Web design requires user interface design skills, Figma, Adobe XD, and many other skills. But are you having a hard time mastering the above skills?
Do you consider free and paid courses? I will help you solve these problems with this article.
I have taken quite a few courses with content related to web design. Yet, not many systems bring knowledge as enjoyable, easy to understand, and valuable as the ones below. Scroll down for details!
1. Web Design for Everybody
Specifications
- Difficulty: Beginner.
- Duration: Approximately 6 months to complete.
- Price: Free.
- Provider: University of Michigan.
Course’s Highlights
JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3 are essential technologies that anyone who wants to develop quality websites needs to master. And Basics of Web Development & Coding Specialization is one of those in-depth courses on these technologies.
In my first lectures, I learned how to create interactions in web pages using the Javascript programming language. Even though I didn’t have a background in programming languages before, I had no trouble following the lecture.
It provides basic CSS3 and DOM. The lectures are mainly concerned with basic concept descriptions and instructions on using the tools to modify the page.
After the course, I had to complete some simple projects. It didn’t take me too long to apply the knowledge I learned to create a website with links and images.
The knowledge learned during the course is applicable. Yet, because it’s about the basics, this course is not the best choice to optimize the website interface.
Enroll Here: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/web-design
Pros
- Simple practice project.
- Provide basic knowledge.
- No programming knowledge is required.
- Knowledge related to JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3.
- Detailed instructions on how to create interactions on the website.
Cons
- Not the choice for website interface optimization.
2. Learn How To Describe Your Design
Specifications
- Difficulty: Beginner.
- Duration: 3h 9m.
- Price: Free.
- Provider: Skillshare.
Course’s Highlights
Learn How To Describe Your Design With HTML & CSS is the course I always recommend for beginners. It deals with margins, screen types, X and Y translations, and box sizes.
I have easily created a simple website after this course. It also supports sharing URLs and website screenshots. Surely you will also enjoy saving the project and getting feedback and discussions from people with similar passions.
Another advantage of it is the integration of related applications onto the website. I use CodePen for code editing, Surge for static website deployment, and GitHub to back up my project progress.
Learning new website and app skills is an excellent opportunity to grow in this field. Yet, I was worried that combining too many tools in one course would be a daunting challenge.
Pros
- No skills or input required
- It covers the basics in detail
- Support sharing links and images
- Provide exciting information about HTML & CSS
Cons
- Learners must be familiar with many supporting tools.
3. Responsive Web Design Fundamentals
Specifications
- Difficulty: Intermediate.
- Duration: Approx. 2 weeks to complete.
- Price: Free.
- Provider: Google.
Course’s Highlights
As the name suggests, this curriculum teaches responsive website design principles. I was pretty impressed with its first lectures. It details the information needed to set up a responsive website that works on any device.
Instructors also provide quite a few responsive designs for learners to reference.
Besides the basics, I also learned how to create responsive layouts and experiment with text optimization.
The curriculum that I have access to is quite rich. Since experienced experts provide the knowledge, it is easy to understand and arouses interest in learners.
My only complaint is that it needs more practice. Interactive quizzes appear throughout the learning process, but the numbers are still limited. So, applying learned knowledge in practice has not been much help.
Enroll Here: https://www.udacity.com/course/responsive-web-design-fundamentals–ud893
Pros
- Rich academic knowledge.
- Work with experienced professionals
- Provide a simple web design template for learners to refer to.
- In-depth teaching on responsive web design principles.
- Help learners learn how to create their responsive layouts.
Cons
- Need more practice exercises.
4. Google UX Design Professional Certificate
Specifications
- Difficulty: Beginner.
- Duration: Approximately 6 months to complete.
- Price: Free.
- Provider: Google.
Course’s Highlights
UX design emphasizes conveying the message from the designer to the user. To develop a career in this field, you can take courses that detail the design process. The Google UX Design Professional Certificate is such a reference.
Unlike the courses I introduced earlier, the Google UX Design Professional Certificate lectures don’t focus too much on coding or responsive website design principles. Instead, it taught me how to empathize, identify users’ pain points, and devise creative and practical solutions.
I was also quite impressed with the lectures on wireframing, testing, and improvement. This basic knowledge is enough for me to understand UX better and have a solid foundation to participate in real projects.
In the end, I had to complete 3 end-to-end projects. In particular, building a cross-platform experience application is difficult for beginners.
Enroll Here: https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-ux-design
Pros
- Provide UX background knowledge.
- Stimulate students’ creative thinking.
- Easily apply learned knowledge in practice.
- Combine theory and practical exercises.
- Emphasis on teaching how to empathize with users’ pain.
Cons
- The end-of-course project has a high degree of difficulty.
5. Web Design Essentials
Specifications
- Difficulty: Beginner.
- Duration: 1h 5m.
- Price: Free.
- Provider: Skillshare.
Course’s Highlights
It took me over an hour to finish Web Design Essentials: Creating Marketing Homepages That Drive Results. However, what I learned after this short course was far more helpful than I expected.
For a limited time, instructors shared about the website creation process and how to use visitor feedback to upgrade the platform.
Also, the lectures mainly focus on defining goals and outlining the hierarchy. So, it changed my mind about website design to increase work efficiency.
Its short duration is also its drawback. Due to the limited time, this program does not include many skills exercises.
Pros
- The duration is short.
- Easy-to-understand content.
- Increase work efficiency.
- Share details about the website creation process.
- Leverage user feedback to upgrade your website.
Cons
- Lack of interactive exercises and quizzes.
6. Introduction to UI and UX Design
Specifications
- Difficulty: Beginner.
- Duration: Approx. 5 hours to complete.
- Price: Free.
- Provider: Codecademy.
Course’s Highlights
Introduction to UI and UX Design has provided complete information about UI/UX and Figma in just five short hours.
In particular, I highly appreciated the course’s prototyping lesson with Figma. Although I was not familiar with Figma before, the knowledge covered in the class was relatively easy to understand for me. I’ve even converted the wireframes into prototypes using the course’s Figma tutorial.
This course does a pretty good job of introducing UI/UX theory. Yet, it doesn’t provide many practice exercises or interactive quizzes related to this area.
Enroll Here: https://www.codecademy.com/learn/intro-to-ui-ux
Pros
- Short course.
- Detailed lecture.
- Provide full knowledge of Figma.
- Suitable even for beginners.
- Learners can design websites and make conversions.
Cons
- Not many interactive questions related to IU/UX.
7. Hands-On Responsive Web Design
Specifications
- Difficulty: Beginner.
- Duration: 4h 21m.
- Price: $29 per month after a 10-day trial.
- Provider: Pluralsight.
Course’s Highlights
Hands-On Responsive Web Design is not an introductory course in providing foundational theory. It is a hands-on course that requires participants to complete the activity.
I am impressed with this course’s teaching, which combines theory and practice.
When learning about media queries and importing responsive images with CSS pre-processing, I was introduced to small exercises to memorize knowledge more effectively.
The course also comes with many pretty awesome website templates. I’ve taken advantage of a few for my website development projects and received positive feedback from visitors.
Hands-On Responsive Web Design is an ideal course to practice and practice skills. Yet, this course still has quite a few downsides. And its most significant hurdle is that you need to understand basic web design before enrolling.
Enroll Here: https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/hands-on-responsive-web-design
Pros
- Ideal for practice.
- Provide simple, easy-to-understand knowledge.
- Combination of theory and practice teaching.
- Provide highly functional website templates.
- Teaching methods help learners retain ability effectively.
Cons
- Learners should have a background in web design.
8. CSS3 Responsive Web Design Training
Specifications
- Difficulty: Beginner.
- Duration: 4 days.
- Price: $2,990.
- Provider: Learningtree.
Course’s Highlights
After finishing CSS3 Responsive Web Design Training, I have mastered modern design tools and techniques. The ones that impressed me the most are flexbox and CSS3, which integrates using CSS with modern JavaScript frameworks.
I applied what I learned from the course to design accessible web pages, update browsers, optimize coding, and others. After mastering these basics, complex website development techniques are no longer difficult for me.
This beginner course offers a modern twist unmatched in traditional programs. Yet, to join the system, you will have to pay a small fee.
Enroll Here: https://www.learningtree.com/courses/css3-training-for-responsive-web-applications
Pros
- For beginners.
- Easy-to-understand instructions.
- Much valuable knowledge does not appear in other courses.
- A detailed guide to many modern website design tools.
- Help learners master the art of contemporary design.
Cons
- High registration fee.
9. UI/UX & Web Design using Adobe XD
Specifications
- Difficulty: All levels.
- Duration: 42 Lessons (5h 24m)
- Price: Free.
- Provider: Skillshare.
Course’s Highlights
Adobe XD is a pretty popular website design tool. And to get used to it, you can consider beginner courses like UI/UX & Web Design using Adobe XD.
The lectures in this course are all focused on helping learners master the Adobe XD tool. I learned about the important features for designing my UX projects.
In particular, this curriculum offers detailed step-by-step instructions on projects. It gives a lot of helpful advice to help me manage my work better.
This course is ideal if you want to design websites using Adobe XD. Yet, if your goal is to master various web design tools, UI/UX & Web Design using Adobe XD might not be the ideal choice.
Enroll Here: https://www.skillshare.com/en/classes/UI-UX-Web-Design-using-Adobe-XD-User-Experience-Design/425963844
Pros
- Suitable for beginners.
- Teaches Adobe’s most essential features
- Offer many valuable tips on task management.
- Detailed step-by-step guides to complete the project.
- After the course, learners can design their UX projects.
Cons
- Focus on web design using Adobe XD.
10. UI/UX Design Specialization
Specifications
- Difficulty: Beginner.
- Duration: Approximately four months to complete.
- Price: Free.
- Provider: California Institute of the Arts.
Course’s Highlights
UI/UX Design Specialization is a series of lessons that increase in difficulty over time. In the beginning, I learned about UI/UX development in general. In subsequent lectures, instructors detail how to identify visitors, develop sitemaps, and more strategically.
The course also updates the latest knowledge about UX design. I greatly appreciate the applicability of this knowledge. Even during my studies, I’ve been pretty effective at creating screen-based experiences for websites.
With all the essential knowledge above, this course is ideal for those working in marketing-related jobs. Yet, to achieve the best effect, you’d better have some experience in graphic and visual design.
Enroll Here: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/ui-ux-design
Pros
- Update much new knowledge.
- Combine theory and practice.
- Ideal for marketing-related work.
- After the course, learners can create websites
- Provide general knowledge of UI/UX development
Cons
- Learners should have experience in graphic design.
Learning Guide
There are many web design-related online courses. Here are some criteria you need to consider to select the course that best meets your needs:
- Fee vs Paid: You can find quite a few courses online for free. Yet, these courses mainly provide essential knowledge for beginners. To sharpen your skills, consider signing up for paid classes.
- Course duration: Its course duration is very flexible. Depending on how much time you can devote to studying, you may be able to find the option that works best for you.
- How to learn: Some courses provide videos to check anytime and anywhere. Meanwhile, other systems require you to attend for a specific time to receive direct instruction from the instructor.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions related to the website design course. If you are wondering about similar issues, the information below will help you.
What are 5 things you should learn to be a web designer?
The essential things you should learn to become a web designer are knowledge related to website development, time management skills, communication, social media, and customer insights.
What are 3 skills needed to be a web designer?
The three skills required in a web designer are imagination, creativity, and patience. These soft skills will help the designer succeed in his chosen field.
What is the qualification for a web designer?
Businesses will require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree in Web Design or a similar field.
How can I improve my web design skills?
To improve your web design skills, you need to regularly update visitor feedback and trends from which to make some changes on the site.
It would help if you also practiced regularly designing to improve your skills.
Where do web designers work?
Some web designers are freelancers. But most web designers will work in computer systems design or companies that provide related services.
Conclusion
Basics of Web Development & Coding was the first course I signed up for. To this day, I still appreciate its knowledge and teaching methods.
There are quite a few other exciting options you can sign up for. Hopefully, through the ten website design courses above, you’ve got valuable suggestions to improve your knowledge and skills.
Thank you for reading!