Important Update
Technologies always keep evolving. If you are a front-end developer, then you have to not only cope with HTML and JavaScript but also CSS. However, CSS not being a programming language can be a tough skill to master.
That’s why, in this article, we will explore five projects that you should do to master modern CSS.
But, you may ask, what is modern CSS? Modern CSS is all about using the new libraries, methodologies, and practices to create an amazing end-user experience. If you already used CSS, then you should already know that it is easy to get started with CSS, but it takes another level of commitment and effort to master CSS, especially if you are learning Sass.
CSS provides the necessary style and layouts to a web page. With different browsers used by users, it becomes more challenging to create a site that provides an equal playground for your experiments. That’s why it is important to play with the new projects and improve your skills.
Before we go ahead and discuss the projects, let’s learn why developing projects will make you a better front-end developer.
It is important that you know the art of picking up the project so that you complete it rather than procrastinate on it. To ensure that you pick a project that you really care about, you need to consider the following points:
One of the best ways to master modern CSS is to use modern CSS themes for older sites. Older sites are mostly vanilla approach. For instance, those old websites might use a simple colour scheme or may not have any dark mode embedded in them.
You can use modern CSS elements to change not only how the site looks but also functions. CSS now works well with JavaScript, and that’s why you can opt for using switching controls offered by JavaScript. For instance, you can use @media rule with custom properties variables to change the colour scheme of the site with few clicks!
If you want to know more about how to implement a dark theme, then check out the Modern CSS site where they discuss the technique to do so.
Another interesting project that you can lay hands on is to create a printer-friendly site. Most modern sites do not have the option to print a site. You can confirm it by visiting any of the popular sites and try to print preview it. If it looks unorganized and clunky, then the site is not optimized for printing purposes.
Even though we aim to make the world a place by only printing when necessary — it is always better to give the option to the visitor to print it.
So, how do you deploy it? Well, you can deploy the feature in a couple of hours. The first step that you need to take is to get rid of unnecessary site sections such as social media widgets, menus, and so on!
The best way to approach this is to use the browser Dev tools to your advantage. Moreover, you can also add the option to modify the site for a printer-friendly version.
The web is very competitive. To succeed, you need to ensure that it meets multiple standards including the ability to load very fast! If your site doesn’t load within 3 seconds, you are bound to lose many visitors.
You can optimize your site by looking at the code. Try to see if it is possible to optimize images. You can also use CSS sprites to deliver the images in the package. Moreover, you can use JavaScript to further optimize the CSS and save a lot of space.
It’s best to use testing tools to learn how your site functions in different circumstances. Once you find optimization points, go ahead and make changes to give your site the slightest boost to succeed.
One of the best ways to improve your site is to create a modern one-page responsive layout. Even though it may sound easy, creating a modern single-page layout requires both imagination and creative skills to pull off — after all you need to show everything you want to show to the audience through single-page design.
To get started, you can use free templates and then modify them according to your needs. The rest of the approach depends on you and what you want to achieve from the project.
There is no lack of project ideas out there. It is always a good idea to start a new project when needed. For instance, you can create an interactive resume or portfolio to not only build your skills but also showcase them to the recruiters.
Always remember CSS is a tool, and you can use it to build anything you want!
Mastering a skill requires continuous effort. These five projects will help you improve your skill in the best possible way. Obviously, there are other different projects that you can work on. In case you think that particular projects fit your needs better, go ahead and do it!
Also, suggest some of the amazing projects that you think can help someone to master Modern CSS.
About the Author
ByteScout Team of Writers
ByteScout has a team of professional writers proficient in different technical topics. We select the best writers to cover interesting and trending topics for our readers. We love developers and we hope our articles help you learn about programming and programmers.
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