A day in the life of a Front End Developer

Ever wondered what life is like for a Front End Developer? Well you’re about to find out! We’ve interviewed our very own website developer Andrew Stichbury, who gave us the down low on how he got into the development game and what exactly that entails…

Name: Andrew Stichbury
Nationality: New Zealand/Kiwi
Job title: Front End Developer
Started at JBi Digital: October 2014
Hobbies: Travelling and exploring the City, blogging and online shopping

After coming to the UK on a holiday to visit family, Andrew decided to take the plunge and move halfway across the world leaving New Zealand behind. If it wasn’t the roof terrace cocktails and eccentric pop-up restaurants that inspired Andrew to move to London, it certainly was in pursuit of an exciting design and development job; something he found lacking in New Zealand.

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“Surprisingly the challenges are my favourite part of the job – they allow me to constantly develop my skills and gain new knowledge”

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What does ‘Front End’ mean?

Front End developers deal with the development of the elements of a website which the consumer sees and interacts with. My job focuses primarily on the aesthetics of the site and on the user experience – this can be the positioning of a button or some crazy animation!

What are the typical daily duties of a Front End Developer?

I am drafted in to build any website that has a visual focus to it. I will also be involved in the more technically intense projects but for these I will purely be working on the consumer side of the site. You will also often find me fixing ‘things gone wrong’ and updating websites. I am always working on numerous projects at the same time and I tend to use a programme called Adobe Dreamweaver.

How long does it take to build a website?

It normally takes around 4 weeks but it really varies between projects; depending on the type and functionality of the website the client requires.

How did you get into development?

I have always had a passion for graphic design and quickly became interested in how it’s used to create unique and compelling sites. I studied Computer Sciences and taught myself how to code, both of which naturally led me to a job in website development.

What have been some of your favourite projects to work on and why?

Chicane films was one of my favourite websites to develop as well as the MoveMeOn marketing website, and updating our very own website here at JBi, of course.

What happens once a website is deployed?

We receive feedback from the client and continue to make small tweaks and amendments if and when requested. We like to maintain close relationships with all of our clients so they feel they can come straight to us should any issues arise.

What will be your next career step?

My aim is simply to develop my expertise and acquire new skills as a Front End Developer. It can be a difficult and complicated job, especially the ‘techie’ stuff, but its equally as rewarding and I love a challenge.

Finally, I imagine spending all day around technology means you try avoid it at home; what do you do to unwind after a hard day at the office?
Surprisingly I don’t avoid it! I really love design and continue working on my personal portfolio when I’m at home. Also, still being fairly new to London, I like to go out and explore as much as I can.