(This is a continuation of my first post here.)

Building C-Lyrics

Previously I mentioned about my main assignment, which is building a lyrics database website from scratch I am going to call C-Lyrics.

You heard it right people. I shall be the project manager, the designer, the front end developer and the programmer. It was to be completed within 3 months, which is the duration of my internship.

C-Lyrics project is supposed to sharpen my skills of the subjects I had been taught at the university, where I learned the theory of programming and how to code. On top of that, it will also give me some experience on putting on the hats on many different roles at a web agency – project manager, designer, front end developer and programmer.

I had never created a native app for any platforms from scratch. Thinking about it now, I had no idea what I was up against. Tough work, but as always I am up for it.

Let the fun begins (actually terrified).

Project management & design

After discussing with Shaza on the precise requirements on building a lyrics database website, Zana helped me to set up a Basecamp project and walked me through project management workflow – so it is like a real client project. The pressure!

First challenge: design. I have to make use of my non-existent design skills to create a few templates based on the Bootstrap grid. Luckily, Dahlia was there to help. She held a Photoshop class for me every Monday where she would teach me how to use the tools and some design tips as well as giving me assignments. The classes definitely have helped a lot in helping me wireframe and design C-Lyrics.

During design and wireframe stage, apart from the Photoshop classes, Shaza and Dahlia had given me a lot of tips and examples from the client projects they have done before. This is to ensure that my work is at par with their work – if you remember from the first post, I mentioned that most of their work are all over the world! Another pressure.

It took me two weeks to complete both the designs and wireframes for all templates. Wireframes helped a lot for me to decide the elements on my website – buttons, navigations, photos, text and many more. Once the wireframes were approved, I moved on to design.

It was a bit harder than wireframing, because once I design, I have to think of how it will work when I code them later in Bootstrap grid. It took me a while to understand how to sync those, hence I was grateful to have my designs meticulously reviewed by both Shaza and Dahlia. On top of that, I did not only design for desktop, I also had to did the designs for mobile and tablet view since C-Lyrics is going to be responsive. Phew!

It was a definite relief after the designs were approved after a few rounds. Next!

Moving on to HTML/CSS

At the risk of sounding like a brag, HTML/CSS was quite easy for me because I had already been learning front-end development in university. I actually was ahead of the schedule!

On top of that, it was also because Sani, the front end developer, had been having HTML/CSS classes for me every Thursday. This gives a chance for me to review and revise my work with him while also learning some new tips on front-end. Zana also recommended me to do my own learning via Codecademy of which was really user-friendly and definitely had helped me a lot in finishing my assignment. Iwan and Sani had been incredibly helpful when I harassed them with questions about my project – thank you so much!

Since I finished my HTML/CSS part of the project ahead of time, Zana tweeted me this meme:

Programming

For programming, Shaiful had been holding PHP classes for me every Wednesday and had been offering such tremendous help in templating my website. The database and content for the lyrics website were stored in WordPress hence I got to learn WordPress too. In my opinion WordPress is pretty cool – it’s blog based, easy to learn and familiarise and I did not have to spend much time in organising my database using WordPress.

PHP, however, is a different story.

It was quite a struggle for me, since this was my first time using it. I had no idea how many times I had been harassing Shaiful to help me with PHP but fortunately, Shaiful being Shaiful, was always cool. Definitely was impressed at how amazing programmers are now, and hoping someday I will be as good as they are.

On being a Stampede alumni

Despite not being able to finish my lyrics website, I learned a lot while being an intern in Stampede. This is not only in terms of technical skills, but also in soft skills such as communication, teamwork, self-discipline, time management and many more.

I guess the most valuable thing I had ever learned in Stampede was how much they believed in me. Here I am, an intern, surrounded by an all-star team members – yet everyday they would spend countless hours helping me with my project. More so than gaining something from me, I gained a lot from my first working experience at Stampede.

I found the best team members, and most importantly, another family. Thank you for the wild, yet exciting ride Stampede. I’ m so lucky to be able to work alongside you guys.

On my last day at Stampede, one comment from Shaza stuck most, “Now that you are one of the girls in tech, go out into the world and time to kick arse! Also never hesitate to help others especially fellow girls in tech.”

And so shall I!

Do good Stampede, like you always do. Keep in touch!

The post My Internship Experience: Part 2 appeared first on Stampede: the strategic design & technology company.

I’m currently a student at Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) pursuing my Diploma in Computer Science and I’d like to share my experience in my first month of being an intern at Stampede.

Serendipity is the coolest thing

I suppose it’s always this – when you are on the Internet, you tend to surf for hours, watch the most ridiculous Youtube videos and were sucked even further into the procrastination hole while working on your assignments. I came across one of those websites which caught my attention. Seeing that the website bears the mark “Website by Stampede”, I immediately did a bit of web stalking and came upon the company’s website, which is, just equally cool. I noted the company’s name somewhere in my Moleskine.

When the time came for internship, I decided to try my luck and applied at Stampede. I did not expect much though, because on first glimpse I saw that they are very professional and considering a student like me would probably be the least of their concern. Imagine my excitement when Shaza replied to my email and decided to arrange for an interview with the team. She mentioned that since I am very interested in programming, it is something that is very aligned what Stampede does and it would be nice to have someone like me onboard. When Shaza mentioned that Stampede has clients all over the world, I was even more excited to intern here. What would be even more rewarding than to be also exposed to such huge client base of various industries?

The night before the interview, I probably did not sleep at all. I prepared a script and rehearsed a hundred times.

During the interview, I was introduced by Shaza to Zana, the Project Manager (who is currently my supervisor), Shaiful, the Web Analyst and Developer and Syazwan, the Front End Developer. The interview surprisingly went very well, although I was nervous. Despite how often they teased each other mercilessly during my interview, of which I realised how close-knit Stampede is, I can also sense that they are very professional in what they do when they spoke so proudly of their projects and achievements.

Sani teaching me HTML/CSS on my second day at Stampede

What I know

Being a computer science student, I learned basic HTML/CSS, database, designing and programming which is included in my course syllabus. Internship enables me to apply these skills in real life, for example, building a website or creating a native app for any platforms.

When I think about it, there was a lot of, “What was I thinking?” So here I am to figure it out. Being at Stampede so far, going through daily classes with the team – Dahlia teaching me Photoshop, Shaiful teaching me programming and database and Sani teaching me HTML/CSS – I am ready to accept the challenge.

On working remotely

One advantage that I have from my other coursemates who are also doing internship at the moment is that having the opportunity to experience what it’s like to work remotely. Stampede does not have a physical office like other agencies. This comes across as surprise to many people because their professionalism and their closeness with each other seem to show that they work in an office physically for a long time together!

While working remotely, I learned to manage my own time better. While with everyone’s perception that with working remotely, everyone can be casual with their time, it is not so at Stampede. Everyone is proactive, very disciplined and work gets done – fast and thorough. There is never a dull moment in Stampede Skype channel.

What I will be building

I have, more or less, three months to build my own website. Hence another, “What was I thinking?”

I decided to build a lyrics database website called C-Lyrics. Everyone is able to search for lyrics, filter them according to certain criteria, as well as having registered users who could sign in and submit lyric entries.

This website is solely my responsibility – I am the project manager, the designer, the front end developer and the programmer. There were a lot of checklists and workflows to go through. It does sound really ambitious, but in doing so I will understand the magnitude of work any web agencies have to go through in order to create good products every day, hence appreciating them even more.

At the end of the project, this website will be deployed to a working domain, which means that it will be a fully-functional website! So excited.

The other internal projects which I am partially responsible to as well are to post to Curated and Constructs, which are Stampede’s mini blogs of design and code, respectively. While scouring for the content, I came upon many more interesting sites and resources, which proves that Internet is this one big universe of knowledge and that one has to be good at making use of it.

Shaza also lent me some of her favourite books on design, user experience, productivity and many others, of which I am also required to do a presentation on at the end of my internship.

Do, or do not. There is no try.

Right now, while typing this, I am also in the midst of wrecking my brain on how best to code my C-Lyrics website, of which designs I have completed and been signed off (yay!). Time is running out, there is less than 2 months to go, and failure is not an option! I should go back to work now.

So glad to talk to you, and see you in Part 2!

The post My Internship Experience: Part 1 appeared first on Stampede: the strategic design & technology company.