Every frontend job, whether at a fintech in Accra or a remote startup abroad, starts with the same things: a working setup, a clear picture of how the web reaches your users' phones and laptops, and the habit of saving your work properly. This section gives you all three, using only free tools.
Your free setup
You do not need an expensive machine. A modest laptop with 4 GB of memory is enough for most of this roadmap. You need three things:
- A code editor. A free code editor such as Visual Studio Code (VS Code), which works on Windows, macOS and Linux. Install it once on WiFi.
- A modern browser. Browsers such as Chrome or Firefox have built in developer tools, which you will use every day to inspect pages and find bugs.
- A folder for projects. Make one folder called
projectsand keep each project in its own subfolder.
No laptop yet? You can still start. Free browser based editors such as CodePen let you write HTML, CSS and JavaScript on a phone, and you can read every lesson here on any device between practice sessions.
Saving data while you learn
Data bundles cost money, so plan around them:
- Download documentation and long videos when you have WiFi, for example at a library, a hub or a school.