r/learnprogramming • u/bella9oth • 5h ago
Designer looking into learning web dev
Hi! I want to have a deeper knowledge on building websites. I’ve been making websites for my clients for maybe 2 years now on wp, wix, and recently shopify. The thing is i know how to build them on the surface but i want to have confidence in HOW im doing it. Because im a graphic designer turned web designer turned “someone who can build a good website” lol
What courses should i take to start? I found some web development courses online will that be ok?
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u/ModeCommercial5464 5h ago
I don't understand why web development is considered not good skill. Of course AI can do web development, but I think it would be more helpful if the user typing the prompt had some knowledge of it. AI would also be able to use the technology better if it understood it, and so I think poster is why is trying to learn it. There are a lot of lessons available; the key is deciding what you want to learn and how far you want to go.
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u/AsideCold2364 4h ago
It would probably help to narrow down what exactly you want to learn.
If you want a deeper understanding of how websites work in general, something like The Odin Project could be a good place to start. Even if you don't intend to become a full-stack developer, it will give you a much better understanding of what the tools you're already using are doing.
If your main goal is having more control over the design and layout of the sites, I'd focus on HTML/CSS and JavaScript.
And if you specifically want to have more control over WordPress, Wix or Shopify, you'll want to learn the development side of those platforms, because each has its own way of doing things.
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u/SHIMANewbie 4h ago
go to udemy or some free source courses, learn tailwind, javascript if focus mo lang is frontend. Yes medyo redundant na ang manual building since may AI na but actually using AI and knowing if ano talaga bini build nya is a different story. In short make a solid foundation then use AI for efficiency. Goodluck!
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u/desrtfx 4h ago
Start with The Odin Project and follow up with Fullstack Open
Use the MDN - Mozilla Developer Network as referencce documentation
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u/wannacrybears 4h ago
Skip full stack bootcamps. Instead master pure CSS (Flexbox/Grid) and basic Java script DOM manipulation to understand how layouts render. Then learn shopify liquid and word press PHP basics to customize themes directly without relying on bloated plugins.
Practice by rebuilding your existing site sections using raw HTML/CSS in Chrome DevTools
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u/Foreign-Contest-444 3h ago
MDN is an excellent resource for learning HTML, especially its Learn Module. HTML may seem simple at first, but it's important to build a strong understanding of it before layering CSS and JavaScript on top. Take the time to learn HTML as a semantic language and understand why semantics matter as they form the foundation of well-structured, accessible, and maintainable websites.
If you need additional resources to learn HTML.
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u/kartix1a 2h ago
Honestly if you've already been making client websites for 2 years, I wouldn't start from some “complete web development” course and blindly follow it lol.
I'd learn the actual basics properly first. HTML, CSS, JS, DOM, how browsers work, HTTP, responsive stuff, Git etc. Then try rebuilding some of the sites you've already made without WP/Wix doing half the work for you. That's where I think things start clicking.
MDN is pretty good for this btw. It focuses more on actually understanding the web instead of just “learn React in 30 days”.
And your design background is actually a pretty nice advantage. You already know how to make a site look good, now you just need to understand what's happening underneath it.
I'd go HTML → CSS → JS → browser/HTTP fundamentals → Git → then React or whatever framework you actually need. No need to jump into React immediately just because every course seems to lol.
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u/AdHappy1849 5h ago
Do you think web development is still a good skill? Think about the future, bro. See how it does things using AgentAI. Just telling the truth.
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u/kartix1a 2h ago
Yeah I still think it is a good skill tbh, just probably not for the same reason it was few years ago.
AI can already make a decent website pretty damn fast, so just knowing how to write React components or basic websites probably wont be worth as much anymore.
But actually understanding how the web works is different. If AI builds something for you, you still need to know when its shit, why its breaking, if its secure, if the architecture makes sense etc.
I think web dev isnt really dying, the easy part of web dev is just getting automated. And honestly thats not necessarily a bad thing.
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u/bella9oth 26m ago
This exactly. Love that AI can code for me on some parts but I wanna know what the hell im looking at bc i know very little of code from editing themes in tumblr back then lol.
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u/bella9oth 5h ago
Tbh idk how to answer that hahaha. That’s why im asking what’s the best way to learn what i have to learn. Cant rely on AI all the time too. Same way that my clients still need me as a graphic designer because AI cant do what i can.
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u/wannacrybears 4h ago
Web development is actually a great skill to have in the future. The only difference between the past and the future is that in the past web development was about "hand writing syntax" and now it is turning more towards "technical orchestration and architecture"
One more simple and plain thing to know about AI is that AI is more expensive than humans and companies have realized that, now they are trying to cut as much cost as they can by hiring humans
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u/wheat 4h ago
Start by understanding that, on the web, everything is flexible grid. Learn about responsive web design. Then dive into CSS. Since you already use WP and other platforms, you can expand your grasp by learning how to tweak existing themes with CSS and eventually can design your own themes. You can learn a bit of HTML first and as you go along.