CSS is one of the most popular front end website development technologies. Almost every website on the Internet today is styled with cascading style sheets (CSS) and HTML. If you have already learned CSS code, you can increase your chances of getting a job by building a strong portfolio of CSS projects.
These projects show prospective employers that you have the knowledge and skills required to become a web developer or programmer. This article covers the skills you will master while using CSS, CSS project ideas for different levels of experience, and template ideas for CSS websites. We’ve also compiled tips for creating the perfect CSS portfolio.
5 Skills That CSS Projects Can Help You Practice
There are certain skills you can master by undertaking CSS projects on your own. These skills help you improve your CSS knowledge and become a better programmer. Five of the most common skills learned through CSS projects, even beginner-friendly projects, are listed below.
- Version Control. Version or source control is a popular programming practice that involves tracking minor and significant changes on a software’s base code or other lines of code. You can track them with software created specifically for this purpose. Version control is one vital aspect of CSS programming that you can master through projects.
- Coding. A CSS source project often involves coding. CSS is used to write codes for the program you are trying to modify or create. The more CSS projects you complete, the better you become at this programming language.
- HTML. You will need to learn hypertext markup language (HTML) along with CSS. HTML is a document language for websites. While CSS styles the web page, HTML structures the page and determines how the web browser displays the page. Most HTML codes are modified with CSS.
- Master W3C Standards. The World Wide Web Consortium, popularly known as W3C, is a global organization dedicated to promoting peak performance for the World Wide Web. It sets the international gold standard for web technologies like CSS and HTML. To master CSS professionally, you need to learn and implement W3C standards.
- Cross-Platform Testing. Cross-platform testing is an essential part of website development. The goal is to make sure that the website or software works perfectly across multiple platforms. You need to learn automation testing to verify that the product works well on mobile and web environments alike.
Best CSS Project Ideas for Beginners
If you are just starting web design and development, you should stick to projects that are easy to complete. A simple project can sometimes be enough to tackle challenging ideas and start your career in tech. Some of the best beginner projects you can complete while you master your CSS skills are listed below.
Replicate the Google Search Homepage
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, W3C standards
Replicating the Google homepage is a CSS source code project you can complete. By replicating the existing search page, you will be testing your ability to manipulate colors, search bars, fonts, and buttons using CSS and HTML. Your only focus for this project is to copy the appearance, not functionality.
Name Cells with CSS
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, W3C standards
Using CSS to name cells on a website is another easy and efficient way to master your skills. You can start by defining the named template areas and separating the areas you want to name from the ones you do not want to name. Naming a cell in the CSS grid layout is one of the most fundamental skills you will learn.
Create a CSS Attribute Selector
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, W3C standards
The attribute selector in CSS is crucial for selecting elements for a web page. During your project, you will learn to group HTML elements based on specific attributes using CSS. The attribute selector will select and group elements with similar attributes.
Create a Survey Form
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, W3C standards
Every CSS expert should know how to create a simple survey form on a web page. These survey forms are used by businesses to collect information from the public or prospective clients. You should be able to complete a survey form in a few hours if you have knowledge of CSS and HTML.
Create a Tribute Page
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, W3C standards
A tribute page requires knowledge of CSS and HTML to complete. You can choose a person and find an image and facts about them to create a simple and informative website. It can be completed in two hours or less if you already understand the basics. Make sure that your tribute page is responsive, no matter how simple it is.
Best Intermediate CSS Project Ideas
After you have mastered basic CSS skills and knowledge, you can progress to intermediate-level projects. Practicing intermediate-level CSS will prepare you to take on more professional work.
Create a Landing Page
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, W3C standards
Making a landing page for a website allows you to test your capabilities in CSS and HTML. It will help you master styling practices like creating the correct column, font, and image sizes for the web page. Your finished product should be fast and easy to navigate, whether it is a product or service landing page.
Build an Online Portfolio
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, version control, cross-platform testing, W3C standards
You can practice your skills in CSS by creating a portfolio web page for your own projects. By visiting your portfolio site, people should be able to gauge your expertise and decide if your services are worth their money. Don’t forget to link to GitHub or any other development environment you choose.
Make a Responsive CSS Grid Layout
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, cross-platform testing, W3C standards
A CSS grid is a two-dimensional layout that is used to divide pages into major regions like headers, footers, and bodies. To create a responsive CSS grid, you need to properly determine the relationship between rows, columns, and other elements that influence the size of the grid. After defining the grid, you will place the HTML elements and make the grid responsive.
Add Responsive Features to an Ecommerce Site
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, W3C standards
You can make an existing ecommerce site more responsive by adding the right fonts, animations, navigation bars, and background images. Anything that can make a website more engaging without compromising speed and functionality improves responsiveness. If you are starting the website from scratch, taking an online JavaScript course first will be beneficial.
Design a 3D Model of the Solar System in Motion
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, W3C standards
You can make a three-dimensional model of the solar system with intermediate knowledge of CSS and HTML. Make sure it has details of all the planets and how they rotate around the sun. It might be a simple design, but it allows you to explore your creativity and functions in CSS and HTML. Julian Garnier on CodePen has a good solar system CSS project example.
Advanced CSS Project Ideas
Successful advanced projects should come first on your portfolio before beginner or intermediate projects. This will show potential employers the depth of your skills. Some ideas for advanced projects are listed below.
Replicate the Google Result Page
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, W3C standards
While creating a Google search homepage requires beginner-level CSS, you will need more advanced knowledge to replicate the entire Google search result page. This is the page that pops after you’ve searched for information on Google. You don’t need to add backlinks or actual navigation systems if you don’t want to.
Create an Image Layout
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, W3C standards
Creating the layout for an image gallery is one of the best uses of CSS at an advanced level. The underlying grid should be about eight by eight and the grid unit should be 15 pixels each. If you opt for a photo album layout, make sure you choose a trending CSS template. You can make some grids bigger or more obvious than others for emphasis and style.
Design a Weather Forecast Website
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, version control, W3C standards
You can create a simple weather forecast website from scratch with advanced knowledge of CSS, HTML, and React. The app should contain everything required for users to get accurate weather readings. This includes the date, time, temperature, humidity, and any other change in the atmosphere at a given time.
Create an Ecommerce Website
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML, Version Control, W3C Standards
One of the best ways to strengthen your skills in CSS is to design a responsive e-commerce website from scratch. Knowledge of CSS and HTML alone isn’t enough for this task. You should also have an understanding of JavaScript. The site should have everything from a shopping cart to an online payment page.
Integrate a Facebook Login Page on a Website
- CSS Skills Practiced: Coding, HTML
If you already have an existing website, you can integrate a Facebook login page to the website. Facebook has the software development kit to integrate your page into your website. However, it shouldn’t be used for this project. Your goal here is to design your login page from scratch with CSS and HTML.
CSS Starter Project Templates
Templates are perfect for cutting down development time because you do not need to start from scratch. There are hundreds of CSS templates created by advanced website or user interface designers and available to the public on GitHub. The one you choose should depend on the type of project you’re working on. Some open source template options are listed below.
- HTML5 Boilerplate. This is a popular front end template that can be used for websites, mobile apps, or web app development projects. The HTML5 Boilerplate is optimized with many icons, Google analytics, and Normalize.css.
- Hackathon Starter. This is a great CSS template for anyone who wants to design a website or web application with Node.js. It includes guidelines for authentication, API examples, social media integration, and an MVC project structure. The Hackathon starter currently has an MIT license.
- Mobile-First Boilerplate. While all websites should be mobile-friendly, some projects put more emphasis on mobile usability than anything else. If you are working on a project like this, the Kraken mobile-first boilerplate might be an ideal starter template for you.
- Max Boeck’s Emergency Site Kit. This is one of the best emergency site templates for CSS and front end development in general. It allows you to save a significant amount of time by initiating a one-click deployment. You can customize some parts of the template to suit your project needs.
- Cookiecutters. This template has the BSD-3-Clause license and is ideal for cross-platform development. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a template for mobile or web-friendly projects. The official operating systems for this template are Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Next Steps: Start Organizing Your CSS Portfolio
Your CSS portfolio is a collection of all your CSS projects. There is no limit to how many projects should appear in your portfolio, but make sure you list only your most successful and relevant projects. Below are some tips for creating the perfect CSS portfolio.
Add Personal Projects First
The most popular CSS portfolios are online websites. You must add your personal projects to your portfolio first. Do not present the work of another developer as yours. If you want to add your projects for old clients, make sure you get the client’s permission first. You may also benefit from listing your open source contributions as well.
Clearly State Your Contact Information
The primary purpose of a portfolio is to showcase your skills to prospective clients or employees. If you do not display your contact information, an interested party will have no means of reaching out to you. Posting your work on GitHub is another great way to increase visibility and link your contact information.
Include User Experience and Design
CSS is a front end tool primarily used to improve user experience and design. Making your website portfolio user-friendly will prove your skills. This increases the interest of prospective clients even before they check out your previous projects.
CSS Projects FAQ
Yes, you can learn the basics of CSS quickly at one of the best CSS bootcamps if you already have some knowledge of computer programming. With foundational knowledge of programming, you should be able to start your first CSS project in just a few days.
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You should start with CSS first and learn HTML once you have a basic knowledge of CSS. There are some courses that combine HTML and CSS. These combined courses are also a good choice to build your foundational knowledge.
CSS is easy to learn on a fundamental level. When you learn HTML, implementing your knowledge of CSS in styling projects will be easier. However, the more advanced the CSS concepts get, the more difficult it is to learn.
Yes, CSS is important for responsive real-world website design because it is the gold standard for styling web pages. CSS is used to determine layouts, fonts, backgrounds, texts, and everything else that makes a web page clear, precise, and easily accessible for users.
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