study motivation

Im kind of in the same situation, I started with HTML and CSS back in the days of Dreamweaver MX (around 2004 I think) and then stopped after a year or so. Im currently looking to go back to web design/development after working in various IT roles.

Personally, Ive got for the Web Design track to brush up on the HTML/CSS side, then Ill move onto Front End then Wordpress. My reasoning for this is that HMTL/CSS/Frontend will always be needed, however you wont ALWAYS need a CMS for a website (although they are widely used). So with a solid base in the actual languages you wont rely on using a CMS when the project may not call for one.

Finally, in answer to your Bootstrap/Flexbox question, I personally would go for Bootstrap, heres a link to an article about the pros & cons of a few different frameworks http://www.monolinea.com/css-frameworks-comparison/

I hope that this info is useful to you Stijn!

Even with the application such as Macaw, you will still need to turn your exported design into a Wordpress theme. To do that, you'll have to know HTML/CSS and even some PHP. Macaw will export a static site, not a drop-in theme.

WYSIWYG software has improved over the years, but I can't help but remember the dubious markup that came from Dreamweaver or (even worse) Frontpage. While such tools will enable you to produce (even mass produce) websites, most of the truly remarkable web sites were written in text editors.

It's hard to push web design forward if you lack the understanding of its building blocks, how they fit together and what they can do.

I've tried Macaw, but to be honest, I abandoned it quickly. From my limited experience with that app, you'll still have pick the right elements as it draws div elements by default. Its output code is better than WYSIWYG tools of the Geocities era, but it's still flaky (the code is clean, but it leaves a lot to be desired).

A month ago, there was a thread on Designer News asking for examples of web pages done in Macaw. As you can see, the results weren't that promising.

I have yet to see a truly impressive web site done in Macaw.

Go for the web design track first. Play around, experiment, try to build something of your own once you're done with it. Then it's safe to move on to the WordPress development track.

As for flexbox and bootstrap — they are two completely different, unrelated things. The CSS3 flexbox is a layout mode — it's part of the CSS3 standard. It's something you do on your own in CSS. Bootstrap is a frontend framework. It's a combination of CSS, JavaScript, HTML markup and tools to help you build a project more quickly.

Bootstrap is also not the holy grail of web design, regardless of how useful it may be. Without customizing it (something best done in code), all the sites using it would look the same.

I hope this answer helps you with the choice of what to study and clears up the confusion.

Hi,

I wouldn’t look at apps such as Macaw as replacing a front end developer’s skill set. They’re more to supplement your workflow or act as a toolkit, to make prototyping quicker and to possibly speed up parts of the development process. No matter the code that’s outputted by an app, it still needs testing in browsers/devices and you’ll find issues. Now without having HTML/CSS skills how could you properly debug? By dragging something in the gui? You need to know the code :)

In a way I see Macaw to HTML, as Codeigniter (and the many other frameworks) is to PHP. It gives you a helping hand and provides the tools to output code quicker, but without knowing how to code you cannot guarantee the quality of anything.

I would start in the library, get a feel for things and then look to do a track once you know what you’re aiming for. In my opinion you should start with HTML/CSS coded by hand so you understand the basics. Then move onto Bootstrap/Flexbox. Then have a look at Macaw etc, just to see if they could supplement your workflow. Be a sponge, as it’s about finding the best solution for each project, so the more tools you have at your disposal the better :)

Good luck!