I just want to have a good advice from the pros of web development here. I am not really good at design, I just want to focus on CSS like somehow a CSS Engineer } Frontend developer . Any ideas and thoughts?
–>> Job title
My opinion is web designer limits one’s career path, but being a Front End Developer broadens one’s career path. Though preferably one would just be a web developer, for having knowledge of a back-end language will broaden a career path even more. As for design work that can always be acquired as one goes along.
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How about didn’t went to art school like m. Only knows how to code but not backend. I really don’t like backend. I want to focus on CSS.
I’m not sure what your question is, since it was kind of answered in the thing you posted.
Designers look at trends, focus heavily on UX, and overall look and feel. They are purely art and if the company is big enough, they don’t touch a line of code.
I’ve never been in one of these situations, but the way it works for a friend is the designer team send his team (the Frontend Devs) a Photoshop Document and a PDF with an outline of what the page should look like and how it should function. They then make those specifications happen, with as few minor tweaks as possible. This is all the HTML/CSS and Javascript, but none of the backend stuff.
How about didn’t went to art school like m. Only knows how to code but not backend. I really don’t like backend. I want to focus on CSS.
You should at least know Javascript, which is still programming. The guy I mentioned above has 2 Bachelor degrees, one Graphic Art and one Computer Science, but the CS degree is what got him that job.
It’s really getting to the point where the frontend Javascript is starting to outweigh the backend web services.
Thanks for your thoughts. I appreciate it so much for me as a beginner for this web development.
→ She’s good at CSS CSS developer
I pretty much completely disagree with that article. Especially this part:
CSS might have a visual output, but is still code, just like SVG, WebGL/OpenGL or the JavaScript Canvas API.
But to each their own. 
I know basic javascript and jquery only read though but myself is telling me that I really like CSS.
Any advice?
I watched all these videos: Must-Watch CSS
I think @mawburn has given you some good advice. You’re really limiting yourself by wanting to focus strictly on css. But if that’s what you want to do, then you need to look to hook up with some sort of design studio or marketing firm. The one’s that offer a soup to nuts approach and cover all the aspects of marketing. But those are going to be hard to come by without some sort of formal training (art school, college, etc.)
Unless you come up with some sort of kick-ass concept or project that no one has ever tried before, you’re going to have to find some additional training, or you’re going to struggle.
I think it is referring to the fact that a front end developer may know all of the CSS commands but doesn’t know how to use them to create an effective design whereas a designer tackles it from the opposite direction of having a design and selecting the appropriate CSS to create that design (whether they know as much CSS as the developer or not).
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Another advice given:
And if you’re freelancing, feel free to try and wing it. Some VERY talented people have found work through this method. But be prepared to suffer for a while to build your client list, billing rates, develop trust levels, working extremely erratic and long hours, etc. There are more freelancers that have failed than have succeeded.
But it’s much harder to break into the industry without some sort of support mechanism in place (like some sort of education). And if you want the stability and structure of a corporate position, lack of formal training will REALLY hurt you - companies want formally trained/certified employees that can hit the ground running. If you don’t have that, then you BETTER have a strong client list that are willing to sing your praises and give your portfolio credibility.
It does matter and then it doesn’t. Jobwise, it depends where you want to work at and how you want to present yourself.
A degree only proves that you can commit to something and study at least to pass your exams. You’re supposed to have some basic knowledge about that topic but that’s about it.
The good thing about studying is if you get to develope a good studying routine that allows you to learn even those subjects that you don’t like so much.
The good thing about University is the environment and the networking.
I don’t mean to be rude, but why keep posting if you’re only going to accept one viewpoint, your own?
The great AND bad thing about the internet is you can always find pages which support whichever viewpoint you’re looking to support. But that doesn’t mean they’re always accurate.
I’m bringing over 25 years experience in the industry, and despite the crazy economic times since the dot-com bubble, with the exception of three weeks (one by my choice), I’ve been gainfully employed the entire time. I’ve been responsible for helping dozens of people get hired, as well as having been on hiring committees and interviews, both as a full time employee as well as a contractor (one client allowed me to advise them on the drafting of a whole team, and they accepted ALL of my recommendations and thanked me for them over a year later…). So I’m not just blowing smoke here - I have a reason for what I’m telling you…
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So I have to go to college? I don’t have the money though. All I can pay is my internet. Thank you for the thoughts.
Colleges are just one avenue. If you’re in the US and still in high school, you can look at vocational technical schools. There are online programs (which are usually cheaper than brick and mortar organizations). Some local government and organization sometime offer art classes which might be useful.
Like I said earlier, you can do it without further training, but it’s going to be more freelance than corporate work - corporate work is just much harder to attain without some further training.
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Short Answer:
No, but you’re also probably not going to find much work if you focus solely on CSS. If you want to specialize on frontend development, you should be comfortable with everything that makes up the frontend. Know the difference in CSS2.1 and CSS3, HTML4 and HTML5, understand programming in Javascript, understand tools to make your life easier and faster like frontend frameworks and LESS/SASS. etc.
Basically, get as much knowledge and experience as you possibly can. Just HTML/CSS is probably not enough. You sound like you’re trying everything you can to get away with knowing only bare minimum and nobody is going to hire someone who just does bare minimum. Be competitive, be better than the other applicant. For example: here is the resume for the guy you linked earlier about not having a college degree.
Also be aware that when you read articles online, a lot of them are based in San Francisco. If you do not live in Silicon Valley, those rules do not apply to you as they do not apply to anywhere else in the world.
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I really know basic not proficient stated here:
My not so good is eye of design, any videos or tutorials for design theories?
There are a ton of resources out there - finding quality might be a challenge when talking video.
But search for
- Fibonacci ratio
- Print design theory
- Graphic Design Theory
@graphicNerd, I think we may have done you a bit of disservice as I think both @mawburn and I may have inadvertently (and with good intentions) led you down a possibly false path. I know I personally gave you a U.S.centric point of view. The advice I gave you would be appropriate if you live in the U.S. But since you don’t, the advice I personally gave you may not be valid for you - you’ll need to look at your local businesses to see what experience and training levels are needed for you to be gainfully employed.
But the basic premise we gave you is the same - you are going to find it VERY hard to find work if you limit yourself to just CSS skills. You’re going to be have a comfort level well above basic to proficient and advanced into HTML and javascript to be successful as a solely front-end designer.
And those without formal training often have to go above and beyond to prove to employers that they have the skills and drive to succeed. They have to be 100% on point with current and future trends and best practices. In short, they have to prove their better just to be considered equals. May not be fair, but it’s reality.
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It is not that you have to go to college. But college will make things so much easier for you. First, you’ll have a degree (not essential but very important). Second, it will help you to deal and learn from loads of information quickly.
Because if you want to work in work development (front-end, backend or design) there’s one thing for sure: to keep up, you’ll have to study the rest of your life… while you do the job. Getting better and excelling is such a fast moving world is not easy. And to make good money, you’ll have to be good. Really good.
So college or not college, get ready for lots of hard work and studying.
If you’re really good enough to excel among the crowd, then a degree will not be that important because you’ll be able to prove your worth.
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