My Journey to Become a Web Designer

person using MacBook Pro

Just a little bit more in the getting to know me area. I did not start out in computer science or web design. I started out as a chemical engineering major at the University of California at San Diego. As part of the engineering coursework, we had to choose a programming language to learn. We had the option to choose between C++ or Fortran 90. From what I was told, Fortran would be the most useful for an engineer, so that is what I went with.

Fortran 90 was the latest of this old programming language that was one of the first used in early computer development. I picked it up fast. Faster than most of my fellow classmates and I was soon tutoring them on the ins and outs of the language.

That class is what really got me interested in programming and learning about how software functioned. Unfortunately, I did not pursue that coursework until later in my career. I went on to finish my degree in Chemistry and Environmental Science.

I got a job as an analytical chemist running volatile organic analysis for an environmental testing laboratory. I worked on gas chromatographs with mass spectrometers, high performance liquid chromatography, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometers. Along with a number of other instruments, I tested everything from drinking water, wastewater, soils, food, hazardous waste, and consumer products for regulated contaminants.

The thing with all of these instruments is that they can vary in age and software. Many times we ran into issue where the computer that controlled the instrument would die and there were no current computer that ran the operating system from the previous computer. So we would need to find creative ways to get the new computer, the old software, and the instrument to speak to each other.

So throughout my career in analytical chemistry, I had to learn various computer programming to make custom reports or just get certain software to function. I had to learn more about Fortran, Visual Basic, and SQL.

Along with these duties, I started to learn about updating our company website. l started out by adding blogs to the company website to later updating design and layouts. It was something that I enjoyed doing, learning about the different page builders that were available and just trying out different elements.

After some time, I wanted to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of these front end developments. I started taking courses in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I won’t say that I am anywhere near proficient in these. I am still continuously learning programming to be better at what I do.

So now I have started a small web design company that is geared towards small businesses that are just starting out. Businesses that need a functioning website that can give their customers the information that they need and help bring in business. I can take the time to go over the different needs of the business without breaking their budget on website design.

So if you are looking for a new landing page, starting a new e-commerce store, a blog or podcast. Please feel free to send me a message. I will be glad to go over what I can provide and any recommendations that I can give.

You can send us a message by visiting our contact page.

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