Happy Anniversary, Alan!

To celebrate his One-Year Anniversary, we sat down with Gravitate’s very own Alan McGinnis: resident Web Developer and Oreo connoisseur.

Staying true to his belief that idle hands are the devil’s hands, Alan’s passion is palpable. He is diligent in bringing his clients’ visions to life, cares deeply to deliver a product that fully suits their needs, and wants everyone to know that if you’re nice to people, they’ll be nice back. He’s confident in his ability to freestyle, which we think probably lends itself well to his web development skill set.

Below is a further glimpse into chatting on his One-Year Anniversary at Gravitate, what makes working at the company so special, and projects he’s proud to have had a hand in.

Gravitate:
You’ve been with us for over a year. What attracted you to working at Gravitate initially?

Alan:
I had a couple friends who worked here and they always spoke highly of the company. Just by looking at their work, I could tell it was work to be proud of and I thought that would be something I would enjoy working on–their sites and clients. So it was a combination of already knowing the culture, but also knowing it was a good place to work at.

Gravitate:
So you’re a Web Developer. What does the day-to-day look like in that role?

Alan:
It’s funny, that’s just a title. The day-to-day… [pauses] actually there isn’t really a day-to-day [laughs]. It’s a combination of internal support, helping people navigate websites, like account managers or people who aren’t familiar with development-related tasks, scoping out new projects and features, and the rest of the day is working on things that I said I was going to do [laughs]. I mean, it’s just a title, but anything from the front of the site and what the client sees, to the back end, although some clients work in the back end, but definitely the technical side of it, so the combination of those two.

Gravitate:
When you’re working with clients, is it 50/50 in terms of what they’re developing compared to when you step in, or how does that process work?

Alan:
Generally when I’m working with clients, it’s explaining to them how the things I’ve built work and how they’ll be able to use them, and what the nuances of those features are. Sometimes, it’s just general questions or reporting on their sites that they might need. I’m transitioning into a role where it’s more client-based versus before when it was anybody and everybody, and now I’m taking on a more specific subset of clients where I can focus on just delivering, so I’m interested to get going on that.

Gravitate:
Is there a client experience that’s been your favorite, or a project you’ve done that’s spoken to you in helping a client, or creatively something you’re really proud of?

Alan:
Yeah, I’ve had some new features for a client who works with teens. We’re adding a school-trip focused side of their website, which we got really positive feedback on. I do have some favorite clients, but I think if you’re nice to people, they’ll be nice back [both laugh]. So I haven’t had a bad experience that makes other clients look better necessarily. I enjoy working with clients and helping them learn how to use what we built for them to their advantage. It’s all about using the skills I’ve learned to help clients grow their business and get the data out there that they’re trying to show people in a nice and digestible way. It’s definitely more about the work than the industry.

Gravitate:
What are two things that you’re really proud of?

Alan:
I would say I am proud of how I jumped in and took on tasks that were outside the scope of my job title, and the growth I’ve experienced in taking a more client-focused role, and the skills Gravitate has helped me learn, and of course the skills I’ve taught myself. The year I’ve spent here has gone by really fast and I’m proud I’ve stuck to looking out for myself and taking the steps I need to get where I want to go.

Gravitate:
In terms of people you get to work with at Gravitate, is there a certain memory that sticks out in your mind that’s your favorite, and why?

Alan:
On my first day, Flynt actually asked me [pauses], well, he was harassing me…

Gravitate:
[laughs] On your first day?!

Alan:
And he said, “You know, we make all employees do a dance on their first day here.” Without hesitation, I started dancing and he was very surprised. I just went for it. I think it’s about the day-to-day memories, but yeah, the first day was fun for that reason.

Gravitate:
How do you measure success within your role?

Alan:
That’s a good question. I measure success by how closely I was able to match a client’s request and where I’ve thought of some example cases they may not have thought of, and in the end, when I can hand it off and it’s self-explanatory, and they can use the tools and I don’t get people coming back for fixes.

Gravitate:
Basically, clients are able to use a feature without being too technically savvy. . .

Alan:
Right, yeah, when I build something that works as it’s supposed to…

Gravitate:
You feel like you’ve done your job well!

Alan:
Exactly, but there’s also a lot of times where people think they know what they’re wanting, and we build it, and they realize it doesn’t suit their needs in the way they thought it would, so when they’re able to come back and rethink it and ask, “What doesn’t work? What do you think could be different?” and then helping deliver that to them as well.

Thanks for working so hard this past year and generally being a really fun bloke to be around. You’re always eager to jump into any issue (or ping-pong doubles match) and we’re happy to have you as part of the team. Cheers!