If you are considering to become a front end developer, then I have some key information to share with you.
It’s not only about HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that you should know. There are other essential front end development skills you need to know to keep yourself ahead in the industry.
Whether you are a freelance front end developer or planning to become a front end developer, this article is for everyone. Everyone who has an interest in pursuing a career in front end development.
What is a Front End Developer?
A front-end developer is a web developer who codes the graphical interface of a website through the use of HTML, CSS, JavaScript and other front end technologies.
They are responsible for creating a design, colors, architecture, menus, user interfaces, etc that users see, click, and touch on websites.
Front-end web developers are responsible for the interaction and the overall experience of the users.
By users, I am referring to you when you visit a website or web application.
Some of the technologies that the front-end developers work with are HTML, CSS, JavaScript, other client-side technologies, etc.
According to Glassdoor, the national median salary for front-end web developers is more than $76,000.
From a survey conducted by Codementor, the average rate for front end developers is about $62 /hr.
And I have seen a significant amount of front end developers who are doing great without a college degree.
Common Job Duties:
- Utilizing front-end technologies and skills to design and create responsive user-friendly web pages.
- Maintaining and monitoring the performance of a website.
- Ensuring the implementation of high-quality graphics and visual elements according to a company’s needs.
- Assist in the development of prototypes and mockups for web development projects.
- Constantly learning and applying new front-end development skills for better outcomes.
- Developing features and interfaces that enhance user experience and accessibility.
- Ensuring that a website or a webpage is optimized for smartphones, tablets and other devices.
12 Must-Have Skills of a Front End Developer
Okay enough with the introductions and definitions. Here are 12 of the essential skills that every front end developer should have.
1. Fundamentals of the Web
A front end developer understands what goes behind the scene when you enter a URL or even click on a link.
You should familiarize yourself with how a webpage works, loads and is displayed on your browser. As well as understanding what makes up a web document.
Knowing how HTML, CSS & JavaScript structures a web document is a critical skill that falls under the fundamentals of the web.
Every time you load a website or a web page on your browser, it loads from a server that hosts the web files. You must explore how the client loads a web page from a server.
Not only that but also learn the different ways how various code editors and internet browsers can interact with the web contents and web pages.
Exploring what happens below the surface of the web will eventually help you to write better code. Moreover, you will be able to build and design robust web applications that are easy to use and maintain.
Related: What is HTTP? – An Overview
2. Fundamentals of Programming
If you don’t know the fundamentals of programming or coding then I have bad news for you. You are unlikely to become a successful front end developer. Because you will lack the core knowledge of programming which is highly important when it comes to utilizing front end technologies.
An effective developer understands the core concepts and structure of programming languages.
Some of the concepts that you should know or learn are strings, variables, conditional statements, loops, functions, object-oriented programming, etc. These are all the foundational topics in all programming languages.
I am not implying that you should learn every programming language out there. Which is impossible if you ask me. However, knowing how a programming language works is important.
If you are new to programming then probably, start with Python and explore these core programming concepts.
Related Articles:
- Coding for Beginners – Start Here
- 3 Practical Reasons Why Python is the Best Programming Language for Beginners
3. User Experience for Web Design
Well before I dive into all the cool stuff like HTML, CSS & JavaScript, I also want to emphasize that user experience can either break or make a website.
Too many websites are out on the web that has horrible user experience design. As a result, they are losing traffic and ultimately their chances of making a profit.
That’s why it is important that you also have the skill to create the best user experience for your users.
Remember, a good user experience design will make website visitors stay on a site. Whereas, a bad one will make them leave immediately and go somewhere else.
Educate yourself on what people want from websites, how they search for information, how they read online, and how to structure your content so that your website meets their needs.
4. Accessibility
Accessibility in web development refers to the practice of making websites usable for all people, regardless of disability type or severity of impairment. As a front-end developer, you may come across a project in which you have to create an accessible solution for people with disabilities.
That’s why it is important for you to also have the skill of providing equal access and opportunity to people with a diverse range of hearing, movement, sight, and cognitive abilities.
This is one of those skills a lot of developers tend to avoid learning. But accessibility is a huge deal on the internet. As it enhances search, improves usability, and increases audience reach.
5. HTML
This is probably one of the most searched skills over the internet when it comes to web development. Believe it or not, without HTML there is no web development.
HTML or the Hypertext Markup Language is a markup language for creating websites and web pages.
It models the contents of a web document on a web browser. It is a programming language that powers the web to create content for a diverse range of websites and web applications.
Learning HTML is a must for any front end developer as this is the building block of any website.
6. CSS
Cascading Style Sheet or CSS is another major building block of creating websites. It is a style sheet language that describes the visual appearance of an HTML web document.
CSS is responsible for designing and styling a website’s layout, visual appearance, and also background-color. While HTML is responsible for structuring your content, CSS is for designing the contents of a web page.
As you can see that it is a very powerful language that allows you to control the appearance of a website. One of the must-have skills of every front end developer.
Some of the key CSS concepts that you should know are syntax, inheritance, CSS unites and values, the box model, containing block and shorthand properties.
To bring your HTML document to life, CSS is a must.
7. JavaScript
This one is my favorite! JavaScript! Not to be confused with the language Java. They are completely separate languages.
JavaScript is one of the easiest yet powerful programming languages that every front end developer must know. It is a must-have skill for every kind of web developer honestly.
It is also a client-side scripting language that allows you to build dynamic websites. A static web page only displays the same content whenever a visitor visits it a site. Whereas in a dynamic web page the content of the page changes according to the visitors’ behavior and action with the website.
Thus, to create dynamic websites with advanced interfaces, JavaScript is a must-have skill for every front-end developer.
8. Responsive Design
Imagine you build a website where everything is nice and steady. But, as soon as you start loading your site through a mobile device, all hell breaks loose. Your content’s layout is completely out of shape. You can barely see what’s on the menu of your site.
Seriously, you don’t want this to happen. You want to build responsive websites that will adapt to multiple platforms and devices.
This is one of the critical skills that every web developer should have. You must be able to create responsive layouts through features like CSS Flexbox and Grid. Moreover, also be able to adjust the positions of elements on every type of screens with the usage of media queries.
Your end-goal should be able to create responsive sites that support multiple platforms and devices.
9. GitHub
GitHub is a version controlling and code hosting platform that allows coders, programmers, and developers to collaborate and share code.
One of the reasons why it is so popular because of the versatility and the control it allows.
And version control is a type of system that logs changes, modifications, and settings to a file or set of files so that you can recall any particular versions of the file any time in the future. One of the most powerful version-control systems is Git.
GitHub is a platform for developers who use the Git version control system.
Being a front-end developer, you have to be able to collaborate with other developers, designers and stakeholders to able to share your project through GitHub. That’s why it is a must-have skill to learn.
10. Bootstrap
If I can describe Bootstrap in one word, then it is simply “magical”. That’s because it makes designing a website so much easier and fun.
Okay, so what is Bootstrap? It is a powerful front-end development framework built using HTML, CSS, and jQuery. One of the main purposes of Bootstrap is to help web developers and designers quickly and efficiently develop responsive, mobile-ready websites that are cross-browser compatible.
Not just that it is also an open-source platform that has supports from a large number of enthusiastic developers like you.
So, if you want to build and create almost any kind of web layout you can think of, then Bootstrap is the way to go! Definitely one of the key skills of any front end developers.
11. SASS
SASS or Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets is a stylesheet language that helps developers to write better CSS.
One of the main benefits of using SASS is that it allows you to use variables, mathematical operations, mixins, loops, functions, imports, and other advanced features that make writing CSS much more efficient.
You can also utilize SASS to reduce repetition with CSS to save time. Having the skill to program in SASS makes you a better front end developer as you know a stylesheet language that is less time-consuming and far more efficient.
12. React.js
Last but not least on our list is React.
For those who don’t know what React is, it is a powerful JavaScript library developed by Facebook for building user interfaces. So, if you have a project where you need to build an interactive user interface for a web application, then React is your friend.
Not just that but React is also an open-source library and there is a huge community of developers always down to help one another in terms of developing applications with React. It has become one of the popular libraries because of its simplicity and flexibility.
As React is a JavaScript library, you also need to have the skill of coding with JavaScript. And if you are a front-end developer, then JavaScript is a must-have skill under your belt.
Conclusion
Whether you want to become a front end developer or a regular front end developer, these fundamental front end development skills are must-have for everyone.
Also Read:
I also want to recommend that you invest in a quality online web development course that will solidify your development skills.
Here’s a link to a front end development course from Linkedin Learning:
This is a complete learning path that teaches you the fundamental skills that you need to become a successful front end developer. And the best part is that you get to sign up for free and start learning immediately.
What do you think is one of the essential skills of every front end developer?