menu
General Information
What I am good at
My Skills

Select a category to expand then select a skill for more information.

Used basic to advanced HTML since I started studying in web in 2002.

Know the majority of HTML5 including:

  • structure
  • formatting
  • layout
  • forms
  • HTML5 video
  • accessibility.

Also know how to use the lesser known tags like the header and footer tags.

Used pure CSS for many years prior to responsive design and media queries. Moved over to almost exclusively using SCSS when Learning Seat started making responsive design work in 2016.

Fully understand:

  • display types
  • box model
  • media queries
  • grid and flexbox
  • variables and calc syntax.

Much preferred over base CSS. Started using when Learning Seat used it for responsive design in 2016 and I use it for all my projects now. This website is styled using SCSS.

Know all the basics and a lot of the more advanced concepts like:

  • indentation (with &.class and media queries)
  • variables
  • loops
  • import/@includes/@extends.

Started using Bootstrap while working at Gekko Creations (2018) using version 3 or 4 depending on the project. Since it was like the CSS flexbox which I am familiar with, I picked it up quite quickly. Leant some of the more advanced features of Bootstrap such as the responsive menus.

Site note: Personally, I prefer not to use it, especially for the more basic parts of Bootstrap as it can get very messy with so many class names for the elements, when a single class with grid/flexbox gets the same results. Saying that though, I am quite happy to keep using it as intended for websites with Bootstrap, like for example this website uses Bootstrap as the original template used it.

Being using JavaScript since moving from Flash around 2009. Not much commercial experience until working at Gekko Creations (2018-19) as most of e-learning uses tools that do not require programming it yourself. I mostly used it with personal projects like Chaos Run (see Portfolio) which is made using pure JavaScript.

JavaScript skills include:

  • Full understanding of object orientated programming (OOP)
  • Understanding of how to use (and build) APIs
  • Understand the asynchronous nature of JS and the use of callbacks
  • Can look and any (non-minimised) JavaScript code and understand and possibly fix any issues
  • Up to date with the latest ES6 standards like the arrow notation and the use of let and const

I really enjoy working with JavaScript and love the endless possibilities with it.

Being using jQuery as long as I have been using JavaScript since moving from Flash around 2009. Not much commercial experience until working at Gekko Creations (2018-19) as most of e-learning uses tools that do not require programming it yourself.

jQuery skills include:

  • The use of the jQuery selector ($) to target DOM elements on the page
  • Use of jQuery call stack and how to effectively use it.

Small amount of WordPress experience managing the official Jaguar and Land Rover Merchandise WordPress sites. Sites were using the WooCommerce plugin to manage the transactions. My job was to add/remove promotional details, fixing small transactional issues with the WooCommerce plugin, and inventory management. Also, did some online courses on how to make and manage WordPress templates.

One of the major projects at Gekko Creations used Laravel as the framework. So, in turn I have had some commercial experience in making functionality changes to existing Blade pages. I have limited skills using retrieving data from the Laravel framework and using loops.

No commercial or personal project experience with Angular yet, however, I have done a deep dive in online learning resources on Angular over a few weeks, so I understand the basics of the structure of the framework and how to use it.

Found out about Vue during working at Gekko Creations. Have done a shallow dive with Vue and had co-workers explain the basics of Vue so I am very excited to learn more. Seems like it’s jQuery for the next generation.

Started using PHP at Gekko Creations (2018) picked up the basics quite fast as I found it like programming in JavaScript. This site uses PHP for reducing repeated code and sending mail.

I can:

  • Read/write to a database using SQL
  • Display website code using echo and loops
  • Make basic APIs
  • Use of include to reduce repeated code
  • Send emails using form post and PHP mail.

Have done a course in SQL as well as using it at Gekko Creations. Set up basic databases as well as managing backups. Made complex statements with inner and directional joins to retrieve the exact data that is required. Understand basically the performance costs with using SQL and how to minimise it.

Worked a little in Laravel for a project at Gekko Creations and have made a single module within the framework. I understand a little of the framework structure and how the front and back ends work together.

My skills using Photoshop varies depending on what task it is.

Advanced skills in:

  • Extracting elements of an existing web design, even know a few less commonly known tricks to speed up the process
  • Cropping and resizing images to fit on a design
  • Compressing images.

Intermediate skills in:

  • Basic image manipulation, like removing a background or removing a small object in a picture
  • Use of the content-aware tools.

Basic skills in:

  • Designing a website from scratch
  • More advanced Photoshop skills like been able to produce and manipulate professional work.

My skills using Illustrator varies depending on what task it is.

Advanced skills in:

  • Extracting elements of an existing web design and use of export for screens tool
  • Understanding the difference between vector and raster images/artwork and what best to use.

Intermediate skills in:

  • Converting artwork into usable SVGs for the web
  • Effectively using the pen tool to trace existing artwork as well as making raster graphics into an accurate vector.

Basic skills in:

  • Designing graphics from scratch
  • Character or object design into cartoon or anime.

When Gekko Creations needed a new management system Trello came up. I learnt everything there was to know about Trello in a deep dive with the software. With my admin account I learnt about the best practices of how to design and manage a kanban board. I learnt the best power-ups to use both 1st and 3rd party, people and group management, reporting, and more, even delve into Trello’s API.

When Gekko moved to hosting all their projects in GitHub I helped with the move, learning a lot about Git in the process. I understand how the pull requests and branches work. I had a great co-worker that sat down with me to explain a lot of how Git and GitHub works and how to get the best use out of it. Still learning how to control Git using command line and the more complex side of Git.

Text editor of choice and highly recommended. Have so many good packages that make my programming super-fast and effective.

Been using Storyline since it came out and Articulate’s PowerPoint extension before that. If Storyline can do it, I can do it. Know all the templates tips and tricks, as well as its limitations and how to get around them including using JavaScript to solve some of the issues.

Been using Captivate before Adobe brought Macromedia. If Captivate can do it, I can do it. Know all the templates tips and tricks, as well as its limitations. Know how to use the widgets and advanced actions to get the most out of the e-learning courses.

Lesser known competitor to the leading e-learning software and was one of the first to go full HTML (others were still using Flash). Have done several large projects using this software so I know how to handle it’s strange but effective page tree.

No longer around but still the best software simulation program. If you need a software simulation, you should use this and use me to use it.

In house software at Learning Seat. If the leading software doesn’t do what you want it to do then make it yourself, was C-Learning’s and later Learning Seat’s philosophy. There were plans to release Bluejay into the world. While harder to use then Storyline and Captivate it is much more flexible and powerful, and I am one of the only people that know how to use it. Also is the way that I learnt CSS and SCSS by using this application.

General Information