Marketers can more effectively connect a business’s audience to a new line of products or services. Social Media Managers can ensure that information about a business’s subscription opportunities or short-term deals circulate on the platforms most relevant to that business’s industry.
Where do professionals start, though, if they don’t know anything about web design or if they need to refresh themselves on the web design basics? When in doubt, turn to on-demand web design classes. On-demand web design classes allow students to learn about the most relevant web design strategies and tools at their own pace.
Students can participate in these courses from the comfort of their homes and come away with the certifications they need to work more effectively on a day-to-day basis. Some professionals can even translate the lessons learned in on-demand web design workshops into promotions or career changes.
With that in mind, the benefits of a career in web design lie in a professional’s efficiency and, sometimes, their paycheck. What are the best on-demand web design classes available to professionals in in-demand industries today, though?
The # Best On-Demand Web Design Classes
- Noble Desktop—Intro to UX Design
- Skillshare—The Basics of Web-Design Layout
- Google Career Certificates—Google UX Design Professional Certificate
- Treehouse—Web Design Track
- CareerFoundry—Intro to UX Design Course
- University of London—Responsive website Development and Design
- Udemy—WordPress for Beginners
- Udacity—UX Design for Mobile Developers
- FutureLearn—User Experience (UX) Design and Research
- John Hopkins University—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers
#1: Noble Desktop—Intro to UX Design
Noble Desktop’s hundreds of thousands of students can thank Scott Carson for their comprehensive technological education. Carson founded Noble Desktop in 1990 and originally helped professionals better understand the emerging technologies that made up Photoshop, QuarkXPress, and Illustrator. Today, the array of classes available through Noble Desktop has expanded tenfold. While classes on Photoshop, for example, still regularly attract a significant number of students, professionals in all industries can register for coding and web design courses that can help them advance their careers.
Today, Noble Desktop offers a range of paid certificates and free classes for students to peruse. Students can register for instructor-led programs or self-directed courses depending on their availability, budget, and professional need. This is where Noble Desktop’s Intro to UX Design course comes into play.
This free-to-take program allows professionals to familiarize themselves with the basics of User Experience Design on their own time. Students can take this Intro to UX Design before diving into Noble Desktop’s UX & UI Design Certificate or UX Design Bootcamp. Alternatively, students can opt to participate in this class as an individual unit should they need a refresher on the UX fundamentals.
Key Information
Noble Desktop’s Intro to UX Design course does not require students to have any pre-existing knowledge of user experience design or the tools that make user experience design simpler. Students don’t even need to know how to code to benefit from this program. Instead, the Intro to UX Design program serves as a foundational class that students can refer back to throughout their professional careers. The class specifically focuses on:
- User research, scenarios, flow, and testing
- Personas and prototyping
- The differences between user interface design and user experience design
What’s more, students can take this class at their own pace. The class’s self-directed nature makes it ideal for students who are considering a career in web design or who want to remind themselves of the web design basics. This self-direction also allows students with full schedules to take the Intro to UX Design course on their own time.
That said, Intro to UX Design’s self-directed nature may make the course less than ideal for someone who learns more effectively with an instructor’s guidance. What’s more, the class doesn’t come with a professional certificate. While students can immediately begin using the skills they learn in this class in professional environments, they can’t advertise that they’ve taken the course as readily as they might after a longer, certificate-based program.
Noble Desktop offers its Intro to UX Design course free of charge. Students do not have to create a profile through Noble Desktop’s platform to register for the program. Similarly, they do not have to pay a fee to access the class’s lecture. Students are also free to return to the program’s video over time, regardless of whether or not they choose to pay for Noble Desktop’s other web design-related classes.
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Noble Desktop’s Intro to UX Design serves most effectively as a taster course. Students who watch the class’s lecture can get a better idea of what a more intensive web design education through Noble Desktop might look like. That said, the lecture is also perfectly functional as a stand-alone course. Its self-directed nature makes it the ideal program for a student who wants to relearn web design basics or who’s considering transferring into a web design-related field.
That said, students participating in Noble Desktop’s Intro to Web Design course should not expect to interact 1-on-1 with an attending instructor. While students can read through the lecture’s YouTube comments and engage with their peers in said forums, that engagement isn’t required nor facilitated by the class’s instructors.
Interested parties can read through previous students’ testimonials, including the one below, to learn more about the course and its benefits.
“The UX/UI course was very in depth. The strategies shared and learned go beyond the coursework. I have taken courses at Noble in the past and found the instruction to be very thorough. The instructors work in the industry and class sizes are intimate. Whether you want to specialize in a specific software, or add a skill to your professional presence; Noble is the place!”—Anonymous
#2: Skillshare—The Basics of Web-Design Layout
Anyone who spends any amount of time on YouTube today has likely heard of Skillshare. The platform partners with a range of YouTube influencers to spread the good word about its low-cost, cross-industry educational seminars. Professionals from all around the world can contribute their expertise to Skillshare’s growing library. Students looking to grow their craft can subsequently access a range of video lectures related to a wide range of industries for a reasonable subscription fee.
Skillshare specifically advertises itself as an online learning community that empowers its students to learn new skills and discover new passions. Employees, too, can use the seminars available through Skillshare to better understand essential workplace concepts and to grow their careers.
The Basics of Web-Design Layout, as available through Skillshare, is one such program that professionals can refer to. Instructor Rich takes students through engaging, visually-oriented tutorials describing the basics of HTML, CSS, and the tools that professionals can use to ensure that their webpages stand out in today’s ever-changing digital space.
Key Information
The Basics of Web-Design Layout teaches students how to build basic websites while relying on HTML and CSS. Students learn these coding languages and integrate lessons about blocking, positioning, display types, borders, and X&Y translations over the course of 25 bite-sized lessons.
Students can take The Basics of Web-Design Layout at their own pace, though the class itself lasts an average of three hours and nine minutes. Skillshare does not require students to take any prerequisite courses before registering for this class, nor do students have to have any pre-existing knowledge of web design or the relevant coding languages. The Basics of Web-Design Layout, as the name suggests, is a class for beginners. That said, professionals who want to refresh their understanding of today’s basic web design tools can also register for the class.
Students participating in The Basics of Web-Design Layout do not receive a certificate after completing their course. As such, students can use the skills they learn in this class in a professional capacity but cannot use their participation in this class to directly advertise their expertise.
Skillshare offers students the chance to participate in The Basics of Web-Design Layout for free for the first 14 days after they register for a premium Skillshare membership. After those 14 days pass, students can pay as little as $10 to re-access this course and other related web design materials.
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Skillshare relies on pre-recorded lessons to impart relevant web design lessons to students. Students, in turn, should go into The Basics of Web-Design Layout expecting a self-directed program with little to no participation from an instructor or their fellow students. That said, students can turn to Skillshare’s communal boards to discuss The Basics of Web Design Layout’s lessons.
Students also have the right to re-access this course’s materials even after they’ve graduated from the program. That said, students who want to access the program more than 14 days after they register for an account with Skillshare will have to choose one of the platform’s subscription levels before they may proceed.
#3: Google Career Certificates—Google UX Design Professional Certificate
Professionals who want to learn the nitty-gritty of web design can go straight to the top for a comprehensive, up-to-date education on the best ways to optimize their online presence. Google Career Certificates’ Google UX Design Professional Certificate, offered in tandem with Couersera, helps students break down the basics of UX design to better prepare themselves for high-paced jobs in the workforce. Participants have the chance to work directly with Google’s experts to better marry content, back-end development, and front-end development with a functional and engaging UX in mind.
This is a beginner-level course and does not require students to have any professional experience with UX design or a specific degree. Students do not even have to have a degree to register for this course. Instead, Google accepts incoming professionals as they are, offering the same expert education to everyone in pursuit of a Google UX Design Professional Certificate.
Key Information
Google builds its Google UX Design Professional Certificate out of an empathetic foundation. This course makes a point to tell students who their goal is to create a UX system that users not only understand but find appreciable and convenient. The course also lets students know that this process takes a lot of trial and error. That’s why many of the course’s initial lessons focus on pain points, ideation, and wireframe testing.
Students can also expect to hammer out basic UX concepts and research processes over the course of seven inner-course series. These series address topics ranging from UX accessibility to the process of analyzing data from relevant usability studies and interviews. By the time students graduate from the Google UX Design Professional Certificate, they’ll have a three-project portfolio detailing their UX competence. This course specifically sees students create a website, a mobile app, and a program accessible from multiple platforms.
Students can take this course at their own pace and earn degree credit. The course takes roughly six months to complete if students commit at least 10 hours a week to their studies. That said, students are never punished for moving at a slower or faster pace than the one that Google recommends. Instead, Google places its students’ education firmly in those students’ hands.
The course comes free of charge, though students do have the option to subscribe to Coursera to access additional course materials. Students who complete the course also have the opportunity to request that a Coursera and Google representative read through their resume, help them prepare for interviews, or otherwise provide career search support.
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Google UX Design Professional Certificate highlights its ability to connect students with professionals who may later help them advance their careers. The program lauds its students who’ve achieved notable job placements with companies like Wells Fargo, Salesforce, and Google itself. The course’s career focus may prove ideal for students who specifically want to use their understanding of web design to either enter a new, better-paying field or to vie for a promotion.
Students who graduate from Google UX Design Professional Certificate receive a career certificate that they can share through LinkedIn or on a relevant resume. Students can also earn college credit for their participation in this course, though eligibility varies depending on a student’s desired degree and institution.
For more information about Google UX Design Professional Certificate, consider the testimonials left by previous students:
“I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work.”—Jennifer J.
“To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood.”—Felipe M.
“When I need courses on topics that my university doesn’t offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go.”—Larry W.
#4: TreeHouse—Web Design Track
TreeHouse’s team of technological instructors has worked to make tech careers, including web design, more accessible since 2011. From teaching in high school classrooms to offering self-directed courses online, the TreeHouse team has achieved its goal, spearheading a series of video-based courses that anyone can use to advance their career.
It was that goal that led TreeHouse to develop its Web Design Track. This “track” operates like another school’s bootcamp, allowing students to deep-dive into the basics of CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and web design layouts.
Key Information
TreeHouse’s Web Design Track takes roughly 40 hours for students to complete. The program initially guides students through the basics of web design code like HTML and CSS before transitioning into CSS Selectors, HTML Forms, and Typography. Students can expect to graduate from this program with an understanding of CSS Layouts, Flexbox, Bootstrap, CSS Transforms and Transitions, and SVG Basics.
Despite that deluge of information, TreeHouse’s Web Design Track is beginner-friendly. Students do not have to complete any prerequisites or work in a particular professional field to excel in the class.
Students can register for a seven-day free trial before TreeHouse requires them to register for a course plan. The available course plans include:
- Courses for $25 a month, including access to the TreeHouse library, quizzes, and student forums
- Courses Plus for $49 a month, with access to all of the above, supplemental coursework, and career talks
- Techdegree for $199 a month, including all of the above as well as access to TreeHouse’s Slack community and peer review process
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TreeHouse’s Web Design Track is, at its lowest-paying levels, a self-directed, independent program. Students can only engage with their peers if they register for TreeHouse’s Techdegree plan. That said, the lesson plans and videos associated with the Web Design Track allow students to go through each section of the course’s syllabus at their own pace. As such, students with busy professional lives or who need to spend more time on a particular topic have the opportunity to do so.
TreeHouse also boasts incredible career placement for those students who participate in its Web Design Track. The platform now has alumni at institutions like Google, Yahoo, and even in-house.
TreeHouse has helped over 1.2 million students find careers in tech. Interested parties can find student testimonials on TreeHouse’s website, including ones like the following:
“Being a Techdegree student is one of the best decisions I’ve made for my career.”—Kalina Edwards
“I am confident that if I did not use Treehouse as my initial resource, I would be on a different path at the moment. There are a variety of educational resources I have used, but Treehouse is simple, educational and comes with a great community.”—Joe Dayvie
#5: CareerFoundry—Intro to UX Design Course
Many professionals believe there are insurmountable obstacles standing between them and the promotion or career change that they want. CareerFoundry aims to change those professionals’ mindsets while also providing them with the tools to grow beyond the position they’re currently in. While each CareerFoundry instructor strives to teach their course to the best of their ability, so too do they strive to give each student the autonomy and skills to pursue the dreams that have seemed out of reach.
It’s with that goal in mind that CareerFoundry makes its Intro to UX Design course available to curious, career-minded students. This beginner-friendly course highlights the basics of UX design and its related code, thereby ensuring that students can more readily tackle professional assignments. This course not only teaches students the UX fundamentals but also connects participants to a community of 700 instructors and 5,000 graduates, all of whom want Intro to UX Design course participants to take that next essential step in their professional lives.
Key Information
Intro to UX Design is particularly unique in its structure. The course begins at a certain date and subsequently ends at a certain date but still operates asynchronously. What does that mean for students? It means that so long as students submit their required materials before the course comes to an end, they can take course modules at their own pace. This unique structure allows students to collaborate on projects with one another without real-world demands getting in the way. Moreover, Intro to UX Design students get to meet with mentors and tutors who can help them more effectively digest the course’s material.
The course’s modules include:
- An introduction to UX and design thinking
- How to conduct effective user research
- Building user personas
- Analyzing information architecture
- Wireframes and prototypes
- Usability testing
- Presenting work
- UX careers
Students do not need to participate in any prerequisite courses before taking Intro to UX Design through CareerFoundry. Students should, however, be able to speak basic professional English and have access to a working webcam and microphone.
Course participants should expect to complete the course in one month’s time. Course instructors recommend that students dedicate between 15 and 20 hours of study to the course per week if they want to complete the course by its deadline. Students who aren’t sure if they’re ready to commit to the course can participate in a free email course to determine their interest level.
CareerFoundry makes its Intro to UX Design course available to students for a tuition fee of $690. Students can instead take this course for $590 if they decide to commit to CareerFoundry’s UX Design Program track. CareerFoundry also offers 100 partial scholarships that can reduce the cost of tuition for in-need students. Students can speak to a CareerFoundry advisor to learn more about the program’s financial aid options.
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Intro to UX Design through CareerFoundry is specifically unique in that it is an asynchronous course that still puts participants in contact with both a course tutor and a course mentor. Both parties offer their chosen student 1-on-1 feedback on assignments. These parties additionally help participants determine how best to use course-based skills in a professional environment. Participants can turn to both their tutor and mentor for class help as well as professional guidance.
The Intro to UX Design also prioritizes students’ portfolios. Students specifically receive a certificate for their work upon the delivery of their first app. As such, students can graduate from this course with concrete proof of their expertise that they can then use when applying for a new position or promotion. Graduating students also receive a UX certificate that they can advertise on professional platforms.
For more information about the Intro to UX Design course available through CareerFoundry, take a look at previous students’ testimonials, including the following:
“Without CareerFoundry I would not have my new job. They helped me double my salary from my last job!”—Terri Rodriguez-Hong
“The CareerFoundry website was very informative, and the learning process suited me very much. I was perhaps a bit cynical about the full UX Design Program because it has a job guarantee and mentor and tutor support—I thought it was too good to be true. So I took the Intro to UX Design Course first to see how that works. If I liked it, I would then take the immersion course. And I loved it! I got all the things I was promised—it was all true!”—Sayma Sultana
#6: University of London—Responsive Web Development and Design
The University of London, alongside facilitators like Coursera and 17 affiliated colleges, offers its Responsive Web Design course to professionals at all skill levels in 190 countries. The course specifically highlights:
- Key elements of a successful webpage
- The wireframe creation process
- The coding fundamentals needed to create a functional and engaging user interface
- The benefits of working with a responsive grid layout
This self-directed class marries the independence of a traditional on-demand program with the community that comes with an in-person course. How? Students who register for the course must do so by a particular deadline. While students can then proceed to take the course at their own pace, they have the opportunity to peer-review their classmates’ assignments and receive feedback on their work courtesy of the university’s many instructors.
This Responsive website Development and Design course makes up a part of the University of London and Coursera’s Responsive website Development and Design Specialization. That said, students do not have to commit to a specialization to participate in this course. Whether students want to dive into a longer course of study or refresh their understanding of Bootstrap, JavaScript, Handlebars, and other web design tools, the Responsive Web Design class can suit their needs.
Key Information
There are four instructors currently teaching the Responsive Web Design course, including Dr. Matthew Yee-King, Dr. Kate Devlin, Professor Marco Gillies, and Dr. Mick Grierson. These instructors work in tandem with Coursera, the University of London, and Goldsmiths to ensure that the lessons students can access through the Response Web Design course are as comprehensive as possible. This course does not require students to take any prerequisite classes or have a comprehensive understanding of the web design basics.
This course is free of charge, though students must register for an account before they participate. Students will also have to pay a subscription fee if they want to receive a digital certificate upon their graduation from this course. The University of London and Coursera both offer financial aid options to students who need help paying for their certification or who want to commit to a longer course of study.
Students interested in attending the University of London in a more formal capacity cannot transfer their experience in the Responsive Web Design course’s digital classroom to in-person attendance credits. In other words, the Response Web Design course specifically helps students interested in improving their professional toolkits. Students should not register for this course expecting to leave with college credits.
The syllabus that the University of London provides for its Responsive Web Design students comprehensively describes each of the lessons students can expect to participate in. These lessons include:
- Course overview
- Web design principles
- Design principles in code
- Adding content to websites
- Gallery apps
Again, students can complete these lessons at their own pace, so long as they do so before the class formally concludes. On average, students report that the University of London’s Responsive Web Design course takes 26 hours to complete.
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The University of London’s Responsive Web Design course is particularly unique in that it marries a responsive, seminar-like program with the on-demand scheduling that students independently participating in web design courses tend to prefer. Students can expect 1-on-1 feedback from their instructors after completing course-relevant projects. Participants can also expect to connect with peers to discuss course elements and projects.
The course also boasts flexible assignment deadlines, ensuring that busy professionals can stay on top of their workplace responsibilities without falling behind on classroom assignments.
Interested parties can learn more about the Responsive Web Design course through its reviews, including the following:
“Having a like-minded community makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger. Before Coursera, I thought online learning was lonely and unengaging.”—Gabriela G.
#7: Udemy—WordPress for Beginners
Udemy offers professional development courses to professionals and businesses looking for new ways to approach their day-to-day responsibilities. The institution currently hosts over 210,000 courses and 62 million learners. Those learners can graduate from classes taught by expert instructors, take their lessons into the field of their choosing, and more effectively oversee their daily projects, vie for relevant promotions, or pursue a new career.
Udemy offers a wide range of courses relevant to professionals in the world of web design. Of those courses, Udemy’s WordPress for Beginners particularly stands out. The reviews for this course speak highly of its video content, flexibility, and in-depth nature. Students who participate in WordPress for Beginners can either learn how to use the platform for the first time or refresh their understanding of one of the most widely-used outreach platforms available to businesses in nearly every industry.
Key Information
WordPress for Beginners, as the name suggests, takes participants through the process of installing, navigating through, and optimizing the platform. Students can specifically expect to learn how to:
- Make posts and pages
- Tag and categorize relevant content
- Install relevant plugins
- Create a longstanding homepage
- Invest in WordPress encryption services
- Improve WordPress’s UI and UX
WordPress for Beginners through Udemy is most readily accessible to students who speak English. That said, Udemy provides class subtitles in over 14 languages, ensuring that professionals around the world can benefit from its instructors’ expertise.
The class costs $139.99 at full price but is often discounted. Students benefit from a 30-day money-back guarantee should they have to drop out of the class or otherwise find themselves unsatisfied with the available content. Students can alternatively subscribe to Udemy’s wider-reaching services by paying $16.58 a month to access the platform’s catalog of courses. Udemy offers incoming students a free personal plan trial before encouraging students to commit to their long-term education.
There is no financial aid available for the WordPress for Beginners course at this time. That said, businesses can gift their students a spot in these courses through Udemy’s main website.
WordPress for Beginners operates as an on-demand course, with all of its content available upon a student’s initial registration. Students have access to nine and a half hours of videos that they can refer to at their own pace. The class also allows students to read ten articles and access 15 downloadable resources to help them better understand the course’s fundamental lessons.
Students who graduate from the WordPress for Beginners course receive a certificate of completion that they can share online to highlight their WordPress expertise.
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Udemy’s Andrew Williams teaches the WordPress for Beginners course through a series of video lectures and associated materials. Unfortunately, students do not have many opportunities to connect with Williams, as the class operates on-demand and doesn’t allow students to interact with one another or their instructor.
That said, the course’s graduation certificate can help interested professionals prove that they have the skills to help relevant businesses build an online presence through WordPress. Students can include a link to this certificate on their LinkedIn or print out a paper copy for in-person reference.
For more information on the WordPress for Beginners course, possible registrants can consider the course’s current reviews, including the following:
“An excellent course which will teach you everything you need to know to get a WordPress site up and running, even if you have no experience.”—Jamie D.
“Excellent course that enabled me to get my first website up and running. Laid out logically, clearly in easily digestible bites. I had a few questions and they were answered by the creator within a day. Very impressed.”—Kevin B.
“This course was perfect for me. The course starts with the basics and then the level of difficulty is built up well. At the end of the course I'm able to build and maintain a simple website. Andy explains everything very well and is pleasant to listen to.”—Beau F.
#8: Udacity—UX Design for Mobile Developers
Udacity prides itself on preparing hundreds of thousands of curious professionals for changes in their careers. The institution strives to address what it refers to as the “digital talent shortages” that prevent businesses from growing to new heights. It’s in this effort that the institution has developed the programming to teach over 17 million students actionable workplace skills.
What does this mean for professionals who want to learn more about web design? It means that Udacity’s UX Design for Mobile Developers has been tried and tested by thousands of students who’ve been able to put the class’s curriculum to use in a professional environment. Udacity makes this free-to-take, on-demand program available as an individual class as well as part of a larger nanodegree program that professionals can later rely on when trying to change fields or qualify for a life-changing promotion.
Key Information
Udacity’s UX Design for Mobile Developers primarily serves beginners who have little to no knowledge of the coding basics. The course’s instructors, industry professionals, specifically focus on the way professionals can develop interactive and high-performing apps on Android devices. That said, the course also touches on Apple and related products when discussing an app’s marketability and potential for audience growth.
UX Design for Mobile Developers operates as a self-paced program. This means there are no registration deadlines, nor do students have to commit to a certain number of course hours per week. Instead, participants can make their way through the course’s modules at their own pace.
The course’s available modules include:
- What is User Experience?
- User-Centered Design
- Designing for Mobile Constraints
- Designing for Android Delight
As mentioned, Udacity offers this course free of charge. Students can benefit from instructor videos, interactive quizzes, and experiential, portfolio-growing activities that they can later share as proof of their expertise.
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Udacity specifically makes its UX Design for Mobile Developers course available as part of the Android Kotlin Developer nanodegree. While students do not have to complete this degree track, doing so can set them apart from their industry peers. Udacity specifically offers this degree track in collaboration with Google, thereby ensuring that track graduates have access to a robust alumni network. Graduates also have the opportunity to build a robust portfolio of Android app work that they can go on to share with their current or future employers.
Want more information about this course from its previous participants? Read through the testimonials graduates have left behind, including the following:
“Before Udacity, I was working two minimum wage jobs. Now, I have a new job, a new mindset, and new life!”—Ryan
“Udacity helped me discover my passion and now I love what I do!”—Jedrzej
#9: FutureLearn—User Experience (UX) Design and Research
FutureLearn works under the guidance of Global University Systems to provide professionals with access to university-approved tech programs. The team’s other partners include:
- The British Museum and Library
- The National Film and Television School
- The British Council
The team has worked to ensure that professionals across all industries have access to high-quality tech courses since 2013. As a result, students all around the world can now participate in courses like User Experience (UX) Design and Research.
Key Information
FutureLearn’s User Experience (UX) Design and Research program does not require students to participate in any prerequisite courses. This program specifically qualifies as one of FutureLearn’s ExpertTracks, a series of online lessons that students can take at their own pace. While students can’t translate their class time into college credits, students can graduate from this course with a certificate verifying their participation and experience with essential web design tools.
Students can expect to complete FutureLearn’s User Experience (UX) Design and Research program within 35 hours, provided they spend a minimum of three hours per week in the class’s modules. The course doesn’t have a set tuition but does require students to register for a FutureLearn account after a seven-day free trial. FutureLearn accounts cost $39 per month. Students can cancel their accounts at any time, and the account cancels itself after professionals complete their chosen course. Professionals retain access to all class-related material, including proof of course completion, even after their subscription expires.
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FutureLearn’s User Experience (UX) Design and Research program may be self-directed, but that doesn’t mean that students complete it entirely alone. Students can discuss their class’s modules through FutureLearn’s online platform. Students also receive feedback from course instructors as they complete a course’s modules. FutureLearn prides itself on its cultivation of a sweeping international platform, which ensures that students from all around the globe can connect with peers both in the midst of a course and after they’ve graduated.
"FutureLearn courses are always interesting and informative. They bring the classroom right to you and send you on a journey to explore new ideas and offer interesting topics."—Gayle B.
"I recommend Futurelearn to anyone looking to learn and upskill…If you are in the job market, you might want to add a new skill or forge a new path."—Iniobong P.
#10: Johns Hopkins University—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers
John Hopkins University works in tandem with Coursera to offer its HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers course on demand. Both institutions prioritize students’ job-hunting abilities, ensuring that graduates from the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers course can pursue professional employment in the field of their choosing. As such, students can either choose to take the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers course independently or as part of a more comprehensive—and longer—professional education track.
Students who opt to participate in the courses offered through this professional partnership join the 113+ million other Coursera students who’ve advanced their careers or who are in the process of doing so, in the past. The addition of the John Hopkins name makes it even easier for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers graduates to take the lessons they learn in this program into a professional environment.
Key Information
Students interested in participating in the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers course can do so at their leisure. Both Coursera and John Hopkins University offer the course on demand for students’ ease of participation. The course allows students to complete modules on their own schedule and does not punish students for turning in assignments on a timeline that best suits their needs.
The HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Developers course takes roughly 40 hours to complete, though students can complete the course at their own pace without losing access to relevant materials. Coursera makes the course available in a multitude of languages, offering subtitles in:
- Arabic
- French
- European Portuguese
- Italian
- Vietnamese
- Korean
- German
- Russian
- Spanish
As the name suggests, the course specifically touches on the basics of HTML, CSS, and CSS frameworks before teaching students how to use both coding languages alongside JavaScript. Instructor Yaakov Chaikin divides the course into relevant sections with conclusory tests and relevant quizzes throughout.
Students do not have to pay for the basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Designers course. That said, students who want the certificate that comes with the class must pay for a Coursera subscription to receive it. Fortunately, Coursera and John Hopkins offer financial aid to students who need help paying that fee. Students who choose to purchase a subscription can subsequently link to a certificate proving their course completion on their LinkedIn. Students with a Coursera subscription also retain access to the course’s materials even after they graduate.
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Students can participate in the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Designers course independent of a course track. That said, both Coursera and John Hopkins University allow students to participate in the course as part of a larger degree program. Interested parties can work with both institutions to determine what other courses they need to take to receive a comprehensive computer science and information technology education.
Regardless of whether a student takes a single course or multiple John Hopkins/Coursera courses, said students gain access to an ever-growing community of Coursera alumni. Coursera and its alumni prioritize students’ ability to find work after completing their relevant programs. As such, students can turn to that network to either advance their current careers or transition into a new field.
Professionals with questions about the quality of John Hopkins’ HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Designers course can refer to the testimonials and reviews describing past students’ successes. These include the following:
“Excellent course, especially if you are a professional but in different technologies/ languages, from the back-end world, etc.… You will progress very fast as it goes right to the essential notions.”—NC
“Excellent course for people with intermediate knowledge of programming. Very eloquently teaches Bootstrap framework and JavaScript along with AJAX. Must-take course for any aspiring web developer!”—AB
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an On-demand Web Design Class Worth It?
On-demand web design classes require a lot of self-discipline from participants. A student who knows they won’t be able to keep up with a class’s workload without pressure from their peers or an instructor should not participate in an on-demand web design class. That said, a professional who’s used to working on their own time or who can self-manage efficiently can come away from an on-demand class with the skills they need to advance their career.
In other words, the value of an on-demand web design class depends on how a student interacts with the class’s materials.
What Will I Need for an On-demand Web Design Class?
Most on-demand web design courses only require students to invest in computers that can run class-relevant software. Professionals already working in graphic-heavy industries shouldn’t need to invest in additional hardware to participate in these courses.
Most courses also provide students with links to discounted or free versions of the software that said course will use to help students better understand certain web design concepts. That said, students should check each course’s syllabus for any specialized requirements before registering for a particular program.
Can I Learn Web Design On-demand for Free?
Professionals can teach themselves web design basics with help from free programs available through platforms like YouTube. There are also other free, self-directed web design courses available for professionals to take if they want to refresh themselves on the basics of the practice. That said, all the free tutorials in the world can’t make up for a course led by an industry veteran. Professionals who want to learn how to use a specific web design tool in all of its facets should consider investing in either an on-demand course or a similar alternative. Many of these courses provide students with free subscriptions to high-end web design tools, including Photoshop, ensuring that students can most effectively familiarize themselves with the tools that may later make their careers.
Is It Better to Learn Web Design in a Live or Self-paced Class?
Self-paced classes aren’t inherently better than live classes, or vice versa. Rather, both types of classes have their pros and cons. Students who feel like they understand the basics of web design and can keep themselves on top of a class’s coursework on their own time may benefit from a self-paced class.
Comparatively, students who need the pressure of peers or an instructor to stay on top of a course’s materials may thrive in a live course. Live courses also allow students to ask questions about relevant material in the middle of a relevant lesson, while self-directed courses don’t have as much interconnectivity. That said, students in self-directed courses enjoy the perks of flexible scheduling that students in live programs don’t get.
With that in mind, professionals should choose a web design program that best suits their budget, schedule, and learning style. Each web design student needs to determine their own path to professional success.