How to grow into a good front-end engineer, a front-end engineer

How to grow into a good front-end engineer, a front-end engineer
First, front-end engineers must master HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You can only understand one or two of them. You must be familiar with these three languages. It doesn't mean that you must be proficient in these three languages, but you must at least be able to use them to complete most tasks without frequently asking for help from others.

Excellent front-end engineers should be able to learn quickly. The technology that promotes Web development is not static, right? I can even say that these technologies are changing almost every day. Without the ability to learn quickly, you will not be able to keep up with the pace of Web development. You must constantly improve yourself and learn new technologies and models. You cannot adapt to the future by relying solely on today's knowledge. The future of the Web will be quite different from today, and your job is to figure out how to reflect this earth-shaking change through your Web applications.

Many branches of computer science are actually nothing more than science. However, the front-end is not a science, but art. Artists must not only master the techniques for earning a living, but also know how to use them. The solution to the same problem applies in this case, and may not apply in another case. For the front-end of Web applications, there are often many solutions to the same problem. No solution is wrong, but some of them are more suitable. Good front-end engineers should know under what circumstances which solution is more appropriate, and under what circumstances should they reselect.

Excellent front-end engineers must have good communication skills, because your work is closely related to the work of many people. In any case, front-end engineers must meet the requirements of at least four types of customers.
Product Manager-- These are groups of people responsible for planning applications. They can imagine how to use applications to meet user needs and how to make money (hopefully) through their design model ). In general, these people are pursuing a wealth of features.
UI Designer-- These people are responsible for visual design and Interactive Simulation of applications. They care about what users are sensitive to, what interactions they have, and how they can be used as a whole. They are keen on FLUENT and beautiful user interfaces that are not easy to implement.
Project Manager-- These people are responsible for running and maintaining the application. The main focus of project management is nothing more than the normal running time (uptime)-the time, performance, and deadline when the application is always available. The goal of a project manager is to keep things as simple as possible and not introduce new problems when upgrading and updating.
End User-- Of course, it is the main consumer of applications. Although we don't often deal with end users, their feedback is crucial; applications that no one wants to use are worthless. What end users require most is personal functions and the functions of competitive products.

So who should front-end engineers be most concerned about? The answer is all four groups of people. Good front-end engineers must know how to balance the needs and expectations of these four groups of people, and then come up with the best solution. As front-end engineers are at the intersection of the four groups of people, the importance of their communication capabilities is self-evident. If a really cool new feature affects front-end performance and must be simplified, how can you explain it to the product manager? For another example, if a design is not changed back to the original solution, it may have a negative impact on the application. How can you convince the UI Designer? As a front-end engineer, you must understand where each type of thinking comes from, and come up with solutions that all parties can accept. In a sense, a good front-end engineer is like an ambassador who needs to handle every day's work with the attitude of a diplomat.

I warn new front-end engineers not to accept a task before making an assessment. You must always remember that you must first understand what others want you to do, and cannot simply accept such statements as "this function has a problem. And you need to know exactly what the purpose of this function or design is. Adding a button does not always mean that you will add a button at last. It may also mean that you will ask the product manager about the usefulness of the button, and then ask the UI Designer to see if it is the best interaction method. To become a good front-end engineer, such communication is crucial.

In any aspect, I think that front-end engineers are the most complicated job in the computer science field. The vast majority of traditional programming ideas are no longer applicable. In order to use them on multiple platforms, many technologies have borrowed a lot of soft science knowledge and ideas. The expertise required to become an excellent front-end engineer involves a broad and complex field, which will become more complex because of the involvement of all parties you must ultimately serve. Professional technology may lead you to become a front-end engineer, but only Applications created using this technology and the ability to work with others can truly make you excellent.

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