Black Swan State Theatre

Strange Animals Project | Frontend Development with Team

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Tools Used

PhpStorm is an IDE for frontend developers with powerful coding tools like intelligent code completion and debugging. It integrates seamlessly with PHP, enhancing web development productivity.

Overview

As part of Strange Animals, I collaborated with my coworker Brent on the frontend development for the Black Swan State Theatre Company (BSSTC) site.

This project was a valuable opportunity to enhance my skills by learning new panel development techniques, including planning, optimisation, workflow adherence, and rigorous code testing for responsiveness.

Challenges

Throughout the project, we faced several challenges, such as managing time effectively, monitoring progress, and building a comprehensive testing checklist. Key testing areas included:

Mobile, tablet, and desktop device compatibility
Chrome and Safari functionality
Lighthouse scores and JavaScript error monitoring
Image optimisation through compression
Ensuring design consistency
Maintaining clean and readable code

Process

Our workflow involved data-mapping required panels, developing designed panels, and pushing code through pull-requests to staging, review, and production environments. Systematic testing for both the design and functionality was crucial at each step.

Results & Impact

The project delivered significant benefits for both the development team and the end users of the Black Swan State Theatre website:

Enhanced User Experience: The responsive design ensures seamless usability across all devices.

Performance Improvements: Image and code optimisation resulted in higher Lighthouse scores, faster load times, and improved overall performance.

Cross-Browser Compatibility: Rigorous testing ensured flawless functionality on Chrome and Safari.

Team Collaboration: Close collaboration with Brent and the team fostered a productive environment. Pull-requests and code reviews improved code quality and team efficiency.

Positive Feedback: The Black Swan State Theatre Company consistently approved the website at various stages, highlighting effective collaboration and communication.

Skill Development: This project honed my frontend development skills, particularly in planning, optimisation, and thorough testing, equipping me for future projects.