“I make things which exist in the pretend space of the internet. This means they are infinitely thin, but due to the way human perception works, people forget that really quickly and interact with it as if it was a real thing.”
"I write the underlying code that make websites function. Most of the time anyway."
“Straight out of Uni, I began interning at a local digital/IT consultancy firm, learning and building websites and the odd CMS. I moved to London upon getting my first proper job in a marketing/design/digital agency. It was a great first company to work for, but, after a couple of years, I decided to broaden my horizons and move to another, this time solely, digital agency based in Old Street to be part of a larger development team. This was a great learning curve for me, meeting some very talented people along the way. However, I left the agency when the opportunity came up to work for an early-stage social media start-up. When the start-up didn't make it, and I wanted to continue working with .NET, I joined Pretty.”
Did you always know you wanted to get into design and websites?
“I used to draw a lot growing up, and, inspired by reading Asterix and Tintin, making my own comics. It was while on a work experience placement for school, for a freelance Graphic Designer (who happened to be my uncle at the time...sssh!), that I realised that you could actually draw, and be creative, AND earn money at the same time. So it was from that experience that I decided what it was I wanted to do."
“…it became apparent what Dreamweaver was actually doing: it was adding the CODE required to make a website. The more I looked, the more interested I became in the inner workings of a webpage.”
"So, straight out of school, I started a course in Graphic Design. It was here where I got my first real taste of the wonderful world of the internet. We were shown how to use Dreamweaver (yes, I know) as a quick and simple means of creating a site, with its tools and easy drag and drop interface. While using Dreamweaver, and not really being told what went into making a HTML page, it became apparent what the program was actually doing: it was adding the CODE required to make a website. You just have to click on the 'Code' tab to see it! The more I looked, the more interested I became in the inner workings of a webpage. However, it was only when I met an actual Coder that my passion really grew and my life as a Developer was forged.”
What most excites you about your work at Pretty?
“Being tasked with finding a solution to a problem and making it happen - and finding the most elegant solution to a problem.”
"And outside of work?"
“I like to play guitar, and, when I can, playing music with friends. These days, spending more and more of my spare time writing. Both music and fiction. The stuff that I write leans towards rockier side of things. Used to be very much of the rock persuasion, but my tastes extend well beyond that now. A lot of the stuff I’ve written mostly sits on a friend's hard drive somewhere. I believe there is a video of me in a band from a while ago on YouTube, but for my eyes only… Actually I also unearthed an early recording on MySpace, but again that won't be shared! I also recently partook in a FutureLearn creative writing course.”
"What about your favourite website? Can you pick one?”
“If I had to choose my favourite website…. it would be Twitter…you choose the people and companies YOU want to follow. It's a great way to unearth things.”