress. You’ll also need a text editor built for HTML/CSS. On the course page, they recommend using Atom if you’re in need of a free text editor. Creating a WordPress Theme teaches you how to design a WordPress theme from scratch, add WordPress tags to your design, and establish a local development environment.
7. Aquent Gymnasium’s Modern Web Design
Another course offered by Aquent Gymnasium, Modern Web Design is good for those interested in becoming a front-end developer. You’ll learn the basics of HTML, Javascript, and CSS. Aaron Gustafson, former manager of the Web Standards Project, also teaches students about responsive website design to ensure their web designs look good and function well on mobile devices.
Conclusion
Whether you want to create a better website for your business or become a web designer, one of the above online web design courses is great learning material. Some of the courses are geared at beginners, whereas others are more advanced. Because HTML and CSS are integral to web design, all of the courses on this list include lessons on HTML and CSS. We highly recommend you take a course on responsive website design like one of the courses listed above to ensure you’re creating modern websites that load correctly on all devices.
What do you think of this top seven list of online web design courses for creatives? Have you taken one before? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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