As an industrial designer, I create objects that exist in the physical realm - you can hold them in your hands, they have weight and volume, and they are produced from materials of varying quality and properties. The end goal is always to create a positive experience for an end user. Often, the "end user" is hundreds or thousands of people.
In 2015, I began teaching myself to code in my spare time. It started as a way to fill a long weekend, but quickly evolved into something more - I was fascinated by the process, in the ways that it was similar and different from industrial design. I loved that I could create prototypes on my couch with nothing but a laptop. I loved that a late change didn't involve weeks of retooling, lots of money, and a delayed product schedule. I loved that I could create a fully functional product for just myself, and it would only cost me a few hours of my time.
My first personal project was a script written for Adobe Illustrator - it streamlines my workflow when saving files.
It wasn't long after learning the basics that I found myself buying a Raspberry Pi. Then another. And then a few sensors to play with. In no time, I had created a media center, which turned into an automated doorbell, which turned into a home security system, which is now turning into a central home automation set up. I think it's great that I can play, learn, and improve all at the same time.
Raspberry Pi - Designing an enclosure for a "smart doorbell" system.
I'll be putting a link to my GitHub and some projects here soon. Stay tuned.