As a digital agency, it’s our job to be on the cutting-edge of all things digital. Our team of developers has to stay up-to-date on all the newest technology, software, and skills to provide our clients with the most functional, attractive, and scalable websites possible.
So who better to mine for advice when it comes to required reading than Raka’s very own web development team? They came up with a list of their favorite web development resources for your bookmarking pleasure. Check ’em out below.
A List Apart
A List Apart is one of the more popular web dev sites out there. They focus on website development and design, with topics ranging from code and content, to design, user experience, and industry news. Their blog is aesthetically pleasing, impressively designed, and features helpful articles by some of the industry’s best developers.
Why We Love A List Apart: They allow people to write for them. If you have an idea that will add value to their site and help inform their readers, you can submit your article to them. Plus, they pay!
On Twitter: @alistapart
CSS-Tricks
CSS-Tricks is another big hitter. Their site is devoted to—you guessed it—CSS tricks, tips, videos, tutorials, and more. The site, while very easy to use and navigate, is filled with hundreds of blog posts, videos, almanacs, and quick snippets to help the user build their knowledge around CSS. They also have a page called The Lodge, which is a hub that includes informative video tutorials on how to build a great modern website.
Why We Love CSS-Tricks: Their forum area lets users interact and discuss the latest trends, designs, and questions they have regarding CSS.
On Twitter: @Real_CSS_Tricks
Smashing Magazine
Smashing Magazine is a beast of a website. Originally started in 2006, it’s known worldwide as a top resource for web developers and designers. They focus on the best techniques and practices for the industry—and they deliver. They write tons of articles ranging from topics like coding and design to mobile and graphics.
Why We Love Smashing Magazine: With a wide selection of books and ebooks, plus a job board and event updates, this site is a one-stop shop.
On Twitter: @smashingmag
codrops
Codrops is a fantastic resource for all things web design and development, with an extensive archive of articles that focus on topics like coding, user experience, tips, techniques, troubleshooting, and much more.
Why We Love codrops: Their weekly Collective section bundles up the latest news and updates from the web design and development industry so you can stay ahead of the curve.
On Twitter: @codrops
SitePoint
SitePoint is an excellent resource if you’re looking to learn more about HTML5, CSS3, PHP, or JavaScript. They provide numerous tutorials, books, and courses to help you beef up your skills. Not to mention, the site itself is expertly built.
Why We Love SitePoint: Besides their awesome courses, they have a forum where users can talk about topics like designing a site, programming a site, and managing a site.
On Twitter: @sitepointdotcom
David Walsh
David’s website is a hub for all things MooTools, jQuery, Dojo, Javascript, PHP, and CSS. His site is filled with demos and resources that any developer can learn from. If you’re a fan of the Gunners, you’ll get along with him quite well.
Why We Love David Walsh: His broad expertise allows him to write on a number of topics, all of which you can depend on to help you in your daily work.
On Twitter: @davidwalshblog
Speckyboy
Let’s take a look at the powerhouse that is Speckyboy. They offer the resources and inspiration that you need to improve your daily workflow and your development knowledge. To help users find the content they need quickly, they offer 10 categories ranging from design/dev, UX, mobile dev, and more.
Why We Love Speckyboy: Their weekly newsletter contains a round up of the industry’s best resources, articles, and news, all sent right to your inbox.
On Twitter: @speckyboy
This Week in Google
TWiG, which is part of the TWiT network, covers much more than just Google. The podcast is a great way to catch up on tech news, new media trends, and anything that uses the internet as a platform. Veteran broadcaster Leo Laporte leads the guests in an engaging discussion each week.
Why We Love TWiG: The tech industry is fast-paced and, with new trends and developments every day, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. TWiG distills everything down to what matters to developers.
On Twitter: @TWiT
2ality
Created in March 2005 by Dr. Axel Rauschmayer, 2ality is a blog dedicated to discussing JavaScript, web development, mobile computing, and other topics. The sister site, ES.Next News (also curated by Rauschmayer) keeps your inbox fresh with JavaScript news.
Why We Love 2ality: This site provides devs with a lot of useful and up-to-date information about what’s happening in the JavaScript world, including—but not limited to—how to best use new features and what to expect in the future.
On Twitter: @2ality
PHP Roundtable
PHP Roundtable is a forum where developers can openly discuss PHP related topics. It’s open to developers of all levels of expertise and acts as a level playing field for contributors—no one is the head of the table.
Why We Love PHP Roundtable: Here at Raka, we’re big PHP geeks. The PHP Roundtable podcast is especially great because it offers a laid-back, conversational setting where developers can talk about the things that PHP geeks care about. Plus, it goes far beyond just PHP talk—anything dev related is fair game.
On Twitter: @PHPRoundtable
Scotch.io
Scotch.io has an abundance of guides, tutorials, and courses that discuss programming and web development topics. Their posts hit that sweet spot between high quality and easy to understand.
Why We Love Scotch.io: Raka developers flock to Scotch.io because of the impeccable organization, detailed examples, and community-driven posts.
On Twitter: @Scotch_io
All of these resources will improve your web development knowledge and workflow while also providing you with the tutorials that you need to kick ass on your next website. Do you have a web development blog that you check out every day? Let us know! Shoot us a tweet at @rakacreative. Happy coding!
