"Paint both sides of the fence."

Hey Charlie, what's your favorite expression that could also describe your day-to-day work?

"Paint both sides of the fence."

This implies that developments invisible to end-users must be as well executed as those directly visible to them. In my opinion, this expression perfectly defines the role of an engineer specialized in Frontend development. Yes, because the work we do has two facets.

On the one hand, there are the buttons, input fields, sliders or toggles that the user identifies and uses in the course of his use. These need to be particularly well-designed and intuitive, to make the user's journey as easy as possible.

On the other hand, we have the code, which feeds the user experience behind the scenes. Even if it's invisible, its structure must be as well thought-out as that of the buttons and graphic elements with which the user interacts.

Clean, easy-to-read, well-structured code is easily maintainable, accessible and extensible. By doing so, you'll be doing both the user and your team members a favor!

How would you define "Charlie's touch" , and how can you spot it?

I love to dwell on the little details. Those little touches of magic that transform thousands of lines of code into a fluid, intuitive experience for users.

It all starts with close collaboration with the Design team, with whom we share the common goal of creating a user interface that's simple, aesthetic and pleasant to use.

Together, we start with macro topics, such as the user path and page structure, then gradually move on to more and more specific subjects: choosing the most appropriate colors, or the most appropriate animations for the experience, for example.

In my opinion, in terms of design, software must be polished. It's in the details that their elegance is sublimated. A lack of aesthetics here, a lack of precision there, and the software becomes a pain to use.

These oversights can quickly add up, and before you know it, you're up against a software program that's constraining the user experience, and against which you feel like you're starting a duel!

If a course is designed to be intuitive, the software behind it must disappear. And therein lies the key to its success.

What's the most important thing about your work that people tend to forget?

Communication.
There's a stereotype that software engineers sit glued to their screens, surrounded by energy drinks, headphones on, cut off from the world.

Maybe it was true at one time. But today I'm sure of one thing: communication is the key to success in this field. If we go back to the basic definition, software engineering consists in transforming a solution designed by the product team into something that can be understood by a computer.

This is the very essence of code: a language precise enough to describe the solution to a problem, so that it can be interpreted by a machine.

Such a process requires constant exchanges with the Product team to ensure that specifications are meticulously defined before they are translated into code.
I also work a lot with the Design team, who ensure that the final rendering corresponds to the expectations defined upstream.

The whole process therefore relies on constant communication, whether face-to-face, on Slack or via video calls.

I think the myth of the "basement dweller" developer is beginning to fade, or so I hope.

You know, sometimes we see the light of day!

What are your best sources of inspiration?

​​Is it a cliché to say Apple? Certainly.
Even though I'm not a designer per se, I love everything to do with UX, interface design, typography and graphics. Because it's intrinsically linked to my work, I like to scroll for hours on sites like Dribble to soak up the most creative (sometimes too creative) designs.

How to make data consultation interesting and easy to digest? How can we simplify the user experience as much as possible?

Any software that answers these questions immediately becomes one of my favorites. To name but a few: Airbnb for its revolutionary design philosophy, the BBC for pushing the boundaries of online media consumption, and Doctolib for transforming what was once complicated into something simplistic.

What's the latest tip you've learned that you'd like to share with us?

Make lists. Lots and lots of lists.
With my goldfish memory, making lists is a must for me!
Not only will you never forget what you have to do, but you'll also be able to keep your different tasks separate.

Once I've finished my day's work, I don't spend any more time ruminating inwardly about the things I'll have to do the next day. Because I've already written everything down!

To do this, I just use my Mac's built-in applications, namely Notes and Reminders. I'm a simple guy.
Because yes, the most advanced applications in terms of functionality distract me from my main objective: making lists.

The last time you said "WAHOU"?

When one of my colleagues gave me a "Quality French" certificate to reward my growing mastery of the French language, despite my still rather mediocre level...