The Threshold: What was the specific moment this quarter where "code" clicked for you?

I think I had a lot of little threshold moments throughout the quarter. There are so many concepts that feel intangible or abstract in coding, so it took me lots of practicing to actually understand what I was doing. For example, at the beginning of the quarter, figuring out how to embed links in a sentence was so confusing, but once I had practiced it and saw other people do it, it started to make sense. I also had some good threshold moments with flexbox. It really gave me a run for my money, I didn't understand at all when I first learned it. I understand it slightly better now, but it is still one of the most confusing concepts I learned this quarter.

The Pit: What was the hardest assignment? How did you get yourself out of the "pit of despair"?

I think the hardest assignment was definitely the product landing page. The project was the most challenging we had so far and I definitely did not have the same motivation and positivity I had at the very beginning of the quarter. Getting myself out of the pit was pretty tricky at this point. I had to start forcing myself to take a step back when I was getting genuinely frustrated or overtired, in order to let my brain recover a little bit. I have a bit of a tendency to try and force learning when my brain isn't ready for more information, so I had to practice working around that.

The Pivot: Look at your original "Moodz and Vibes." How does your final portfolio compare? Did you stick to the plan or pivot? Why?

I stuck to my original plan! The only thing I added were some darker colors to create contrast, because all I had the first time around were pastels. I think I was able to stick with my original moodboard because it aligns nicely with my brand and who I am as a person.

The Process: What would you change about how you approached this course?

One thing I would do differently is my time management! This is really not the type of class where I can knock out an entire assignment the day before. Next quarter I definitely would like to buy a planner and start my assignments earlier. I think asking for more help and feedback would also be helpful for me.

The Future: How do you see this hybrid skillset (Design + Code) impacting your future practice?

I am happy to have code & design as another tool in my tool belt, and to have another method to bring my ideas and designs to life.