Tips

These tips have two purposes: to inspire you and to help you become a better UI developer.

You might not remember all of these, but try to read it at least—you might find some the tips quite helpful.

Inspirational

Everyone was a junior once

  • Everyone had to start somewhere.
  • Don’t be afraid if you are overwhelmed at the beginning.
  • Stick with the program, try to focus and don’t get distracted.
  • Things will come to its place eventually.
  • Enjoy “Aha” moments.

Start today

  • Don’t leave things for tomorrow.
  • Take detailed notes and make a reminder if you cannot do it now.
  • The idea might vanish until tomorrow.
  • It is better to get your hands dirty right now.
  • There’s a better chance of a “snowball effect” today.

Fear is a compass

  • Sometimes the scariest things are the ones you might be the best at.
  • A crazy idea might become a successful project.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment.
  • Don’t be afraid to talk about it.
  • Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts with the community.

Learn at your own pace

  • Research what you want to know.
  • Decide what you want to learn.
  • If one course is not doing it for you, take another one.
  • The best way to learn is to get practical.
  • Don’t compare yourself with others.

Learning

Understand how the Internet works

  • Learn how DNS works.
  • Learn how servers work.
  • Learn how databases work.
  • Learn how the code work.
  • Learn how browsers work.

Choose the right skill

  • Research what you want to know.
  • Decide what you want to learn.
  • If one course is not doing it for you, take another one.
  • The best way to learn is to get practical.
  • Don’t compare yourself with others.

Don’t skip steps

  • Make a plan.
  • Stick to the plan.
  • Don’t jump from one topic to another.
  • Master the skill before starting with another one.
  • Don’t try to be good at everything.

Don’t copy-paste the code

  • First, read the code.
  • Then understand the code.
  • Now type the code.
  • Comment the code.
  • Try to make it better.

Learn something new every day

  • Learning is part of the developer job.
  • Apply newly acquired knowledge in a project.
  • Try 100daysofcode.
  • Share what you learned TIL.
  • Help others.

Stay up-to-date

  • Subscribe to newsletters.
  • Subscribe to podcasts.
  • Join online and communities.
  • Follow the right people.
  • Make a reading routine.

Build a project

  • Think of the project.
  • Make specifications.
  • Make design.
  • Build the project.
  • Share the knowledge.

Find a mentor

  • Learn from an experienced professional.
  • Ask questions.
  • Talk about problems.
  • Propose a solution.
  • Respect your and other’s time.

Coding

Document the project

  • Documentation is part of the project.
  • Document the process.
  • Document the structure.
  • Document the usage.
  • Specify the audience.

Organize the project

  • Make specification before coding.
  • Make design before coding.
  • Make structure before coding.
  • Agree on coding standard.
  • Define reusable components.

Apply best practices

  • Don’t copy-paste.
  • Don’t get too attached to the code.
  • Comment the code.
  • Code with performance in mind.
  • Code with accessibility in mind.

Test the project

  • Write tests.
  • Test across different environments.
  • Assume worst-case scenarios.
  • Learn to debug.
  • Document the fix.

Useful

Communication

  • Be polite.
  • Be respectful.
  • Be professional.
  • Respond quickly.
  • Don’t overpromise.

Organization

  • Define working hours.
  • Set and respect deadlines.
  • Get familiar with modern tools.
  • Limit the usage to one tool per project.
  • Use reminders.

Blogging

  • Give back to the community.
  • Write about your findings.
  • Avoid using “easy”, “simple”, or similar words.
  • Write at the moment of learning.
  • Remember, helping a single person is a success.

Health

  • Stretch.
  • Take a walk.
  • Exercise.
  • Drink water.
  • Socialize.