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Best Web Design Books

Updated October 2018
Why trust BestReviews?
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.
Bottom Line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Ricardo Zea
Mastering Responsive Web Design
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Bottom Line

A well-written look at responsive web design and all it entails, although you should already have some knowledge of basic web design before wading into it.

Pros

334 pages. Topics covered include Sass, HTML5, and CSS3. Learn how to design for a multitude of devices, particularly mobile. Good step-by-step walkthrough, written in a conversational style. Very detailed, with coded examples and links.

Cons

This book is for those who already have a basic knowledge of web development; not for complete beginners.

Jon Duckett
Web Design with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery Set
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Bottom Line

While this 2-volume set covers a lot of web design areas, those who already have some knowledge here may not get a lot out of them.

Pros

2-book set includes "HTML & CSS: Designing and Building Web Sites" and "JavaScript & jQuery: Interactive Front-End Development." 1152 pages total. Good, clear coverage of the basics. Helps you become proficient in HTML and CSS before moving on to more challenging topics. Well organized, and easy to read. Good for beginners.

Cons

The bindings of these books are of poor quality. Some found the pace of these to be slow, and the illustrations and diagrams to be unhelpful.

Jennifer Robbins
Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics
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Bottom Line

A good introductory web design book that covers everything from HTML and CSS to Javascript and graphics optimization.

Pros

A beginners guided to web design basics. Topics include HTML, CSS, and responsive web design. Easy to read and use. 624 pages. Well designed, with a nice layout. Written in a friendly style. Includes helpful exercises and free online companion resources.

Cons

The ebook version is strangely formatted and hard to use (i.e. no page numbers). A good coverage of the basics, but lacking in depth.

Sue Jenkins
Web Design All-in-One For Dummies
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Bottom Line

A well-written intermediate-level reference book that deals with all aspects of creating, hosting, and maintaining a web site.

Pros

5 sections take you from "Getting Started" to "Publishing and Site Maintenance." Covers HTML5, CSS3, and other core web design topics. 688 pages. Well written and useful, particularly as a reference book. Intermediate level.

Cons

Not really geared toward a beginning web designer. Some felt that it focuses too much on Adobe Dreamweaver.

Best Bang for the Buck
Stefan Mischook
Web Design - Start Here: A No-Nonsense, Jargon Free Guide to the Fundamentals of Web Design
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Bottom Line

An engaging entry-level book on web design fundamentals, although some readers felt that it did not get into enough detail.

Pros

Good introduction to web design. Everything from learning how to plan and develop your site to search engine optimization and promotion. 224 pages. Clear and understandable. Well laid out with a lot of examples. Inexpensive.

Cons

Some felt that it was a little too bare bones, and that it didn't get very deep into the various topics.

How we decided

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

  • 48 Models Considered
  • 9 Hours Researched
  • 1 Experts Interviewed
  • 373 Consumers Consulted
    • Zero products received from manufacturers.

    We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

    Why trust BestReviews?
    BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.
    BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
    BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.
    The team that worked on this review
    • Enid
      Enid
      Editor
    • Melinda
      Melinda
      Web Producer
    • Rich
      Rich
      Writer
    ×

    Ricardo Zea

    Mastering Responsive Web Design

    Ricardo Zea

    Mastering Responsive Web Design

    A well-written look at responsive web design and all it entails, although you should already have some knowledge of basic web design before wading into it.
    $37
    ×

    Jon Duckett

    Web Design with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery Set

    Jon Duckett

    Web Design with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery Set

    While this 2-volume set covers a lot of web design areas, those who already have some knowledge here may not get a lot out of them.
    $32
    ×

    Jennifer Robbins

    Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics

    Jennifer Robbins

    Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics

    A good introductory web design book that covers everything from HTML and CSS to Javascript and graphics optimization.
    $35
    ×

    Sue Jenkins

    Web Design All-in-One For Dummies

    Sue Jenkins

    Web Design All-in-One For Dummies

    A well-written intermediate-level reference book that deals with all aspects of creating, hosting, and maintaining a web site.
    $34
    ×

    Stefan Mischook

    Web Design - Start Here: A No-Nonsense, Jargon Free Guide to the Fundamentals of Web Design

    Stefan Mischook

    Web Design - Start Here: A No-Nonsense, Jargon Free Guide to the Fundamentals of Web Design

    An engaging entry-level book on web design fundamentals, although some readers felt that it did not get into enough detail.
    $18

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