Edgar Rice Burroughs said “Man is a creature of habit”. It’s our proclivities that influence the outcome of tasks we undertake. Habits can fall under the good / productive category or bad / counterproductive category. Extending this anecdote to the world of web development, there are habits that should be incorporated to achieve optimal results and vice versa. Here is a breakdown of some of the best and worst of them:
Best Web Development Habits
Planning and Team Work:
Whether you are working solo on a project or with a team, planning in advance is an essence. Simply jumping to the task without having some sort of blue print is not only ill advised it can be downright disastrous. Web development nowadays has considerably evolved from simple static few pages design. Interactive and engaging designs are the order of the day. To meet customer expectations, clearly defined design and objectives for each successful iteration are pivotal. Reap the benefits of Scrum or Agile to come up with a centralized strategy. Remember if everyone starts to come up with their own personal strategy and implementation, the proverbial “too many cooks spoil the broth” would be your project’s fate.
Remain Abreast of New Technologies
Changes, especially when it comes to web development technologies, are a part and parcel of the game. What’s new and hip today might be rendered obsolete later. A web developer shouldn’t ever get complacent, and always be on the lookout for even minute changes. This habit will yield bountiful results when radical shifts in the industry take place. You will take such changes in a stride because of your vigilance, while others will have to revisit and relearn the wheel sort of speak. Lastly, learning about new technologies and incorporating them also bestow an edge over your competitors.
Importance of Testing
This habit ties in with the first one mentioned on the list. Before handing over the finished product to the customer, thoroughly testing it from all conceivable aspects and angles should be a tenant of your web development regimen. Paying heed to the first habit will definitely leave room in your overall strategy for testing. You will never find yourself in a position where you have to release untested code which could cause customers and end users annoyance and reflect badly on your skills.
Now let’s delve into what constitutes bad habits, shall we?
Bad Web Development Habits
Mediocrity Equals Lack of Credibility
Mediocrity in the world of web design entails mistakes such as:
- improper grammar
- misspellings
- absence of purpose
- lack of visual appeal
- outdate design
All of these lead to lessening the credibility of your product. Some of these factors might not directly fall under the jurisdiction of a web developer, but in order to ensure optimum functionality, they have to be taken in regard.
Limit Inspiration
Another pitfall that web developers face is failure to draw boundaries between seeking inspiration from a famous masterpiece website and simply copying from it. There’s nothing wrong with seeking inspiration but the trick is to convert that inspiration into something novel and unique. The novelty and uniqueness would be highly appreciated by your client, whereas copying would definitely result in hefty fines and legal action. Remember, Copyright infringement is a cardinal sin in the web development world.