The web today is almost unrecognizable from the early days of white pages with lists of blue links. Now, sites are designed with complex layouts, unique fonts, and customized color schemes. This course will show you the basics of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS3). The emphasis will be on learning how to write CSS rules, how to test code, and how to establish good programming habits.
This course is part of the Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding Specialization
Offered By
About this Course
Skills you will gain
- Web Design
- Style Sheets
- Cascading Style Sheets (CCS)
- Web Development
Offered by

University of Michigan
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week One: Getting Started with Simple Styling
Welcome to Introduction to CSS3! In this course you will learn how to style your pages by taking advantage of the power of CSS3. We will focus on both proper syntax (how to write your styling rules) and the importance of accessibility design (making sure that your style enhances your site, not make it harder to navigate). It is so important that you jump in ready to make mistakes and typos in this course. The only way you will really understand the material is to practice typing it in on your own as often as possible.
Week Two: Advanced Styling
Colors and fonts are just the start to styling your page. The nice thing about starting with these properties is that they are usually very straightforward to implement. You pick a color and boom - instant, expected results. This week we move on to new properties that tend to require a little bit of tweaking to get the desired results. In particular we will talk about the Box Model, background images, opacity, float, columns, visibility, and designing for different browsers.
Week Three: Psuedo-classes, Pseudo-elements, Transitions, and Positioning
Have you ever noticed on a web page that some links are blue and others are purple, depending upon if you have clicked on the links? How is it possible to style some anchor tags and not others? This week you will learn how to style pseudo-classes (e.g. a link that has been visiting, an element that has the mouse hovering over it) and pseudo-elements (e.g. the first-letter of a heading, the first line of a paragraph). These elements are not difficult to style, but do require careful coding. It is also the first step to adding simple animation to your site. We end this week with the subject of positioning -- how to get elements to stick to a certain part of your page. Think about annoying pop-up ads. How do the programmers get them to stay RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN despite the fact that you keep trying to scroll them away.
Week Four: Putting It All Together
This week I am going to do some code review. I will show you how I used pseudo-classes and pseudo-elements to style a table. Then I give you a demonstration of three different navigation bars that utilize different styling options. We will want to step back and talk about how these different options may affect the accessibility of our site. The final step to completing this course is the completion of the peer-graded project. You will have the chance to demonstrate the ability to follow styling guidelines while still putting your own personal touch on the project. Just remember, you need to validate your work for proper syntax and accessibility.
Where To Go From Here?
If you would like to do more now that you have finished this course, I have a few recommendations. The most important thing is that you continue to practice your skills and always have "something" that you are working on.
Reviews
- 5 stars82.18%
- 4 stars15.57%
- 3 stars1.80%
- 2 stars0.17%
- 1 star0.25%
TOP REVIEWS FROM INTRODUCTION TO CSS3
I have learned SO much in this class. I am making web sites, writing code, making mistakes, and solving problems. This is the most practical class I have taken on Coursera. I HIGHLY recommend it!
please remove the peer grading module because some students graded me with unreasonable deductions by giving no reason why he/she did this. It won't be fair enough for people who graded me seriously.
This course is really great because their module/curriculum is easy to follow even for absolute beginners. Besides, the good spirit of the teachers/professors spread to its online students :)
This course helped me hone my CSS skills. Even though I had some knowledge on the subject, I understood and practiced many things that I had difficulty understanding before. Thanks, Professor Colleen.
About the Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding Specialization
This Specialization covers how to write syntactically correct HTML5 and CSS3, and how to create interactive web experiences with JavaScript. Mastering this range of technologies will allow you to develop high quality web sites that, work seamlessly on mobile, tablet, and large screen browsers accessible. During the capstone you will develop a professional-quality web portfolio demonstrating your growth as a web developer and your knowledge of accessible web design. This will include your ability to design and implement a responsive site that utilizes tools to create a site that is accessible to a wide audience, including those with visual, audial, physical, and cognitive impairments.

Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.