The Making of a Web Craftsman

Getting started on the web can be an intimidating process. For the beginner, there are no lack of resources for learning, but that also means that there’s no end to the noise and clutter. During my time as an apprentice at Sparkbox, I gave this talk at a local web developer's meetup (http://www.meetup.com/dayton-web-developers/events/103926462/). The theme of my talk was becoming a web craftsman - the journey of going from a passive bystander, to an active, passionate, and confident web worker.

I posted more notes about the talk on my website: http://neilrenicker.com/speaking/craftsman

Transcript

1. HEY!
2. README
3. “If there’s one thing designers are good at — it’s following the Internet, and there’s already plenty of information about the latest tools and software there...” -Aura Seltzer on cognition.happycog.com
4. “...Tools are merely instruments that help us accomplish a task, but tools can’t think, so expand on your approaches and point of view.” -Aura Seltzer on cognition.happycog.com
5. NOT
6. IS
7. ME
8. craftsman
9. “If your life is primarily consumed by your work, then loving your work is one of the most important keys to loving your life.” -Chad Fowler, "e Passionate Programmer"
10. FEAR
13. “at’s the tough thing about the web. In an instant, you can see somebody’s work that took them not just months to create, but years to come into their own style...” -Kyle Steed on thegreatdiscontent.com
14. “When I understood that there will always be people ahead of me, I realized I didn’t have to be jealous, but that I could be happy about the work I’m making right now. If you keep creating, you’re just going to get better.” -Kyle Steed on thegreatdiscontent.com
15. HONESTY
16. “Challenge yourself. Humble yourself. Get over yourself. Whatever you do, make sure it's well outside your comfort zone. You'll learn and grow and become better, stronger, and a lot more self-assured...” -Jeff Haden, "Your Most Important Investment" on Inc Magazine
17. “...Learning to not care what others think about you - in a healthy way - is incredibly empowering.” -Jeff Haden, "Your Most Important Investment" on Inc Magazine
18. LIES
19. STUPID
20. “In [the IT trade], we’re less likely to ask each other for help. Depending on others is often seen as a sign of weakness. We’re afraid to admit that we’re not perfect. Unfortunately, this leads to an extremely underdeveloped system of mentoring.” -Chad Fowler, "e Passionate Programmer"
21. WIDE
22. “e horizontal stroke of the 'T' is the disposition for collaboration across disciplines.” Tim Brown, Ideo
23. DEEP
24. “e vertical stroke of the 'T' is a depth of skill that allows them to contribute to the creative process.” Tim Brown, Ideo
25. NO
26. “If programmers got paid to remove code from software instead of writing new code, software would be a whole lot better.” -Nicholas Negroponte, as quoted in "Getting Real" by 37Signals
27. FRIENDS
28. neil.re/meetups
29. GROW
30. neil.re/peoples
31. TINKER
32. Q: “If you could give one piece of advice to another designer starting out, what would you say?” -Cameron Moll on thegreatdiscontent.com
33. A: “My answer is always: nd something you’re passionate about and write about that passion.” -Cameron Moll on thegreatdiscontent.com
34. neil.re/side-projects
35. GO!
36. @NEILRENICKER neil.re/craftsman