In 2021, knowledge of HTML + CSS + jQuery alone is no longer enough to make frontend applications that meet user expectations, because it is no longer just layout.
That’s why the vast majority of medium and large projects use ReactJS, Angular, or Vue.js, and the share of using these frameworks/libraries is growing. Also, due to increased user requirements for their online experience, developers increasingly prefer TypeScript (see The Software House report for clear statistics), especially when it comes to more or less large projects (on small projects, using TypeScript can lead to unnecessary overhead costs on project maintenance, and may not have enough developer skills for quality implementation). This is because TypeScript, as a language with static typing, increases reliability and extensibility of code, and allows for faster error detection (syntax highlighting in IDE and during compilation, not only in browser), which speeds up development and reduces the chance of bugs.
The most important trend in frontend development today is the emphasis on mobile versions of sites due to the growing share of mobile traffic relative to the desktop. This means that prototyping, design and development of the frontend application begins with the mobile version, as the lack of a normal version for mobile devices inevitably leads to negative feedback from the user. Further spread technologies PWA and SPA, but to say that this has become a trend and certainly need to “run” there, is too early. It is also important to pay attention to the speed of loading pages of the site, to optimize this parameter using services such as PageSpeed Insights. A fast website is not a “want”, but an inevitable requirement for 2021; without an adequate loading speed you can forget about the growth of project performance.
The active development and growth of mobile applications inevitably leads to higher requirements from users for mobile versions of the site, as the usability of mobile applications is higher. This leads to the fact that some clear and simple things for mobile applications have to be repeated on mobile versions with great effort for the sake of the customer experience. The emerging Flutter and React Native frameworks can be a solution to this problem. While previously these frameworks were primarily conceived for rapid cross-platform development primarily for mobile applications, now they not only allow for comparable quality frontend applications, but also reduce development time. It is important to note that project complexity and requirements for frontend developers are increasing: the era of “pretty” designs is passing, and the vast majority of sites are developed for the sake of growth in conversion with an emphasis on a well-thought-out and understandable interface.
If you are a beginner frontend developer or are just thinking of choosing this development direction, it is very important to understand the current trends on the market in order to make a good start in your career and professional path. You should start with the basics. The basics – HTML and CSS, which means layout and styles – bring them to perfection, so you can cobble together any project without interactivity. Put a special emphasis on adaptive pages, or learn how to make separate pages for the desktop and mobile version. It makes no sense to stop long on jQuery now, it is better to choose 1 or 2 frameworks (for example, vue.js/react) and start studying them in detail. It is also important to learn TypeScript, as more and more projects are starting to use it.
It is especially important to become familiar with version control systems at the initial stage, although this is not required when working on your own. Later on, this will allow you, when you get a job, not to waste time studying this technology, but to spend more time immersing yourself in the project. Come up with your own home project, which you will develop for a long time, honing your newly learned skills and technologies on it. Remember one important rule: the main thing is to learn, learn and learn again – technologies and approaches are constantly changing, keep your hand on the pulse and keep track of what is happening in your chosen direction of development.