Q: Please, tell me who you are, and what you do.
A: I'm Nikesh Bhagat. I'm a freelance web developer.
Q: What was your first IT job?
A: I was 16-years-old when I created my first website for a paying client. It was for a new insurance company downtown, or really, a subrogation company, SubroGateway Incorporated. The job came to me through a friend's father who was a colleague with the then President of SubroGateway (former president of Maritime Insurance/Eastern Marine Underwriters at CNA Insurance in Toronto). Intimidating stuff. So, at 16 – with hair down to my shoulders, I walked into this fancy office on Adelaide and Yonge – tie tied – and met directly with the President and the VP of Marketing to sell them on the idea of letting some kid build their website. They had very clear ideas of what they were looking for and, being completely unsure of how these things go, I did a lot of head-nodding, interrupting only to say, "Yes, not a problem. Absolutely. Excellent idea". I got the job for $1200 dollars and walked-out absolutely terrified. The first thing I did when I got home was look up, 'basic web design'. But, I was lucky to know a couple of people who had more authority over this stuff than I at the time, and I wasn't completely useless technologically either (I had some casual experience dabbling in html). Suffice it to say, I figured it out. More importantly, they were happy with the end-product as well. I remained their "webmaster" for a number of years, 5 or 6, during which time the site went through multiple evolutions, which was great for me – I got paid to dedicate time to learning how to build better websites. The company eventually switched hands and so the freelance work all but dried up as they found another person to take care of the site, which was fine for me because by that time I had moved on to more involved and complicated web development. Even today, however, they still use the basic skeleton of my site. In the end, if it wasn't for that job – I don't think I would have pursued web development as enthusiastically as I have. It gave me an incentive to improve, validated my ability to make money doing it, and the contacts I made were also invaluable. Just a few months ago the former President of the company contacted me for a few drinks to discuss some web ideas he was tossing around.
Q: What qualities do you believe a person should have for being in the IT field?
A: I think the most important thing is to be a naturally logical person. At the same time, there's a definite need to possess a certain amount of creativity or craftsmanship in order to be successful in the IT field or, specifically, with web development. You have to be able to use the logic of the technology in innovative ways to make it do exactly what you want it to do in ways that best cater to the project – which at the best of times can take some pretty artful manoeuvring. Being able to see a problem (and a solution) from different perspectives and approaches is definitely an asset. Somewhat related, and just as important, would be the ability to self-direct your learning. For me, not being formally educated as a web developer, the ability to self-teach and to seek out, locate, and apply various ways of accomplishing different functionalities has always been a priceless aspect of my success. Of course, patience and emotional fortitude go a long way too.
Q: How do you keep up to date with trends in the industry?
A: I'd have to contribute much of my 'up-to-datedness' to the nature of the projects I've worked on, which have forced me to seek out the most current ways of doing something just by the nature of the technology or because the project entails applying my skills in a way that I have not up until that point. I also take advantage of the many blogs/tutorials/articles available online and, on occasion, I've subscribed to a couple of sites that offer expert advice and discussion forums (I've also been known to buy a few textbooks in my time when Google just wasn't cutting it). Formally, I'll be pursuing a Master's Degree in Spatial Analysis in the fall, which will focus heavily on geo-location/visualisation, spatially distributed database, and mobile technologies, which encompasses a popular trend these days, in my opinion.
Q: What are some of the current Design trends at this time?
A: There are a couple of design trends that I've noticed in particular. The first is the use of CSS3, HTML5, and jQuery. Using the full-width of the browser's viewport; bold, full-screen, graphic backgrounds; large text and buttons; scrolling effects and other jQuery/javascript enabled functions, are all big trends right now. The other would be the development of mobile sites that are responsive in their layouts, meaning they lookgood and function well no matter the device. This trend seems to be doing away with the need to develop a separate mobile site, and in my opinion, will rival the relevancy of device-specific apps into the future.
Q: What programming languages do you use and why?
A: Aside from html, css, javascript, and some php – I've primarily been programming in VB.NET and coding in ASP.NET. The reason for this is mostly situational. A lot of my more current web experience has com out of working on major projects at Ryerson University, which relies heavily on Microsoft technologies.
Q: Where do you see IT trends heading 5 years from now?
A: I see IT becoming very personalised and user friendly. I think we're already starting to see that with the multitude of easy-to-use platforms (like WordPress andeven things like Facebook) these tools are further replacing the need for specialised IT projects. The ever-increasing use of broad, aggregated libraries/APIs like jQuery and like those of Google is also streamlining the development process. I think, even more than we already see it now, that a few large corporations or services will be acting as the common engine behind what would have otherwise been specialised development projects built from the ground up person-to-person, company-to-company, or designer-to-designer.
Q: What are some of the most asked for features on client sites?
A: Usually my clients don't necessarily ask for specific features poignantly, but rather unknowingly allude to features. Most commonly, it's things like light boxes or ajax to make their site have a more fluid feel.
Q: What do you enjoy about being a freelance web designer/developer?
A: I think the most rewarding part of it is being able to collaborate on a level playing field with your clients as opposed to working for a large marketing/IT company. In other words, I like being able to become a part of the client's project in a more encompassing manner rather than simply getting a spec sheet and being disjointed from the process.
Q: Have you ever worked in a large office? If so, what did you dislike? What did you enjoy?
A: I have not. Even the office I work in as a Research Analyst consists of only 6 staff members – albeit the Institute itself is part of a very large organisation. I can't really comment on this.
Q: How would you say your education benefited you in your career?
A: Well, I have a BA in Sociology. I haven't gone to school for web development or IT at all. Everything I know has come out of self-directed learning, trial/error, and from the friendly advice/guidance of a few friends. My time at university did nurture and dovetail into all of the above, however.