Chris DeMars talks with Dave Rael about community involvement, JavaScript pain, creating awesome user experiences, and overcoming obstacles
Chris DeMars is a UI developer first, UX architect always, working out of Detroit, Michigan. Chris is also an instructor, teacher assistant, and volunteer for the Ann Arbor chapter of Girl Develop It and co-organizer for the Ann Arbor Accessibiity Group. Chris loves coming up with solutions for enterprise applications, which include modular CSS architectures, performance, and advocating for web accessibility. When he is not working on making the web great and inclusive you can find him writing blog posts, watching horror movies, drinking the finest of beers, or in the woods of northern Michigan.
Chapters:
- - Dave introduces the show and Chris DeMars
- - The appeal to Chris of HTML, CSS, user interface, and design
- - Chris's relationship with JavaScript and advice for developers on understanding designs, colors, and UI developers
- - Chris's involvement with Girl Develop It
- - Chris's community involvement and social nature
- - Conference speaking and making connections
- - How Chris discovered the ability to create experiences with user interface
- - The things that "light Chris up"
- - Chris on accessibility
- - Chris's story of failure - reeling from criticism
- - Chris, the podcaster
- - Chris's success story - Turning around an unsatisfying trajectory to become self-sufficient and set an example
- - How Chris stays current with what he needs to know
- - Chris's book recommendation
- - The things that have Chris most excited
- - Chris's sources of pain and suffering
- - Chris's top 3 tips for delivering more value
- - Keeping up with Chris
Resources:
- Chris's Website
- Tales from the Script - Chris's Podcast
- David Pine on Developer On Fire
- Amegala
- Detroit Code
- Indy Code
- Ken Versaw on Developer On Fire
- Dave Fancher on Developer On Fire
- Poltergeist
- Halloween
- Smashing Magazine
- CSS Tricks
- Google Chrome Developers YouTube Channel
- Syntax.fm
- Scott Tolinski
- LevelUpTuts - Scott Tolinski's YouTube Channel
- Wes Bos
- Shop Talk Podcast
- Toolsday
- Supernatural
Chris's book recommendation:
Chris's top 3 tips for delivering more value:
- Separate passion from emotion
- Be friendly to everybody
- Get involved in the community