What is the Fastest Way to Learn Front-End Web Development?

When you've made the decision to learn front end web development, you probably want to get started as soon as you can, so you can build a website or change to a new career as a Front End Web Developer. The fastest way to learn front end web development is through taking a class, although free resources can give you an overview of the subject.

Free Resources

There are many free videos, podcasts, and blogs about front end web development online. This kind of content can help you get an idea of what web development is and how it works. Noble Desktop offers many free videos on its website, including Intro to Front End Web Development or Intro to WordPress. 

While these free resources can provide an overview, this is not a fast or efficient way to learn a new skill. Taking a class with an experienced instructor will give you more direct training in coding and save you from wandering around the Internet in search of information. If you are a complete beginner, an introductory class can make learning web development skills much faster. 

Introductory Classes

Introductory classes are short, intensive sessions that can take you from zero skills to accomplished quickly. These classes begin with the basics and build on that knowledge over two or three days. This can teach you specific skills, like building websites with HTML & CSS, using JavaScript for animation, or WordPress.

Each class takes a deep dive into a single topic, and assignments are designed to help you gain a complete understanding of the subject by the end of the class. Bootcamps are great for people who have some knowledge of coding and want to learn more. They are also good for people who want to take their time building up skills because of other time commitments. If you want to change to a new career as a Front End Web Developer, a certificate course is the way to go.

Certificate Courses

While certificate courses take several weeks to a few months to complete, they are not only the fastest but also the most efficient way to learn front end web development skills. Usually made up of several bootcamp classes, certificate courses give you thorough training in all aspects of front end web development, like coding with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Git, WordPress, and creating HTML email. The assignments in the course are designed to help you understand front end web development and also to put together a portfolio to showcase your abilities.

When it comes to certificate courses, you can choose between in-person and live online classes. In-person classes are led by an instructor in a classroom or computer lab surrounded by students. You can ask questions if you need clarification and network with other students. In-person classes aren't always available, especially if you live in a small town or rural area. Live online classes are held in conjunction with an in-person class. Some students are in the room, while others join the class through a video conferencing platform, but the class format is the same as an in-person session.

When you complete the course, you receive a certificate—often in digital form—that you can attach to your portfolio website or LinkedIn profile to demonstrate your accomplishment to future employers or clients. Some training programs also offer 1-1 mentoring and career advice as part of the course. Having access to someone who can answer questions and give advice speeds up the learning process as well.

On-Demand Courses

You can also sign up for on-demand front end web development courses. These are pre-recorded sessions that you can watch whenever and wherever you want. On-demand courses are available on subscription platforms like LinkedIn, Coursera, and Skillshare.

If you are highly motivated, you can learn front end web development this way, according to your own schedule. One drawback of on-demand classes is the lack of a live instructor to answer questions, which can slow down the process. 

Learn Front End Web Development Skills with Noble Desktop

Learn front end web development skills with Noble Desktop's Front End Web Development Certificate. This beginner-friendly course will teach you the coding skills you need to change to a career as a Front End Web Developer. Learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Git to create responsive websites optimized for any screen size. You will also learn to use WordPress, the world's number one content management system. The course also includes HTML Email Bootcamp and a portfolio bootcamp.

JavaScript is powerful and flexible. Developers have written a variety of tools on top of the core JavaScript language, unlocking a vast amount of functionality with minimum effort. In Noble's JavaScript Development Certificate, you will learn to build dynamic web applications with React and Node.js, create APIs with Express.js, and work with databases with MongoDB. You will also learn about Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that provide functionality such as dynamically creating HTML and setting CSS. APIs allow developers to incorporate functionality in websites from other content providers, such as Twitter or Facebook. The course also covers third-party frameworks and libraries you can apply to HTML to accelerate the work of building sites and applications. No previous coding experience is required.

If you prefer, you can take these Noble classes included in the certificates one at a time. Web Development with HTML & CSS covers building websites with HTML & CSS; creating multi-page websites with text, images, and graphics; styling with CSS; and uploading files using FTP. 

Advanced HTML & CSS includes important CSS concepts like positioning, advanced selectors, and relative type sizing. You will also learn to work with multiple background images, transparent color using RGBA, CSS gradients, and shadows. The course also covers creating animated effects with CSS transitions and transforms.

Flexbox, Grid, and Bootstrap covers laying out and aligning website content with CSS Flexbox. Learn CSS Grid to layout websites and Bootstrap to build layouts quickly.

JavaScript for Front End teaches you to make dynamic and engaging websites with JavaScript and GreenSock. Learn the basics of JavaScript and how to use free pre-made JavaScripts to add functionality. Create animated slideshows and build animated image enlargers.

WordPress enables you to create and maintain a website, even if you have no web design background or knowledge of the code that makes websites work. Noble's WordPress Bootcamp covers building websites and blogs with WordPress. Learn to install themes and plugins, test your code, and customize your website.

Learn how to code custom-designed emails that adapt to different screen sizes in HTML Email Bootcamp. Build and work with multiple layouts and gain a deeper understanding of email-friendly HTML/CSS and how to manage various email client issues. Create responsive emails that work across various devices, optimize images and graphics for mobile devices, and use media queries to fine-tune mobile styles.