TECH CHATTING: What Does a Front-end Developer Do?

Have you ever wondered who’s behind the sleek websites and apps you use every day? 🤔 We have the answer for you: Front-end Developers. They’re the ones turning creative ideas and technical skills into smooth, functional, and visually appealing interfaces. Let’s look at their world – or rather, the world of Vinicius, one of our front-end developers!

If you don’t know what a front end does, think of it as the bridge between design and functionality. Their job? Build and maintain intuitive, fast, and easy-to-use interfaces . They’re the reason your favourite app is smooth, your clicks feel satisfying, and everything just works (well, most of the time).

For many Front-end Developers, the journey starts with a love for technology - and that’s what happened to Vinicius. Since his school days, he has always had contact with technology. He started a technical course parallel to high school in the area and, as soon as he finished it, he went on to study Systems Analysis and Development.

In college, it was time to explore different areas and better understand where he could fit in. So, where did front-end development come from in his life? After being a Systems Analyst for a few years, he had the opportunity to get to know some areas of development better, and the front-end caught his attention. “I've always liked design and art, and the curiosity to know how this ‘world’ worked made me delve even deeper. In short, it was the idea of solving problems and creating experiences that could make people's lives simpler and more intuitive that motivated me...”

Designing experiences and solving problems, what’s not to love?

The mornings of our Front-end Developer typically start with a task check-in (hello, Jira) and the daily standup meeting. The rest of his workday is split between coding, testing, tweaking designs to ensure everything works as intended, and a good dose of coffee to keep focus. And yes, meetings. Some are quick, others feel like an eternity, but well, collaboration is the secret to improvements and problem-solving.

When it comes to his favourite part of the job, the answer comes readily to him: “The mix of creativity and logic and being able to create experiences for the user. Each project is a different challenge, and seeing the result work perfectly is rewarding”.

What’s in a Front-end Developer’s toolbox? A little bit of everything:

- Languages : JavaScript (or TypeScript), HTML, and CSS are the holy trinity.

- Frameworks & libraries : Bootstrap, Tailwind CSS, Angular Material, and Vinicius personal fav, Angular.

- Tools : Git for version control, npm for dependencies, and Figma for design alignment.

Here’s the deal: everything you see, click, or interact with on a website or app is the result of front-end development. The buttons you click, the forms you fill, the animations that make you go “ooh”- it’s all of them. When done right, the user experience is seamless and satisfying. When done wrong? Well, let’s say frustration and rage-clicking are very real. A poorly executed interface can turn into a frustrating experience, which is why attention to detail is key.

Being a Frontend Developer isn’t all sunshine. They also face their share of hurdles. The most common challenges are browser compatibility, performance (to ensure that everything loads as quickly as possible and works well), resolving bugs (sometimes small problems end up taking a long time to find), changing requirements in the middle of development, and accessibility. And most importantly, as technologies and frameworks are always changing, they need to keep an eye on new trends to keep up.

Keeping up with the fast-paced world of front-end development means staying connected. Blogs, newsletters, YouTube channels, and even social media feeds are great for quick tips and updates.

Pro tip from Vinicius : follow a few niche accounts, and your scroll time will double as learning time.

1. Start small and master the basics first.

2. Build, break, repeat: Personal projects are the playground where you’ll learn the most.

3. Ask away: Questions aren’t dumb; ignoring your confusion is.

4. Stay curious: The frontend world moves fast - keep up, or you’ll get left behind.

Just like Vinicius, with the right mix of skill, daring, and determination, you can also create digital experiences that leave users saying, “Wow, who built this?”. And who knows, you might be the next front-end developer working at Ytech.