What I Do (6th February 2008)
At parties and family events I’m sometimes asked what I do. Talking about tags and selectors usually prompts a polite smile, followed by a hasty exit.
The description must use familiar terms that summarise the main things.
Job Description
I make websites for sDesign1, a website design company in Liverpool.
Job Titles
- Website Designer
- For non-techies and new acquaintances to have any idea what I do.
- Web Developer
- Anyone in the industry should have some idea what this is.
- I say “web” because I’ve helped develop web standards, not just websites.
- Senior Front-end Developer
- My actual job title at sDesign1.
“What Does That Mean?”
I bridge the gap between how a website looks and how it works.
- A website has a few different types of page.
- A designer makes a picture of how each type of page should look.
- I turn each picture into a single web page, called a template.
- A programmer integrates each template with the website’s database. That makes the actual pages.
How I got into Websites Design
- Made my first website in 1998 with a friend from school.
- Helped other friends make websites for themselves over the next few years.
- In 2005 I turned professional, working freelance.
- Asked the secondary school I went to, Calthorpe Park School, if they’d like help with their website. They did and this is ongoing.
- In 2006 I started working for sDesign1.
- In 2007 Calthorpe’s website won an award from Hampshire County Council.
Specialities?
I make websites:
- easier for people to use, especially for people with disabilities;
- faster to load;
- easier to maintain;
- and pass industry standards.