I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Clare, the talented mind behind The Highboard Creative. Our conversation delved into her journey into the world of website design. As someone deeply passionate about fostering a more diverse and inclusive tech workforce, I find immense joy in listening to and sharing stories like Clare’s. Her experiences serve as a powerful reminder of the unique paths individuals take to make their mark in the tech industry.
“I started down my path to website design at 15, when I asked for a book on writing HTML for my birthday. I’d started learning the bass guitar the year before, so took up hobbies in two very much male-dominated fields (at the time), which I think was pretty formative and made me keen to prove myself. I loved the creative and visual side of website design, and the coding and attention to detail the work required really appealed to me too. I was fortunate in that my parents run a business (a busy swimming club in North London) and they let me experiment with branding design, onboarding systems and eventually website design for them from quite a young age, so I had on the job training from the start. I enjoyed figuring out what worked-which pages converted, which adverts caught the eye, how I could improve user experience and how I could use IT to simplify admin to save time for the team. I went on to design websites for many more swimming and sports clubs, using everything I’d learned from tinkering with the family business.
Over the past couple of years, I started getting requests from other industries, including financial services, tech services and interior design and have enjoyed expanding my business. IT is still a male-dominated arena, but there are definitely more women working in the field than there were when I started out, and the women I meet are massively supportive. Twenty-five years after I got my first book on HTML, my passion for website design is as strong as ever and it has been amazing to watch the speed with which the industry has changed. I’m super proud to be a website designer!”
Her story reminds us that unique paths lead to success, and the evolution of the industry is a source of pride for those who embrace it wholeheartedly. We celebrate Clare’s accomplishments and look forward to watching the positive impact she’ll continue to make as a talented and driven website designer.
