Web design is a crucial aspect of our ever-evolving technological landscape. As we log on to various social media sites and apps, hardly do we consider subtle design choices or color schemes. However, everything from the logos on Facebook to game art is part of complex design processes. That’s why you should consider the best web design classes Chicago has to offer.
When you think of Chicago, Illinois, the first things that come to mind may be deep-dish pizza or the Chicago Cubs. However, Chicago is also a fantastic city for tech. Sure, you might think the cities to explore for technology are San Francisco, Washington, DC, or Houston. However, the Windy City is quickly becoming one of the tech hot spots in the United States.
There are quite a few online web design classes, certificate programs, and seminars in Chicago to take advantage of. Before we dig into which web design classes to take in Chicago, let’s explore the main web design concepts you should know before enrollment.
Types of Web Design and Development
Web design is more than excellent web art and page aesthetics. Web design falls into a few different categories as follows.
UX/UI Design
UX/UI stands for user experience and user interface, respectively. The user experience refers to how the user actually experiences the form of media. Is the user experience smooth and easy, or is it fraught with misguided JavaScript code? The user experience often sticks in peoples’ minds when thinking of a particular app or website.
UI, on the other hand, refers to the physical layout of the website or application. Are the buttons in the right place? Do the colors match? People will remember all of these things about your product, even if it has a stellar UX.
This is technically what’s called front end web development. It ties into data analytics since you will need to monitor user experiences with UX case studies and surveys.
Web Development
Web development deals with the technical aspects of designing a web page. It focuses less on colors and white space than on Bootstrap and programming languages like JavaScript and HTML. This encompasses both front end and back-end development, or what we refer to as full stack web development.
The Best Web Design Classes in Chicago
Below are some of the very best web design classes you can find in Chicago, Illinois, and surrounding areas.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some training courses moved online but will resume face-to-face instruction in the near future.
General Assembly – Software Engineering Immersive: Chicago
Length: 17 weeks
Price: $14,950 (full tuition)
If you’re at all familiar with bootcamps and online learning, there’s a good chance you have heard of General Assembly. This school helps students develop a solid foundation for web development.
General Assembly’s immersive software engineering course takes students through essential parts of web design and web development. The curriculum deals mainly with front end web development. Students learn the intricacies and nuance behind the functional user interface and APIs, and even dip their toes into full stack development.
In the final week, students complete capstone projects that they can add to their web design portfolios. These are great introductions to the various UX tools to take to their future web design jobs.
General Assembly offers flexible pricing and financing tuition options. The school also boasts several classes, webinars, and bootcamps in other subjects.
Computer Training Source, Inc. – HTML
Computer Training Source, Inc., founded in the early 1990s, is at the forefront of tech education. The company has multiple locations all over the Greater Chicago area: Downtown Chicago, Schaumburg, and Naperville.
In the first part of its HTML web development course, students receive a crash course in the web structure. They then move on to learning the foundations of HTML, CSS, and more. Students learn how HTML plays an integral role in the history of web pages.
Computer Training Source emphasizes the design concepts of web pages using HTML and CSS layouts. Over six main lessons, students learn how to manipulate text, post images, and include links. Students can take these courses in Chicago or online.
Programming Classes Chicago – Bootstrap Classes
Length: 4 hours (1 day)
Price: $499 – $699
PCC is a great training provider and offers multiple technology-based courses. This Bootstrap class teaches you everything you need to know to get more comfortable with Bootstrap. The course specifically uses Twitter as its primary example and address offsets and rows, navigation bars, buttons, and more.
Bootstrap is a practical framework library of CSS. Web designers use Bootstrap to tailor their website’s designs and UX/UI efficiently. Bootstrap is remarkable primarily because it’s completely open-source and free. It also has excellent UX/UI options like typography and color schemes.
There is a second, intermediate course. The advanced course takes your basic knowledge of Bootstrap and enhances it.
AGI Training – WordPress Training Classes
Length: Variable
Price: $695
AGI Training offers a wide range of web design courses in Chicago as well as live online options. This training provider offers diverse and flexible schedules for various classes.
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To kickstart a successful web design career, you should become familiar with content management systems like WordPress, which uses MySQL and PHP to create blog posts, forums, and other web content. WordPress is used across millions of websites and helps web designers create shops, media galleries, and more.
An excellent place to start is the WordPress Training Class – Introduction. This is perfect for beginners. In this specialized course, students learn the very basics of WordPress and content management systems.
Live instructors teach students simple actions like formatting images and texts and implementing good design practices. You will have access to high-quality video lessons and experienced instructors.
AGI Training – WordPress Bootcamp
Length: 1 week
Price: $1,490
After completing the introductory and more advanced courses on WordPress, why not join the WordPress bootcamp? This is a more intensive curriculum that immerses students in the topic. The bootcamp ramps up the difficulty by the end of the week, starting with basic concepts and more advanced functions.
If you are having trouble finding a class that fits your schedule, you’re in luck. AGI Training offers multiple live online and offline courses on weekdays, weekends, and in the evening. It also allows students to retake courses if they feel like they didn’t learn everything they wanted.
Who Should Attend Web Design Courses?
There are a few types of people who should seriously consider attending a web design course in Chicago, whether this is a top design school, visual design certificate program, or bootcamp.
Those Who Want a Change of Pace
Are you stuck at a job you hate? Maybe you just want a simple change of pace from the monotony of school or work-life. Either way, if you’re going to explore hobbies, especially something as unique and useful as web design, this is your chance.
Those Who Seek a Certification
Having a bachelor’s degree from a university might not be enough during the job hunt. Web design has nuance, and some employers may accept an associate degree and a certificate program. This is why these courses in Chicago are fantastic outlets to enhance your resume and show employers you know fundamental and advanced web development concepts.
Those Who Want to Learn a New Skill
Sometimes, you just want a new hobby or to learn a new skill. If this is the case, breaking into tech is a fantastic idea, and holds a lot of promise for your future. However, if you aren’t interested in careers or college, this is still a fun and creative form of expression.
The Benefits of Learning Web Design
The list of benefits of taking face-to-face and online web design courses is long.
Use Your Web Design Certificate
Earning a web design certificate can really help you to land a great job. If you are interested in becoming a UX designer, getting a UX design certificate is a great way to impress employers.
You can earn specialized certifications in Microsoft Azure, WordPress, MySQL, HTML, and many other programs and skills.
Land an Impressive Job and Climb the Ranks
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of a web developer in the US was $73,760 per year in 2019. In addition, the top 10 percent of earners received well over $142,000.
Illinois consistently ranks as one of the highest-paying states. It also has a high concentration of web design jobs and employment opportunities. If you live in Chicago, you happen to be in one of the best major metropolitan areas for jobs (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI).
Although it varies from company to company, some design firms and employers don’t require a standard four-year college degree. Although having impressive credentials always helps during an interview, some people can’t afford the astronomical tuition of college degrees. These courses can help those that lack time or resources gain employment.
Join a Major Academic Program at One of Chicago’s Top Schools
Another significant aspect of joining these courses and certification programs is getting an inside look at specific university majors. If you are hesitant about spending a lot of money on tuition, these programs can open the door for you.
After completing a web design course in Chicago, you can easily join major programs at local colleges and universities, such as Columbia College Chicago, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
The fundamentals of web design can lead to impressive degrees. You’ll gain access to programs like a BS in Cyber Security, a computer science degree, or even a BA in Modeling and Animation.
Conclusion: Use These Top Chicago Web Design Courses as Building Blocks
You can quickly and easily find a place to study the ins and out of web design, and maybe you’ll pay a little more attention to the design skills behind your most visited website. You’ll finally understand responsive web design, user interface, and even programming languages like MySQL, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
After attending any web design or web development class, you’ll quickly and easily understand core concepts. Overall, you’d be hard-pressed to find the same quality courses outside of Chicago.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
