About Rob Cipolla
Contents
Introduction
Hey I'm Rob, I'm a self-taught fullstack developer, designer and digital strategist with over 8 years industry experience. I have a passion for creating modern, clean and user–friendly websites and applications.
How I got here
Interestingly, I didn't initially see myself in development. Post-high school, I pursued a Game Design BTEC covering various aspects like concept art, scriptwriting, 3D modeling, and level design, with a brief encounter with Game Maker software—no coding involved. My journey took me to DeMontfort University for Game Art Design, focusing more on art and 3D modeling. However, my passion for gaming waned, leading me to switch to a Graphic Design and E-media course offered by Leicester College and De Montfort University. It was here that web development and design piqued my interest, especially when I had to incorporate JavaScript to make accordions work in a website project—igniting my fascination with web development.
Progressing, I completed the Graphic Design & E-media course, followed by a Professional Studies year in the Creative Industries, where I honed skills in creative business management, marketing, branding, and more, earning a First Class Honours. My career began at a Web Design and SEO company, developing custom WordPress themes for small businesses, which paved the way to diverse projects, clients, and programming languages, enhancing my ability to create websites and apps.
Experience
I joined Locale as a full stack developer with a focus on React development, working to improve, maintain and develop legacy and new features.
Technology used:
- React
- Node.js
- PHP
- Laravel
- MySQL/MariaDB
- Docker
During my tenure, I was responsible for overseeing the project lifecycle, from initiation and development to the enhancement and maintenance of the company's websites. I successfully mentored junior developers, elevating their expertise to an advanced level. My introduction of project management tools, such as Trello, and the integration of GIT version control significantly improved our operational workflows. I led the strategic transition of our hosting services from traditional servers to AWS for our legacy WordPress sites, and was pivotal in shifting the company's development focus to JAMstack style websites, utilizing cutting-edge technologies like Next.js, Astro, Node, and Netlify hosting. Leveraging my graphic and web design expertise, I also trained our designers in UI/UX fundamentals, ensuring our web designs adhered to the highest standards and best practices of the industry.
Technology used:
- React
- Node.js
- PHP
- MySQL/MariaDB
- Docker
- Next.js
- Astro
- Netlify
- AWS
- TailwindCSS
- SCSS
- Webpack
- Adobe Creative Suite
- WordPress
- JavaScript/TypeScript
At Success Load Limited, I was an integral part of a nimble team of designer/developers, where we specialized in crafting marketing-centric WordPress websites. During my stint, I not only honed my skills in PHP, Adobe Creative Suite, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, WordPress, and Git but also imparted advanced JavaScript knowledge to my peers, greatly enhancing the feature set and interactivity of our web projects. My proactive approach led to the adoption of GIT version control with Bitbucket across our workflows, streamlining our development processes. I frequently took on dual roles, shepherding websites from their initial wireframe stage to the final production build, which allowed me to showcase a full spectrum of design and development expertise.
Technology used:
- PHP
- MySQL/MariaDB
- Docker
- WordPress
- Adobe Creative Suite
- SCSS
- JavaScript/jQuery
After university, I embraced the entrepreneurial spirit as a Freelance Web Designer, whilst working part time, focusing on web design and WordPress theme building. I applied my proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and WordPress to deliver tailored web solutions. Notably, I forged a collaborative link with my university, receiving referrals from a former course leader to assist current students in creating and refining their personal portfolio websites.
Technology used:
- PHP
- MySQL/MariaDB
- WordPress
- Adobe Creative Suite
- CSS
- JavaScript/jQuery
Education
De Montfort University
Undergraduate Degree (1st Class Honours) BA Professional Studies (Creative Industries)
- Worked with Leicester University to create a marketing campaign to help with racism in Leicester
- Worked with various different creatives from different backgrounds such as photography, fashion, design and development
- Entered the course from a Graphic Design and E-Media Foundation Degree.