When I was young, approximately when was eight years old I started learning to program with an amazing teacher called Iñaki. He started teaching me and old programming language called Turbo Pascal, long long time ago, but as every kid I did something worng and I was punished with no more programming classes.
What a shame!
Some years before that as many teenagers I started playing videogames, I was playing Counter-Strike at the end of the nineties I started leading some clans, as clan manager one of the things I did was to made some static table based websites.
That was my beginnings in the web. During that period I did two or three small, fixed, table based personal websites to my girlfriend. I also met other guy which would be one good friend and videogame mate for a few years called Javier.
Javier and other two of his friends started a small graphic design studio called GL Creaciones and told my to join them. We did some small projects from 2002 to 2004.
After my break with my grilfriend and ending my journey in GL Creaciones I worked in other areas for some years and that took me to be unemployed which was one of the best things in my life.
Why? You might ask. Well, as some might know, I’ve been working in some non related jobs with the web and design industry in my twentys but once I was unemployed I started a middle-grade module of printing arts, and after that I invested my savings in one of the best things I ever did in my life.
Trazos an overprized Spanish academy
You might ask wy I’m saying that Trazos is an overprized academy if it was one of the best things I ever did in my life.
Well, this is the academy with the best with the best facilities in Madrid, they have the newest computers and best software.
I thought as I did a couple of projects in GL Creaciones to master graphic design and learn some of the most used programs in the industry and why not, to learn some HTML and CSS would be a great idea. So I started what they called a Master in Graphic Design and Web Development. Now when I’m writing this I looked to link the academic program but their program has changed.
I remember that I learnt about the following:
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Flash
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- HTML 5
- CSS 3
- JavaScript
- jQuery
- PHP
The worst thing about Trazos is that they sell so many ads that you feel like there is no other place to learn, that they would give you the best of the best but this is not true. Having the best computers and software doesn’t matter if the don’t teach you what our industry demands and they don’t.
After ending the course, I felt like I could do everything and be what ever I want. I’ll be waiting while lots of companies would ask me if I want to work for them but, I was so wrong… As I said, I was unemployed so I had the time to start learning by my own. I looked one of my teachers Twitter and found one or two spanish web developers, I started following them and found the free course Less de cero a experto by Daniel Martinez which I recommend.
I had the pleasure to have Eduardo Fierro as Web Development teacher, he is the kind of teacher who manages to give the best of you and his greatest virtue, is his ability to motivate the student.
He is a great professional who besides of being effective is resposible and I work with him in some freelance projects. I would recommend him without delay. —Eduardo Fierro, profesor de Trazos
Some months after my real beginnings in Frontend Web Development I sent Trazos an to help them with the academic program, why not if I found what I wanted to be?
The sad thing about my email was, they never changed their academic program with the knowledge that our industry demands. I tryied to help them due real passion about Web Development. I told them to remove some things like Flash, Dreamweaver and to add responsive web design, UX/UI, preprocessors, task runners and version control to help their studens learning real Web Development.
After a year and a half, learning by my self, I had the great opportunity to join Martin & Young, a small digital agency in Madrid to work on client projects.
Now some months after leaving Martin & Young I’m freelancing. I’m now learning JavaScript as I said in my previous article.
I’m happy to say that NOW I know what is to be a Frontend developer.
Whant to know lot of useful tips from some of the best Web Developers, Managers and Creative people in the web industry?
I’m publishing some interviews with people like Kitty Giraudel, Brad Frost or Jeremy Keith.
