Stuart's first 6 months at Herd

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I joined Herd in July 2023, becoming part of the development team. My main focus is design, but I’m also involved in front-end development and have been learning Shopify within my role.  

I’m a huge football fan, I support Arsenal and play 5-a-side to a questionable standard. I also love attending gigs and festivals, and try to make it to Glastonbury every year. 

What have you been up to so far?

Having not worked with Shopify before, my first couple of months were spent learning the basics of Shopify development. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, and the knowledge sharing and collaboration within the team has been really helpful. I already feel like I have gained a good understanding of Shopify development and I’m looking forward to learning more (every website poses new challenges). 

It has been an interesting change adapting back into agency life (it had been a while). But being able to take ownership of designs and seeing websites I’ve helped develop go live has felt very rewarding. I have had the opportunity to work on some exciting design projects for a number of clients, as well as building out the Herd brand, delivering new website designs and brand assets.  

What have you learned about the world of development that you didn’t know before starting?

Shopify! My only previous experience working in eCommerce development was with WooCommerce and a tiny bit of Magento. It didn’t take long for Shopify to become my preference. I am also learning more about designing for eCommerce, understanding the capabilities and limitations within the platform and how to optimise product pages for conversion. 

What are you hoping to achieve in the next six months?

I hope I can continue to grow as a Shopify developer, and I’m looking forward to working with some of the new features it has to offer. I’m enjoying designing websites for a wide range of eCommerce clients and I’m excited to work with some industries that are new to me in the coming months.  

Quickfire round

Who would be a dream client to work with?  

Working with Arsenal would be the dream, although it might be at odds with some of the other loyalties in the Herd office. Nike or Adidas would be amazing too. 

What is your favourite piece of stationery?  

The good old pen. 

Tea or coffee?  

 Coffee just has the edge for me, but I like both. 

Favourite development tool?  

I am newly converted to Figma, don’t think I could look back now! 

Favourite podcast?

I’m usually listening to an Arsenal podcast on the drive to the office. The wonderfully named Arsecast is my favourite. 

If you'd like to get in touch with Stuart, get in touch with Herd today!