New Addition to AI Tools Course: Building Web Apps Without Being a Developer

HeatSpring’s Director of Enterprise Learning Brick Maier recently delivered a comprehensive workshop demonstrating how to build and deploy web applications – from idea to deployed app in just 26 minutes – using Claude Code, and all the demo videos and materials from this session have now been integrated into the AI Tools: A Hands-On Workshop course curriculum.

What’s Been Added to the Course

The new module showcases a complete development cycle where Brick builds a home electrification calculator that connects to Rewiring America’s API. The demonstration shows how a functional web application can go from initial prompt to live deployment without traditional programming expertise.

Learners can now watch Brick extend an existing calculator to compare three different heat pump efficiency levels (SEER ratings of 15, 18, and 24), allowing users to see how equipment investments translate to long-term savings. The entire process is captured on video, from writing tests to pushing code to production, so that you can try your own version if you’d like.

Learning the Modern Development Stack 

The course now covers a complete modern deployment workflow that includes:

Claude Code

Students learn to use this AI coding assistant that operates directly in the terminal, handling planning, writing, testing, and debugging autonomously. At $20/month for the pro subscription, it’s an accessible entry point for non-developers. The course materials include Brick’s claude.md template with proven guardrails like “test first, no commits without passing tests.”

Local Development Environment

The videos walk through the practical workflow that course participants can immediately implement:

1. Prompting Claude to build features
2. Running npm run dev to test locally
3. Checking results in the browser
4. Iterating until satisfied
5. Building and deploying to production

Git, GitHub, and Vercel

The course updates demystifies version control and deployment, showing how these tools work together to create a professional development pipeline. Students see firsthand how Vercel automatically rebuilds and deploys applications in about 30 seconds whenever changes are pushed to GitHub.

Key Learning Outcomes

Test-Driven Development (TDD)

Brick demonstrates having Claude Code write tests before implementing features. While acknowledging the limitations (AI can sometimes write tests designed to pass), the course shows how this approach provides valuable guardrails for non-developers learning to build applications.

Documentation-First Approach

The course materials include examples of Brick’s preparation phase, showing students how to gather and structure API documentation before any coding begins. This crucial step ensures consistent, high-quality results from Claude Code.

Real-World Development Cycles

Through the recorded sessions, students observe authentic iteration patterns:

• Multiple local testing cycles
• Strategic commit timing
• Build verification before deployment
• Troubleshooting TypeScript errors

Security Best Practices

The course now includes critical lessons on managing API keys and environment variables. Students learn why they should never hardcode sensitive information and how to properly configure secrets in both local and deployed environments.

Perfect for Non-Programmers

This new content specifically targets non-programmers who want to create functional web applications. The emphasis throughout is on practical results rather than computer science theory. Students don’t need to understand the intricacies of JavaScript or React – they just need to follow the workflow and let Claude Code handle the technical implementation. Students can follow along with Brick’s demonstration and have their own deployed application within an hour of starting. 

Enroll Today

Enroll in the AI Tools: A Hands-On Workshop to gain practical, immediately applicable knowledge in AI-assisted web development – perfect for team leads creating internal tools or anyone curious about making web development more accessible!