Frontend Roadmap

Overview

Frontend development is well known for its rapid changes and continuous evolution. To thrive in this field or to get a strong start as a beginner, it's crucial to understand what you need to learn and what skills can elevate you to the next level. Based on my experience and past research, I have created this frontend roadmap. It is designed to benefit both newcomers and seasoned developers looking to fill gaps in their knowledge and improve their expertise. If you think there are additional topics worth mentioning, please feel free to share your suggestions.

Frontend Roadmap

HTML(HyperText Markup Language)

HTML forms the foundation of web development. Learning more than just the basic <div> element is crucial for creating well-structured and accessible web pages.

Common Elements - Learn about common elements and their attributes, such as <a>, <img> and <ul>.
Website Structure - Understand the structural elements, including <head>, <body>, and metadata elements like <meta> and <link>.
Tables and Forms - Learn about table elements such as <table>, <tr>, and <td>, and form elements like <form>, <input> and <button>.
Semantic HTML - Recognize the importance of semantic HTML and explore common semantic elements such as <article>, <aside>, <header> and <footer>.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

Mastering CSS techniques will allow you to style web pages efficiently and aesthetically. It can benefit to create visually appealing and responsive designs.

Selectors - Learn the basic selectors: Type, Class, ID, and Attribute selectors, as well as advanced ones like Pseudo-classes (e.g. :hover, :focus) and Pseudo-elements(e.g. ::before, ::after).
Box Model - Understand the CSS Box Model, including margin, border, padding, and content, and how to use box-sizing.
Layout - Learn about basic display types like block, inline, and inline-block, as well as advanced layout techniques such as Flexbox and Grid.
Responsive Design - Learn to create responsive layouts using Media Queries and different approaches.
CSS Animations and Transitions - Master CSS animations using @keyframes, and transitions with properties.
Preprocessing Languages and Frameworks - Get introduced to CSS preprocessors like SASS/SCSS and LESS, and frameworks like TailwindCSS, which widely used in modern frontend projects.

JavaScript

JavaScript brings interactivity and dynamic behavior to web pages. It’s the must-know for any frontend developer.

JavaScript Basics - Learn the syntax and basic concepts such as Conditional Statements and Functions.
DOM Manipulation - Learn to select and modify elements, handle events, and update the DOM dynamically.
ES6+ Features - Get familiar with modern JavaScript features like let and const, Destructuring, and Modules.
Asynchronous JavaScript - Understand asynchronous programming with Promise, async/await, and the Fetch API.
JavaScript Design Patterns - Learn common JavaScript design patterns such as Factory Pattern, Publisher/Subscriber Pattern and Observer Pattern.

Frameworks and Libraries

Frameworks and libraries simplify and accelerate development by providing pre-built components and tools, allowing developers to focus on building functionality rather than reinventing the wheel.

React - As one of the most popular frameworks, it's essential to learn its basics such as Components, Hooks, as well as advanced concepts like State Management, React Testing Library and Next.js.
Other Common Frameworks - Depending on project requirements or personal interests, it's beneficial to become familiar with other popular frameworks such as Vue.js, Angular and Svelte.
TypeScript - A statically typed superset of JavaScript that helps catch errors early and improves code quality and maintainability.
Node.js - As an essential part of frontend ecosystem, Node.js for server-side development enables you to build full-stack applications using JavaScript on both the client and server sides.
Popular Libraries - Get familiar with widely-used libraries for various purposes, e.g. D3.js for data visualization, ESLint for code optimaziation and standardization, and Husky for managing Git hooks.

Engineering and Tooling

Mastering good engineering practices and tools not only can ensure the code quality and maintainability of the project, but also can significantly improve the efficiency in development.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment) - Choose the right IDE to enhance your productivity and coding efficiency. Get familiar with at least one common IDE, such as Visual Studio Code or Webstorm, including mastering its shortcuts and knowing the useful plugins to further improve the productivity.
Version Control - Master Git basics (e.g. clone, commit, push, pull), branching, merging, and using platforms like GitHub/GitLab.
Package Managers - Learn to manage project dependencies with npm, Yarn and pnpm
Build Tools - Understand common build tools like Webpack, Parcel and Vite, and transpilers like Babel.
Testing - Learn about Test Pyramid, and frequently used testing techniques such as unit testing with Jest, end-to-end testing with Cypress.
Performance Optimization - Optimize performance with techniques like minification, compression, code splitting, and lazy loading, and learn the common tool Lighthouse.
Security - Understand common web security issues, common security testing such as SCA, SAST, DAST, and learn popular security tools like SonarQube.
Deployment - Learn about CI/CD basics, approach to deploy a website, and get familiar with common tools such as PM2 as well as containerization using Docker.

Additional Topics

Beyond the basics, there are a few additional topics which can help further enhance the web application in various aspects, or worth you to further explore.

Web Accessibility (a11y) - Understand the importance of making web content accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Learn best practices and standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure your applications are inclusive and compliant.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - Optimize your web applications for search engines by mastering basic techniques such as meta tags and descriptions, and implementing advanced SEO best practices to improve visibility and ranking in search results.
Microfrontend Architecture - Explore the concept of microfrontends, which allows you to break down a web application into smaller, more manageable pieces. Learn about common solutions like Webpack Module Federation for building and integrating microfrontends.
WebAssembly - Get introduced to WebAssembly, a powerful, low-level language that allows you to run high-performance code on the web. Understand its use cases and how it can be integrated with JavaScript for performance-critical applications.
Web Game Development - If you are interested in web game development, learn about frameworks and libraries such as Phaser and Three.js to create 2D and 3D games that run in the browser.