Unlocking Self-Reliance: My Second-Month Voyage in TIIDELab Fellowship.
Oluwakemi Atoyebi
Month two of the TIIDELab Fellowship brought with it a whirlwind of experiences and learning opportunities. I started the month as one of the 5th Head of House alongside Zaynab Audu, and I previously documented my experience as Head of House in an article, which you can read [here].
The past month has been characterized by an immersive dive into various aspects of web development. After completing our advanced HTML and CSS modules, we seamlessly transitioned into the world of CSS frameworks, particularly TailwindCSS. To consolidate our knowledge of HTML and CSS, we were tasked with building our portfolio projects using HTML and TailwindCSS.
Below is my portfolio project
Throughout this month, we embarked on an in-depth exploration of the intricate world of software development lifecycles. Below, I present the key highlights of my second month's remarkable journey towards self-reliance.
Coding Challenges
"You might not think that programmers are artists, but programming is an extremely creative profession. It's logic-based creativity."
—John Romero
During this month, we delved into various technical facets of the fellowship, among which the Coderbytes coding challenge stood out prominently. This challenge served as a crucial platform to assess and enhance our logical and problem-solving skills, preparing us thoroughly for the coding assessments encountered in real-life interviews. I was able to scale the first challenge but the second phase of this challenge offered me invaluable insights and areas I needed to improve on. This hands-on experience has fortified my readiness for the challenges that lie ahead in my professional journey.
A Glimpse into Product Design
"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
—Steve Jobs
Our journey extended beyond coding; we delved into the captivating realm of Product Design, encompassing UI/UX principles. This module introduced us to the intricacies of conducting user research, creating empathy maps, crafting user personas, sketching wireframes, building prototypes, and transitioning from low-fidelity to high-fidelity designs. Embracing the design thinking methodology—empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test—we learned to breathe life into our ideas, informed by rigorous research and user-centric design principles.
Below are some of my designs:
- AutoTrack by Team Euvola (wireframe and high-fidelity design)
- Foodie (A food ordering application) - a practice project.
Project Ideation and Documentation
"Every project is an opportunity to learn, to figure out problems and challenges, to invent and reinvent."
— David Rockwell
As a team, we embarked on our capstone project journey. Team Euvola's project is to develop an insurance sales management tool. Research became our compass, guiding us to understand user pain points and gather quantifiable data to ensure our product's user-centricity. Moreover, we dived into the world of technical documentation, realizing the significance of Software Requirement Specification (SRS) and Functional Requirement Documentation (FRD).
During our sprint presentations, I had the privilege of presenting our project's progress, our project which is named INsure and introducing INsure’s SRS and FRD.
By the second sprint presentation, team Euvola adeptly showcased the fruits of our research process and its direct relevance to our application. In a comprehensive presentation, we explained our user personas, conducted a rigorous competitive audit, delved into market analysis, and meticulously outlined the user flow and wireframes of our design.
This experience proved instrumental in imparting invaluable lessons on the dynamics of collaboration and the collective growth of our team, reinforcing the significance of effective teamwork in achieving our project's objectives.
Mentorship and Growth
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
— Isaac Newton
Our journey would not be complete without the invaluable mentorship provided by TIIDELab. Our internal mentor for Team Euvola, Mr. Godswill Udoh has played a pivotal role in nurturing our growth and commitment to self-reliance. His guidance and insights have been instrumental in shaping our perspective and encouraging us to strive for excellence.
Additionally, we were introduced to our external mentors, and I had the privilege of being assigned to Mentor Ibrahim Dauda. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to acquire new knowledge, reacquaint myself with existing skills, and foster personal growth under the guidance of both mentors.
JavaScript Basics
"The expert in anything was once a beginner."
— Anonymous
JavaScript, often described as the backbone of web development, became the star of our second month. We delved into the fundamentals of JavaScript, covering variables, loops, data types, prompts, formData, and more. With these foundational building blocks, we began to piece together JavaScript-powered projects.
As the weeks progressed, we found ourselves translating our newfound knowledge into practical applications. Coding challenges became opportunities for creative problem-solving, solidifying our understanding of JavaScript's logic-based creativity. With each line of code we wrote, we inched closer to becoming proficient in this indispensable language.
Here are some of my side projects:
Conclusion
In conclusion, my second month in the TIIDELab Fellowship has been a transformative experience. We navigated the intricate web of JavaScript, explored the art of Product Design, honed our project ideation and documentation skills, embraced the wisdom of mentorship and honed our soft skills with our Friday professional development classes held by our co-ordinator - Mr. Aderoju Shamsudeen. With each passing day, we evolve from beginners to experts, driven by our insatiable curiosity and unwavering commitment to personal and professional growth.
As we eagerly anticipate the challenges and discoveries that lie ahead, we stand prepared, armed with the knowledge and skills gained during this remarkable journey. The path ahead may be uncertain, but one thing remains clear: the TIIDELab Fellowship is propelling us toward a future where innovation and excellence know no bounds.
I look forward to sharing my third-month experience. Stay tuned...
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