In the last two months, one could argue I haven’t made much progress with my studies with Coursera: Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding Specialization course by Michigan University and Google UX Design course.
Introduction to HTML and CSS3
I first enrolled and started Web Design for Everybody at the beginning of September 2022. I managed to complete the Introduction to HTML and get the certificate. I enthusiastically continued the course and moved on to Introduction to CSS3. I styled my first site with CSS3 in Week 1 and hit a mental roadblock with the Advanced Selectors Quiz. I found advanced selectors challenging, it was just too much information on them without much prior preparation or enough talk about them in videos. Looking back, I think the Advanced Selectors should have been perhaps broken down into more digestible bits of information with more videos and quizzes.
The original plan was to finish the Web Design for Everybody (Introduction to HTML5, Introduction to CSS3, Advanced Styling with Responsive Design, Interactivity with JavaScript). As I got scared of the advanced selectors, I told myself, I will not pursue a career in coding, I am more interested in UX Design and stopped taking the Web Design Course for Everybody.
Google UX Design Course
As I got scared by the advanced selectors, I dropped the course Web Design for Everybody and started the Google UX Design Course instead, some 10 days ago. So far, I enjoy it soooooo much! I finished Week 1. Into Week 2 I have a better understanding of what types of UX designers are out there and what type of UX Designer I want to become. I already know what are the next courses I will take after finishing this one to become more proficient in the area of design thinking and UX research. It’s a lot of thinking involved and that’s what I love about this course. I am also looking forward to learning to work in Adobe InDesign and Figma as I often have different product design ideas so it will be really helpful!
Will I finish the Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding Specialization course?
Yes, I will because these are basics that I believe every UX designer or anyone doing anything serious on the Internet today should know. Taking and finishing only the Introduction of HTML5 course and Week1 of Introduction to CSS3 is already helping me in WordPress web design through premade templates and their customization.
How long will it take me to get to where I want to be — a UX Designer with a successful product of my own or with a good remote job at a big, global company? I am not sure, but my goal is to be there in about a year. Wish me luck!