We always enjoy making big course announcements, and we are pleased to share news about our forthcoming Web Design 2026 Edition. Read on to find out what the new course contains and when it will be released. Don't forget to check out our matching webinar (linked below) for a video tour!
Big Picture & Release Schedule
The 2026 edition of Web Design is essentially a new course with many great, new features. The estimated release dates are:
- Summer 2026 - When "close" to release quality, we'll make the new course available for public/private school teacher review through your dashboard and our Get Started review request.
- Fall 2026 - The new course will be available for students starting with the Fall 2026 semester.
Stay tuned for more specific dates as we get closer to the final version.
4/28/2026 Update - A preview of the new course is now available for all review requests!
5/28/2026 Update - The production version of the new course is now available!
Current Edition
Our current Web Design course has taught thousands of students to code in HTML and CSS over the past 10 years. While we're generally pleased with the materials, we have identified some logistical challenges with the current infrastructure. In particular:
- Use of Local Text Editors - Students currently use external text editors such as Notepad or TextEdit to create HTML files on their local computers. Students must manage their own files on the local file system.
- Manual File Uploads - Students currently ZIP up project directories to submit files online.
- Manual Teacher Grading - Teachers currently grade projects using our rubrics.
- Semester-long Projects - Students work on a long-term website in each semester ("Raptors") and "Aquamaniacs"). If students fall behind or enter a semester late, they need to bring their work back in sync with the expected status in later chapters.
These logistical challenges have certainly been manageable in past years, but after careful study and planning, we're ready to solve all of them!
New 2026 Edition Features
The new 2026 edition of Web Design will still teach the same concepts and skills, and it will still cover the same state requirements. Naturally, we're taking the opportunity to update the instructional materials where needed (sequence and content) for better flow and inclusion of current web design trends. In addition...
- Online IDE - Students will work in an online IDE, directly in the web browser, like our C#, Java, and Python Programming classes. They no longer need to use external text editors or development environments (though they can, if desired).
- Cloud Storage - Student work is automatically saved to our cloud and is available for teacher inspection without any upload steps.
- Automatic Error Checking - The online IDE contains automatic error-checking, color syntax highlighting, and other features.
- Chapter-Level Projects - Each lesson and chapter has all-new "Work with Me" exercises and standalone Chapter Activity projects that do not rely on prior work.
- AUTOMATIC GRADING - We thought the caps might get your attention. Student work is now auto-graded, just like our Python, C#, and Java courses!
For More Information
Check out our January 2026 Professional Development Webinar - "Announcing the Web Design 2026 Edition" - for further discussion and a video sneak peek of the new course. As always, please Contact Us if you have questions!