Taking Control with HTML5 & CSS

How things have changed…

Should you DIY?

When people have approached me to request a website, depending on their circumstances and what they are expecting, I have quite often referred them to one of the very powerful website building tools out there. I have even run many of my own websites on Wix or Squarespace… because it’s quick to set up and easy to manage.

Clients don’t always realise how much work goes into building something from scratch, and how much work it can take to update and maintain a custom site moving forwards. I usually end up recommending that people make and manage their own until their new business starts bringing in enough for a full scale digital marketing project. Other times, I’ll quickly throw together a Wix/Squarespace site for them right in front of their eyes, to show how easy it is to DIY.

That being said - web technology has come a very long way.

I took a bit of a break from building websites to focus on my IT career, and in just a few years, I’ve seen some incredible things being developed.

Old Dog, New Tricks

When I decided to start marketing myself for freelance consultancy work again, I had to make a decision about how the company should be branded. For a long time, I considered myself a tech generalist, but as my career has developed, I have found my focus is in development and business strategy.

Rather than making another Wix/Squarespace site, I decided that in order to demonstrate my capabilities, I should craft something more bespoke. Most of my work is not available to the public, and therefore my portfolio is a bit on the thin side. I figured that with a great first impression when clicking on my site, people might be open to having a conversation with me about what they need. It needed to stand out - and it needed to prove my point when I say that I’m a developer.

I was a bit rusty, so I decided to brush up on some basic HTML and CSS skills - and make a basic responsive landing page. Speaking honestly - I did have to use some tutorials to get the essentials in and see how it all tied together. I find that with a good teacher and some documentation nearby, this is the fastest way for me to learn. However - as with any programming language or software that I start learning, this was only a launch-pad.

It took a day or two for everything to click and my memory to be refreshed, so at this point I started playing with completely new technologies to me. NPM, SCSS and a deeper dive into some source control methodologies. Everything was coming together and it was all very exciting! I hadn’t coded HTML/CSS since before HTML5 came out, so there were a lot of new features to discover.

Visual Focus

I am most certainly not the best designer or developer out there - some people are absolute wizards! My focus has always been on experimentation and technology driven creative solutions. I also have a weak spot for optical illusions, 3D effects and interactivity. One of the areas I have been pursuing on a hobby basis is video game development. I understand that the real world applications and incoming generating opportunities are rather limited in such a saturated market, but regardless, video games have always been something close to my heart.

I decided that I wanted to express that part of myself through my website. Some portfolios are slick and beautifully designed. Others look sharp and professional. Some are bubbly and bright with memorable animated elements.

I didn’t want my site to look too ‘business’, and I didn’t want the site to look too ‘art’.

I wanted something that said: “This person has a firm grasp on technology and is willing to try new things. He is creative and highly adaptable”

I want to help generate companies huge revenue, but I also want to create interesting new things.

I ended up employing various JavaScript libraries that are notoriously difficult to implement. The effect is still in progress, but I like how it is starting to present itself… and unlike yesterday, my CPU isn’t overheating!

Underneath the game and software development, the industry experience, the ambitious animation and experimentation, the art projects and the music, I am most importantly a problem solver. I like to learn, to help people with creative solutions, I like to consult, and I love a good challenge.