Experimental Javascript artwork

Experimental Javascript

Intermediate
Course

Learn Three.js, Matter.js and PIXI.js to make interactive websites using collision engines, displacement maps and interactive 3D in the browser.

Purchase this course for $149

Or... get a discount by building a bundle with our learning paths!

If you're a creative person who wants to make experimental, art-driven websites, this is the perfect course to make websites that stand out from the crowd.

In this short online course you'll dive deep into the world of experimental Javascript. Discover the world of collision engines, displacement maps and interactive 3D in the browser with libraries like PIXI.js and Three.js.

This is a great next step for students who already have some knowledge of HTML, CSS and Javascript, or have completed our Foundation HTML, CSS + Javascript and Javascript for Designers courses.

What you’ll learn

Learn how to interact with HTML canvases with Javascript

Add touch, mouse, dragging and device orientation effects

Make collision detection engines with Matter.js

Work with displacement and color splitting effects using PIXI.js

Dive into the world of 3D in the browser with Three.js

Make interactive 3D websites that react to mouse and touch events

What you’ll get

Real world projects – Projects and code that you can alter and remix to add to your own sites and portfolio

Access the community – Join our Slack and connect with thousands of SuperHi students and alumni

Continued help – Help from our expert teachers and educators with years of experience in the industry

Resources – Resources to get you started and going post-course

10 hours of video lessons – Practical, go-at-your-own pace learning

Who this course is for

Anyone who is looking to take their creative Javascript skills to the next level, or anyone who is looking to get started with complex Javascript libraries like Three.js, PIXI.js or Matter.js.

We would recommend some knowledge of HTML, CSS and Javascript before this course starts. If you have done either our Foundation HTML, CSS + JS or Javascript for Designers course, this will be suitable for you.

Most of our students work in the creative industries – designers, strategists and copywriters are the most common jobs – but you can work in any industry to join the course.

What you’ll need

A computer with Mac OS X 10.9 or above, Windows XP or above, or a recent Linux version installed and a broadband internet connection. Nothing more!

Want to try our teaching before signing up? Join our free 'Plan, Design + Code Your First Website' course!

Syllabus

Chapter 1

HyperHi

We start the course by drawing with HTML canvas, exploring different events and adding in blend modes in the HyperHi project, a festival website with an interactive effect that reveals a lineup as you "scratch out" the page.

Chapter 2

Hi vs Hi

Using Matter.js, we add a physics collision engine to our site to make our shapes collide, be dragged and have gravity.

Chapter 3

Bookwave

With Pixi.js, we use 2D WebGL to add displacement and RGB split filters to add a dramatic effect on an image, with and without mouse movement.

Chapter 4

Line Drawer

We dive into 3D in the browser and use Three.js to add cameras, scenes, geometries, materials and meshes to this project.

Chapter 5

Planet Wilson

On the second of three Three.js projects, we add particles, textures and tweening to our solar system, featuring SuperHi's own mascot, Wilson!

Chapter 6

Poly cat

We tie together all of our Three.js learnings by adding a dynamic object to our scene that we can alter and interact with. Here, our model is Tony T, Rik's UK-residing cat.

Your instructors

Our instructors have decades of professional experience, have spoken at international conferences and have won countless web design awards.

Rik Lomas

Rik (he/him) is a Mancunian coder, teacher and CEO of SuperHi. He was the co-founder of Steer (a code school in London) and has taught several thousand people to code. He is a bit too old to be posting memes on our social media and recently featured as a Sour Patch Kid in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

Lawrence Gosset

Lawrence is a full-stack web developer and teacher who has also taught over a thousand people how to code. He was previously an instructor at London code school Steer.

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Still looking around?

View our growing collection of resources, articles and tutorials. We're adding new things to read, learn and watch every week!

INTERVIEW

Catching Up With... Kelsey Gilbert-Kreiling

Agency co-founder, podcast host, and author Kelsey Gilbert-Kreiling chats to us about finding small acts of creativity to unblock your creative spirit, working with celebrity clients, and her latest work: publishing a book and a course.

ADVICE

Ask a Designer #17: How do I communicate design decisions?

How do you communicate your design decisions without sounding defensive? Here's the shift of mindset you might need to stay honest while avoiding conflict or feeling criticized.

ARTICLE

How to Land Your First (or Next) Remote Job

Ana Wang explores whether or not a remote job could be right for you, and shares tips and resources for getting your first (or next) remote job.

FAQs

If you're comfortable working with a computer, then yes!

Learning new and improving your existing skills is about being patient with yourself, building up your knowledge, developing confidence through practice, and with time. We've seen our students around the world do it, and so can you.

Our beginner courses are designed for people new to the subjects. They grow your understanding so you grasp everything you need to start applying your new skills and will also give you a path to dig deeper if you want.

Our teaching style is practical and straightforward and you'll have support from our expert instructors and community for as long as you need.

Still not sure if learning to code is right for you? Take our free Plan, Design + Code Your First Website course or dive into our First Steps to Code guide.

We have quite a lot of students that join us and have done some coding before but want to build up confidence and techniques.

In order to help get you where you'd like to be, have a look at the sites below to see which course you can make from scratch, without any help at all.

Baker & Brown – If you struggle to make this website from scratch, don't worry! We recommend you start off with our Foundation, HTML, CSS + Javascript course.

Jenna Buchholz – If you struggle to make this website from scratch, it's all good! We recommend you start off with our Javascript for Designers course.

Super Shapes – If you struggle to make this website from scratch, have no fear! We recommend you start off with our Advanced CSS + Javascript course.

All of our courses are unlocked and available for students to start their learning and go at their own pace. We do have a suggested weekly structure for some courses, which helps some students stay on track. However, you're definitely free to jump ahead or take as long as you need!

As soon as you checkout and pay, you'll have all the courses you paid for, in your student dashboard available to you immediately. If you're busy and can't start right away - no worries, you can pick it back up later.

At SuperHi, we provide online courses designed for creatives and made for everyone. Take a course on Code, Design, or Project Management 😊

The proof is in the pudding! Our students go on to make their own beautiful sites and some of their stunning work have won digital design awards. Take a look at our Hall of Fame to see some of the sites our students have built, many of which had only taken our Foundation course!

If you're a SuperHi student or alumni and would like to submit your project to be included in our Hall of Fame, please feel free to submit it here.

Yes, we do! All you'd need to do is send the links to your completed projects over to hi@superhi.com at the end of your course. We will review them, provide feedback if necessary, and then issue your certificate!

All our course videos are taught using the SuperHi Editor, but you'll be able to apply everything you'll learn to a code editor of your choice. Many students go on to use other code editors, for example, if their workplace has an existing standard.

Our SuperHi Editor is designed with many smart features to help avoid wasted time looking for things like a typo or missing bracket (which is why we made it!), but the same code concepts apply to any editor.

Yes! You can use your own custom third-party domains and connect them to your sites built with our SuperHi Editor. Additionally, all SuperHi sites come with free SSL Certificates for added protection.

Here's more information on how to connect a third-party domain