How to Become a Front End Developer - Skills, Roles

It seems like everyone is online these days. The Internet not only facilitates interpersonal communication between users (e.g., email, social media); it’s also a much relied-upon source for all kinds of information. And a convenient means of paying bills and making purchases.

Every single online application has that part with which users interact. When you log onto a website, you are greeted by the welcome page, the menu, site map, and other items that facilitate navigation and utility. All of those items fall under the collective term of “front end.” The front end includes the user interface, which is the part of the website or app designed for the consumer’s use.

Without further ado, before getting started with how to become a front-end developer let us first undersatnd what is a front end developer.

What Is a Front End Developer?

A front end developer, also known as a front end web developer, is a professional responsible for the design and implementation of the interface. The users require this interface so that they can access the application in question. A web designer is a professional who creates a website’s appearance and design. And the front end developer makes sure that the design works online by using coding languages such as , , and .

We should pause for a moment to clarify the differences between a front end developer, back end developer, and full stack developer. Let’s put this in simple terms: a front end developer is responsible for the parts of an app or website that users see and interact with. A back end developer takes care of the “behind the scenes” matters such as infrastructure and databases. The full-stack developer is a mixture of both, a jack of all trades that can handle the whole design process from the beginning to the end.

Note that there’s a trend these days where the line between the front end and back end development has been blurring. Primarily since many of the tasks that fall in the domain of back end developers are being increasingly handled by the front end developers.

As a final aside, there are also full-stack engineers. They are full-stack developers who have project management experience, adept at disciplines in the configuring, managing, and maintaining computer networks and systems.

Front End Developer Roles and Responsibilities

If you're wondering what a front end developer does, he must:

• Decide web page design and structure
• Develop features to enhance the users’ experience
• Striking a balance between functional and aesthetic design.
• Make sure the web design is smartphone-capable
• Build reusable code for future use
• Make sure web pages are optimized for best speed and scalability
• Employ a diverse selection of markup languages to design web pages
• Keep the brand consist throughout the whole design

Front End Developer Skills in 2021

Since the front end developer is the rock star of website/app development, they need to have a well-stocked personal toolbox. So a front end developer skills include the need to:

• Have a degree in Computer Science or similar field
• Be proficient in coding languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery
• Understand server-side CSS.
• Be experienced with graphic design applications (e.g., Adobe Illustrator)
• Understand the principles of SEO
• Have excellent skills in problem-solving
• Be proficient in communicating with team members, bosses, and clients
• Have good interpersonal skills