1stWebDesigner
1stWebDesigner is a Chicago-based online educational platform serving web designers, developers, and freelancers. Founded in 2008, it publishes free tutorials, code snippets, and resources on CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, and UX design, monetizing through advertising and affiliate partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What 1stWebDesigner does
1stWebDesigner is a privately held online publication and educational content platform serving web design professionals. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Chicago, the company operates the website 1stwebdesigner.com, which publishes tutorials, code snippets, articles, and curated resource collections covering CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, UX design, Photoshop, typography, mobile UI, and freelancing. The site is organized by topic categories (Learn, Web Design, WordPress, UX Design, Freelance, Marketing, Mobile) and tags (CSS, JavaScript, Photoshop, Typography, Inspiration) for discoverability, and all content is freely accessible to visitors without registration or paywalls. The company's stated headcount is 1-10 employees, and no funding rounds, ownership details, or management team information are disclosed.
The platform runs on a WordPress-based content management system (the 1stWebDesigner-v5 theme) with no public API, SDK, or proprietary software layer, positioning it as an editorial property rather than a software company. Beyond the main blog, 1stWebDesigner offers structured content resources including Article Collections (curated compilations such as CSS Effects, PSD to HTML guides, Modern Fonts, jQuery Galleries, and Bootstrap UI Kits), WordPress Resources (theme, plugin, and tutorial coverage), Web Design Resources (free templates, wireframes, mockups, and design assets), and a library of practical Code Snippets & Tutorials. The site also maintains 'Our Creative Newsletter' as an email retention channel and lists complementary resource partners (CSS.dev, Design.dev, WebDeveloper.com, WebReference) in its footer for cross-promotion.
Monetization is exclusively indirect through advertising and affiliate partnerships; there are no paid products, subscriptions, or pricing tiers. Sponsored placements and affiliate links, such as the banner for CodeRabbit's AI code-review tool, generate revenue when visitors click through to partner services. Recent editorial focus has shifted toward AI-assisted web design tooling, with content covering SKILL.md, CSS.dev, and AI coding assistants, signaling an intent to align with the AI developer-tools wave through affiliate and sponsorship relationships rather than proprietary AI development.
1stWebDesigner firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 1stWebDesigner
- Legal name
- 1stWebDesigner
- Website
- https://1stwebdesigner.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 1stWebDesigner is a Chicago-based online educational platform serving web designers, developers, and freelancers. Founded in 2008, it publishes free tutorials, code snippets, and resources on CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, and UX design, monetizing through advertising and affiliate partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
1stWebDesigner industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Web Design Education and Resources
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Web Portals & Start Pages (BPAMAAAA)
Keywords
Where 1stWebDesigner is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
1stWebDesigner business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Advertising and Affiliate Revenue: The website generates revenue through advertising partnerships and affiliate links. The site displays sponsored content banners (such as CodeRabbit) and links to third-party tools and services. When users click through to recommended products or services, the site earns affiliate commissions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
1stWebDesigner product offering
Product offeringCore offering
1stWebDesigner is an online content and educational platform that publishes tutorials, guides, and curated resources for web design professionals. The site covers CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, UX design, mobile UI, Photoshop, typography, and freelancing topics through step-by-step tutorials with code examples. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising placements and affiliate partnerships with third-party tools and services targeted at the web professional audience.
Product overview
1stWebDesigner is a content/editorial platform for web professionals offering a blog with educational articles and curated resource collections. The core product is the 1stWebDesigner website/blog which publishes tutorials and news about CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, UX design, freelancing, and related web design topics. Supporting content resources include Article Collections (organized topic compilations like CSS Effects, PSD to HTML, Modern Fonts, jQuery Galleries, Bootstrap UI Kits), WordPress Resources (themes, plugins, tutorials), Web Design Resources (free tools, templates, assets), and Code Snippets & Tutorials (practical code examples and guides). The site monetizes through affiliate partnerships and sponsorships while providing free educational content to web designers and developers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 1stWebDesigner Website/Blog A web design education platform that publishes articles, tutorials, and resources covering CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, UX design, freelancing, marketing, mobile UI, and Photoshop for individual web design professionals.
- Article Collections Curated compilations of resources organized by topic, including CSS Effects, PSD to HTML guides, Modern Fonts, jQuery Galleries, Bootstrap UI Kits, Free Stock Photos, Mockup Templates, HTML Templates, and Mobile App Templates for web designers.
- WordPress Resources Tutorials, themes, and plugins coverage for WordPress including WordPress Portfolio themes, Landing Page templates, Magazine themes, WooCommerce themes, and eCommerce WordPress solutions for designers and developers.
- Web Design Resources Free design resources including wireframe examples, split screen layouts, mood board makers, minimal fonts, icon fonts, Photoshop plugins, After Effects templates, and wallpapers for web designers.
- Code Snippets and Tutorials Educational code examples and step-by-step tutorials covering CSS effects, animations, gradients, text effects, button styles, JavaScript snippets, and WordPress customization techniques for web designers and developers.
Companies that use 1stWebDesigner
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
1stWebDesigner technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
1stWebDesigner partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- CodeRabbitminorCodeRabbit is featured as a sponsored advertiser on 1stWebDesigner. The partnership displays a banner advertisement for CodeRabbit's AI coding assistant tool, with an affiliate link for the CodeRabbit service targeting web designers and developers.
- WebDeveloper.comminorWebDeveloper.com is referenced as a related resource in the site's footer. It is listed alongside other developer resources including WebReference and Design.dev as a recommended external resource for web professionals.
- Design.devminorDesign.dev is listed as a resource partner in the site's footer and featured as a newsletter/advertisement partner. The platform is positioned as a CSS intelligence layer resource for AI coding tools.
- CSS.devminorCSS.dev is featured as a CSS intelligence layer for AI coding tools. The partnership involves educational content on 1stWebDesigner that discusses and promotes CSS.dev as a resource for improving AI-generated CSS output.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights3 records
1stWebDesigner competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CSS-Tricks: Web design and CSS tutorial publication with a very similar content focus (CSS techniques, JavaScript, front-end tricks). Now operated under DigitalOcean, CSS-Tricks is the closest analog in topic depth and audience.
- Smashing Magazine: Long-running web design and development publication publishing articles, tutorials, books, and conferences. Highly comparable in editorial scope (CSS, UX, WordPress, freelance) and operates as a more monetized version of the same model.
- SitePoint: Web development tutorial site offering articles, books, and courses on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and design. Comparable in audience (web professionals) and content categories, with a more diversified monetization model.
- Tuts+ (Envato): Tutorial network covering web design, development, and creative skills. Direct comparable in editorial mission and target audience, now operating under Envato with a broader paid-course ecosystem.
- Hongkiat: Design, development, and technology tutorial blog covering CSS, WordPress, Photoshop, and freelancing. Comparable in topic coverage and ad/affiliate-supported content model, with similar global audience reach.
- Speckyboy Design Magazine: Web design and development publication publishing tutorials, inspiration, and resources. Comparable in niche focus on designers/developers and free, content-driven GTM.
- Codrops: Web design and development blog publishing CSS tutorials, effects, and creative coding resources. Comparable in editorial depth on CSS effects and tutorials, with a strong design-inspiration angle.
- Web Designer Depot: Web design publication covering tutorials, inspiration, tools, and trends. Comparable in audience (designers) and ad-supported content model.
- Design Shack: Design-focused publication with tutorials, articles, and inspiration galleries. Comparable in audience (designers) and free, content-driven monetization approach.
Broad incumbents
- freeCodeCamp: Large-scale free learning platform for web development with articles, certifications, and a community. While broader in mission, it overlaps significantly in topic coverage (CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, UX) and shares a free, community-led content model at much greater scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
1stWebDesigner social profiles
Digital presence1stWebDesigner financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
1stWebDesigner leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
1stWebDesigner funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
1stWebDesigner M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 1stWebDesigner
What does 1stWebDesigner do?
1stWebDesigner is an online content and educational platform that publishes tutorials, guides, and curated resources for web design professionals. The site covers CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, UX design, mobile UI, Photoshop, typography, and freelancing topics through step-by-step tutorials with code examples. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising placements and affiliate partnerships with third-party tools and services targeted at the web professional audience.
Is 1stWebDesigner a public or private company?
1stWebDesigner is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was 1stWebDesigner founded?
1stWebDesigner was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 1stWebDesigner based?
1stWebDesigner is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does 1stWebDesigner make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising and Affiliate Revenue.
Who are 1stWebDesigner's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CSS-Tricks, Smashing Magazine, SitePoint, Tuts+ (Envato), Hongkiat, Speckyboy Design Magazine, Codrops, Web Designer Depot and Design Shack. freeCodeCamp is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does 1stWebDesigner have an API?
No public API is recorded for 1stWebDesigner.
What industry is 1stWebDesigner in?
1stWebDesigner's product category is Web Design Education and Resources. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAAAA, General Web Portals & Start Pages. Its NAICS code is 519290.