Mastering the Building Blocks of the Web: Learn HTML and CSS with Scrimba‘s CEO

If you‘re aspiring to become a web developer, there are two fundamental skills you absolutely must learn: HTML and CSS. These are the essential building blocks that power the vast majority of websites across the internet.

Consider these statistics:

• There are over 1.9 billion websites online today, and nearly all of them utilize HTML and CSS in some form.
• HTML is used on 92.8% of all websites, while CSS is used on 95.8%.
• Employment of web developers is projected to grow 23% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Clearly, mastering HTML and CSS is crucial for anyone serious about web development. But where can you go to learn these key skills the right way? Look no further than the comprehensive (and completely free) "Learn HTML & CSS" course by Per Harald Borgen on freeCodeCamp.

Course Overview

Per (the CEO and co-founder of Scrimba) has crafted this thoughtful curriculum to teach HTML and CSS through building a series of practical, real-world projects. The entire course is built on Scrimba‘s interactive learning platform, which allows you to pause the videos at any time and edit the code directly in the browser.

The course is broken down into six modules:

1. Building and deploying your first website: An introduction to key concepts and getting your site live on the internet.
2. Google.com clone: Recreate the iconic Google search page to master page layout and forms.
3. Digital business card: Showcase your skills with a sleek digital business card.
4. Space exploration site: A stunning page that explores using images, videos, and gifs.
5. Birthday GIFt site: Celebrate in style with this fun, interactive birthday card.
6. Solo project: Hometown homepage: Put all your learnings together to create a unique homepage for your hometown.

Throughout over 75 interactive coding challenges, you‘ll learn all the key aspects of HTML and CSS, including:

• Document structure and semantic HTML elements
• Styling text and backgrounds
• Page layout with flexbox and CSS grid
• Responsive design and media queries
• Web accessibility and best practices
• Adding images, videos, and other media
• Forms and user input
• Deploying your websites to the internet
• And much more!

Why Scrimba‘s Interactive Learning Works

One aspect that sets this course apart is Scrimba‘s unique interactive screencasts. Rather than just passively watching videos, you can pause at any moment and edit the code directly in the browser. This hands-on approach has several major benefits:

• Increased engagement and focus
• Ability to test your understanding in real-time
• Freedom to experiment and troubleshoot on your own
• Personalized learning experience

Studies have shown that interactive learning can boost learning retention by as much as 50% compared to passive content. By putting your skills to use throughout the lessons, you‘ll gain a much deeper understanding of HTML and CSS.

Meet Per Harald Borgen

So who is the mastermind behind this in-depth course? Per Harald Borgen is a seasoned frontend developer and the CEO of Scrimba. With years of experience building websites and applications, Per has a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed as a web developer.

But perhaps even more important than his technical chops is Per‘s passion for teaching and making coding accessible to all. He‘s helped thousands of students learn web development through his engaging tutorials and courses.

In "Learn HTML & CSS", Per breaks down complex concepts into easily digestible lessons. He paces the course well, never going too fast or slow. And his friendly, approachable demeanor makes you feel like you‘re learning alongside a trusted mentor.

Real-World HTML and CSS

While the course projects are relatively small in scope, the skills you learn are directly applicable to real-world web development. Let‘s take a closer look at how HTML and CSS power the websites you use every day.

Consider a site like Airbnb. While it may seem quite complex, at its core, it‘s built on a solid foundation of semantic HTML:

<header>
  <nav>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="/">Home</a></li>
      <li><a href="/host">Become a Host</a></li>
      <!-- Additional nav items -->
    </ul>  
  </nav>
</header>

<main>
  <section class="hero">

    <!-- Hero content --> 
  </section>

  <section class="listings">
    <h2>Explore nearby</h2>
    <!-- Listing items -->
  </section>
</main>

<footer>
  <!-- Footer content --> 
</footer>

This semantic structure provides a logical outline for the content, making it easier to understand for both humans and machines. The <header> contains introductory content like the navigation menu, the <main> element houses the primary content, while the <footer> wraps up any closing content.

CSS is then used extensively to style this structure and create the visually appealing layout:

.hero {
  background-image: url(‘hero-bg.jpg‘);
  background-size: cover;
  color: white;
  padding: 100px 20px;
  text-align: center;
}

.listings {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(300px, 1fr));
  grid-gap: 20px;
  margin: 50px auto;
  max-width: 1200px;
}

.listing-item {
  border: 1px solid #ddd;
  border-radius: 5px;
  padding: 20px;
}

Here we see CSS used for tasks like:

• Setting background images and colors
• Adjusting padding and margins
• Laying out listings in a responsive grid
• Adding borders and rounded corners

All of these techniques (and many more) are covered in great detail in "Learn HTML & CSS". You‘ll get hands-on experience applying these concepts in your own projects.

Beyond the Basics

While this course is primarily aimed at beginners, it doesn‘t shy away from diving into some more advanced topics when appropriate. You‘ll get exposure to powerful layout tools like flexbox:

.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: space-between;
  align-items: center;
}

As well as responsive design techniques using media queries:

@media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
  .flex-container {
    flex-direction: column;
  }
}

You‘ll even dabble in a bit of JavaScript to add some interactivity to your Business Card project.

While you may not fully master these more advanced concepts in this course alone, you‘ll gain a solid foundation that you can build upon in your future learning and projects. Per provides helpful resources and suggestions for diving deeper into these topics.

Learning HTML and CSS: Tips for Success

If you‘re ready to begin your HTML and CSS learning journey (or solidify your existing skills), here are a few tips to make the most of this course:

1. Code along with the videos. Don‘t just watch passively! Pause frequently to test out the concepts and put your own spin on the projects.
2. Take notes. Jot down key concepts, syntax rules, and key takeaways from each lesson. This will help reinforce your learning.
3. Experiment and play. Don‘t be afraid to deviate from the exact course projects. Customize them and try out new techniques. You‘ll learn a ton from this trial-and-error.
4. Seek out help when needed. If you get stuck, don‘t hesitate to consult other resources, search engines, or the Scrimba community. Learning to troubleshoot is a key skill!
5. Practice, practice, practice. The best way to truly learn HTML and CSS is by building lots of projects. Extend the course projects, make your own creations, and just keep coding.

Start Your Web Development Journey Today!

If you‘ve been looking for the perfect starting point for your web development education, you can‘t go wrong with Per Harald Borgen‘s "Learn HTML & CSS" course on freeCodeCamp. It‘s comprehensive, engaging, and 100% free.

Whether your goal is to build your own websites, make interactive web applications, or even become a professional developer, you have to start somewhere. HTML and CSS are the ideal entry points. They‘re beginner-friendly, yet immensely powerful and versatile.

This course will equip you with a rock-solid foundation in the core web technologies. You‘ll gain practical, real-world skills that you can immediately put to use in your own projects. And you‘ll be joining an amazing, supportive community of like-minded learners.

Ready to begin? Access the full "Learn HTML & CSS" course for free on freeCodeCamp.

Happy coding!