10 Best Free Online Courses for Web Designers
This post has been contributed by Aaron Black.
The Internet is full of information you can use to learn new skills and even change your career. Go from a manager to a web designer in your own time and at your own pace using free Internet courses. Here are ten great courses you can take to help you become a web designer.
What is more impressive is that all of them offer courses, be them full or beginner, for absolutely nothing. You get all the information for free, though some do insist that you start up a free account before you begin so that you may track your progress and buy more advanced courses later.
Special Offer! 70–95% off All Udemy Web Design Courses
Get 70–95% off any online course from Udemy, making most classes just $10-$15.
Free Online Web Design Courses
1 — Don’t Fear The Internet
This is a learning system aimed at people in the artistic industry such as designers and photographers, but is set in a way that helps them learn web programming for use on their own websites. If you have a website that features your top quality work yet has a shoddy website design, then this is the course for you. Seven simple videos teach you the web programming skills you need to improve your website. The website the lessons are hosted on has a little artistic appeal itself, which adds weight to this albeit small teaching project.
2 — Learn Layout
This is more a website for people that already know about web design and want to become more advanced. It is primarily built around teaching CSS, though HTML also comes into it, which is why it may not be suitable for absolute beginners. They assume you know a little bit about each and so do not go into details that beginners may need. You gain access to different slides full of information that you can take in at your own pace.
3 — Code School
Their motto is learn by doing, which isnít a bad idea. This is for the beginner that doesnít really have a passion for web design. This is for people that want to write their own websites without having to rely on content management systems, and yet is not really all that interested in the drudgery of learning. That is why they have set up games and themes to help you learn without putting too much effort in. Sadly, there are only eight introductory course, but they are helpful for beginners with no experience.
4 — Dash General Assembly
This is a course for beginners that uses a series of interactive story-based tutorials to teach the viewer a little about web design. It teaches the viewer about web design in general, which includes lessons on JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Take note of how simple concepts are used to make websites that look aesthetically pleasing. It is not going to suit people that want an eCommerce website, but may suit those that want their new website to stand out a little without having to pay a top professional to do it for them. It is only a lightweight course that doesnít go too deep into the subject of programming and design. It gives just enough to teach you how to make a good looking website.
5 — Channel 9 Web Development
If you are a complete beginner and have no experience with web design or programming of any sort, then this is the course for you. They are arranged as easy to understand videos that you take in succession. As you master the basics of one lesson you may move on and try the next. For beginners there are 21 different videos, and they teach you all you need to know to create a good and media filled website. Take them all back-to-back and it will take you 12 hours.
6 — Aquent Gymnasium
Aquent Gymnasium is a great place to improve your current knowledge of responsive design techniques, front end web design, CSS, UX design and HTML. It is a class-based website where you can enroll with other web designers to improve your knowledge. Classes consist of videos that focus on different topics that also includes Coding for Designers, Flash cohesion and JavaScript. The lessons are mainly for people wanting to build professional websites.
7 — Alison’s Web Development
Earn your diploma in web design with her easy to understand course that is in nine parts starting with the basics up to creating a fully formed and usable website. In the course she covers HTML, Adobe Dreamweaver, and CSS. Plus you learn about publishing, designing and building with her step-by-step course so that you may create basic web pages. It is a nice starting point for new designers.
8 — Webmaking 101
This is a good place to learn about web design, but not the best place to learn about responsive or dynamic websites. That fact is clear from the fact their website is slightly lacking in smooth dynamic or responsive design. Still, it is a good place to find free course that are amended by other people on the Internet. It is peer powered, which does mean you get the occasional error, but also means you learn a few tips and tricks that are not widely known on the Internet yet, so you have to take the rough with the smooth.
9 — Code Avengers
There are over 100 lessons on this website that start with the basics and move up to embedding and designing JavaScript and even the creation of online apps. You can use the lessons yourself, or use the material to teach others. Take a look at the glossary of terms they have produced because it is difficult to grasp exactly what is going on if you do not know what the words they are using mean.
10 — The New Boston
This is a web and app development website that has 53 videos that help you learn about CSS3 and HTML5 standards. Their videos cover new elements in the HTML and CSS specification, which includes custom animations, elements, transitions, video and models.
Conclusion
Free learning resources are one of the best things about the Internet, but employers are unlikely to hire you based on what you learnt for free without earning a qualification of any sort. However, prior to getting a paid education, you can try a free course to see if you enjoy it and see if you are any good at it before you invest your money into a qualification.
Free courses are the first step towards your dream job, and are a good way of topping up or improving your current knowledge on web design. Do not be afraid to try a few books and seminars on web design too, and once you have earned a little knowledge you can try it for yourself and even try working as a freelancer for a while.
Special Offer! 70–95% off All Udemy Web Design Courses
Get 70–95% off any online course from Udemy, making most classes just $10-$15.
BIO: I’m Aaron Black, designer and writer. My passions are colors and books. I took a theater class in my senior year of college that changed my outlook on theatre, playwriting and screenwriting entirely. I’m cooperating with easy-essay.org and so happy to write for Just Creative.
