Mike - Web Designer

Shape April 2022 HR 123

How long have you been part of the team at Shape?

Wow, come to think about it... I've been working at shape just over 5 years now, time really does fly! I graduated from Salford University in May 2015 and was offered a job here shortly before I left.

What's your favourite aspect about working at Shape?

I love the diversity of the projects we get here at Shape, I love coming into work every day and not knowing what project or what type of client it may be.. I don't know of any other job which is like this. I love the fact that we're a small studio, we all have our own little way of adding our own skills to every project and I think that shows with the websites we produce

We have a great atmosphere here in the studio and we all enjoy similar things so we all have things in common which helps.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I like to do lots of different things outside of work, I either socialise with friends or family or ride my bike. Most of the time I will ride my bike, I train 5 to 6 days a week with an average training week being between 15 and 20 hours, this is to ensure I can beat Tom and Jason when we're out on bike rides in the week after work 😜

So, you like Cycling, are you any good?

I spend a lot of time on my bike, I have been a competitive cyclist for around 9 or 10 year now and I love the whole aspect of racing my bike.. I am a very competitive person and bike racing allows me to challenge myself against the best riders in the country. I think amongst other things, the best part about riding a bike is it gets me out into the countryside in the evenings and weekends, roads less traveled and this allows me to wind down from the stresses of working for a busy Manchester design studio

Which project was most satisfying for you to work on?

If I had to choose one project, it would be one which we have just pushed live Anna Eshwood... It's quite a complicated website with lots different templates.. I love working on the big projects which take a lot of time and planning.

Have you always wanted to be a web designer?

When I was in school I was very active, I loved playing football and getting outside but my grades were much higher in Art & Design so my tutors advised I take that route. After leaving school I knew I wanted to do something creative and Graphic Design allowed me to do that. I never really thought about a being a web designer until I started University in 2014, I was on Jason and Andy's web design course and I loved every minute of it.. and here I am today!

What websites do you use to find inspiration?

I tend to use a select few websites for inspiration.. it all depends on the project but as a general rule I like to use Awwwards to look at competitors, Dribbble for elements and Instagram as a last resort, and if I'm really struggling, I venture onto sites like SiteInspire, WebCreme and httpster.... On that note I'd like to add that I don't usually like to get too many references when starting a project... I always find it would hinder my creativity and I would end up going down the same route as them, even if I didn't mean to.

Favourite font: Acumin Pro Loves Food & Cycling Dislikes: Late nights Favourite colour: #017DFF Loves: Clean UI/UX Loves: Sleep Favourite Music: Tropical House Eats too many sweets

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