My first exposure to website design was in 1996. It was a two hour HTML class, and then made a small website for my work-study job. With just a few curves and bends, I’ll soon be approaching my 20th year in this industry.
And yet, I’ve never studied web design. Never truly studied it. I’ve never written a research paper on design. Never taken a class longer than 2 days. Never spent hours on end looking and learning, just for the sake of knowledge. I’ve gained all my knowledge for the sole purpose of making the next website.
And that makes me sad. Because I love academia and the study of theories. I love immersing myself into and conversing so deeply on a topic, I either amaze or bore my friends.
I am in love with data-driven web design. I pore over numbers. I analyze, draw conclusions, and research anomalies. I get fascinated. I become sidetracked. I understand phenomena. I finally get to do the studying I’ve longed for. And I’m not required to launch a website to do it. I can analyze for the sake of gaining knowledge.
And there’s so much out there to study. I’ll let you know what I find out.