melboure-webdesign-land: 10 Best FREE Online Web Design Courses to Learn UX/UI

The Internet is full of information you can use to learn new skills and even change your career.

Go from a manager to a web designer in your own time and at your own pace using free Internet courses. Here are ten online free web design courses you can take to help you become a web designer.

What is more impressive is that all of them offer courses, be them full or beginner, for absolutely nothing. You get all the information for free, though some do insist that you start up a free account before you begin so that you may track your progress and buy more advanced courses later.

You may also be interested in our compilation of the best free graphic design courses and the best UX/UI courses.

Top 12 Best Free Online Web Design Courses to Learn UX / UI

Top 10 Best Web Design Courses (Premium)

Course Provider	Cost (USD)	Length
Skillshare (Editor’s Choice)	2 weeks free trial then $10/month	1-3 hours
Coursera (UI/UX Design Specialization)	5 day free trial then $49/month	6 hours
Coursera Intro to UX	5 day free trial then $49/month	3-5 months
LinkedIn Learning	1 month free trial then $49/month	12 hours
CreativeLive	$20 class or $39 subscription	12 hours
Springboard	$5900-$8200	9 months
Udemy	$10+/course	2-4 hours
LearnUX.io	$12/month	3.5 hours
Mike Janda	$299	16 hours

Web Design Courses

Top 10 Best Free Web Design Courses Online

1. Skillshare (Editor’s Choice)

What we love about Skillshare is their short format classes, teaching you valuable skills in a short amount of time!

They have thousands of classes in many different categories, including web design and UX/UI, with a huge variety as you can see in the image above. The courses are current and up to date vs some of the other free web design courses featured on our list below which may have outdated elements inside them.

The best part is that you can get a two week free trial to Skillshare and take as many courses as you would like in that time.

After the trial you get to go on their Premium Membership which gives you unlimited access to all courses, so you can join the classes and communities that are just right for you, to help you keep learning and thriving.

The best part is that it is incredibly affordable—especially when compared to pricey in-person classes and workshops.

An annual subscription is just $10 a month.

We encourage you to sign up to the trial, and take the time to do a few web design classes to see for yourself.

Get 2 FREE Weeks of Skillshare Unlimited Classes

There are no commitments and you can cancel at anytime. After the 2 weeks, premium plans start at $10/m.

2. Free Web Design Courses on Coursera

While not every course on the Coursera site is free, Coursera offers online courses from some top universities such as Stanford and Yale. At first glance, the site pushes you towards paying for classes but there is the option to “audit” the class.

This means that while you can take the class, none of your work will be marked and you won’t be able to earn a certificate at the end of the course. To take the classes for free, follow this guide here and get started right away. Here are some free courses you may want to consider:

a) HTML, CSS, and Javascript for Web Developers

Lectures: 5 modules | Length: approx. 40 hours | By: Yaakov Chaikin

This HTML, CSS and Javascript course from Johns Hopkins University is just what a developer needs to take their career to the next level. Through this course, you’ll cover HTML, CSS, and Javascript, with UX and UI in mind.

In this course, you will learn how to create fast-loading, responsive pages that cater to users’ specific needs. The instructor will walk you through everything you need to know, starting from the ground up in implementing different coding languages to create amazing and responsive websites.

b) Web Development – Basics and Coding Specialization – Coursera

Lectures: 5 modules | Length: approx. 6 months (3 hours/ week) | By: Colleen van Lent, Ph.D. and Charles Russell Severance

If you’ve wanted to learn Web development but never knew where to start, look no further! This course is your one-stop shop for understanding everything about web development.

Put together by the University of Michigan, this course covers the basics as well as some aspects of specialization which will include HTML5 and CSS3. In this course, you’ll learn how to create responsive websites that render seamlessly across devices and even cover site accessibility for those who are impaired.

If you’re looking to get a start in web development or want to take your career to the next level, this course is an amazing way to get started.

BONUS: Coursera Plus – Get the ‘Web Design Specialization’ Course and 3000+ more courses

You can learn web design online with Coursera and you can get it for free for 7 days as a trial. Or for $49/month OR for $499 a year, join Coursera Plus, where the true value is.

With Coursera Plus, you can access the UX/UI Specialization and 3,000+ other courses in various domains including business, computer science, health, personal development, humanities, and more.

See our related post: Best 9 Coursera Courses for Creatives

Coursera Plus will save you money if you are planning on taking multiple courses over the year.

A ‘specialization’ such as this 5 part web design course takes an average of three months to complete, so that would save you approximately $130 over three months or $520 over the year.

Learn About Coursera Plus

3. Don’t Fear The Internet – Free Web Design Courses

This is a learning system aimed at people in the artistic industry such as designers and photographers, but is set in a way that helps them learn web programming for use on their own websites. If you have a website that features your top quality work yet has a shoddy website design, then this is the course for you.

Seven simple videos teach you the web programming skills you need to improve your website. The website the lessons are hosted on has a little artistic appeal itself, which adds weight to this albeit small teaching project.

4. Learn Layout

This is more a website for people that already know about web design and want to become more advanced. It is primarily built around teaching CSS, though HTML also comes into it, which is why it may not be suitable for absolute beginners.

They assume you know a little bit about each and so do not go into details that beginners may need. You gain access to different slides full of information that you can take in at your own pace.

5. PluralSight

Formerly CodeSchool, PluralSights’ motto is learn by doing, which isn’t a bad idea. This is for the beginner that doesn’t really have a passion for web design. This is for people that want to write their own websites without having to rely on content management systems, and yet is not really all that interested in the drudgery of learning.

That is why they have set up games and themes to help you learn without putting too much effort in. Sadly, there are only eight introductory courses, but they are helpful for beginners with no experience.

6. Dash General Assembly

This is a course for beginners that uses a series of interactive story-based tutorials to teach the viewer a little about web design. It teaches the viewer about web design in general, which includes lessons on JavaScript, HTML and CSS.

Take note of how simple concepts are used to make websites that look aesthetically pleasing. It is not going to suit people that want an eCommerce website, but may suit those that want their new website to stand out a little without having to pay a top professional to do it for them.

It is only a lightweight course that doesn’t go too deep into the subject of programming and design. It gives just enough to teach you how to make a good looking website.

Special Offer! 70-95% off All Udemy Web Design Courses

Get 70-95% off any online course from Udemy, making most classes just $10-$15.

Click here to browse courses.

7. Channel 9 Web Development

If you are a complete beginner and have no experience with web design or programming of any sort, then this is the course for you. They are arranged as easy to understand videos that you take in succession.

As you master the basics of one lesson you may move on and try the next. For beginners there are 21 different videos, and they teach you all you need to know to create a good and media filled website. Take them all back-to-back and it will take you 12 hours.

8. Aquent Gymnasium

Aquent Gymnasium is a great place to improve your current knowledge of responsive design techniques, front end web design, CSS, UX design and HTML. It is a class-based website where you can enroll with other web designers to improve your knowledge.

Classes consist of videos that focus on different topics that also includes Coding for Designers, Flash cohesion and JavaScript. The lessons are mainly for people wanting to build professional websites.

9. Alison’s Web Development

Earn your diploma in web design with her easy to understand course that is in nine parts starting with the basics up to creating a fully formed and usable website.

In the course she covers HTML, Adobe Dreamweaver, and CSS. Plus you learn about publishing, designing and building with her step-by-step course so that you may create basic web pages. It is a nice starting point for new designers.

10. Webmaking 101

This is a good place to learn about web design, but not the best place to learn about responsive or dynamic websites. That fact is clear from the fact their website is slightly lacking in smooth dynamic or responsive design.

Still, it is a good place to find free course that are amended by other people on the Internet. It is peer powered, which does mean you get the occasional error, but also means you learn a few tips and tricks that are not widely known on the Internet yet, so you have to take the rough with the smooth.

11. Shaw Academy

Shaw Academy have a number of courses available including a thorough Web Design course, as well as courses on Photoshop, Illustrator and Graphic Design. The course is free for 4 weeks and then goes to $70/m which includes access to all other courses in their catalog.

Best Premium Web Design Course Providers

Course Provider	Cost (USD)	Length
Skillshare (Editor’s Choice)	2 weeks free trial then $10/month	1-3 hours
Coursera (UI/UX Design Specialization)	5 day free trial then $49/month	6 hours
Coursera Intro to UX	5 day free trial then $49/month	3-5 months
LinkedIn Learning	1 month free trial then $49/month	12 hours
CreativeLive	$20 class or $39 subscription	12 hours
Springboard	$5900-$8200	9 months
Udemy	$10+/course	2-4 hours
LearnUX.io	$12/month	3.5 hours
Mike Janda	$299	16 hours

Frequently Asked Questions

Will these courses improve your chances of employment?

Definitely! Most employers look at course completion as indicators of drive, interest, and passion for self-improvement. Even though experience and skill play important roles, course study most definitely help you stand out from the rest.

Are these courses suited for people with no prior experience?

Absolutely! A lot of these courses are curated for people with no prior knowledge and experience. There are several courses offered that will provide a great starting point for your new field of study.

Are Skillshare and Udemy courses taken seriously?

Yes! Many careers require certification from specialized institutions. Today, employers seriously consider coursework through institutions such as Udemy and Skillshare as helpful in selecting skilled and ambitious candidates for their available positions.

Is Coursera good?

Yes! Coursera is one of the best learning platforms out there! Coursera offers courses from well-accredited institutions and does this in an affordable, non-discriminatory way. Through Coursera, you have access to some of the best lectures at only a fraction of the cost. Another plus is that you receive certification from the university that curates the course.

Are there any good free courses?

There are quite a few, actually! Though most of the courses on this list are free, some do require payment for certification. But on the whole, most courses are free.

What are some necessary tools for developers?

For developers, a good laptop or monitor for coding can be a game-changer. If you’re looking for some options for laptops, be sure to check out our list of the Best Laptops for Web Development 2021.

Best Website Design Courses, Classes & Lessons

Free learning resources are one of the best things about the Internet but employers are unlikely to hire you based on what you learnt for free without earning a qualification of any sort. However, prior to getting a paid education, you can try a free course to see if you enjoy it and see if you are any good at it before you invest your money into a qualification.

Free courses are the first step towards your dream job, and are a good way of topping up or improving your current knowledge on web design. Do not be afraid to try a few books and seminars on web design too, and once you have earned a little knowledge you can try it for yourself and even try working as a freelancer for a while.