User Interface Developers are the users’ advocate in every web experience. With their friendly design techniques, they are the reason we stay on and revisit web and mobile sites. Today, we are eager to introduce Kurt Emch, our UI developer, who has a perfect blend of creativity and technical wizardry.
Kurt has always had an infatuation for web design. He graduated from Youngstown University in 2006 with a Degree of Fine Arts, majoring in Art and Technology and minoring in Graphic Design. Following graduation, Kurt worked at the National Network of Digital School as a Lead Web and Communication Designer. In 2013, Kurt explored a new opportunity at Smith Brothers Agency as a Designer/Front-end developer. Kurt found ShowClix after attending a meetup hosted at our office, where he met a few of our employees. As it  turns out, we were hiring for the UI Developer position, and he landed the job!
Outside of ShowClix, you can find Kurt and his wife (newlyweds!) enjoying quality time in their new home that includes a plentiful vegetable garden. They also recently bought a smoker and look forward to creating tasty dishes.
Joining our team nearly 2 ½ years ago, Kurt continues to use his skill set to develop the look and feel of our user pages and applications.
As a UI Developer, you make sure our online activities are easy to navigate, intuitive and appealing to the user. What does your day-to-day job involve?
I work closely with the product and engineering teams on a daily basis. On any given day, I could be sketching out the flow of a user interaction, designing a user interface, or converting those designs into front-end code.
Where does your passion for front-end development come from?
When designing something where the format will inevitably be a web browser or mobile device, I believe it is important to bring it into that same format sooner in the design phase rather than later. From as early as I can remember, my artistic hobbies have been the joining of some creative activity with its technical pairing – so as a designer, front-end development is right up my alley.
What advice would you give to someone looking to get into your career?
It’s important to be driven, to keep up with the velocity of the industry, and never stop learning. Seek out and attend local meetups or networking opportunities and get to know your peers.
You have been working with us for over 2 years. What is your favorite ShowClix memory?
I had only been working here a week when I first experienced the team’s smooth dynamic during a large, high-demand on-sale where the stakes were high and the pressure was on. Seeing that first-hand as a newcomer definitely made an impression. While the bursts of excitement are memorable, I also find that over time, the day-to-day water cooler conversations and occasional lunch outings with colleagues add up to be my favorite moments.
We know that you are an avid bicyclist. Where are some of the best places you like to ride?
Since I’ve been commuting to the office by bike, I’ve grown fond of my mostly downhill, leisurely inbound ride, as well as my outbound, mostly uphill, intense workout ride. I always recommend Pittsburgh’s bike trails though. They are an attraction on their own, so you can’t go wrong planning a route to hit all of them.