Personal Statement:
My interest in Web Design began when I was 12. I started to learn some HTML through developing games websites in Year 8 using Weebly. I have been studying Web Design in my free time ever since. I am applying for a degree in this field as I have a huge passion for web design and I would like to make a career out of it. I want to make a worthwhile contribution to the web by creating websites that provide relevant information and conform to modern standards. I have a good knowledge of current web design practices and front-end languages such as CSS and HTML.
Currently, I am working on three web development projects. I host my own photography website which I have built using Adobe Muse. I have experimented with using multiple web-based apps such as a shopping utility and a file-sharing solution. I am also the website administrator for a local Pre-School, which uses WordPress. I have designed and developed a website for the National Hyacinth Collection using the core front-end languages. Subsequently, I now have a good understanding of HTML5 and CSS3. I installed Apache and PHP7 on a Raspberry Pi to test the websites that I make before pushing updates to go live.
Media Studies has provided a basis for core design ideas and practices as well as how to work effectively as part of a team to achieve a common goal. Photography has pushed me to be more creative and original in my ideas. Photography has also helped me to become more professional when meeting with clients and discussing their needs.
Many of my photos have been published in a local newspaper as part of a weekly run photographic competition. I am an avid writer and have written a book aimed at 7-11-year-olds which I am in the process of sending to publishers.
During my time at middle school, I was an active member of the athletics team, mainly in the relay races, which taught me to work as part of a team to achieve a common goal, something that is vital in the computing industry as many tasks are simply too large to tackle alone.
Over the past year, my family and I have been collecting and selling records. In order to better understand them, and the prices to sell them for, I have had to catalogue each item individually and store them in an organised manner. I have also worked to a schedule to ensure that we do not get overrun with stock and orders. These are skills which I can use during my time at university and beyond, as I will be able to deliver work on time and keep it organised so that other people may access it easily.
I went on a week’s work experience to TTP Labtech where I designed and manufactured a test rig for testing the polarisation of lasers used in Phenotypic and Biological screening lab instrumentation. I then designed and wrote a software application in Python for execution on a Raspberry Pi to control the test rig. Over the summer of 2016, I had work experience at ActivInsights where I assisted the Technical Product Manager in manufacturing, assembling, programming, and packing professional wearable devices.
I learnt many key skills to prepare me for my future in the workplace such as chain of command, and being able to carry out a set of instructions repetitively to achieve the same result. Due to the fact that I can now record and follow instructions, this will make building websites easier on my course as I will be able to achieve similar results time and again because I will be following instructions I have created. This is also vital when working as part of a team, as other members will be able to understand what processes I have taken and be able to achieve the same result easily, and quickly.
I hope to gain experience working in a team to produce visually and technologically stunning websites while working to a brief and within time constraints. I want to learn more about web development languages and increase my knowledge of the subject so that I am ready to go straight into an industry job with opportunities for career progression.
