About Me

the man behind the skillset

How I gained passion for web design

I grew up in Dunstable, Bedfordshire and studied at Dunstable College and The University of Bedfordshire. During this time I achieved a Foundation Degree in Web Design and a BSc in Computer Science while working for Dunstable College part time as an ILT Intern and also taking on smaller web design projects for family and friends. After graduating in June 2009, hungry for more experience, I moved to Southampton and started working for an established web design firm called David Andrews Internet Services.

In 2010 David Andrews Internet Services became Advantec Internet Services. A more comprehensive team was formed, attracting larger clients including BT, Avaya and the NHS. My role changed from Web Support Technician to Senior Front End Developer. This was down to my knowledge of XHTML, CSS and Javascript (including jQuery libraries) which became an invaluable asset in the majority of projects developed by the company.

During 2010 I worked on a host of different projects for Advantec including a variety of different e-commerce sites, development projects, intranets and content managed websites.

Why I love doing what I do

I feel very lucky to be in a career that I actually enjoy. I take great pride in each design and development that I undertake, making sure that the optimal results are achieved for clients. I find the challenge of keeping up with the latest web technologies and advances keeps me on my toes. I try and incorporate something new in every site that I build, this allows me to develop my skills further to industry standard.

Skills, strengths and the 'techy' stuff

I have a good knowledge and understanding of the web, coding methods and related software packages:

XHTML / HTML is used as the skeleton to all web pages, it defines what elements are displayed. I practice good coding techniques, that are well commented for reference and further development.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are used to define the styles for the different elements within the web page. The style properties typically include positioning, size, colour and simple event handling such as hover states. Luckily I never used table based HTML designs, so I found CSS easy to pick up and utilise. Over the last few years I have learnt to use XHTML and Javascript with CSS to achieve some remarkable results.
Javascript is used for client side scripting within a web page, for example form validation and on page functionality using javascript libraries such as jQuery or MooTools. Over the two years I have been working closely with jQuery creating front end user interfaces with additional functionality including dynamic menus, product carousels, slideshows, gallery viewers, tool tips and on page manipulation.
PHP is used for server side programming, including interaction with databases, files or other server side data. I have been using PHP for over three years, integrating it with MySQL databases and file lookups for personal and professional projects.
MySQL is a database system usually installed on Linux machines. Using phpMyAdmin I have created and managed database tables for PHP systems on multiple projects for a variety of clients.
Adobe Dreamweaver is a piece of web development software. I have extensive experience of multiple generations of Dreamweaver, using only the code view to create neat and tidy, lightweight code.
Adobe Photoshop is part of the Adobe suite, used by the majority of creative professionals. During the start of my career I created draft designs within Fireworks, but over the years I have found Photoshop to be far more advanced and comprehensive. I use this software to manipulate photos, create drafts, and build logos for clients.

I enjoy problem solving within my areas of expertise as well as learning new and upcoming technologies to accommodate new client requirements. I find troubleshooting code is a great way to learn it.