Online Bootcamps
A web design bootcamp is a great way to get acquainted with a growing field that involves creating the look and feel of websites. If this sounds like a career you want to get into, take a look at what to know before you apply to one or more web design bootcamps.
What Is a Web Design Bootcamp?
Designing a website requires you to plan numerous visual elements that will appear on the site, from the overall layout and any images on it to the font and colors. If you’re not sure how to get started making these decisions and implementing them on a website, a web design bootcamp is a good idea.
These bootcamps are a fast, simple way to learn the basic skills you need to design websites. They often teach the following skills:
- Visual design principles
- Wireframing
- Prototyping
- Responsive design
- User experience (UX) principles
- Basic front-end development
- User research
- User testing
- How to use tools like Photoshop, Figma, InVision, WordPress and more
How Long Are Web Design Bootcamps?
Most web design bootcamps take about 24 weeks to complete, as this is about how long you need to learn the basic principles of web design. But you can likely find programs as short as 12 weeks or as long as 18 months, depending on if you want a full-time or part-time program.
How to Pay for a Web Design Bootcamp
Web design bootcamps range in price, with tuition often being anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000—with the average being $12,500. Luckily, most programs offer payment plans so you don’t have to pay all this at once.
If you’re already working at a job that’s related to web design, you can ask your employer if there’s any tuition assistance available to you. This may be the case if your employer is supportive of you learning web design basics that you can use on the job.
Is a Web Design Bootcamp Worth It?
If you’re not sure that web design bootcamps are worth considering, keep their benefits in mind. Namely, they tend to be much shorter than other programs, such as college degree plans. In this way, they’re a good method for testing your interest in the subject without spending years studying it first.
As a result, web design bootcamps are good for people who want to start a new career this year, after spending just a few months learning the necessary skills. If this sounds like you and you’re excited to spend about 24 weeks learning web design basics, a bootcamp will likely be worth your time.
Is a Web Design Bootcamp Right for Me?
Anyone who has some curiosity about how to combine creativity with technology may be interested in web design. After all, you get to put your artistic skills to work to make an informative website appeal to the viewer’s eye. This can be rewarding for people who enjoy both design and technology.
If starting a career like this sounds exciting, looking into web design bootcamps may be the best choice for you. Many bootcamps are fully online so you can learn from home at your own pace. Or you might choose to go to an in-person program, which will allow you to network with other aspiring web designers. Either way, you’ll get the training you need for a position that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says pays about $77,200 per year as of May 2020.
Applying to Web Design Bootcamps
As you can see from the list of web design bootcamps at the start of this page, there are lots of options for you to choose from. And, most make the application process fast and easy, as they don’t require a background in web design for you to start learning the skills associated with this role.
So if you’re intent on completing a web design bootcamp this year, be sure to apply to a few that get great reviews and are within your budget. This will give you a good shot at being accepted to at least one bootcamp that will teach you all the skills you need to know for this career.
Web Design Bootcamps vs. Traditional Degrees
If you’re not sure if you need a bootcamp or a college degree to get a web design job, take a look at some of the job ads for positions in your city. While you’ll find that some do require or at least encourage an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, many accept work experience instead. Such employers may also like to see certificates from web design bootcamps as sufficient proof that you know how to do this job.
For this reason, if you’re not sure if you want to commit to a four-year degree from college, it may be better to give a web design bootcamp a try first. You’ll likely be able to find a job after you complete the program. And if you don’t, you can always go to college and see if a degree improves your chances of getting a job in web design.