Take a cool photo of your latest design

You've just finished a sweet design and you want to post a screenshot of what it will look like on an actual computer. First option: find a photo of a Macbook, drop in Photoshop, and put your design on the screen. Meh, that'll work. Second option: put your Macbook on the ground and take a picture of it. Genius.

The image above was part of Dann Petty's recent Yahoo! redesign post on Medium. There's a free PSD of the design, too. Check it out.

Having doubts is natural, maybe even good

You're taking a big step, maybe spending a lot of money, and definitely spending a lot of time learning web development. You might be taking time away from family. You have to cut back on other expenses to fit this new direction into your budget. You're taking a personal risk, too, because learning something new and trying to become something better always makes you vulnerable.

You have questions, doubts. If you don't yet, they will come.

Is all this worth it? Is it worth the investment? What if you fail and people see that you couldn't cut it? What if you learn it all and don't like the life of a web developer or your job prospects aren't what you thought they'd be? Am I even capable of becoming a web developer?

Project Euler: Advanced mathematical & programming challenges

Project Euler is like a drive-thru for experiencing the agony of solving hard problems. However, it's also a surprising rush when you do solve a problem because it means you have a decent grasp of both your programming language and basic mathematics.

The problems become increasingly difficult as you progress. The first problem took me about 5 minutes to solve with just a few lines of Ruby. The fourth problem took me 4 hours. And that's when I decided it was time to take a break for the day.

If you're feeling adventurous or have a little time on your hands and want to try something new, give Project Euler a try.

Using projects as learning tools (the right way)

Putting to practice what you've learned from a book or online lesson is a great way to reinforce and add application to the knowledge you've gained. But do a project is incredibly unhelpful advice. In fact, it only creates more questions.

What project? What kind of project? How big of a project? What should it do? What should it try to accomplish? What do I want it to teach me? Should it be something worth putting in my portfolio? How much time should it take me? With all these questions, the project has now become another obstacle to your learning success instead of an aid.

Tool of the day: Codepen.io

Codepen.io is like Dribbble for front-end developers. It's a showcase of cool things people are doing with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It just so happens to be a great tool for quickly prototyping simple designs and design elements like buttons, gradients, shapes, etc. I use it for both inspiration (the community is full of really talented people) and as a tool to whip up designs in a hurry.

Getting help when you're stuck

When you're learning web development, or any other complicated skill, getting stuck is a dreadful experience. Often times, you're stuck so badly that you don't even know the right question to ask to get help. Posting questions on social networks can be embarrassing, annoying to your online friends, and most likely fruitless. Resorting to Google when you aren't even sure of the problem is even more frustrating.

For beginners, getting stumped can be a momentum killer. And, if it happens often enough without quick assistance, it can demotivate from learning altogether. Finding the right help in a timely manner is incredibly valuable. In fact, it's so valuable that I've been mulling over an idea to provide a real-time solution. I even bought a domain name for it: unstumped.com.

Cargo-Bot: a fun way to learn programming concepts on iPad

 

There are two ways to learn programming concepts: the fun way and this way. I've tried both and much prefer the fun way. Cargo-Bot is an iPad game that teaches programming concepts by solving increasingly difficult puzzles. However, unlike other puzzle games, this one forces you to think like a computer by limiting your options to only what a computer can do.

The best thing about Cargo-Bot is that it lets you learn programming concepts without the mental weight of learning a programming language. When I was first learning Ruby, Cargo-Bot really helped me understand for-loops, while-loops, recursive functions, arrays, and how to count (yes, you'll need to re-learn how to count when learning to program). And learning all that just felt like playing a (deceptively addictive) puzzle game.

I highly recommend Cargo-Bot if you have an iPad.

Steve Jobs on programming

I think everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.

An introduction to typography in web design

Typography is the art (some say science) of arranging typed words to make a language visible. In other words, typography is what makes the words on your site legible.

Although having a solid understanding of typography isn't a must-have skill to become a web developer, it is something that will spice up any site or app you design down the road. The right mix of typefaces/fonts and their styling can make a dreary design pop.

Celebrities learning to program

 

Did you know Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat learned to program? What about Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas? How about Mike Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York City? Certainly, if these people can find the time and desire to learn to program, so can we.

What's more, Code.org is pushing to bring programming education into schools across the country. That's a tall order, but so very necessary.

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When can I call myself a web developer?

Becoming a web developer is an entirely unique experience. Because the industry is advancing so quickly, you can confidently expect that you'll never be finished. If you're expecting a finish line you'll be disappointed when you realize it's just a mirage; it's not actually there.

Pitfalls of becoming a web developer: moving too fast

This is surely to be the first of many "pitfalls" posts about becoming a web developer. There are so many and an honest assessment by someone who has recently experienced them is something the Internet hasn't provided just yet.

This time I'm going to talk about an unseen and usually unexpected pitfall: moving too fast.

For aspiring web developers

I love people who are trying to become web developers. It's a hard road and they're brave for walking it. It's a road full of uncertainties, obstacles, sacrifice, face-palms, and a plenty of victories.

Becoming a web developer as an adult is even harder. You don't have the luxury of unlimited time, unlimited attention, and no bills. You have to balance your learning with spending time with family, keeping your day job, running errands, household chores, and taking care of yourself. With all those responsibilities, finding time to study on your own is double hard. Add the fact that there's no one looking over your shoulder, no accountability, no grades, and no deadlines and you have the perfect recipe for quitting a thousand times before you reach web developer status.