I have been learning a lot of new things this year. As the tools of this web trade become more plentiful, it’s harder to focus on any one method or process.
Most of my days @40Digits are spent in HTML/CSS/JS – we do a fair bit of WordPress development as well – so I definitely lean more toward the front-end skillset. I’m at home in a single flat-file microsite, WP-as-an-API for a small mobile app, etc. It’s great fun and keeps things fresh as we learn and grow in this ever changing field.
The thing that has me really interested so far in 2017 is the concept to build, “one-trick ponies” wherever I can fit them in. Staying on top of tools is one thing, but actually building something with them is a whole different matter. I’m finding that it’s easier to stay loose and ready for bigger projects when you are in a steady rhythm of building things. It makes it a lot easier to pivot if you’re already in motion.
This does one trick – display my latest projects – but it does it pretty well. I have a Google Spreadsheet that is published to the world, which allows me to grab the JSON source, which I then use as a cheap API to render that page. Is it ugly? You bet. But it was a project that took about an hour to build as a concept, so I don’t mind so much.
Building a lot of small things has made a big difference in my overall confidence this year. Strength in numbers! Plus, I’m inclined to believe that 100 duck-sized horses would win any day.