2024 | Frontend Developer

Hey!

I’m a bit late this month as I’ve been working temporarily on a freelance project, which kept me quite busy. Today, I just wanted to explain what it is I do as a Frontend Developer.

My journey in the development world 🌎

You might already know if you’ve visited my blog before, but just in case, I am a Frontend Developer. Explaining my job to friends and family can be tricky—they often look confused when I mention ‘developer’. But I’ve always been interested in how websites are built, and learning to create them was a mind-blowing experience 🤯.

Fun Fact: When I built my first website, I didn’t know where to start and I used a lot of ‘Website Builders’ to create something, but this felt VERY limiting for me.

What I do

As a Frontend Developer, my job is to build web apps that you interact with, like the one you’re reading from right now. This is my website, my slice of the internet🍕.

Types of developers:

Frontend Developer: Focuses on the user interface and user experience (UI/UX).
Backend Developer: Manages server-side logic, databases, and data processing.
Fullstack Developer: Combines both frontend and backend skills.

*by user I just mean you, the person using/interacting with the app.

Why Frontend?

I love the creative aspect of Frontend Development—making websites user-friendly and visually appealing. I like being able to turn incredible designs into reality.

Tips for aspiring developers

If you’re thinking about becoming a developer, here are a few tips:

Start with the basics: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Build projects: The best way to learn is by doing.
Stay curious: Technology is always evolving, so keep learning new tools and frameworks.

Bonus Tip: Create projects/apps that people use daily (don’t stick to the common “Todo List” apps etc, even though they are a great learning experience) aspire to build something that you would use daily a weather app is a great place to start once you’ve got your foundations.

Challenges

You will face challenges, as with starting anything new, and you will run into issues and blockers. But remember, failing is an important part of the process and your journey!

Here’s a story from my own experience:

Early Struggles: When I was just starting out, I spent an entire week trying to fix a bug that caused a website to break on mobile devices. I tried everything I could think of, but nothing seemed to work. I felt frustrated and doubted my abilities. Eventually, I reached out to a more experienced developer who showed me how to use browser developer tools to pinpoint the issue. It turned out to be a simple CSS mistake! (CSS mistakes are the worst ifykyk).

From this experience, I learned that:

It's okay to ask for help: Reaching out to others can provide new perspectives and solutions 📣
Tools are your friends: Learning to use developer tools effectively can save you a lot of time. Google Chrome Inspector - you are my friend ❤️
Every mistake is a learning opportunity: Each failure teaches you something new and makes you a better developer 💯

Overcoming Blockers

Here are some tips on how to deal with challenges:

Break it down: Simplify the problem into smaller, more manageable parts.
Research: Look up documentation, tutorials, or similar problems that others have solved.
Stay patient: Persistence is key. Take breaks when needed to clear your mind and come back with a fresh perspective.

The best advice I’ve been given is “Learn to struggle more”. Struggling is a sign of learning. If you ever want advice or help with an issue you’re currently stuck on reach out to me, my DMs are always open and I will always offer support to the best of my ability, or just be your rubber ducky 🦆.