As you may or may not know, I’ve been dabbling in experimental animation since the late ’90s and I was once a Flash designer/developer. Since Steve Jobs — and hence the whole web industry — publicly rejected Flash in the ’10s I became adrift in the standards-friendly in my field of front end web design. Soon to be former Flash designers were often told they could create the same content with a combination of HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript libraries. My problem with that was that most visual artists like myself can’t simply replicate Flash content with those scripting languages, especially since most visual artists aren’t of a technical bent.

I didn’t give up on my passion for (interactive) animation for the web though. One day while I was living in Portland 9 years ago I was wandering through Powell’s City of Books bookstore, still the biggest bookstore in USA, and in the tech section I stumbled upon a damn interesting looking book about something called ‘Processing‘. It was within the JavaScript section and from what I roughly remember the book cover had an abstract, mathy visual pattern which reminded me of a Flash book I had on creative coding. I checked out other books near this Processing book and discovered at least one book on something called p5.js which seemed very similar. Soon I figured out that p5.js (p5, for short) is pretty much the same thing, only it’s a JavaScript library whereas Processing is Java-based. I quickly realized a great deal of potential with these coding languages for me, to create the kind of geeky yet artistic content that I’d been in the groove of creating before and I realized. I never went as far as I really wanted with Flash and I wanted to get back in that groove with something like these coding languages. Acknowledging this would be more challenging than Flash I chose to start with p5 instead of Processing since I already know JavaScript and had zero interest in learning Java, spreading myself thin at a time when I felt getting too general & broad with my skills could be a bad direction. 

Focusing on a combination of technical skills, industry trends, and soft skills is crucial. Here’s a comprehensive guide:

1. Advanced Technical Skills:

• Deep WordPress Core Knowledge: Understand the core PHP code that WordPress is built on, including how to modify and extend it through plugins and themes.
• Custom Theme Development: Ability to create custom themes from scratch that are responsive, SEO-friendly, and accessible.
• Plugin Development: Skills in developing custom plugins to add unique functionality to a WordPress site.
• Front-end Technologies: Proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and pre-processing platforms like SASS or LESS. Knowledge of front-end frameworks like React.js or Vue.js is increasingly valuable, especially with the rise of headless WordPress.
• Back-end Technologies: Strong grasp of PHP and MySQL. Knowledge of RESTful APIs and GraphQL for integrating with third-party services and building web applications.
• Version Control: Familiarity with Git for tracking changes, collaborating with teams, and deploying code.

2. Performance Optimization:

• Speed Optimization: Understanding of caching mechanisms, CDN integration, image optimization, and minimizing HTTP requests.
• Security: Knowledge of best practices for securing WordPress sites, including securing data, preventing common vulnerabilities, and regular maintenance routines.
• SEO: Skills in optimizing WordPress sites for search engines, understanding of SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, and adherence to web standards.

3. Project Management and Workflow:

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with agile development processes and tools like Jira or Trello.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Understanding of CI/CD pipelines for automated testing and deployment.
• Collaboration Tools: Proficiency with collaboration and version control tools such as Git, GitHub, Bitbucket, or GitLab.

4. Soft Skills:

• Problem-Solving: Ability to troubleshoot issues, think critically, and come up with effective solutions.
• Communication: Clear communication skills, both written and verbal, for collaborating with team members and clients.
• Time Management: Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines efficiently.
• Continuous Learning: Commitment to staying updated with the latest technologies, WordPress updates, and industry trends.

5. Additional Considerations:

• Community Involvement: Participation in WordPress forums, contributing to open-source projects, or speaking at WordPress meetups and conferences can showcase your commitment and expertise.
• Certifications and Courses: While not always necessary, certifications in relevant technologies or completion of advanced WordPress development courses can bolster your resume.
• Portfolio Development: A strong portfolio demonstrating your WordPress projects, including themes, plugins, or contributions to open-source projects, can significantly enhance your job prospects.

Focusing on these areas will not only prepare you for senior-level roles but also differentiate you in the competitive job market for WordPress developers.

A link to download examples of my graphic design from when I worked at Rotovac as their webmaster & graphic designer