City Lit tutor and UX consultant Itai Bercovier shares his top 5 reasons why it's important to learn HTML & CSS.
Communication is a fundamental human trait, evident throughout history. We've gone from prehistoric cave paintings to clay tablets, Egyptian hieroglyphs, the printing press, and now, the digital age. Today, the internet is central to how we communicate, work, and live.
What began as a text-based medium (the first generation of the internet) has evolved into a rich, interactive experience filled with images, video, and dynamic content. At the heart of this evolution are two essential technologies: HTML and CSS.
The Role of HTML & CSS in Modern Web Development
Every website goes through a development process involving design, coding, and testing. Developers must ensure that websites are:
- responsive, meaning they work seamlessly across devices from desktops to smartphones
- discoverable via search engines (SEO)
- intuitive and accessible to users
- visually appealing and functionally reliable
Even with the rise of frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular, HTML and CSS remain the foundation of all web content. These technologies are not just for developers. HTML and CSS skills are valuable across many professions, including marketing, copywriting, design, and communications.
What Is HTML?
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard language used to structure content on the web. It tells your browser how to display elements like text, images, links, and headings. HTML uses tags and attributes to define these elements, making it the backbone of every webpage.
What Is CSS?
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) works alongside HTML to control the visual presentation of web content. It defines styles such as layout, colours, fonts, and spacing. While HTML handles the structure, CSS determines how that structure looks and feels.
5 Reasons to Learn HTML & CSS in 2025
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They’re Easy to Learn
HTML and CSS are rule-based and beginner-friendly. Once you understand the syntax and structure, you can quickly build and style web pages. They’re the ideal starting point for anyone interested in coding or digital content creation.
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They’re the Foundation of the Web
Learning HTML and CSS provides a strong base for understanding other technologies. Whether you're moving into front-end development with JavaScript or exploring back-end tools like Python or PHP, HTML and CSS are the gateway.
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They Help Your Portfolio and CV Stand Out
With HTML and CSS skills, you can build a custom website to showcase your work—far more unique than using generic templates. This demonstrates initiative and technical ability to potential employers.
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They’re Useful Beyond Web Development
Understanding HTML and CSS allows professionals in marketing, communications, and design to:
- Update and optimise web content
- Improve user experience
- Reduce reliance on external developers
- Speed up publishing workflows
- For example, a copywriter who knows HTML can publish content directly, saving time and resources.
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They Open Doors to New Careers
The tech industry continues to grow, and our reliance on the web has only increased. From remote work and e-commerce to social media and digital services, HTML and CSS power the platforms we use daily. Employers across industries seek candidates with web literacy, and these skills are often a prerequisite for more advanced roles.
What’s New?
- HTML5 and CSS3 remain the current standards, offering features like semantic tags, multimedia integration, and responsive design.
- AI-assisted coding tools (like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT) can help generate HTML/CSS, but understanding the code is essential for effective use.
- Responsive design and accessibility are more important than ever, with CSS Grid, Flexbox, and semantic HTML playing key roles.
- No-code platforms still rely on HTML/CSS behind the scenes, making foundational knowledge valuable even when using tools like WordPress or Wix.
Learning HTML and CSS is a smart investment. No matter how complex a website appears, it still relies on these core technologies to display content. The journey starts here and the good news is, it’s not a difficult one. With plenty of resources and support available, you can build a strong foundation and, if you choose, move on to more advanced skills like JavaScript or PHP.
5 reasons why it's important to learn HTML & CSS.
- It’s easy to master
HTML & CSS are languages built on sets of rules. If you learn the rules and the tags used, you can already understand the basics of HTML, while CSS has a simple structure that works with the gained HTML knowledge making learning the two together easier than it sounds. Learning HTML and CSS is the best way to start a journey of web development. I'd go as far as saying that HTML and CSS are easy to learn.
- HTML is the building block of the web
Understanding HTML and CSS makes learning other coding and programming languages an easier journey. By learning HTML and CSS first, you’ll develop the fundamentals that will allow you to learn languages such as JavaScript for those who want to focus on what we call the front-end or interaction design, and Python, PHP and MySQL for those who are more interested in the back-end design.
- Make your visual portfolio and your CV stand out
Equipped with the knowledge of HTML and CSS, you can create your own website that will have a bespoke look and design as opposed to using templates such as WIX or WordPress that are used widely by many individuals. You will also show potential employers you knowledge by presenting your creation.
- It is not just about building websites
Having the understanding on how to use HTML and CSS can help in updating existing websites, optimising content, creating new pages that are more focused on the user-friendly experience. Without that knowledge you will struggle to update a page. This knowledge will make more sought after in multiple industries and departments such copywriting, marketing, and advertising.
Take a copywriter as an example. Knowing how to update a website will allow a faster turnaround between you writing some news for the business and it appearing on the company website. Reducing the need for someone else to get involved. You could help update a section of the site or fix the appearance of a page without the complex reliance on expensive and time-consuming external web development.
- Understanding computer languages open doors for a new career
We said earlier that HTML and CSS is where we start the computer development journey. The tech world is growing. If we look at the past few years, we can see that even in the pandemic our usage has only increased our reliance on the web. From working remotely, staying in touch with our loved ones to shopping. We rely on it for work, our entertainment and social life. All those example (BBC, Google, Twitter, Teams...) use HTML and CSS to display the information. Therefore, companies require individuals who understand and can use those languages. If you look at the job market you will see that web development knowledge is in high demand.
In short there is definite value in learning HTML and CSS.
It is the start of a journey for those who want to code. It doesn't matter how complex a site looks it will still use HTML and CSS to display the information. So, the journey starts here. The good news is that it's not a complex start and there is plenty of friendly help and advice along the way. Plus, if you like it you can then take on additional skills such as JavaScript or PHP that will open endless career opportunities.
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About the author: Itai Bercovier
Itai currently works as a UX consultant with Mazaru. He was recently part of Google's conversation design advocacy and education team where he developed training materials, acted as a keynote speaker, delivered design sprints, and facilitated workshops. He holds an MSc in HCI. He previously led a successful Web Development degree programme and played an integral role, both in the UK and Europe, in the development and validation of multiple undergraduate degree programmes. This included chairing an international academic committee, managing academic departments, coordinating outreach, and overseeing students’ personal and professional development.
