Profile
I am a User Experience Designer who codes.
From the earliest days of my career when I taught myself to program Microsoft Active Server Pages and to work with SQL Databases, I have always to some degree incorporated code into my design work. Because I design web applications, it only makes sense to me to design in the browser. Given the choice between wireframes or high-fidelity mockups and an HTML version of a design, I typically choose the latter. For me this approach has become more expedient, especially when using an established design system and language. In recent years, I have seen a trend away from low-fidelity wireframes and mockups in favor of jumping straight to high-fidelity versions of a design. I cut my teeth on low-fidelity and still use wireframes extensively, however more often than not my deliverable is HTML.
Also, in recent years a number of frameworks and libraries have made for a much easier transition into coding for anyone willing to invest the time into learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Over the years HTML and CSS have been relatively easy to stay current with, however in the absence of working with JavaScript day in and day out, it wasn't as easy to maintain proficiency with it. Several years ago, I changed that and dedicated myself to learning it so that I could take full advantage of JavaScript frameworks and libraries that are in wide use today, such as React, VueJS, and AngularJS, and Svelte (my preferred, which is actually a compiler and not a full-blown framework).
Prototype Engineer?
The above frameworks and libraries combined with established design langages that many organizations have in place have allowed me to move into my current role as a Prototype Engineer (using The Five Competencies of User Experience Design for reference). In this capacity and at the time of this writing, I am working with Sabre's Research and Labs team to flesh out ideas for future revenue generating opportunities in the form of new and innovative products. My outcome is either a prototypye or a demo to elicit feedback on the product's potential. The process to this result entails working either solo or with another designer to establish the product's Information Architecture, work flows, Interaction Design, and ultimately the programming of the User Interface.
