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Do I need to learn CSS to design websites?

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Short answer? Nope.
Longer answer? Only if you want to.

Do web designers need to know CSS?

Are you a graphic designer wanting to offer websites — but you’ve been avoiding it because you think you have to learn CSS?

Whether you want to dive deep into CSS or never learn it at all, WordPress is the perfect platform for learning how to create beautiful websites that your clients will drool over.

You don’t need to know code to design beautiful, custom websites with WordPress.

What even is CSS, and why do people say you need it?

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets… which sounds like a fancy cocktail but really it’s the code that controls how your website looks.

It gives you more control over layout, fonts, spacing, animations, hover effects… all that juicy visual goodness.

So yes, it’s powerful. But it’s not essential to get started, or to create incredible websites you can proudly sell to your clients.

Can you design websites without CSS?

Absolutely.

Most of my students build full websites using modern page builders like Divi or Elementor — no code required.

You can drag, drop and tweak the layout visually. You see what you’re building, in real time. It’s intuitive, fast, and yes — beautifully designed.

Some designers learn CSS later, when they feel ready.

Others never bother.

Either way? They build stunning, brilliant sites and get paid thousands to do it.

Should you learn CSS?

Only if you want to.

It’s like learning extra tools in Photoshop. Handy? Yes. Required? No.

Learning CSS will help to eliminate your need for extra plugins at times, so totally go for it.

Inside my Be The Boss of WordPress online course for WordPress beginners, I include some of my fave CSS snippets — so if you do want to learn a little, you can copy, paste and play with confidence.

But again, it’s optional.

So, do I need to learn CSS to design websites?

Nope.

Not to get started. Not to build websites your clients will love. Not to charge $3K, $5K or even $10K+ per site.

Here’s what you need instead:

  • 👉 A clear step-by-step system

  • 👉 Beginner-friendly tools

  • 👉 The confidence to click around without fear

  • 👉 A guide (👋 hi!) to show you how it all works

And I’d love to be that guide.

Want to learn more? Watch my free WordPress training.

No code. No confusion. Just the good stuff.

See you there!

Em x

Be The Boss of WordPress training mockup on laptop, tablet and phone, teaching how to use WordPress for beginners to build beautiful websites without code or confusion.

Want to see exactly how I use WordPress to build irresistible websites for clients?

→ Watch my free training video and learn the simple, no-code way to build websites that wow!

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About the author
Hey! I'm Emma. I’m a graphic designer turned web designer on a mission to teach others how to build beautiful & professional websites with WordPress. 😍

Through mentoring and my online courses, I've taught thousands of awesome designers and other creatives how to build their own websites using my 9-step process.

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