Name: Ashley Moore

Role: Web developer

Twitter: @AshMoore_

What are the most notable software related projects that you've worked on?

A visual description tool for road traffic accidents.

What type of technology and software development have you been involved with?

Mostly web using HTML, CSS, JavaScript WordPress and Monkey.

What are the best types of project to work on?

I think it's always a good idea to work on a project which has structure to start with. It's good to be able to imagine what the finished product will look like before you start it. If you know where you're going then it's easier to get there. The road traffic accident project was developed in separate stages of development which adopted this approach of know what something should look like before it was put in to the app.

What approaches would you recommend for developing software?

Object Oriented Programming (OOP) is definitely the best way to go creating maintainable code. This helps to enforce DRY – don't repeat yourself; repeated code causes a lot of problems in software maintenance.

What signs have you learnt that indicate a project may be problematic?

Problems can occur as a result from communication breakdown between individuals working on the team. One instance of this could be a graphic designer who doesn't understand a lot about how functionality works; as a result, they sometimes press on with a design only to find that it doesn't work for the final product.

What strategies do you use to avoid problems and/or keep them under control?

Again, effective communication between the team will always help keep things manageable. If a graphic designer understands a lot about how coding functionality works and what the boundaries are, they can produce a more effective design to suit the purpose of the product.

How do you manage your workflow?

Using a spreadsheet is a great resource for managing your time as well as the current tasks being worked on and who is working on those tasks etc.

What factors do you use to judge credibility of professionals you speak to?

The body language is normally a good sign as it shows how confident they are in the subject they talking about.

What is your definition of a brand?

The brand is something to identify the individual companies and their products. It's a way of encapsulating the products, the reputation and the success of a company.

Are you finding that people's expectations for what is achievable with apps and web apps are growing? Has this caused problems in your projects?

It's no secret that web development technologies are evolving as time goes on and more gates of possibilities are opening for developers, allowing them more flexibility and functionality when developing.

Unfortunately, even with this additional functionality, some people are still using older versions of browsers which so the web app then faces cross browser issues. Clients tend to want everything to work the same on all platforms but this is not always possible.

In your opinion, what differentiates software, apps, web apps and websites?

It all depends on the task at hand really. Websites are great for allowing a user to browse information make purchases, talk to their friends via social media sites etc. Software and apps are better used when the user has a particular task at hand ranging from making lists, checking finances to managing the backing of their websites or playing games and so on.

What makes a good app?

A good app would ideally be usable on a broad range of browser platforms and should also be very user friendly so that it's easy for the user to navigate.

Where do you think the industry is heading?

The mobile platform tends to very popular at the moment for browsing website and using apps. It won't be far off before it will become the normal thing to control almost every device in your house just using your mobile phone.