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University of Michigan · on Coursera

Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding

4.7(28,000) on Coursera·360K enrolled
Beginner 150 hours English Specialization
SkillsHTMLCSSJavaScriptResponsive designAccessibilityWeb development

Is this course right for you?

Our take
A thorough, well-structured route into front-end basics for a complete beginner, with a welcome focus on accessible, standards-based design. It is free to audit.

Good for: complete beginners who want a structured, standards-based intro to web development.

Skip if: you already build websites, or you want a fast bootcamp.

Colleen van Lent's five courses cover HTML5 semantics, CSS layout with Flexbox and Grid, JavaScript interactivity, responsive design and accessibility. It is rigorous enough to teach real skills while assuming no prior coding.

It is a foundations specialization, so it does not cover frameworks like React or the modern build tooling a job needs, and it is not a fast bootcamp — someone who already builds websites will find it slow. The certificate needs a subscription; the free audit covers the learning. Michigan keeps it updated.

Comparison · LBS

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About this course

This University of Michigan specialization teaches web design from first principles: HTML5 semantic structure, CSS styling and layout with Flexbox and Grid, JavaScript interactivity, responsive design with media queries, and web accessibility standards.

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Instructor

CV
Colleen van Lent
Coursera instructor
360K+ learners5 courses4.7 instructor rating

Taught by Colleen van Lent from the University of Michigan, a computer science and information educator known for making technical concepts accessible.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, squarely so. It assumes no coding at all and starts from writing your first HTML, making it a gentle, structured on-ramp to web development. It comes from the University of Michigan team behind the popular Python for Everybody, and shares that patient, beginner-first teaching style that many people find easier to follow through than a fast bootcamp.

Five courses that build in sequence: HTML5, then CSS3, then the basics of JavaScript for interactivity, then responsive design so sites work on phones and tablets, finishing with a capstone where you build a real portfolio site. It also teaches web accessibility using the POUR guidelines, which many beginner courses skip entirely.

It is calmer, more structured, and stops at solid front-end fundamentals — HTML, CSS, and introductory JavaScript — with a university's framing and an emphasis on doing things correctly and accessibly. A bootcamp like Colt Steele's or Angela Yu's goes much further into back-end and frameworks. Choose this to build a careful foundation; choose a bootcamp if you want the full stack in one go.

Not on its own, and it does not claim to. It gives you genuine, correct front-end fundamentals and a portfolio piece, which is a real starting point, but professional roles expect JavaScript depth, a framework like React, and original projects. Treat this as the foundation you build the rest on, not the finish line.

Yes, you can audit the courses on Coursera and watch all the lessons at no cost. The graded assignments, peer-reviewed projects, and the certificate need a subscription, with financial aid available through Coursera if you apply and are approved.
Paid
Subscription-based, free to audit
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