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CSS

Pier Yos
Pier Yos
15,721 Points
Posted by Pier Yos
Pier Yos
15,721 Points

Do I need to be really good at CSS to be a front-end developer?

I'm very bad and sloppy when it comes to "decorating" a page. I'm capable of doing javascript and jQuery but CSS is just something I can't get used to. I can edit an existing CSS file but I can't really made one from scratch. I guess I can't visualize the page.

Do I need to be a good designer to be in the developer field? And Is there a good way for me to improve this skill?

2 Answers

Jeff Lemay
Jeff Lemay
14,268 Points
Jeff Lemay
Jeff Lemay
14,268 Points

You don't need to be a good designer to be a good front-end developer (although it does help). A lot of companies/agencies put together a mockup of the site in Photoshop and then pass off the design to you for coding. You need to know how to use css to create a webpage that looks like the mockup, but in many cases you don't need to be able to create a page from your imagination.

Scott Evans
Scott Evans
4,236 Points
Scott Evans
Scott Evans
4,236 Points

To answer your question i will explain a couple of different aspects of web development as a whole.

  1. Front End Developer So front end developer could mean a few different things, like Designing & Implementing the Layout & colour scheme of the website. It could also mean someone who focuses a lot more on the interactivity of of a website using JavaScript & jQuery. To put it simply, to fulfil either of these roles someone would have to have at least an understanding of design as one role is creation of a layout, and the other is more manipulation.

  2. Backend Developer This type of developer focuses almost solely on the 'behind to scenes' functionality of the website, like a Login Systems. Although the required knowledge of CSS and design is limited for this roles. Having the understanding would never negatively impact your development.

Most of the Developers i know including myself, who deal with web based development tend to have an expert understand in one or two fields so PHP (Backend) & JavaScript (Front End) for example, and then have a decent understand of the all of the other section that go into creating a functional website. This allows you as a developer to look at the project from a number of different angles.

The best way for you to further yourself as a developer would be to start small on a new subject, like CSS. Have a look at Treehouses' CSS tracks and have a few goes at some of them, maybe even repeating some until you understand the concepts that are being put across.

I hope this helps you understand slightly better, Scott.