Whilst working in e-commerce, I became interested in the technologies that power digital products and the role that thoughtful design plays in creating engaging user experiences. Wanting to better understand how these elements, I studied web design and front-end web development.
Web Design
I completed a Graphic Design in-person course, which explored the principles of colour, typography and layout for both digital and print media. There was a significant focus on determining the most appropriate choice for colours, shapes and overall presentation.
A significant part of the course also focused on designing for the Web, including creating and optimising graphics and images in Adobe Photoshop, and producing vector artwork such as logos and icons in Illustrator. I also learned Adobe InDesign.
This strengthened my understanding of visual communication and the role of design in creating engaging, accessible digital experiences.
Web Development
I also completed an in-person college course in XHTML, CSS and JavaScript, learning to build websites from scratch without the use of visual design or development tools. This gave me a solid understanding of how websites are structured and function, enabling me to optimise web pages and better assess the technical feasibility, opportunities and constraints of proposed solutions from both business stakeholders and users.