Q&A with Danny
Danny is our Front End Developer (the guy who makes the websites look so good), and a constant source of upbeat energy in a dozen eggs. When he’s not bantering with Michelle or taking (multiple) trips to Subway with Dale or singing office tunes along with Beth at the a dozen eggs headquarters, he’s partly typing code, partly solving bugs and partly tweaking content.
Formerly an engineer student at Loughborough University and still one at heart, he decided to try out web development after dipping into sales and retail. Now he’s found a passion in this role and is looking to develop and grow his skills further. So let’s get to know Danny!
Danny, why did you decide to become an developer?
The job was calling out to me! Quite literally everyone I know is either working as one, or linked some way to one! Years ago I remember advising one of my good friends to become a developer and now he’s pretty good at it! I never knew what a developer was, and I didn’t think at the time it was for me – but due to being surrounded by so many of them I gradually took interest, eventually left sales and jumped on the bandwagon. Never looked back since!
Has there been a person or event that majorly influenced how you think?
Correct me if Im wrong but most persons and events that I’ve listened and read about all were influenced by someone else. Development code is largely open source and collaboration. I’m a big fan of teamwork and open source code is literally one big teamwork of people helping and influencing one another with their ideas and creativity.
So no there’s not one person or event that influenced my thinking on development.
What is your strongest skill, and what habits helped you develop it?
I have the Danny grin – which most people call it a smile, but hey if I can claim something I might as well own that! I like to say I am a people’s person, as I had to learn how to become more interpersonal with customers whilst in sales and retail. The habit of being optimistic as well as treating others as you’d like them to treat yourself definitely helped me try to understand not only my own personal wants and needs but others as well.
Do you have a favourite type of brief or project to work on?
My favourite types of projects are the ones that utilises the framework to its fullest potential. Take The Great British Website, which we built from the ground up. It just was amazing to be a part of a great project that allowed us such free rein!
What is sparking your interest right now, and how is that appearing in your work?
We use the twig templates and ACF plugin for our current WordPress projects and the many built-in field types are of interest at the moment. Most people only see the results of it on the final web page, but so much work is done behind the scenes. Utilising it in our development is quite fun and satisfying.
What are you into besides your work?
At the moment I’m into Esports. I am a gamer and I grew up playing super Mario with my brothers on the Nintendo console, but never really got into gaming till the internet came into existence. Then when broadband developed and grew I started to love online multi-player games. Its not the games itself that we gamers grow to love but through these games we create and develop a community with the people we meet.
Tell us the best advice you’ve heard that you always pass on.
“Make your bed in the morning when you get up.” – I don’t always do it, but I do it more often then not.
There are many interpretations on this one but with the technology we have on hand – social media, push emails, echos, Alexas and even smart bulbs and lights! -making your own bed as a priority task. The first task of the day will give us a small sense of pride and stalls our social-media intake. Plus even if you’ve had a miserable day, you’ll come back home to a made bed!