After what feels like seven long weeks, we have finally reached the end of Intro to G{Code}, a program that has played a major role in my career development. Over the course of these weeks, I've added HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to my skill set and have learned to incorporate teachings from User Experience (UX) Design into web development. In my opinion, the two are very closely related and even intersect with each other in discipline because the main goal is to convey a digital product to users in ways that facilitate a positive, accessible, enjoyable experience for all. It's been so fun learning what it takes to actually program a computer to replicate designs and I am hoping to apply what I've learned from this experience to my interactions with engineers as a designer. Who knows, I may even be the one doing front-end development one day!
Aside from the perks of being virtually surrounded by amazing peers and mentors, one of my favorite parts of this experience was learning to add a "Dark Mode" button to my personal webpage project using JavaScript. Many of the applications on my phone and desktop are in dark mode, so this was very cool to create on my own. Whenever I am coding, I can't help but think of the UX principles that correlate with the task at hand. During the time spent learning and creating a dark mode feature, I couldn't help but think of the importance of web accessibility, specifically pertaining to colors in this instance. For many, features like dark mode are just fun features to play with and spruce up the interface to their liking, but for many with visual impairments, dark mode reduces the strain of staring at bright screens, especially when the rest of the colors on the screen are in compliance with accessibility guidelines. Altogether, the right blend of colors can create a harmonious experience for special populations with specific needs, but its widespread adoption also exemplifies the concept that good design truly benefits everyone. I'm glad I got the chance to learn how to create something like this on my own and I hope to continue to expand on the foundation that G{Code} has provided me with.
Until next time!
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