Next level · 2/5 Practical
HTML and CSS: build and lay out a real website
A working system in your business
A small business's complete website, coded by you and live on mobile
50,000 FCFA 12 h
View the next levelDiscover code: understand how a website works
Your first web page, written by you and live online in under a week
- 6 h of training
- 3 modules · 13 lessons
- 32 exercises
- 1 project
- Certificate included
What you will be able to do
- Understanding how the web works (client, server, DNS, HTTP)
- Reading HTML, CSS and JavaScript code on an existing website
- Using the browser's developer tools (Elements, Console, Network)
- Writing a well-structured HTML page
- Publishing a static page online (GitHub Pages or Netlify)
What you will produce
- Your map of the web: an annotated diagram of a page's journey, from your phone to the server
- An inspection sheet for a real Senegalese or Ivorian website, with what you found in it
- Your work environment installed and a clean first project folder
- Your personal page in HTML and CSS, written by hand
- Your page published online with a shareable address
- Your learning plan: the next course and your work pace
Possible earnings
This level is not enough to charge for development work. It gives you the foundations to follow the full track, where a junior developer earns 200,000 to 400,000 FCFA (about $330 to $670) a month in Dakar in 2026 (up to 500,000 FCFA, about $830, in fast-growing start-ups), and to negotiate better when you order a website.
Indicative estimate, depending on your market, pace and work. No income is guaranteed.
Tools used
- Google Chrome and its developer tools
- VS Code
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- GitHub Pages
- Netlify
What you'll learn
- Explain the journey of a web page, from the browser to the server, with the right words (URL, DNS, HTTP, hosting)
- Tell apart the roles of HTML, CSS and JavaScript in a real page
- Inspect any website with Chrome's developer tools
- Set up a simple work environment (VS Code, browser, project folder)
- Write a valid HTML page with headings, paragraphs, links, images and a list
- Publish a page online for free and share it with a link
- Map out the web professions and choose your next learning step
Prerequisites
- No programming experience
- A computer (Windows, macOS or Linux), even an old one; the lessons can be read on a phone
- Knowing how to use a browser and create a folder on your computer
- 2 to 3 hours a week for 2 to 3 weeks
About this course
## Understand the web from the inside, and write your first page
You use websites and apps all day long: Wave, Jumia, your bank's website, your favorite restaurant's Facebook page. But what really happens when you type an address into your browser? Who does what between your phone in Dakar and a server in Paris or Frankfurt? And what does "building a website" actually mean?
This entry-level course gives you the answers, without needless jargon, and has you writing real code from module 2.
### Who this course is for
- You have never written a line of code and you wonder whether web development is right for you.
- You are a student, an employee or changing careers, and you want to try it out before investing in a longer program.
- You run a shop or a project and you want to understand what you are buying when you order a website for 250,000 or 1,000,000 FCFA (about $420 or $1,670).
### What you do during the course
- You follow the journey of a web page: browser, domain name, DNS, server, HTTP.
- You open Chrome's developer tools and inspect real websites.
- You install VS Code and write your first HTML page, with a little CSS to style it and one line of JavaScript to make it respond.
- You publish your page on the internet, for free, with an address you can send on WhatsApp.
### What you leave with
A clear map of the web, a personal page online that you wrote yourself, technical vocabulary you truly understand, and an informed decision: keep going toward the job, or know how to talk to a developer.
### Your place in the Web development track
This is level 1, the entry point. Next come level 2 (HTML and CSS: build and lay out a real website), then JavaScript, React and Next.js, all the way to level 5, Full-stack JavaScript developer.
Who it is for: Curious minds, students, employees, shop owners and project founders in Dakar, Thiès, Abidjan, Bamako or the diaspora who have never coded and want to understand how a website works before starting a career in tech or ordering a site from an agency.
Curriculum
A module-by-module path: lessons, exercises, quizzes and projects to submit.
Module 1· 10 exercises
How the web works
You understand the journey of a page, from your browser to the server, and you can name every step.
- What happens when you type an address: browser, URL and serverFree preview3 exercises15 min
- Domain name, DNS and hosting: who pays for what on a website in DakarFree preview3 exercises15 min
- HTML, CSS and JavaScript: the structure, style and behavior of a pageFree preview4 exercises15 min
- Module handout (PDF)Free preview5 min
- Quiz: how the web worksModule quiz
Module 2· 10 exercises
Your first steps in HTML
You set up your environment and write a well-structured HTML page, one tag after another.
- Install VS Code, create your project folder and open your page in Chrome3 exercises15 min
- Basic tags: headings, paragraphs, lists and links3 exercises18 min
- Images, attributes and file paths without mistakes4 exercises15 min
- Module handout (PDF)5 min
- Quiz: first steps in HTMLModule quiz
Module 3· 12 exercises
Style, interaction and going live
You inspect real websites, add CSS and a touch of JavaScript, then publish your page and choose your next step.
- Inspect a real website with Chrome's developer tools3 exercises15 min
- Add CSS: colors, fonts and margins in a few lines3 exercises18 min
- A touch of JavaScript: a button that responds to a click3 exercises15 min
- Publish your page for free and choose your next step in web careers3 exercises15 min
- Module handout (PDF)5 min
- Quiz: style, interaction and going liveModule quiz
- Final project: your personal page onlineCapstone
Certificate included
Your certificate at the end
A numbered certificate with your validated skills, a public page and a verification QR code. Add it to LinkedIn in one click.
Kolonell Academy
Verified by Kolonell AcademyCertificate of skills
Your name
has completed and validated the course
Discover code: understand how a website works
Certified skills
- Understanding how the web works (client, server, DNS, HTTP)
- Reading HTML, CSS and JavaScript code on an existing website
- Using the browser's developer tools (Elements, Console, Network)
- Writing a well-structured HTML page
- Publishing a static page online (GitHub Pages or Netlify)
Number KOL-CERT-2026-XXXXX
Mohamed Bah
Founder, Kolonell Academy
Course poster
Download the poster to print it, send it to your employer or share it with colleagues. The full programme details every module.
Your instructor
Mohamed Bah
PhD in computer science and founder of Kolonell, a digital agency and platform based in Dakar. He designs and deploys websites and web applications for SMEs in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and the diaspora, using the tools taught in this track.
Questions about this course
I have never coded. Is this really for me?
Yes, you are exactly who this course is for. Module 1 has no code for you to write: first you understand how the web works. The code comes in module 2, one tag at a time.
Is a phone enough?
To read the lessons, yes. To write and publish your page, you need a computer, even an old one: VS Code and Chrome run on a machine with 4 GB of RAM. A cybercafé computer or a friend's laptop can do the job for the final project.
Will I be a developer by the end?
No, and we would rather tell you up front. You will know how a website works and you will have written your first page. The job itself takes the next levels of the track, up to level 5, Full-stack JavaScript developer.
How much time should I plan for?
About 6 hours in total, including the exercises and the final project. At 2 or 3 hours a week, you finish in 2 to 3 weeks.
Do I need to pay for hosting to publish my page?
No. GitHub Pages and Netlify publish a static page for free. You only buy a domain name (6,300 to 8,600 FCFA, about $11 to $14, per year for a .com in September 2026) if you want an address in your own name, which is optional here.
What if I only want to order a website, not code it?
This course is useful for you too: you will understand what the domain, hosting, HTML and maintenance really cover, and you will know which questions to ask an agency before you pay.
How do I pay?
Via Wave or Orange Money. After enrolling you receive a pro forma invoice by email with the number to pay. Send the proof on WhatsApp: your access is activated within 24 business hours.
How long do I keep access?
For life, updates included. Learn at your own pace and revisit lessons as often as you need.
How do I get the certificate?
Complete the lessons and pass each module quiz with at least 70%. The certificate is generated automatically, with a unique number and a public verification page.
Our commitments
- Lifetime access, updates included
- Publicly verifiable certificate
- Wave / Orange Money payment, activation within 24 business hours
- WhatsApp support
25,000 FCFA · 38 €
Essential