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.

  1. A website has a few different types of page.
  2. A designer makes a picture of how each type of page should look.
  3. I turn each picture into a single web page, called a template.
  4. A programmer integrates each template with the website’s database. That makes the actual pages.

How I got into Websites Design

  1. Made my first website in 1998 with a friend from school.
  2. Helped other friends make websites for themselves over the next few years.
  3. In 2005 I turned professional, working freelance.
  4. Asked the secondary school I went to, Calthorpe Park School, if they’d like help with their website. They did and this is ongoing.
  5. In 2006 I started working for sDesign1.
  6. In 2007 Calthorpe’s website won an award from Hampshire County Council.

Specialities?

I make websites: