Earlier this year I committed to a few resolutions concerning my advancement as a web designer. Here's what actually happened in 2016:
#Fails
- create more, read less: uhhhh... I did just the opposite this year by reading way more than I expected; the learning paralysis was real
- play more: not so much hobby, exploring, and fun time with my Raspberry Pi this year as hoped
- develop a plan: pinpoint isn't exactly the word I'd use
#Wins
- create more, read less: I'll give myself a little credit for reading a lot just because over half of my books were Web dev related or toddler-related
- play more: I did achieve a win in playtime with my toddler and he's all the happier for it
- develop a plan: not so much a plan but rather two focused goals were obtained (become a skilled web developer and be an ever-present mom)
- practice empathy: the practice of empathy was (mostly) present for my toddler all year long
- husband time: almost every evening after son's bedtime was dedicated to hubby rather than hobby
How I Learned
Honestly, the beginning of the year (ok, maybe the first 3/4?) was spent on reading and cruising through infrequent tutorials. However, I can look back on Twitter and see I put some effort in throughout the year. But it's been the last two months that I've been giving myself a big push. Mostly because I was tired of reading and just wanted to DO something. And with the added encouragement of Cal Newport's Deep Work, I decided to just do something.
At the end of 2016 I can say I'm more familiar and comfortable with:
- Programming logic
- Ruby language
- JavaScript language
- Bootstrap framework
- CSS3 and Sass
- SVGs
- Web accessibility and inclusive design
- UI/UX principles
- Git and Github
- Algorithm Scripting
- Toddler logic
- Myself and my goals
For those interested in what resources I've devoured during my wayward journey this year, here is a mostly-comprehensive list:
Books
- Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson
- How to Make Sense of Any Mess by Abby Covert
- The Elements of Content Strategy by Erin Kissane
- 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan M. Weinschenk
- CSS Development (with CSS3) by Zachary Kingston
- Learn to Program by Chris Pine
- JavaScript for Web Designers by Mat Marquis
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Up & Going with JS by Kyle Simpson
- The Principles of Object-Oriented JavaScript by Nicholas C. Zakas
- Eloquent JavaScript by Marijn Haverbeke
- Learning Web App Development by Semmy Purewal
- Inclusive Design Patterns by Heydon Pickering
- The Official Raspberry Pi Projects Book edited by Russell Barnes
- Automate the Boring Stuff with Python by Albert Sweigart
Tutorials
- Learn.co (Ruby)
- Learn to Program (Ruby)
- Free Code Camp (Front-end Dev)
- Codecademy (JavaScript and Ruby)
- Code School (JavaScript)
- Udemy (Front-end Dev)
- Lynda.com (JavaScript)
- W3Schools (JavaScript)
Apps
- Codemurai (JavaScript and Node.js)
- SoloLearn's Learn JavaScript
- Tutorial apps included: Udemy and Lynda.com
Read-Search-Ask
What I Gained
I'd like to think I made some progress this year despite not being as far as I'd like to be. Specific progress wins included:
- rejuvenated my focus and set my sights on being a better developer and better mom
- joined as a contributor for the Women Who Code website
- created 15 repos and added 82 contributions on Github
- introduced myself to Ruby
- dabbled with 15 pens on Codepen, including the creation of my portfolio
- completed 70% of Free Code Camp's Front End Development coursework
- completed Code School's JavaScript Road Trip, Part 1-3
- completed 54% of Udemy's Front-end Development coursework (thanks to WWC for the scholarship!)
- completed Lynda.com's Front End Web Developer path
- committed to the 100 Days of Code challenge, which has kept me accountable for the last 9 days
- applied for a Launch School scholarship to strive for more "doing" commitment on my part
Ringing in 2017
For those of you who are just starting your journey, stagnate in your pursuits, or well on your way to success... keep coding and making! You're in good company and you've got this.