Building Modern Web Experience: Why I Choose to React
Choosing the right technology for web development can be overwhelming, but with React, the inspiration to create dynamic user experiences just keeps on coming.
Building Modern Web Experience: Why I Choose to React
Like any specialist subject, there’s no shortage of conflicting opinions among developers on what's worth learning in the world of front-end web tech.
Choosing the right technology can become overwhelming quite quickly. The rate at which the web evolves to meet user expectations, comply with local and international laws and, more recently, accommodate the influence of AI, is nothing short of alarming. Not only is this a decision for each project, but it also demands the wider question of "What would I like to specialise in?" for professionals like myself.
When mastering even one of the technologies could take an entire career (and then some), that first leap into web development can come with a hefty dose of decision paralysis.
Of course, it’s possible to learn a little bit of everything, turning your hand to all sorts, but I'm the kind of person who likes to immerse myself in a subject. Deep diving down the rabbit hole, if you will. As a result, this decision had the potential to shape my career.
After countless tutorials, YouTube videos, blog posts and demo projects... I chose React.
Why React?
The reasoning was two-fold, based both on its offering and its influence. Entering my teens in the 2000s, my generation can be defined by the growth of the internet; growing up alongside it. I've experienced the evolution of "User Experience" and "User Interface" from their earliest iterations. Moving from clunky to elaborate, some of the web mastery we see today can be genuinely moving for any fellow internet enthusiasts.
A stand-out stage of internet development was the introduction of user-generated content. Updating your status, writing comments and the like provided a way for the general public to contribute to the internet, paving the way for personalised experiences. Picture this, you’ve rewound time to 2011, logged into Facebook and what’s this? A wall? A wall of what? A wall of dynamically collected content from all of your friends presented specifically for you and only you? How!?
React.
React has been a part of the web development story since the internet started to get good. It's been used to develop interfaces for platforms such as Instagram, UberEATS and Pinterest, as well as staggeringly complex websites for the likes of the BBC. What do all of these web projects have in common? An elevated and inspired user experience.
More specifically then, what's so good about it?
Interactive User Interfaces.
React feeds back to the user instantaneously. Living up to the name, it allows you to create any micro-interactions and interface quirks without reloading the page. This elevates the user experience and creates a more involved and responsive feel, increasing engagement and the overall enjoyment of each visit.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
React’s component-based architecture allows you to chop your interface up into logical and functional parts that can be reused infinitely across your entire site or application. This helps to encourage convention and familiarity across pages while making for much smoother development and maintenance. Need to change a colour? Just change the one component file and the changes will take effect wherever that component has been used - saving the need to crawl your entire site to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
A Thriving Community.
A well-used technology is a stable technology. React has a plethora of contributors from all programming backgrounds and a vibrant ecosystem of third-party add-ons to help create incredible user experiences. The documentation is brilliant, the forums are buzzing, and the version updates just keep getting better and better. It's exciting to be part of the journey.
Overall, my decision to specialise in React can be summed up by three core principles: limitless use case, a refined developer experience and an energetic and supportive community. The more I use it the more I love it, with projects like The Hanley Economic Building Society and our very own Starbots website helping to solidify that. The inspiration to create dynamic user experiences just keeps on coming and I’m excited to surprise and inspire with our next project.
