Design for The Web
A complete foundation in digital product design and development. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Figma, accessibility, design systems, and (more importantly) all the timeless things underneath them you didn’t know you needed. It’s self-paced, but it isn’t a hands-off video course. We’ll be directing you through real work that forces real progress, and helping you hone in on your interests and the kinds of jobs you’ll aim for.
UX goal: draft
A visitor can:
- tell what the program is, who it is for, and what they’ll be able to do
- see the price and how it is charged, and start enrolling from the top or the bottom
- see what we focus on, and what we deliberately won’t teach
- read the syllabus and FAQs, or meet Derek, before deciding
Who it’s for
You don’t need any experience to start. Complete beginners. People exploring before committing to a degree. Graphic designers learning to code. Founders. CS students. Developers exploring the visual side. People who’ve been vibe coding and want to know how it all works.
More like a master’s program than an online video course, DFTW is built around the working relationship, like real life. Office hours, feedback, mentorship. You learn to design by designing. You learn to do the job by doing it. A force multiplier for people ready to do the work. The tools will change. The foundation doesn’t.
By the end, you can:
- Sketch, prototype, build, and deploy real projects, from front end to back end.
- Make informed decisions about design, code, and the tools you use.
- Debug your own work instead of guessing at the next fix.
- Critique a design with evidence, not just preference.
- Use AI and emerging technologies as part of your actual workflow.
From students
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This is the funnest class I’ve taken like ever
John, alpha-01 -
Within the first two months, I have learned more than I have in almost 2 years. For the first time in 10 years, I am excited and confident about my career.
Alex, alpha-01 -
The participation with fellow students has been some of the best experience... Weekly check-ins are single-handedly possibly the best benefit to this course.
Tara, alpha-03 -
It’s weird to say, I look forward to Mondays. But it feels like every week is a start of some big journey for the week that we go through. And the journey starts Monday. So you gotta be ready for it.
Jesse, alpha-04 -
I love being back in school! This course makes me happy. I'm happy to wake up early.
Emily, alpha-06 -
I like the fact that we’re starting with the most basic version of the form and building on it.
Joseph, alpha-07 -
After eight months of being in a personalized mentorship-style bootcamp, I couldn’t imagine starting my coding journey with Node as one student of fifty.
Jeremy, alpha-08 -
I think like a designer, and I do say that very confidently.
Stephanie, beta-01 -
Motivation to get something done is great, but it doesn't mean you're actually prepared to get it done.
Ernesto, beta-02 -
I'm interested to see how my writing changes over time. That's something I never thought I'd say in the context of a web design course, but here I am, ready to go!
Will, beta-03 -
I realized the chaotic arrows and color-coded diagrams I used in high school and college (the same ones my teachers might have called 'messy') are still my natural way of thinking... Now, years later, I finally feel like I'm turning that early 'mess' into something intentional, useful, and maybe even beautiful.
Carmen, beta-03 -
Derek is amazing. He helped me land my first Web Dev job. Highly recommend Derek as a mentor. He is very knowledgeable and has a knack for tailoring the experience to your direct needs.
James, Past mentee
Question
Their words, from their blogs and the public review sites, lightly edited (they asked for that); each labeled with a first name and the cohort - alpha-01, beta-01, or Past mentee (pe_student_quotes(), functions/utilities.php, says where the cohorts come from). More: perpetual-education-company/student-reviews/student-testimonials.md, and the current students' module reflections (their Substack posts, linked from their checkpoint reviews).
Focus on what matters
The world needs designers. Good designers. But it’s a messy business — most design education chases trends, and most programming education is written by people who are happy to share what they know but have no idea how to actually teach it. The very idea of “design” is muddled.
So we start at the beginning, and cover what you’ll actually use.
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How our brains work
“Programming is hard!” Or so we sometimes think… but it’s modeled after our simple thought processes. You already think like a computer – and that’s really helpful to understand early on.
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Work life balance
It doesn’t matter if you are the best programmer in the world if you burn out. To maintain a sustainable work-life balance and be an effective designer, you’ll need to manage your schedule and build healthy habits.
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How computers work
Although this isn’t a Computer Science class, you’ll need a clear sense of how computers work – because they are the internet – and our primary tool.
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User experience
You don’t need to go to UX school to learn User Experience. You are a user! Learn how to think about your experience through some new lenses.
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AI as a learning tool
Everyone’s using ChatGPT and Copilot now, right? Sure. But if you use AI to skip the struggle, you’ll never build the mental models you need. Learn when AI accelerates your growth – and when it stunts it.
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Operating systems and interfaces
Interact with the computer through the command line, Graphical User Interfaces, browsers, and learn about the OS and file system. (Someone designed that too 😉
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Usability
Test out ideas and prototypes with real users. Learn to spot common pitfalls and build interfaces that are enjoyable and intuitive based on real-world evidence.
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Effectively leverage your computer
You’ve probably used a computer for a long time already – and you might think you’re an expert. Learn to optimize your workflows and save your time for what matters most.
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Goal-driven development
It’s impossible to tell if a design is successful without a goal. Learn to leave the ego out of the process and guide yourself and the team with clear goal-driven decision-making.
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Teamwork tools
Learn tools like Google Drive to stay organized and collaborate on ideas in real-time. No more emailing zip files and chasing down outdated PDFs. Save your time for what matters.
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Research and strategy
Just the right amount of research – can save you hundreds of hours or even millions of dollars. Fight the urge to start building and learn how to set the stage for successful projects.
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Content hierarchy
Organize content and craft clear messages and stories. Learn how the browsers use this information for cataloging and how visual design plays its role.
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How The Web works
It’s taken for granted. “The Internet,” right? You use it. But clearly understanding what is happening will open up that black box and save you from years of blurry mental models.
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Hypertext Markup Language
It’s HTML! The primary tool for building web pages. Learn the what and how and why by revisiting its history. Build your first websites like it’s 1999!
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Expressive and accessible markup
HTML has gone through many changes. It’s the best it’s ever been – and you can write wonderful markup to appease the computers and ensure everyone access to your site’s content.
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Typography for a fluid context
Explore typography for print and how word processing and visual design programs describe text. Tell your story with class, and confront a world with no fixed paper size.
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Cascading Style Sheets
Uncover the secret styles your browser is giving your HTML page. Learn the magic of the Cascade and how to bring your sites to life with CSS.
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SEO and how sites are crawled
Dig into how your HTML is read by browsers and search engines. Learn how to write optimized pages from the start – instead of hiring an “SEO” person to come in and fix it later.
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Rich metadata for sharing
You know those images and links and titles that show up when you share a site on social media or even in a text message? Take full advantage of rich sharing assets to stand out above the rest.
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Responsive layout techniques
CSS was never meant for layout. It’s a hotbed of frustration – but that time is over! We now have new tools like flexbox and grid that allow us supreme control over the fluid world of the web browser.
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User testing
Get out there and test those prototypes. There’s no need to “guess” if it’s working. The users will tell you if you ask. Make it a core part of your design process even if you just ask your mom.
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Documenting your process
Being able to talk about your thought process, goals, and the evidence that helped you make decisions is worth more than mastering any given programming language. It’s also what will get you hired.
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Project management and leadership
Get acquainted with tools like Trello and set up timelines to mark progress. Learn how to manage people and their expectations – while supporting your team instead of hounding them.
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Version control and staging
Use Git to manage your code and work on collaborative teams. Learn how to ‘stage’ websites and build things locally and ship to the live site after sign-off.
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Server-side scripting
Learn the basics of programming with PHP. This common language will directly relate to other Object Oriented languages and to JavaScript as well. Learn how server-side rendering works and explore component architecture.
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Understanding tech stacks
Check back in with HTTPS and learn how the most common server software generates and delivers your website to the end-user. The less ‘stuff’ the better!
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Dynamic data and databases
At some point, you’ll grow out of the core HTML features – and you’ll want to take the next step. Learn how user-generated data-driven sites work – and how pages are built from data in a database.
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Personal websites
Apply workshop insights to your projects or apps. Understand DNS, domain names, and hosting. Enhance your portfolio with our daily challenges.
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Building authority with a blog
Writing in public sharpens your thinking and gets you found. We’ll look at what makes a blog worth reading — and how to set one up on your own terms, without renting your audience from a platform.
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Libraries and frameworks
A ‘library’ is just a collection of pre-written code you can use. A framework is a set of conventions and structures. Cut through the hype and learn how to choose your tools with confidence.
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Finding your role on the team
We don’t think everyone should be striving to be a “full-stack” developer. It’s not that black and white. We’re here to help you find your passion and where you can provide the most value.
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Content management systems
You may have heard of ‘front-end’ and ‘back-end’ — but what about the front of the back-end? Learn CRUD, build a custom theme, and shape a CMS around the people who’ll actually use it.
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Visual design concepts
We have major respect for great visual design, but it isn’t magic. It takes practice like everything else. We’ll give you the tricks to keep it fun and effective.
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Navigating group critiques
It takes empathy and respect to communicate with your team members. Staying on track and focusing on the goal can help guide you through messy feelings and personal styles. Evidence is queen.
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Page speed and performance
Keep your sites lean and mean by understanding the bottlenecks and how pages are delivered and rendered. Learn to weigh the cost of common and unfortunate design decisions.
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Client-side scripting and rendering
Yes, yes, yes. JavaScript. We’ll be learning and using lots of JavaScript. You’ll learn how to learn from the official documentation. At a real job, no one is going to give you directions.
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User interface and animation
Create fun and interactive experiences. Although we believe that content comes first, there’s no reason why it can’t also make you say “Whoa! that’s so cool!”
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Integrating AI and LLMs
We’ll demystify “AI” and get the lay of the land – what these tools actually are, what’s newly possible, and where they might fit into your work.
What we will not learn
We have opinions. We’ve also got opinions about having too many opinions. It’s tricky. As you mature as a person, and as a designer, you go through many stages. Some of these are absolutely essential for your growth, but some of them are true wastes of time. Here’s what we won’t be teaching — and why.
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How to be a NinjaWe won’t be teaching you how to be a ‘rock-star’ or a ‘Ninja.’ While ninjas historically excelled in stealth, and rock stars are known for their musical talents, our emphasis is on the art of designing things.
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BrogrammingAs fun as programming is, it’s just a tool – and the outcome is what we’re excited about. You can’t “win” programming. We won’t be creating a culture for ‘bros’ – unless you’re talking about Mario.
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Bad habitsNo bad habits allowed. Your team will cross-reference everything – and together, we’ll decide what that means. We’ll be fighting the urge toward random rituals and arbitrary tinkering.
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Vibe/Dopamine-driven developmentChasing the high of the latest framework or AI tool, or rebuilding your portfolio every weekend, might feel productive – but it’s a trap. Real knowledge lets you evaluate what’s worth your time and what’s just noise.
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Android and iOSWe prefer Progressive Web Applications over proprietary tools where possible, and it wouldn’t make sense to teach Java and Swift in the same course. But everything we learn will directly apply to those things as well.
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CSS frameworksWe will be going super in-depth with CSS and during that time you’ll create your own CSS ‘framework.’ We’ll explain the design decisions behind Bootstrap and Tailwind – and then you’ll be able to decide for yourself.
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Bitcoin and blockchainBitcoin and blockchain are intriguing areas, though not a focus of ours. However, it’s your journey, and we’re here to support your exploration into these fields if you choose.
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Artificial intelligenceDuring the program, we’ll certainly be talking about the impact of LLMs and how to leverage all the new tools in your workflow. You can build your own world-destroying robots after if you really want to.
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Enterprise level applicationsOnline classes and tutorials make it seem like one person can build out their ultra-complex web application all by themselves. You can’t. No one goes to school to learn to build “Buildings” all by themselves, right?
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Paid advertisingThere are plenty of ways to market things and cross-promote. We’ll teach some of that – but these ugly ads tracking us around the internet have got to go. We’re not going to be adding to the trash heap.
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Computer ScienceWe work hard to keep everything universal and connected to the core concepts, but if you want to learn Computer Science, you’ll need to take some additional steps. We can help you – when it’s time.
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Classic video game developmentAs cool as this is, we’re not going to be doing anything like this in the core curriculum. We will have lots of game-like interaction opportunities though.
What the future holds
DFTW is designed to be approachable — and to take you as deep as you can go. The path is different for everyone, but by the time you’re out the other side, you can sketch an idea, prototype it, and clearly understand the medium — HTML, CSS, JavaScript, server-side scripting, whatever it takes — well enough to build and deploy it yourself, or to work shoulder-to-shoulder with the people who do. What comes next depends on the problems you want to solve.
That shared baseline is why our other programs can go straight into harder material, instead of backtracking. DFTW isn’t a training course for “coders.” It’s the foundation for everything that’s next.
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Building your own product
You’ve got the foundation. Now build something real. Design the stack, handle user flows, connect payments, and solve the problems that show up when it’s no longer just a prototype.
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Launching a startup or studio
Some of you want to go further. This is about turning what you know into a service, a company, or a creative practice. We’ll help you stay focused while building something sustainable.
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Choosing your stack & identity
Frameworks are more than tools. Choosing how you build shapes how you think. We’ll help you explore what fits—Nuxt, Laravel, Go, Rust, HTMX—and why those choices matter (or don’t).
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Systems thinking & scale
Things get weird when apps grow. You’ll learn to debug systems, plan for failure, and keep things fast and stable. It’s about staying in control as your projects evolve.
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Becoming the framework
Sometimes the tool you need doesn’t exist. So you make it. Build libraries, plugins, and internal systems that are reliable, readable, and ready for other people to use.
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Owning a visual & interaction niche
Some people design. Some people code. You do both. This is about making systems that look good, feel right, and scale across teams or products.
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Creative code & interaction
Not everything needs to be an app. This is about music, visuals, and playful experiences made with code. Explore generative design, Web Audio, and weird input systems that break the rules.
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Exploring alternative paradigms
You’ve seen how things usually work. This is where you explore how they could work. Try functional tools, no-JS workflows, local-first apps, and other patterns that challenge the defaults.
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Interfaces beyond the screen
What if your code ran a light, a motor, or a sensor? Learn how to connect software to the real world. This includes physical interfaces, microcontrollers, and connected devices.
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Working with AI
Things are moving fast, and no one knows exactly where it’s headed. What we do know is that new tools are showing up everywhere—from design to development to business ops. We’re keeping up, testing what’s useful, and helping you make sense of it all when the time comes.
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High-stakes prep
Some paths require more polish, deeper theory, or a longer timeline. Whether you’re targeting a competitive job at a company like Apple or applying to a grad program in HCI or interaction design, we can help you plan your trajectory.
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Internships and giving back
We sometimes bring graduates into real client work. Others help shape the curriculum or mentor new students. If you want to stay involved, there’s always something meaningful to work on.
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You tell us!
We’re always developing new workshops and projects based on the areas members want to focus on. Your experience helps shape where we go next.
The First Four Years
Maybe you’ve already heard about Perpetual Education—or maybe this is your first introduction. Design for The Web (DFTW) is our holistic web development curriculum, evolving through real-world practice since 2019.
We’ve worked with people from all walks of life, refining every workshop, challenge, and resource to focus on what truly makes a difference. The result is more than just a collection of lessons—it’s a complete system designed to help you connect design and development, think critically, and build meaningful skills. It’s competitive out there. So, you need to be a little better than everyone else.
Ultimately, it’s about gaining the confidence to tackle real-world problems and creating work you’re truly proud of.
Why a self-paced program?
Years of one-on-one and group coaching have only reinforced what we’ve always known: true growth comes from within. That’s why we created this self-driven program—to empower more of you to take charge of your learning and make meaningful progress on your terms.
Put simply, we believe a world with more designers (yes, that means web developers) – is a better world. A good designer is a good person, and learning these skills is a foundation that can lead to any career.
How does it work?
This isn’t a course you watch and binge—it’s a course of action. With milestones and feedback at every step, you won’t move forward until your work is signed off and meets our standards. Think of it as our internal (unofficial) certification for the degree of skill and experience you need to be a successful (hirable) developer or designer.
You’ll either be able to do the work—or you won’t. The sooner you discover where you stand, the less time and money you’ll waste chasing a hazy dream.
Instead of memorizing steps, we help you understand why things work. Our focus is on building critical thinking and problem-solving skills so you can approach any challenge with confidence. And while the work is web-based, the mindset you’ll build goes far beyond—teaching you how to create meaningful, human-centered solutions in everything you do.
Is this right for me?
If you’re the type of person who really wants to learn this – and has the time and focus, it will be an incredible force multiplier. It’s what we wish we had when we were starting out—and it’s the result of over four years of focused development, built on lessons learned and insights gained since Derek began answering questions and helping others in 2011.
This program is unapologetically simple, clever, and yes—even fun. It’s not just for superstar A+ students (those who are used to chasing grades often struggle most because real-world problems don’t come with a clear rubric). This is for anyone willing to push through discomfort, tackle the real challenges of the job, and take ownership of their learning.
It’s about YOU doing the work. No shortcuts, no fluff—just the most effective way to focus your time and energy. Whether your goal is to build confidence, maintain enthusiasm, or create a faster path to a rewarding career, this program is designed to meet you where you are and help you move forward.
If you’ve struggled with procrastination, tutorial purgatory, time management, or challenges related to neurodiversity, this program is here to help. It’s about reframing your approach, overcoming obstacles, and building a love for the work—a lifestyle that works for you. Come talk to us about it. We can explain exactly how it works, why it works, and when it doesn’t work – and help you decide if it’s a good fit for your goals. And we like meeting new people : ) And we’re happy to recommend books or courses, whatever might be an even better fit, based on where you’re at and your goals.
How much does it cost?
As of today, the program is $300 a month, and that’s the price you’ll keep for as long as you’re enrolled.
Does that seem expensive? Well, we took what the $30k coding bootcamps were trying to do, made it 10 times better, and then made it 1/10th the price. How much more do you want? It’s the same cost as a few hours of tutoring with a competent teacher. And it’s month-to-month—if it’s not working for you, just pause or cancel. No pressure, no long-term commitments.
We’re not sure yet how much we’ll scale this program—we’re looking for the right number of people, not the most people. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together.
How Long Will It Take?
Unlike colleges or coding boot camps that promise you’ll be “job-ready” by a specific date, we know it’s not about how much time has passed—it’s about your maturity as a learner and your readiness to contribute meaningfully.
If you’re able to dedicate 2-3 hours a day consistently, we estimate it will take about 9 months to complete the core material. That said, everyone learns at their own pace. As we get to know you and see how things are going, we’ll help you forecast a realistic timeline based on your progress, strengths, and goals.
And here’s the thing: there’s no reason you can’t start exploring job opportunities while you’re still working through the program. This isn’t about checking off modules for a certificate—it’s about gaining the experience and confidence to be useful and get hired. The skills you’re building can open doors long before you’ve “finished” every single module.
Our goal isn’t speed—it’s about building confidence and real-world competence. By the time you complete the core material, you’ll have the skills, projects, and knowledge to stand out and contribute as part of a team. DFTW is about building a long-term career trajectory.
And it doesn’t stop there. We’re continually creating electives and additional materials to explore new areas, so as part of the alumni network, you’ll have access to everything we build moving forward. You won’t need us forever—but we’ll be here for as long as you do.
How long will it take?
At 2–3 hours a day, about 9 months for the core material. Everyone moves at their own pace.
Note
To show here: what a week looks like, what you’ll build, who teaches - notebook drawings of the daily workflow and how the course progresses.
Join
Or come to open office hours to talk about whether it’s a fit.