Things I Want to Learn About or Go Deeper Into in 2020

January 10, 2020

Several times recently I have thought about things I want to learn this year or dive a bit deeper into. It is always helpful to get that stuff out of my head and written down somewhere. (In making this list, I feel like I have already forgotten something.)

  • CSS Custom Properties – I still use Sass and did not see a strong case of why I needed to try custom properties. I have read more articles recently that have sold me on their value. I used them in tandem with JavaScript in a recent project but ended up abandoning that solution for a much more elegant one (it had nothing to do with using custom properties).
  • CSS Motion Path – I just read some articles about this yesterday. I like the idea of being able to do this with CSS and not have to rely on JavaScript or a library like GSAP.
  • CSS Shapes – I played around with shapes a bit in a project at the end of the year but would like to look for more opportunities to incorporate this into my work. I would really like shape-inside to be implemented in the near future.
  • clip-path – I used clip-path for the first time in a project that is still in development. I hope to identify more opportunities to use them in projects coming up.
  • Vue.js – I used Vue in an interface project this past year. I bought a 3-course bundle from vuejsdevelopers.com and worked through the first lesson. So I have gotten my feet wet. But I want to complete the other 2 courses in the bundle and go deeper.
  • Inclusive Components – Building inclusive JavaScript components is the one area that I really need to up my game. I am really looking forward to digging into this book that I got at the end of the year.
  • Beginner JavaScript course by Wes Bos – Really looking forward to this one as I would like to become more confident in using Vanilla Javascript and understanding ES6 and modern scripting. Hoping this course fills in some of the holes in current knowledge and better equips me as I build more interactive interfaces in the future.
  • GSAP3 – I used Greensock (GSAP) in several projects this past year. Version 3 came out at the end of the year. I really like that they have simplified the API. It looks like a lot of great new features and improvements. I will need to take the time to get up to speed on the changes to use the new version in future projects.
  • Build a site in Craft 3 – I really like Craft CMS. I built 12 sites in Craft between 2015 and 2016. I would like to work through Ryan Irlan’s course Up and Running with Craft 3.  so that I can learn about the changes from version 2 to 3. I also need to reacquaint myself after 3 years away from it. Building a site in Craft was on my list of things I wanted to do in 2019 but other things took priority. I would like to be able to consider Craft as a solution for future projects with LGND.

Now I have my list that I can refer back to. And maybe by posting it, it will give me some accountability. Please feel free to ask me how I am progressing. You can leave a comment here or get in touch on Twitter.

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