Celebrating National Coding Week
Emily
It’s National Coding Week 2023, a week that celebrates developers, technology, and everything associated with code!
We thought it would be a good opportunity to talk to the head of our Web Design and Development team, Joe, about how he got into coding and his thoughts on this year’s theme, Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Q. How did you get into coding?
A. My passion for web coding started during an ICT lesson in school, when my teacher introduced me to CSS animation. What did I create with this newfound skill? I coded a cartoon monkey strolling across a website… and I couldn't have been more thrilled! That very moment marked the beginning of my determination to pursue a career in coding. Just a few years later, I landed my first role as a Junior Web Designer at Dolia.
Q. Do you use AI in your coding? If so, how does it help?
As a fast-paced, busy team of developers, we want to ensure we’re always producing the best possible quality of service and product for our clients. As a team, we have recently started to utilise AI in a few ways to help better our service offering, from automating lengthy tasks to debugging code, generating content and highlighting UX/accessibility improvements.
We have found that using AI has given us the freedom to focus on more creative and complex tasks, allowing us to develop new and improved products for our clients. We have also seen that it helps accelerate our development processes and productivity.
Q. What are your thoughts on the future of AI and coding?
I think the future of AI and coding is a little nervy at the moment, mainly because of the uncertainty of what it will bring, but at the same time it's also very exciting. As AI in coding continues to grow, so do the opportunities it unfolds. We're already reaping the benefits it’s given us so far, and we’ve only scratched the surface. I don’t think AI can ever replace a forward-thinking and creative developer, but it will certainly help push us to the next level.
Q. Do you have any tips for people learning to code?
Learning a new coding language is a lengthy process and you won’t become a master overnight, so my number one tip is to start with the basics. Learn the building blocks and work your way up – at the end of the day, it’s a marathon not a sprint!
Also, I would always recommend to practice debugging, and to not be disheartened when a piece of your code doesn’t work. Spend time learning how to identify and fix errors in your code. Learning from your mistakes is often the best way to grow anyway.
