Roadmap to Becoming a Front-end Developer in 2023

The demand for web developers is continuously growing with time. That’s why it is the best time to learn all the skills to build websites and become a reliable web developer. Working in a website development company comes with many perks and benefits such as the opportunity to learn new things, high-salary packages, career growth, and many more.  

Now, web developers are of different types, and here in this blog, we are focusing on the roadmap to becoming a front-end web developer. So if you are looking to make a career in front-end web development and don’t know how to start then this is the right place for you. Here we will explain to you everything step by step in detail which will help you to a great extent. 

So let’s get started!

What is a Frontend Development?

Front-end development, or client-side development, is the process of building the user interface of a web application or website. Basically, it determines how every part of the website will look and work. 

Whatever you see when you first open a website or application such as UI components, text, and forms all come under the part of frontend development services. So the developers who are responsible for building the front-end part are known as front-end developers. Also, they are not just only responsible for developing the UI but also ensure a balance between design and functionality. 

Fundamentals of Frontend Development

• HTML

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is a standard markup language that is used to create the skeletal structure or base of any website. All the elements that are on the screen such as buttons, images, sliders, lists, etc are all made by using HTML. 

Lastly, you should always remember one thing as a beginner HTML is not considered a programming language because it cannot create dynamic functionality. 

• CSS 

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and is used to describe the presentation of a document that is written in a markup language such as HTML. It can be used to make responsive websites that will change layouts and styles according to the different device sizes. 

In a nutshell, it is a language for specifying how documents are presented to the users, how they are laid out, and so on. 

• JavaScript

As HTML and CSS are used to build the layout of the website, the next step is to add actions to the website which is done by using JavaScript. It is a programming language that is used to improve the interactivity and functionality of a website. 

Generally, JavaScript in the browser is able to:

• React to user action on Mouse clicks, pointer movements, and key presses.
• Change the existing content and modify styles. 
• Download and upload files. 
• Send requests over the network to the remote servers. 
• Last but not the least, remember the data on the client side. 

Frontend Developers’ Roadmap 

1. Learn The Basic Fundamentals (HTML, CSS & JavaScript)

We already explained in detail about these fundamentals previously in the blog. So, this is the very first step in the roadmap to becoming a front-end developer. However, HTML and CSS are a bit easier to learn in comparison to JavaScript, especially if you are a beginner and have no prior experience in programming. That’s why first you should master all these three fundamental skills to proceed further. 

2. Learn Any of The CSS Frameworks & Preprocessors

Once you have mastered the fundamentals, now it’s time to move on to the next step which is to learn any of the CSS frameworks and pre-processors. This will help you to speed up the development process. 

Furthermore, some of the CSS frameworks are Bootstrap, Tailwind CSS, Semantic UI, etc. These frameworks have several stylesheets that are already in a ready-to-use format which significantly allows developers to save a lot of time that is otherwise spent in styling a website. 

Now CSS files are very difficult to maintain because it does not support powerful programming features like variables and functions. That’s why here CSS preprocessors are used to extend the default capabilities of CSS. So by these preprocessors, logic can be used in script files like variables, functions, inheritance, and mathematical functions. Also, these automate repetitive tasks and reduce the number of errors. Some of the popular preprocessors are SASS/SCSS, Stylus, and less. 

3. Master JavaScript Framework

Just like CSS frameworks, there are JavaScript frameworks that are built on top of JavaScript. These are used to enhance functionality without writing the code from scratch. This is why most front-end developers prefer to use these frameworks rather than plain JavaScript. 

Additionally, Some of the most famous JavaScipt frameworks are React, Angular, Vue.js, and many more. 

4. Learn About State Management Libraries

State management libraries are very important to master depending on the JavaScript framework you choose to learn because these can only be used for specific frameworks. For instance, NgRX is a Redux-based library that can only be specifically used for Angular applications. 

As a whole, these libraries deal with storing and updating the data of an application. 

5. Learn About Basic Tools For Web Deployment

Now in this stage, you should learn about the basics of hosting tools that are required for web deployment. Because once you build your website, you should learn how to deploy it so that anyone on the internet can visit the website.  

Some of the best hosting tools that are also used by a website development company are Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. 

6. Learn Some Advanced Topics

After you have mastered the basics, now it’s time to learn some advanced topics as well. So you can learn Rest APIs such as GraphQL which is an open-source data query and manipulation language. It allows developers to send requests that can fetch data from multiple sources in a single API call. 

Progressive web applications(PWAs) are also very good options if you want to build applications with additional features like push notifications, background synchronization, caching, etc. 

Do More & More Practice

There is an old saying that “practice makes a man perfect”. Once you have learned all the basic skills keep practicing them to become a master because only learning is not enough. 

Also, it is a fact that sometimes we learn more from our errors than we do from a flawless performance. So, practice more and more to master all the skills required to become the best front-end developer. 

Additionally, if you are not from a technical background, then you can take different courses that are easily available online or can also take help from youtube. 

Build Your Portfolio

Finally, you have reached this stage after learning all the above skills that are required for front-end development. Now, what’s next? Well, this field is highly competitive so in order to stand out from the competition it will be a good idea to build your portfolio. After reading this term, some of you might be thinking that what is a portfolio? Basically, the portfolio is a website where you can add your skills, experience, testimonials, and the projects you have made.

Once you have made the portfolio, then you can host it so that the hiring managers can see your skills and reach out to you. Additionally,  this portfolio will leave a positive impression on the hiring manager of a website development company and your chances of getting the job will also increase. 

What Is The Future Scope of Front-end Developers?

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment of web developers is projected to grow 23 percent from 2021 to 2031. This rate is much higher than the average for all other occupations. On indeed, there are more than 6000 job openings listed for frontend developers in 2021. 

Also, many of you hear the rumor that front-end developers won’t have to code the website in the future because it will be done automatically. Even if this happens, no matter how the field changes, they still need to be part of the web development process. It is just a matter of fact that their jobs will keep changing and they have to do better to fit in the new market. So, overall the future of front-end developers is very bright.

Conclusion

As a whole, the tools, and technologies in web development are constantly changing that’s why it is essential to keep yourself up-to-date with the latest trends in technology. We hope this blog gave you the idea of steps that you can follow to become a front-end developer. One thing you should remember is that this blog is just only a guide for frontend development and is not the only way to become a front-end developer.