Today marks 12 years since I joined Resknow.
I started as a junior web designer. I am now the design and development lead, managing five people across the organisation.
A fair bit has changed in that time.
Websites have changed. The way people use them has changed. The tools we build them with have changed. Resknow has changed. I have changed too.
In those 12 years, I have become a husband, a dad, and someone who now says things like “that button is two pixels off” without immediately boring myself.
Here are 12 things I have learned along the way
1. A Website Is Never Just A Website
When I first started, it was easy to think of a website as a finished project. Design it, build it, launch it, move on.
That is rarely how it works.
A website is usually tied into a lot more than people realise. Enquiries, trust, visibility, admin, recruitment, customer service, sales, reputation. It is often doing several jobs at once.
The better you understand what the business actually needs from the website, the better the result will be.
2. Good Foundations Matter More Than People Think
A website can look impressive on the surface and still be held together behind the scenes by hope, shortcuts and one plugin that nobody wants to touch.
That might work for a while, but usually not forever.
Structure, performance, security, and clean functionality all matter because they affect how the website performs in the long term. The parts people don’t see are often the ones that stop things from breaking later.
3. Clients Don’t Need Jargon. They Need Clarity
Most clients don’t need to know every technical detail behind website decisions.
They need to understand what matters, why it matters and what it means for their business
That has been one of the biggest lessons for me. Being good at development is important, but being able to explain something clearly is just as valuable
If someone leaves a conversation more confused than when they joined it, that is not technical expertise. That is just noise in disguise.
4. User Experience is Usually Common Sense Applied Properly
UX can sound like one of those terms that people use to make websites feel more complicated than they are.
At its core, it’s simple.
Can people find what they need? Can they understand the page? Can they take the next step without having to work too hard?
A good website should not make users solve a puzzle. They are not there for character development. They are there because they need something.
5. Agency Life Teaches You To Think Quickly
Working in an agency means you get exposed to a wide range of businesses, industries, goals, and problems.
One day you might be working on a service-based website that needs to generate enquiries. The next time you’re looking at a technical issue that has appeared out of nowhere and is now an emergency.
It teaches you to stay calm, ask the right questions and work out what actually needs fixing.
6. Design and Development Need to Respect Each Other
A website can’t just look good, it has to work. But functionality alone isn’t enough if the user experience feels clunky or unclear.
Over the years, I have learned how important it is for design and development to work together properly. The strongest websites are built when both sides understand the goal, the user journey, and the practical limitations.
A nice design that can’t be built properly is a problem. A technically sound website that nobody wants to use is also a problem.
7. Small Details Often Make The Biggest Difference
Sometimes the things that improve a website are not dramatic.
A clearer button. A faster-loading page. Better spacing on mobile. A contact form that actually makes sense. A more logical menu structure. A service page that answers the questions someone is already thinking.
These things do not always sound exciting, but they have real impact.
Most users will not notice good website decisions. That’s the point. They just move through the site easily.
8. Managing People Is Very Different From Managing Projects
Managing websites is one thing. Managing people is another.
Projects have tasks, deadlines and clear deliverables. People have different ways of working, different strengths and pressures.
Leading a team has taught me a lot. You have to communicate clearly, trust people, give proper feedback and know when to step in without taking over. It’s not just about getting the work done, it’s about helping people do good work and keep improving.
9. Progression Doesn’t Always Feel Dramatic While It’s Happening
Going from junior designer to lead sounds impressive when you put it in one sentence.
But it didn’t happen in one sentence.
It happened over years of learning, problem-solving, making decisions, getting things wrong, improving them, taking on more responsibility, and slowly becoming the person people come to when something needs to be worked out.
Progression is often less about one big moment and more about consistently getting better at the things that matter.
10. Becoming a Dad Changes Your Perspective
Since joining Resknow, I have become a husband and a dad.
That changes things.
It makes you think more carefully about time, responsibility and what actually matters. It also improves your ability to function while tired, which is useful in both parenting and web development.
I wouldn’t recommend using sleep deprivation as a professional development tool, but it does teach efficiency.
11. Technology Changes Quickly But The Basics Still Matter
In 12 years, the tools, platforms and expectations around websites have changed a lot.
There is always something new. A new framework, a new update, a new trend, a new way of doing something that was apparently completely wrong six months ago.
But the basics still matter.
Websites need to be fast, secure, reliable, easy to use and built around the people using them. That hasn’t changed.
The tools will keep moving, but the fundamentals still do a lot of the heavy lifting.
12. A Good Website Is Built For The Long Term
One of the biggest things I have learned is that a website should not just be built for launch day.
It should be built for what comes next.
Can it grow with the business? Can it be updated properly? Can the structure support new content? Will it still make sense in a year’s time?
Good websites need strong long-term foundations. That might not sound as exciting as a big launch announcement, but it’s what keeps everything working properly once the shiny new website smell has worn off.
Final Thoughts
A lot has changed in 12 years.
I have gone from junior designer to lead designer, I now manage a team, work across more areas of the business and spend a lot more time thinking about structure, people, process and long-term decisions.
Websites have changed too, but the goal is still the same: build something that works properly, supports the business and makes life easier for the people using it.
That is what I have always liked about this job.
There is always a problem to solve, a better way to structure something, a detail that can be improved or a decision that makes the whole thing work more smoothly.
After 12 years, I still think that matters.
Which is probably a good sign.