Statement
How I came in to web design is not an uncommon story. In high school, I taught myself the basics of HTML and Photoshop. In college, I took a few elective classes associated with web design and programming, still feeding the hobby and not focused on a career on the Web. It wasn’t until I landed an internship as a Junior Web Developer and then a full-time position as a web designer, did I realize the career potential in something I was already doing.
It is my experience that any individual with enough passion, drive, or curiosity can teach themselves how to use a particular technology, application, or technique to create products. This is especially true with the world as your tutor through the Web. And I believe I am an example of that. However my passion and curiosity for learning had brought me to a point where I want to build something more than a product. I want to create an experience. I am interested in using the right technology, or combination of technologies, to create an experience that makes sense, first, to the user, and second to the business. Because, without the user, there is no business.
Currently, I work at Interbrand Corporation on a technical team of three: our programmer, our online manager and myself. My role as Web Designer covers all things related to front-end development, including but not restricted to HTML, CSS, Flash ActionScript and animation, image production with Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as content management and social media management. When Interbrand rebranded in September 2008, our team was tasked with redesigning the .com. I was personally responsible for creating the new div structure and HTML for our templates and writing the style sheets used throughout the site. I also played an integral part in structuring our custom CMS and in identifying the best layout of content for each page. I brought ideas on how to improve interconnectedness and content featured on the site. There were even times where I served as backup for my manager and had to explain to the designers in our London office why it was a bad idea to build a public site around internal language.
As an undergraduate, I majored in Linguistics and Languages. What I have found is that the intricacies of language, however, are not very different from the complexities of technology. They both contain systems, structures, and rules that interact and relate to larger systems which evolve via the needs of different types of users. For a long time, websites and applications were produced by development teams. But with the integration and proliferation of tools like wikis and open source technologies, more people can be involved in improving products, information, and experiences. These technologies have created a platform for change in which anyone can participate, much like the evolution of language that changes and adapts according to circumstance and necessity. Language has been at the core of human existence and survival since the dawn of man. As the human race’s dependence on technology grows, it is crucial that we ensure access to technology that is available to everyone. My goal is to facilitate and participate in this evolution. I expect that the Interaction Design program at SVA will push me to explore the ways I can do that.