We had a chat with Kristy Haines from Meerkats, who spoke at LocalhostPER in March. by Patima

Please tell us a little about your web story!

How did you get started out? Did you study somewhere or are you self-taught?

I can’t believe I was at university almost 20 years ago… it really doesn’t feel like it was that long ago!! I actually jumped around a lot in university, between architecture, journalism, literary and cultural studies, and then finally graphic design. On reflection, I think those experiences set the foundations for what I do today. I actually ended up completing my graphic design degree at TAFE, I felt it was a better fit, more individually tailored and provided more hands on experience. I ended up majoring in multimedia and minoring in web design. I think the university courses have really come along since then, but I’d definitely recommend that people speak to students, lecturers and tutors, and see what’s the best fit for them.

During my final year, I did work experience with Stephen Castedine (Castledine&Castledine) and Miles Burke (Bam Creative). And the rest was history!

I think you definitely have to set the foundations with some sort of directed study, and then progress through your career with a combination of self-taught and study. I’d also strongly recommend doing work experience. Not only does it give you the experience you need that studying can’t provide, but it’s a great way to make contacts in the industry. Most of the job roles don’t come up online anymore, it’s mostly through industry connections (and associations like ADGA, AWIA and PADC) and word-of-mouth.

Who were your mentors or inspirations when starting out?

Miles and Steve were big influencers, having them as my work experience mentors were invaluable. Miles has been especially influential in a leadership role - I really admire what he’s done for the web community and with Bam Creative.

My multimedia lecturer, Mitch Black, was a massive influence as well - having a lecturer that is that passionate and talented really inspires you.

When the whole Web 2.0 phenomena kicked off, I was working at Market United with a bunch of passionate web people. This really set me on the course for going beyond websites into the world of digital.

I still remember the days when websites were all built in tables, and learning about divs and CSS. Discovering the CSS Zen Garden website was a revelation! Other inspiring websites were A List Apart and Smashing Magazine.

Semi Permanent events were also a big inspiration. Back then, there weren’t a lot of events that made it to Perth. I was also inspired by Steve Krug’s book “Don’t Make Me Think” around early 2000. This started me on the path for UX design.

How do you describe what you do to people who aren’t in the industry?

This is such a hard one. Generally I say I’m a web designer, as everyone uses websites. I’ve always received weird looks when I mention UI / UX. But, saying “website design” opens up a whole can of worms, especially when people start asking me how they can get their website to the top of the “Googles”…

What do you believe a national body like the Australian Web Industry Association (AWIA) could do to elevate our industry as a whole?

This is another hard one! I had to really mull over this for a bit…

In general, I’d love for AWIA to have the same recognition and impact as PADC and AGDA at a local, national and global level. I think AWIA needs more exposure in different types of industries, not just in the web community. Increased awareness and involvement in the marketing, advertising and design industries would help to elevate the industry as a whole, as there are so many people employed in these industries that are from the web community that aren’t connected with AWIA. Additional AWIA reps from outside industries can also help extend the reach and relevance of the association. The industry and environments we’re now working in have dramatically changed over the years, and AWIA needs to reflect this.

What are the things you love about Localhost?

I love that it’s about combining the web, creative and digital communities. The industry has changed and evolved so much since the early days of Port-80 (the previous incarnation of Localhost), and it’s great to have the meetup reflect this.

Perth has such a tremendous amount of talented designers and developers, and Localhost really provides a great environment for them to network and collaborate.

Thanks for the chat, Kristy. What a great insight. Thank you for being a part of Localhost, keep rockin'!