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Life Behind The Curve @ Side View Conf - Brighton
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Westley Knight
November 09, 2013
Technology
1
300
Life Behind The Curve @ Side View Conf - Brighton
Westley Knight
November 09, 2013
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Transcript
Life Behind The Curve - or - How to keep
up with all things web http://www.flickr.com/photos/zanthia/10334451553
A brief introduction Building website for over 13 years Married
with 3 children Always worked in an agency I love doing my job
Way back when Web Design DNS Servers Flash Software Support
Database Design Domain Registration Server Setup Web Design Hosting Accounts Dial-up Accounts ASP (VBScript) Email Servers http://www.flickr.com/photos/52329908@N00/516266503
I found what I enjoyed Web Developer Front End Development
Project Management Back End Development Database Design Server Management CMS Deployment
THE PRESENT DAY Senior UX/UI Developer at @thinkbda
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74105777@N00/5818096043 Which means I do this stuff User Experience Information
Architecture User Interface Design Responsive Web Design Content Strategy Typography
None
What is this talk about How this talk came about
Examine the avenues for learning How I changed the way I look at it all How you can do the same
This isn’t what I started with Workflows & Processes Responsive
Deliverables Repurposing Your Tools
Workflows & processes
Responsive deliverables
Repurposing your tools
TWO WEEKS BEFORE GIVING THE TALK Everyone’s already talking about
this...
Let’s get started with some audience participation http://www.flickr.com/photos/45409431@N00/3272079115
The Answer to all OUR problems http://uptodate.frontendrescue.org
how does it try to solve my problems? Who to
follow on Twitter A list of news sites, blogs & podcasts Conferences to attend Advice on finding your own sources
does it solve my problems? Not really...
HOW DO I FILTER ALL THIS CONTENT? 700+ Articles 65
Episodes ~58 Hours ~50 Hours
How long?! 5 Months
Twitter http://www.flickr.com/photos/eldh/5858249526
A window to the hive mind Me Vs. Everyone I
follow on Twitter
The trouble with Conferences There are so many They can
cost a pretty penny Getting the time off Convincing the boss http://www.flickr.com/photos/77868772@N00/4624389421
The list is missing something... Who to follow on Twitter
A list of news sites, blogs & podcasts Conferences to attend Advice on finding your own sources
TOOLS Typography Boilerplates Pre-processors Libraries Frameworks Prototyping Tools Task Runners
Code Editors http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/7126146307
That’s a lot of stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CS7j5I6aOc
so how do you keep up?
The short answer You can’t
The Depressing Part Threatened by the knowledge of others Put
myself under pressure to learn Been judged for not being ‘up-to-date’ I’ve doubted my own abilities http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciaranryan/9728262844
Good news everyone! You don’t have to feel this way
http://www.flickr.com/photos/toomuchdew/3612905889
The Young Guns There’s always somebody younger There’s always somebody
hungrier These are the people who do crazy things with stuff you’ve never even heard of http://shazza91321.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/young-guns.jpg
You have two choices You compete by trying to learn
everything you can or You can realise that it’s time for someone else to do that stuff http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauldineen/2122384796
Relinquishing control
Relinquishing control “You also have to embrace that fact that
things won’t always be 100% the way you would like it; they can’t be; as you’re not doing it yourself.” - Joel Hughes http://thebusinessofwebdesign.co.uk/2013/11/08/6-the-traits-of-a-good-freelancer/
acceptance is key “For after all, the best thing one
can do when it is raining is to let it rain.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow http://www.flickr.com/photos/88328067@N03/9219910524
A DIFFERENT APPROACH
A Different approach Learn only what you need http://www.flickr.com/photos/kblanqua/8422890539
A Different approach Keep it relevant http://www.flickr.com/photos/8542711@N08/4643095630
A Different approach Build an archive http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolescum/3568499590
ADVICE Take advice with a pinch of salt http://www.flickr.com/photos/info_grrl/10366207823
And that’s how I do it Learn only what you
need Apply new techniques if relevant Save articles for future reference Make considered choices
“The more I read, the more I acquire, the more
certain I am that I know nothing.” - Voltaire http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilerin/3723714381
“To know is to know that you know nothing. That
is the meaning of true knowledge.” - Confucius http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilerin/3723714381
“The more you know, the more you know you don’t
know.” - Me http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilerin/3723714381
Don’t worry Accept that others will know more Only learn
what you need Learn to let go of your work It’s OK not to be ahead of the curve BE HAPPY
Thank you http://www.flickr.com/photos/zanthia/10334451553 @westleyknight