So I have a BFA in graphic design but have always been interested in coding. I really like working with the front end part of code. I love bringing designs to life on screen. Now I’m curious how viable a front-end developer job is for me. I already have a decent working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Java. I lack Javascript currently. I’m wondering if a bootcamp might be right for me to push myself into the field?(will I ACTUALLY get a decent paying job?) Should I self teach?(will i even be considered then?) I already have 4 years as a working graphic designer, who sometimes working on front end code. The idea of having to go back to school for such a long time really upsets me when I think about the financial struggle that will put on me. As well as the time commitment of another several years in school again. I like learning but I’m not a school person. I’ am much more a hand on kind of person. What are my options? Do I have any?
Go ahead and start learning JS. Google like crazy or enroll in $10 Udemy courses. See also free youtube videos. Learning JS is mostly practice.
Also, get familiar with UX/UI – which I think will align more with your graphic design background.
Mad design skills + Coding chops == highly sought after by web design agencies.
There were campers here who got employed even if they haven’t finished the FE certificate and minimal JS knowledge (no frameworks, advance js). But you can see from their portfolio they had the “eye for design”… which sometimes is harder to teach. As they say, you either have style or not.
I mean… FreeCodeCamp does has a comprehensive set of challenges. Sign up at the main site. You can probably skip all of the HTML and CSS challenges and go straight to JavaScript. Since you already understand the fundamentals of programming, you ought to just fly through the whole section and get right to building your portfolio. Once you’ve done a few of these you will know better if you’re interesting in front end development, but with your experience you have already as a graphic designer and the portfolio you build here will put you at an advantage when looking for a dev job.
Yes, you can do this 
️ .
Try the fCC challenges, like @PortableStick suggested. They’re great at teaching code while providing basic but useful project exercises to help that new knowledge really sink in between the brain wrinkles. Feel free to browse around other learning resources, like Code Academy, too. For me, using a few different resources to learn the same thing helps it stick.
There are some other resources I’ve been really enjoying from Glitch.com lately that I’ll share below. Glitch is a platform for developing websites and web apps. It’s super versatile and provides tons of example projects. And with any public project on Glitch, you can look at the files that compose the project and even copy the project to edit and tinker with on your own.
-
Website Starter Kit from Glitch—“A free, 4-part video course with interactive code examples to learn to make a website using HTML, JS, CSS and Node.js.” They provide great explanations of all the coding languages listed in the description and provide example projects for each part. The parts build on each other too, so you can see the evolution of a website in a hands-on way.
-
You Got This! Zine—“A free, 20-page zine about making web apps with Node.js.” This was just released today! It has some basic explanations of how web servers work, what makes up a web app, and interviews and advice from developers. There are parts of this that might be a little advanced for your current JavaScript knowledge level (and for me!), but I think it’s worth looking through.
Those are just a few things I’ve been digging lately as I try to learn. There are tons of different learning resources shared on this forum, but for me, the fCC + Code Academy combo is what got me started on a good foot.
Regarding your graphic design background, that’s a wonderful thing, and definitely good to have on your resume. I’ve seen lots of job postings for developers with graphic design knowledge/experience. And if you get a developer job, you’ll be great at working with the designers because you speak their language. These two groups can be at odds sometimes in a company, and being able to bridge that gap between the two makes you a great asset.
Your graphic design background also affords you some flexibility if you learn to code. There’s Front-end Developer, UX Developer, and whole lot of other developer positions where graphic design skills are wanted. I see it in job postings all the time. If you can learn to code, I think you’ll be in a great position looking for jobs in tech.
Thanks for the feedback this is great advice and great starting direction! It makes me feel more confident is my decision to make choice.