Toby Powell

I studied typography and graphic design, then worked as a print designer for around 2 years, then started teaching myself HTML and CSS while working in print. I've been a web designer about 7 years now. I decided I wanted to make an iPhone app about 2 years ago, and started to learn iOS development with a few huge door stopper books. I managed to release a street dance app by copy and pasting and finding tutorials with the basics of what I needed, it really was cobbled together and by the time I'd finished with it, I hadn't a clue how I had built it, if at the time if you'd asked me to explain how I'd done it, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. So I took a step back from learning iOS for over a year, as I was finding it too tough to learn, until I found Treehouse.

How has Treehouse helped you?

Pretty much the Treehouse videos I watched, explained things in such a way, that all the concepts I'd been trying to teach myself through various books, actually started to make sense. While watching the Treehouse videos, I was having little "Ahaaa, that makes sense!" moments. The videos are broken down into just the right amount to be able to absorb, without getting too frustrated.

Watching the Treehouse videos, I was having little "Ahaaa, that makes sense!" moments. The videos are broken down into just the right amount to be able to absorb, without getting too frustrated.

How do you typically use Treehouse?

By watching the videos through, then opening up xcode and playing. Also at the time I was learning, I was also building my new Read-Thai App, I found a lot of the content on Treehouse was directly relevant to what I was building, so I was able to apply my new found knowledge confidently and straight away. I also decided at the same time, to jump into responsive web design and take my web skills up a notch. The marketing web page I built for my Read-ThaI App was a direct result of learning responsive techniques through Treehouse.

I'm now being asked about potential app development from various people and can offer responsive web design as part of my design services. This is massively important as responsive design is the big thing now, and every site I've been asked to design in the past year has required it to be responsive, so I can now confidently offer people that service too.