MOTLEY CODE

If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying to build something with Amazon Lambda, let me tell you, it is terrifying. You’ll be going along through the AWS docs just swimmingly, when all of a sudden you hit a section that looks like the dark, esoteric ramblings of a Lovecraftian madman.

Or at least, that’s what happened to me. A little while back one of my project managers asked me to build an internal tool using Lambda. I've been working in front end web development for just under a year, and Lambda was a lot more advanced than most of what I’d been doing. So I looked at just about every article and tutorial on the internet in the hopes of finding something that would actually make sense to me. 

Enter Savjee’s “Getting started with AWS Lambda” youtube tutorials. Clear, concise explanations of how to get something going on Lambda. And unlike the docs, these videos don’t assume you’ve got lots of background knowledge - they actually walk you through the steps from the beginning.

Other than coding like a maniac for 8 hours a day, of course.

During a coding bootcamp, software development program, or other intensive tech education, you'll have a lot on your plate. Like, a lot. But there are three things you can't skip out on if you want to succeed in your classes and land a job afterwards.

Make friends with fellow students

Depending on your disposition, this might strike you as totally obvious, or way too sunshine-and-butterflies...but making friends in code school is very worthwhile.

Not only will it give you someone to turn to when you're stuck or overwhelmed, it'll help you a lot when it comes time to look for a job. A code school buddy might be willing to serve as a reference on your job application, or even help you land an interview at their company.

Plus, you might end up meeting a great crew of people.

Start putting together a portfolio

Having live examples of your code is critical when it comes to landing a job. When you send your resume off into the void, the person looking at it isn't going to have time to look through a github repo. Hell, the person looking at your resume probably won't even be a programmer.

Take the time now to learn how to deploy your projects on github pages, heroku, or another service. If you wait until the end of your program, you might find yourself too swamped with projects and job applications. But if you start on your portfolio right away, you'll have plenty of time to polish it up. And by the end of your program you'll have lots of live projects you can show potential employers.

Keep your chin up

Whoever decided to call vocational coding programs 'bootcamps' didn't mince words. There will be days when it feels like everything is stacked against you. There will be days where you wake up and just want to wrap yourself up in your blankets, burrito-style, and refuse to get out of bed. (And honestly, I recommend taking a rest day if you need it - missing a day isn't the end of the world)

But when you're working on code or talking to your peers or instructors, try to stay positive. Remember that it's okay to not understand something, and it's okay to get things wrong. The best way to learn is to keep trying.

Portfolio Redesign 2017 - Jess Guilford

Daily UI #001 - Contact Form

As a developer, I spend most of my time bringing other people’s designs to life. It’s awesome, but I’m also interested in exploring web design. What makes for an aesthetically pleasing design? What sorts of feedback, contrast levels, and interactions can I use to better communicate a site’s content?

My friend Tara was kind enough to agree to be my guinea pig while I work on my design skills. Here’s a portion of my first draft:

My original design for this felt...off. It was a little too tidy and restrained, which doesn’t fit with Tara’s music at all. Her music is dark and richly emotive, and I wanted her website to reflect that. I also decided that using a multi page layout didn’t necessarily fit with the content - which is pretty minimal. And I wanted her music to be more at the forefront, rather than tucked away on another page.

Here’s a portion of my second draft, which is still in progress:

I’ve switched it to a single scroll page. I added textural backgrounds and collaged graphic elements to better reflect Tara’s personal style. The drop shadows on the sections are meant to mirror that collaged look - almost like each section is a piece of aged paper.