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15 of the Best Website Development Blogs to Read

The field of web development is rapidly changing. Thanks to open-source and innovation, as soon as you learn one technology, a new one comes along. Because of this, it can be challenging to stay up-to-date in the industry.

Thankfully, web development blogs make it easy for anyone to stay current with the relevant topics of today. Whether it’s learning a new ux design application or finding someone to explain the latest trend, the internet is full of a wealth of information on these and many other topics.

Below are 15 of the best web development blogs that we could find. We’ve arranged them into three categories, but it is important to note that some can go in more than one category. So click over to a few of them, subscribe for updates and consider yourself informed.

Blogs that Teach

Sometimes you want to learn something, and a web dev blog is the best way to do it. Below are some of the best teaching blogs.

UX Myths

UX MythsUX Design is a popular topic that many people know little about. Unfortunately, this has led to the development of a few myths over the years. Thankfully this blog directly addresses those myths with research-based articles and advice from industry experts. When you visit the web dev blog, you’ll find 34 myths debunked in an easy-to-read style. This usability design blog, really stayed true to keeping the end user in mind. It’s easy enough for anyone to read, making it perfect to use to explain UX to coworkers, or simply brush up on your knowledge.

Smashing Magazine

smashing magazine  150x150If you have heard of any web dev blogs, you have probably heard of this one. Smashing Magazine is an online leader on the topic of web design. This website development blog has been around for 11 years and has the loyal following to prove it. You can find almost anything that you are looking for on this blog as it has 11 years of content under its belt. They write on over 40 different topics, some trending, but most are practical. Their focus is providing articles that help make better designs, and it also takes this concept offline. In addition to the blog, the site also hosts webinars and events as well as, posts jobs.

Design Shack

design shackThis site started as a design blog, but it quickly joined the list of top website development blogs thanks to its helpful articles. In addition to inspiring web design graphics, you’ll also find articles on accessibility, graphics, and layouts. Design Shack is the web designer’s dream. In addition to the graphics, the blog also tackles a diverse list of topics such as UX design, CSS, and freelancing. It’s literally a go-to for anyone working in the web design field. If you are a web designer looking for a great design blog, or even a web developer looking for inspiration this blog will keep you happy.

A List Apart

a list apartA List Apart may be one of the oldest website development blogs on the internet, and it looks the part as well. The idea for the site began in 1997 as a mailing list. In 1998 it made the move to a blog and has been around ever since. Although it looks retro, it’s information architecture is 100% modern. Despite all the years of content, the site has a minimalistic UI and is extremely easy to navigate. You’ll find articles on content, design, and user experience as well as free-to-use code samples. The site also hosts events that feature industry leaders.

Scotch.io

scotch ioThis web development blog says it’s for fun and practical web development, so it seems like it would fall in between blogs that teach and blogs that entertain. However, a quick visit to their site will explain why we placed it in the blogs that teach section. Although you can have fun on this site, you will definitely learn something from it. This web dev blog features 547 tutorials on Angular, React, Vue, Node, and Laravel. It is expansive. If you don’t want to search through all of those tutorials, they also have a guide that organizes them for you. Simply choose your topic and read away. Once again, this is the web dev blog that you go to if you want to learn something.

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Blogs that Entertain

These web development blogs prove that programming can be fun.

Scott Hanselman’s Blog

scott hanselmanIn a time where many of the top website development blogs are sponsored by organizations, Scott Hanselman is the exception. The Portland-based programmer has been blogging about web development for decades and still is. Although he works for Microsoft, this is a personal blog that features his thoughts on a large variety of web development topics. If you ever wondered what the experts think, he will be happy to tell you. Entertaining and informative, you can learn a lot from this early adopter.

CSS Tricks

css tricksDon’t let the name fool you, this website development blog is about more than CSS.  The name is a hint to how long the site has been around. When it was launched, CSS was a hot topic and the site dedicated itself to the topic. That was 2007. Now CSS Tricks covers even more web design and development topics including fonts, WordPress and job searching.  You won’t learn as much on this blog as some of the others, but it is definitely fun to read.

Sitepoint

sitepointSitepoint is more of an online learning platform than website development blog, but we’re including it on this list because the site’s free articles are worth reading and the offers are kind of fun. Sitepoint also features a premium service where subscribers have access to in-depth web development ebooks and courses, but there’s plenty to gain from their free offers and articles on JavaScript, design, and UX.

Alex Sexton’s Blog

alex sexton 150x150Alex Sexton wrote a web dev blog a long time ago, and it was good. It was so good that web developers still reference it even though he hasn’t written anything else in years. If you haven’t already checked out this blog, it’s worth doing. A lot of other people have over the years. You may not learn anything, but you will likely have a good chuckle or two.

Slickplan Blog

slickplanSlickplan creates technology that makes website planning easier, and its blog’s goal is to help its readers build better websites. It does this by providing interesting articles for web designers and developers. Sure, you’ll learn a few things on this blog – especially if it is about information architecture, but you’re more likely to feel motivated to create user-friendly websites instead of taking notes. It’s all about balancing informative with fun, and this IA blog does just that.

Blogs that Inform

Technology changes rapidly. These blogs help you stay in the know.

Code Condo

codecondoThis straightforward web development blog features tutorials and tips on a variety of web design topics. If you’re looking for a trending web development topic, chances are, the writers on this site have already done the research. If you can’t find the information that you need there, you can click over to their freebies page for a link to web development courses.

Cats who Code

cats who codeThis blog clearly states what it is about – WordPress, Web Development, and Web Design. Readers will have no trouble finding an entertaining article or two, discount codes for products and services, and perhaps a few helpful tutorials. Cats who Code has been posting for a long time, so it has a lot of articles to choose from, making it a great website development blog to check out.

Codrops

codropsThis web dev blog is all about innovation. If there is a new trend, they are telling you about it, and likely writing a tutorial on it. The site has five sections, four of which include helpful articles. The tutorials section features in-depth articles on a variety of topics, while the playground and blueprint sections are for the more experimental crowd. Come for the news, but stay for the lessons – you are likely to learn something on this blog.

Onextrapixel

onextrapixelThis web development blog has enough articles to qualify as an online magazine, and its popular enough to make it on this list. Mostly centered around design topics, you’ll find plenty of articles to inspire future designs as well as articles on current web design and graphic trends. In addition to the articles, there are also sponsored posts and a freebie section. For web designers looking for a quick blog to keep them up-to-date, this online magazine delivers.

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SpeckyBoy

speckyboySpeckyBoy is an online magazine for web designers that covers 18 web design and web development topics. You’ll find articles on many web design topics including information architecture, design inspiration, freelancing, photography, and icons. The magazine features numerous writers, so you’ll be exposed to numerous points of views. The site also features web design tools for those needing resources.

Jenn Marie

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