What is Front-End Web Development?

Front end web development covers everything you can see when you visit a website, which includes banners, sliders, buttons, links, and drop-down menus. It’s often called the “client-side” of websites because it’s the part people use daily. In this guide, you’ll learn more about front end web development, what you can do with it, who uses it, and how to learn its skills for professional purposes.

What Can You Do with Front End Web Development?

On the surface, front end web development has plenty to offer. You can build a website for your business, passion project, or hobby, and that’s only a handful of topics you can approach. Front end web development is versatile because it can adapt to your interests—and the interests of others. The internet allows us to connect for a common cause, and you can foster that connection through your own website.

Once you’ve established the kind topic of your website, you can leave a unique impression on your visitors by customizing it with code. Even if someone else has the same topic idea as you, they may approach creating their website differently, and that slight difference can make you stand out. That’s where front end web development can help. By honing your skills in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can create a website that others will feel compelled to use again and again because of the special touch you’ve left on it.

How Much Does Front End Web Development Cost?

Web development as a whole is free. Three programming languages act as the DNA of front end web development: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Each is open-source, which means they’re open to the public for use and modification.

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) structures website content, and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) stylizes how that content is displayed. They’re often used together, and it’s hard to find a website that doesn’t incorporate both. For example, HTML will set up the headers, and CSS takes those headers to change their size, font, and color.

JavaScript has various uses for websites, including animating images, creating interactive content (such as enabling you to click a button), and updating content on the page in real-time. Sometimes JavaScript is taught separately from HTML and CSS since JavaScript has applications in other fields such as Back End Web Development. Still, many front end web development courses will teach all three subjects so you can start building entire websites during—and after—your class.

The only expenses you’ll have are purchasing a computer and taking front end web development courses to gain essential knowledge. Since those who take an interest in front end web development are likely to have a computer already, you’ll only have to think about how much front end web development training costs when considering prices to enter this field.

While you’re first starting to learn front end web development, you can get away with using free versions of hosting platforms such as WordPress to accomplish your goals. They have yearly and monthly price plans that can adapt to your budget. Depending on your schedule, you may also want to pay for a domain to host your website.

What Are the Benefits of Learning Front End Web Development?

People enjoy the flexibility that front end web development offers. You can use it as part of your side hustle, hobby, or career. This skill can be a career by itself—Front End Developers can confirm that! You can also take these skills into other programming areas, which means you can start a rewarding new career with plenty of growth potential.

Even if your goals aren’t directly related to programming, having front end web development skills is incredibly valuable in the modern world. Wouldn’t it be great to lead your company’s online projects, even though the business operates in person? It’s another valuable skill to add to your resume that applies to every industry. If you ever plan to switch careers but aren’t sure where to start, front end web development can be the bridge that brings you closer to your goals.

Read more about why you should learn front end web development.

Front End Web Development Careers

Are you planning to switch careers? You’re in luck because every industry uses front end web development! Although the linear path for web development mainly falls within the tech industry, all companies value web development skills because every business wants to increase its online presence.

Think of your favorite snack. It has a website. Your favorite coffee shop has a website, and so does your local school district. Front end web development allows for diverse options that will enable you to pick jobs based on your passions and build from there. You’ll never run out of opportunities, even if you never enter a computer science career path.

Hundreds of companies are eager to level up their website, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for them will only increase in the upcoming decade. The sooner you start—and the more established you become in the field—the better!

How to Learn Front End Web Development

You might want to take a class before creating your website, but you aren’t sure where to start. Ideally, you’ll seek help from a mentor through an in-person or live online course. In-person courses have the perk of providing you with a computer and a distraction-free environment. Live online courses are best for those who want the freedom to learn anywhere worldwide while receiving the same quality instruction as in-person classes. In either case, you’ll work with an expert who will be able to give you feedback in real time.

Suppose you want to start learning front end web development, but you’re currently facing a hectic schedule or need to raise funds for a certificate program. If that’s the case, you can still progress by taking on-demand and self-paced classes. They’re an ideal way to learn the fundamentals while preparing your schedule and budget for future classes.

Even after choosing the right learning method for you, there might be some aspects of front end web development that don’t quite click. That’s where resources and guides can help. Noble Desktop has a Front End Web Development Learn Hub, a collection of resources designed to help you throughout your studies. They also have a solid playlist of front end web development video tutorials on YouTube. Their free Intro to Front End Web Development seminar will teach you the basics. Feel free to browse each resource and see which one resonates with you.

Read the full guide on how to learn front end web development.

A Brief History of Front End Web Development

Front end web development’s history is closely tied to the origins of the internet. The internet has existed in various forms since the 1960s, but it started to resemble its modern form in the 1990s when the Mosaic browser began to gain popularity. HTML was created in 1990 and laid the groundwork for the World Wide Web. People then used HTML in conjunction with the Mosaic browser to make the text and table-based more readable.

Once people used HTML more frequently, it remained one of most websites' core programming languages. From there, CSS and JavaScript made websites more visually appealing and made differentiating the information on the screen easier. They all have stood the test of time and are still used to this day.

Comparable Fields

Front end web development is one part of web development as a whole. There are three main tracks associated with web development: front end, back end, and full stack. As mentioned before, front end web development covers all aspects that users can see on the “client-side” of websites.

Back end web development is the opposite side of the coin: it supports the front end and ensures that everything runs smoothly. It works the website’s servers and databases, and it’s appropriately called the “server-side” of websites by professionals. Most Back End Developers have a deeper understanding of JavaScript because of how valuable its frameworks, libraries, and databases are to their work.

Full stack web development is a combination of front end and back end web development. It uses both skills and helps to fill any knowledge gaps that a web development team may have. Full Stack Web Developers commonly cover either role depending on their team, but many companies have dedicated Full Stack Web Developers specializing in either front or back end.

Those interested in the visual aspects of websites may want to pursue web design, user interface (UI) design, or graphic design. All of the fields listed here overlap well with web development and are best suited for anyone who wants to use their artistic skills in a digital sphere.

Learn Front End Web Development with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Ready to dive into front end web development? Many expert-led classes, bootcamps, and certificate programs are available through Noble Desktop that will bring you closer to your goals. The Front End Web Development Certificate program teaches HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WordPress concepts in one compact but effective bundle of courses. It’s essential for anyone who plans to add these skills to their resume.

Another excellent certificate is the Web Design Certificate program, which focuses on design principles. It complements the web development knowledge base effectively—while front end web development focuses on the programming of websites, web design covers design principles. This skill set is useful for making your website engaging and visually appealing to your visitors. Each program will give you a certificate upon completion, further displaying your knowledge to potential employers.

You might not be ready to dedicate your time to a bootcamp or certificate program. If that’s the case, you can try the Intro to Web Development with HTML & CSS class, which teaches the basic principles of front end web development. Use this class as a starting point to decide how you want to approach your learning.

You can also explore some front end web development courses and bootcamps on your own to find the ones that are a good fit. A large selection of courses is flexible to your current schedule—career preparation, financial assistance, and one-on-one mentoring are available through each certificate program and bootcamp. No matter your choice, you’ll be another step closer to a satisfying career.

Key Insights

• Front end web development is one of the three main web development career tracks.
• Its programming languages are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• These languages are easy to learn and applicable to many other programming careers.
• Front end web development is helpful in any industry because all companies need websites to stay up-to-date.
• You can receive comprehensive front end web development training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.