How to Learn Basic Code Online And Grow as a Web Developer
The way designers get into web design is usually through the front end. Us designers love making things look pretty and beautiful, that is why we start creating websites that way. You might already be designing websites with drag and drop builders that need very little code to look good. But to make custom websites, you do need to know some HTML and CSS to add your personal flair.
It’s not uncommon for graphic designers to be interested in creating websites. If you are one of those designers that would like to learn how to design beautiful websites, it’s actually not as complicated as you might think. It’s also quite inexpensive and mostly free to learn enough code to make your sites amazing.
The kinds of code you need to know
There are three types of code you need to know when creating websites. HTML is the basis of all websites, with only a little HTML you can make a standard website. CSS is the second code language you need to know. This is like decoration for the HTML, giving it a little life and colour. CSS is what you need to imbue websites with your unique style. With CSS you can also add animation to the individual elements in your website design. The third type of code you need is JavaScript, the one that will add interactivity and scrolling effects.
Where you can learn code
Like I said before, you can learn the code for websites completely free. With sites like CodeAcademy and FreeCodeCamp, you can learn all the basic languages. You can go through the lessons on your own time, a little every day. Another way to learn is with free YouTube video tutorials. There are also sites like Coursera and Udemy. Coursera is free unless you want to get a certificate of completion. Udemy has paid courses but there are always 10$ offers on the best courses. There are actually many places to learn but its best to start from the basics and then work your way up to the more complex languages.
Here are some great links to get started:
Top tutorials to learn web development for beginners
Learn web development as a beginner
Want to learn web development but don’t know where to start
Practice makes perfect
Now that you know where to get the skills you need, let me give you some advice on how to get really good at it. Learning to code is not a weekend warrior kind of thing, it’s better if you do a little bit of code every day. Even if you have a busy schedule with little time left over, it’s better to do 15 minutes a day than to try and cram it in on a Sunday. Our brains retain information better when we repeat the actions until we have them ingrained. Then once you have some basics down, you can learn as you build. Figure things out as you go and add to your knowledge base.
The visual way of the graphic designer
Another way to learn how to code is to use already built templates. That way you can build upon something that already exists. See it like a house without furniture or fancy finishing touches. By building upon the template you can also see how it was built and learn from that. If you have been already using drag and drop builders like DIvi, you can learn to customize the CSS inside the modules and then as you get better you can customize the actual style sheet. After a while, you will know how to make child themes and then from there, the sky’s the limit!
Talk to people that know and join communities
When learning something new, there is nothing better than joining up with people that are in the same boat as you. Hopefully, you can meet some people that are ahead of you and can help when you get stuck. There are lots of groups on Facebook which you can join. If you are on Reddit, there are plenty of web developer groups as well. Try asking in your other communities if they know of any communities for beginner web developers which you can join.
Find challenges
As you learn and get better, find some challenges that will make you practice. You can find these inside the course websites you are using, or you can offer your services for free to people in your communities. Maybe you can offer to create a website to an NGO or church in your local area that needs a web presence. No better way to learn than to create real things that will get you communicating with people.
Over to you
Are you a graphic designer looking to learn web development? We hope you found some great ideas here to get you started. Have you already been learning? Let us know in the comments about your progress and if we missed some good resources.
