An extract from my professional development report.
As my thoughts turned to the Extended Major Project and the end of my degree, I felt under a lot of pressure to fix the issues I faced in the previous projects, most of these were down to planning and mainly related to the branding and interface design of the application. I strongly considered re-building my RSVP management system and applying more resources to the design and layout, however it seemed counter productive to re-build the same product and be marked only on the additions and resolutions from the previous work.
I set about working on and thoroughly planning a new application build. Inspired by my previous experience with iPhone application development I felt it would be great to build an IOS application through which I could addressed all the issues from my previous projects and create something new that could be marked without prejudice of any old work. The first thing I did was to write up my general brief and idea and then start planning my time down to the last day of critique. Every day I had a task list to complete, and I knew that if I stuck to it I would be able to complete the app in time for deadline ensuring I flattened out all the issues I faced in my previous work.??The app that I built is called “Triggers”, it’s an application that allows users to create realtime triggers on their iPhone and put all the available inputs, rules and outputs on their device to good use. The secondary function of the app is to allow users the ability to share the triggers they have made with other users, straight from within the application. To make this global sharing possible I made great use of my previous knowledge gained in web development, again using a combination of PHP, SQL and JavaScript, I produced an interactive website that, along with advertising the application, allowed users to browse their shared triggers and even view an online counter connected to their device via the triggers app. I feel that adding in this second layer of interactivity with other users gives mobile applications an edge and a head start in advertising campaigns.
Having now completed my extended major project, it is great to see how every decision I made throughout my degree has brought me to this stage of development. Each programming language I learnt played a part in producing my final piece and, slowly but surely, the importance of planning has become more evident to me, helping me to produce a high quality piece of work. I am excited about the future of my development, and with technology continually changing, I am constantly being inspired to learn more about my chosen field especially with in regards to mobile applications.
Alongside my degree work I have been advertising myself as a freelance application developer and I have worked on a number of projects separate from my degree work. This work has ranged from simple portfolio websites to full mobile applications. Working outside of my degree in a professional context has encouraged me in my career path and given me some great personal portfolio content. As well as being given creative freedom to produce some interactive applications on my own, I have had the opportunity to work within a team of creatives taking cues from their design and content to produce an application that meets certain criteria. I have also experienced real life time frames and meetings where employers expect periodic updates on production developments.
Being able to apply the skills and concepts that I have learnt through my degree projects directly into my professional work has been extremely encouraging, I have found that hard work, determination and good planning has meant my technical ability and the quality of work I produce has increased ten fold. This has given me a great confidence in within a new world of programming where it is sometimes easy to feel like you know nothing compared to more experienced developers.
Over the last few months I have been searching and applying for jobs in the area of web and mobile application development; it is great to see that the skill set i have developed matches with a number of job applications. It is also interesting to see the variety of work places that are in fact looking for junior developers just like me. A number of companies replied to me showing interest in my portfolio and I have been able to secure a job as a Front-End Web Developer starting shortly after graduation. This fills me with hope for the future and gives me the assurance I need to continue my venture into new and exciting technologies.
