When you’re a designer working on websites, front end basics, the core skills needed to build what users see and interact with in a browser. Also known as client-side development, it’s not about writing complex code—it’s about understanding how websites come to life. You don’t need to become a full developer, but if you don’t know how HTML, the structure language that defines content like headings, paragraphs, and buttons, CSS, the styling language that controls layout, colors, and spacing, or JavaScript, the scripting language that adds movement, interactivity, and dynamic behavior work, you’ll hit walls. Clients will ask why your design doesn’t move the way they want. Developers will say your mockup is impossible. And you’ll spend hours guessing what’s holding things back.
Think of it like painting a house. You don’t need to build the walls yourself, but if you don’t know how drywall works, how paint adheres, or how windows are framed, you’ll design something that can’t be built. HTML is the frame. CSS is the paint and wallpaper. JavaScript is the doorbell, the lights, and the automatic blinds. Most designers get stuck because they treat these like separate tools instead of parts of one system. You can design a beautiful button in Figma, but if you don’t know that buttons need <button> tags in HTML, or that hover effects require CSS, or that clicks need JavaScript to do something—your design stays on the screen, not in the browser.
You’ll find posts here that cut through the noise. No fluff. No jargon. Just straight answers: Is Bootstrap the same as responsive design? Can you learn CSS and JavaScript at the same time? What coding do you actually need for WordPress? Why does JavaScript feel so hard? These aren’t questions for developers only—they’re questions for designers who want to speak the same language as the people building their designs. You don’t need to master all of it. You just need to understand enough to ask the right questions, spot unrealistic requests, and make designs that actually work.
Whether you’re trying to get better at handing off files, negotiating with devs, or just want to stop feeling lost in meetings, these posts give you the real, practical knowledge you need. No theory. No fluff. Just what works today—for designers who want to build better websites, not just prettier pictures.
UI/UX designers don't need to be coders, but knowing HTML, CSS, and basic JavaScript helps them design better, communicate faster, and avoid costly mistakes. Learn what actually matters.