Introducing Senior Web Developer Juho Järvensivu: “There’s beauty in simplicity”

Senior Web Developer Juho challenges the stereotypes linked to developers and emphasizes the importance of basic skills and problem-solving. Read Juho’s views on the ever-evolving future of coding and the nature of his job.

What do I do at Paper Planes?

My main task is to plan and carry out website projects and their further development for clients. As senior web developer, I also standardize our development processes, keep Paper Planes’ WordPress starter theme up to date and handle our internal tech matters. As the Paper Planes team has grown in number, I’ve also mentored our new developers.

What does it take to be a developer?

In large part, web development is problem-solving that requires long-term commitment and putting client needs at center stage. Having an eye for visual details helps, as layouts play an important role in the first impression of a quality website.

The stereotype of an asocial coder living on pizza and coke is, in my experience, inaccurate. I also don’t think web development is a field reserved for mathematical geniuses. Coders come in many forms and university degrees or advanced math courses are not prerequisites for the job.

What I love about my work

As every project is built piece by piece, you get to see the concrete results of your work. Simplicity is beautiful, and I consider it a success when I solve complex problems in an uncomplicated way. When I receive a great layout from our visual designers, it’s fascinating trying to come up with a solution that does it justice.

At Paper Planes I get to work with great people who are also highly skilled. The projects are often multidisciplinary, and thus coding is part of a high-quality product rather than the focal point of the project. I believe you get more versatile as you learn from your colleagues in other departments.

“Coders come in many forms and university degrees or advanced math courses are not prerequisites for the job.”

The future horizons of my job

Even though web development evolves fast, HTML, CSS and JavaScript will remain the cornerstones of websites. Hence, I recommend learning the basics well. For example, one of the trends of recent years, accessibility, can often be improved by writing simple and semantic HTML. Adopting new code libraries and programming languages is useful as long as you remember that extra features slow the site down and, at worst, make it harder to use. Deploying new innovations should always have a function instead of adding them just for the sake of it.

“Simplicity is beautiful, and I consider it a success when I solve complex problems in an uncomplicated way.”

In my spare time I enjoy

I study French, travel and play soccer. I also play in many bands and go see live gigs.

Something you would never guess about me

I do an iconic karaoke version of Aki Sirkesalo’s velvety Finnish classic, Naispaholainen.