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10 Free Great Online Courses for Web Design

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10 Free Great Online Courses for Web Design

Web design involves conceptualizing, planning, and arranging the content and visual layout of a website. It combines disciplines such as graphic design and computer science to create functional and aesthetically pleasing web pages and apps (including mobile).

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Disclaimer: Some courses may include an affiliate link. Courses were chosen first based on the methodology with affiliate links only added after the ranking was complete.

Whether you are interested in building a career in web design or you want to learn how to make your own site better, we’ve got some excellent free online courses in web design for you to check out. We’ve rated them in descending order using an exclusive methodology, with our favorite picks at the top. However, each of these courses has something valuable to offer eager students. If you’re ready to dive into learning web design, read on.

Ranking 10 Free Online Courses for Web Design

1. Build Your First Web Pages With HTML and CSS

Offered by Google Digital Garage and Open Classrooms

Open Classrooms bills itself as Europe’s leading e-learning platform, and upon reviewing this best free online course in web design, we know why. It’s perfectly suited for those new to web design, and requires no prior programming knowledge, as you will learn CSS and HTML as you progress through the course.

It’s 10-hours long and features four jam-packed modules that will teach students:

• An introduction to HTML and CSS

• How to create HTML Text Elements

• How to structure an entire page

• How to spice up your content with CSS

Those who successfully complete the course will earn a certificate of completion to print out or share.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes

Time to Complete: 10 hours

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Taught by Emily Reese, former web developer at Kickstarter

•Free certification offered

•Quizzes to test your progress

Cons:

•None

2. Web Design Courses with Webflow

Offered by Webflow Academy

For those who want to forgo a lengthy learning curve to learn design, Webflow is an all-in-one web design tool that provides hosting and web design services. Through their online learning platform, Webflow Academy, the company offers an extensive array of web design courses at no cost.

Their best free online web design course is the Ultimate Web Design Course. It’s geared toward intermediate to advanced users and features over 100 on-demand video lessons and takes just a little over five hours to complete.

Students will need to use either Chrome or Safari to access the modules.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes

Time to Complete: Five hours and ten minutes

Curriculum: Intermediate to Advanced

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Easy sign up with no credit card required

•Excellent user interface

• Perfect all-in-one solution

Cons:

•Certification not offered

3.  Web Design For Everybody: Basics of Web Development and Coding Specialization

Offered by the University of Michigan via Coursera

This offering through the University of Michigan is a specialization in web design consisting of five separate courses:

• Introduction to HTML5

• Introduction to CSS3

• Interactivity with JavaScript

• Advanced Styling with Responsive Design

• Web Design for Everybody Capstone Project (only available at the paid level of the specialization)

Like all offerings on Coursera, the courses can be taken for free in audit mode, and additional features can be unlocked by signing up for the paid version. Audit mode will not give students access to the final capstone project or the certification. If you need a completion certificate but cannot afford one, Coursera offers financial aid to eligible students. Some Universities will also accept specialization coursework for credit. You will need to check with your institution to learn more.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes, with fee

Time to Complete: Two months

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Taught by two top instructors at University of Michigan

•Hands-on-learning

•May be eligible for credit

Cons:

•Capstone project not available in the audit-only mode

4.  Learn Web Development

Offered by Mozilla

Well-respected, Mozilla has made a name for themselves as pioneers of the open web, and their free online classes are an excellent way to learn the fundamentals of web development. Their web development learning platform is a self-paced resource designed to be used a ’la carte, and students can jump in and learn about any topic including:

• HTML

• CSS

• JavaScript

• Web Forms

• Accessibility

• Web Performance

• Tools and Testing

• Server-Side Programming

Signup is simple, and the site contains plenty of resources as well as the helpful Mozilla Web Development Community to help with any challenges or questions that come up.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory to Intermediate

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Learn from the experts in web design and development

•Easy sign up

•Lots of extras

Cons:

•Certification not offered

5.  Introduction to Responsive Design using Bootstrap

Offered by Alison

Developed in 2007 by Mike Feerick, Alison was the first MOOC (massive online open course) platform on the web. This is one of the best places to find free online web design courses with certifications, and over six million students have registered on the site thus far

Bootstrap is the most well-known JavaScript, CSS, and HTML framework for developing responsive mobile friendly sites, and this awesome course serves as a great introduction to the program. Students will learn its themes and basic components for designing sites for tablets, mobile, laptops and desktops as they progress through the well-thought-out lessons.

Those who pass the final assessment with an 80 percent or better score will receive a learner achievement verification report at no charge. You can also opt to purchase a shareable certificate from the Alison store for a small fee.

 Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes, with fee

Time to Complete: Three to four hours

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Recognized leader in online learning

•User-friendly platform

•Video tutorials

Cons:

•Too short

6.  Become a Web Designer

Offered by LinkedIn Learning

This 28-hour course offered through LinkedIn Learning provides students with a strong foundation in what it takes to become a web designer. Students will learn the skills they need to develop attractive apps and websites for all devices. The free online web design course features 11 modules, and you can expect to learn:

•The fundamentals of CSS and HTML web design

•How to use the standard industry tools to design apps and websites

•Creating designs that work for a variety of devices

If you already have a premium LinkedIn account, You can take the course for free. If you don’t, you can sign up for a trial that will give you access to the free online web design course for one month. Those who successfully pass will earn a shareable certificate of achievement.

 Cost: Free Try a free trial for Linkedin Learning.

Certificate: Yes

Time to Complete: 28 hours

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Taught by nine industry experts

•Receive a completion badge for your profile or CV

•Excellent user interface

Cons:

•Must cancel LinkedIn premium before the trial is up to avoid fees

7. Digital Design

Offered by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology via edX

This thorough digital design course is offered by one of the top universities in Hong Kong through Edx. By engaging in the training for five to six hours a week, the course can be completed in about five weeks. Students who are looking for free web design courses online that focus on hands-on projects will find this to be an ideal option.

The syllabus includes five modules:

• Computer aided design

• Computer animation basics

• Color theory

• Rendering

• Mixed Reality

Certificates for the course can be obtained at the paid level of edX, however, the lessons of each module can be taken for free.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes, with fee

Time to Complete: Five weeks

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Perfect intro to practical design skills

•Excellent user interface

•Over 6000 students have enrolled in the course

Cons:

•Certification only available at the paid level

8.  Design Thinking Fundamentals

Offered by Rochester Institute of Technology via edX

Design Thinking Fundamentals is a popular RIT course that will introduce students to the foundations of design thinking and problem solving. Taken by over 47,000 students, it’s one of the most popular online free courses in design and has a wide range of applications. Students who are learning about web design will find it helps them to develop a mindset and strategy to create innovative solutions to problems and develop new ideas with the end user in mind.

Students can opt for the paid version, which provides a shareable certificate with the RIT logo, signed by the instructors. However, it can be taken in audit mode at no charge without the certification. It is recommended that students devote eight to twelve hours a week on the course, but it can be taken at your own pace as well.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes, with fee

Time to Complete: Six weeks

Curriculum: Intermediate

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Taught by RIT Professors Don Harel and Lorraine Justice

•Interesting and engaging

•Perfect for those who need a creative jumpstart

Cons:

•You will need to pay to obtain a shareable certificate

9. Into to Web Design and Creation

Offered by Learn@Forbes

Forbes has launched its own series of certified online courses, and this one—Intro to Web Design and Creation—can be accessed free for 14 days with a trial to Learn@Forbes. It’s a five- hour self-paced course touching on all the basic elements of successful web design including:

•HTML and front-end development

•Creating and adding web pages

•Cascading style sheets

•Bootstrap

•JavaScript

• Responsive Design

The interactive learning platform on the site is excellent, and those who complete the course are eligible for certification that can be displayed on a LinkedIn profile, website, or CV. If you choose to complete more courses on the site, it will cost you a monthly subscription fee of $24.95, so if you don’t want to be charged you will need to cancel before your trial is up. This also means you need to complete the online web design course within 14 days if you want it to be free. However, even if you do cancel, the certification is yours to keep.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes

Time to Complete: Five hours

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Certification offered

•Go at your own pace

•Excellent reputation

Cons:

•You must cancel the trial to avoid any fees

10. Web Design Essentials: Creating Marketing Homepages That Drive Results

Offered by Skillshare

Taught by self-proclaimed product evangelist at InVision, Dennis Field, this engaging course contains ten free lessons on the Skillshare platform. The free online web design course takes about an hour, and Skillshare offers a free two-month trial, giving you plenty of time to power through the lectures and learn from an expert in the industry. It’s ideal for freelancers, teams, or anyone who wants to build a more dynamic homepage. The lessons in this free online web design course include:

• Establishing goals for your homepage

• Looking at hierarchy and user patterns when sketching your design

• Using Sketch and Photoshop

• Collaborating with peers and getting feedback in InVision

• Email marketing

• Launching your final design

Thoughtfully planned, the lessons flow smoothly through each model and can be taken in an afternoon.

Cost: Free for the first two months—$99 per year thereafter

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Approximately one hour

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

• Short and easy-to-digest lessons

• Taught by an industry expert

• Video tutorials

Cons:

• Must cancel the subscription before the two-month trial period ends to avoid being charged a fee.

Frequently Asked Questions About Free Web Design Courses

If you are considering taking some free online courses in web design, you probably have a few questions. In this section, you will find more information about web design as a career choice as well as answers to some of the most common concerns

Who Should Take Free Digital Marketing Courses?

For the most part, anyone who wants to take free web design courses can participate. If you wish to gain a promotion at work, design a personal website, or establish a career in the field, there are classes available to you. Since there is little risk in taking free online courses, we recommend checking a few of them out, which can help solidify a decision on whether you want to pursue web design further. 

What Are the Requirements and Prerequisites?

Generally, enrollment in a free online web design course does not require any academic prerequisites, although to be successful, you should possess basic technology skills and creativity.

How Long Do Free Online Courses Take?

Most free online courses in web design are self-paced, so you can take them at your leisure when it is convenient for you. Although we have listed the average time for completion for each course, this time span is not set in stone. Many students complete online coursework sooner than the expected completion time, while others need to stretch their learning out longer due to other commitments. In any case, most take anywhere between two hours to several weeks.  

What Skills Should Web Designers Have?

Web designers typically possess strong creative skills and enjoy working with design elements. Some other skills associated with this field include:

 • Graphic design skills and the ability to visualize what a finished site will look like

• A solid understanding of XHTML and CSS

• Working knowledge of design software like Photoshop, Flash, and Dreamweaver

• The ability to understand scripting languages like PHP, .NET, and JavaScript

• Strong technology and software skills

• The ability to work under pressure, sometimes with tight deadlines.

• A thick skin and willingness to adapt to the needs of clients who may change their minds (along with your design) often

Do Web Designers Need a Formal Education to Succeed?

The short answer to this question is: not necessarily. Web design is an art of sorts, and many designers do not have formal training. Often, they are self-taught and will have picked up enough skills along the way to make a good living doing something they love. Entry-level positions in the field offer a great path to success in web design, but many also opt to work as freelancers who manage their own lists of clients.

What Should I Expect to Earn as a Web Designer?

According to PayScale, web designers typically make between $35,000 to $74,000 annually, with the average salary being $49,967.

What Is the Difference Between a Web Designer and a Web Developer?

Although web designing and web development are terms that are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Designers are primarily focused on the visual aspects of a website, such as color, layout, fonts, shapes, images, and written copy. They also work with functional elements of a site like navigation, speed, structure, and compatibility. Designers are all about creating a good user experience (also called UX) and making a site aesthetically appealing to an audience.

Web developers, on the other hand, work on the coding that makes all of those visual and functional elements possible, referred to as the user interface (UI) They are more behind the scenes, using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to build the framework of a site. The work they do is usually not seen by a typical user, and they are often called front-end developers.

For many professionals, the roles of these two professions often overlap, and some individuals market their skills in both areas of expertise.

What Are the Career Options for Web Designers?

Most large organizations have their own in-house design departments, with a team of designers and developers collaborating for the best outcome. You can also find job opportunities within advertising and digital marketing agencies. Both of these options are avenues that will provide excellent hands-on experience in the field.

Other designers continue to expand upon their skill sets and choose to become independent freelancers. While the competition is stiff, those with the right skills can find a niche to specialize in. Talented designers will usually generate a lot of word-of-mouth and repeat business.

App development, multimedia programming, game design, content management, and SEO specialist are just a few of the career paths some designers choose.

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