Why Web Development?
Web development has the lowest barrier to entry of any tech discipline. All you need is a laptop and an internet connection — the tools are free, learning resources are abundant, and the job market is enormous.
The Three Pillars of the Web
- HTML — the structure of every web page
- CSS — the style and visual presentation
- JavaScript — the behaviour and interactivity
You need all three. Start here before touching any framework.
Phase 1: HTML and CSS (3–4 weeks)
Learn semantic HTML, the CSS box model, flexbox, grid, and responsive design with media queries. Build project: clone the layout of a website you admire.
Phase 2: JavaScript (6–8 weeks)
Cover variables, DOM manipulation, events, the Fetch API, and ES6+ syntax. Build projects that respond to user input.
Phase 3: A Framework (8–12 weeks)
Learn React for the largest job market, Vue.js for a gentler learning curve, or Svelte for a modern approach.
Phase 4: Backend Basics
Node.js with Express or Python with Django. Add PostgreSQL for databases and learn how REST APIs actually work.
Deploy Something Real
Every project should be publicly deployed. Use Vercel for frontends, Render for full-stack apps. A live URL in your portfolio is worth ten GitHub repos nobody can see.