I'm James Lanzon, an Application Developer and a UI/UX enthusiast.
If you would like to know more about my adventure leading me to this day then slide on by to the Projects section.
Otherwise if you would like to know more about the projects I previously worked on as well as currently and soon to be working on, then slide on to the Projects section
However if you insist on contacting me (just kidding, please call me...), then slide on to the Contact section
If you made it this far and seem interested enough to learn more about me, well I have prepared a bit of a journey summed up in a few paragraphs. Hold tight, next stop - Secondary Education.
Although recently graduated from University of London International Programmes in BSc (Hons.) Creative Computing with a First Class, my education goes back a few more years. I had no aspirations to work or study as a kid, I still found myself using computers naturally at a very young age and enjoyed playing games that came with some cereal box or buying them at a new computer store. I also had limited access to the Internet, you know...the broadband times.
Fast forward to the O-Levels period, I was still young and naive, no idea what to do next but given my profound interest in computers, I thought that I could enjoy learning more about them. Given the late adoption of computers and Internet in Malta, my generation enjoyed the perks of the boom of the Internet.
I decided to read for a Diploma in IT (Foundations of IT) at MCAST. Having set out into the wild alone for the first time, I was nervous though the excitement of meeting new people who also enjoyed playing games immersed me. Next stop - first proper education in IT.
To skip the boring parts, I worked my way up through three Diplomas (Foundations of IT, First Diploma in IT and Extended Diploma in Networking
Systems (Distinction)) and scored my first proper job at (what was previously known as Yellow Pages Ltd.) Yellow Ltd. as a Sales Administration Officer.
By then, I had become quite frustrated and upset with MCAST and already started checking other sources for my next adventure.
A friend wet my appetite with the thought of pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Computing with University of London at St. Martin's Institute of IT, Malta. To be honest, it didn't really take much convincing as I had already worked on assignments next to him whilst he worked on his own (the same University I graduated in) and his studies interested me much more than my own. Next stop - degree time!
I was giddy about the idea of graduating with a foreign University, especially that I could attend lectures and sit for the exams in Malta. Mind you, I had no aspirations a couple years back and thought it was going no where. So the fact that I was excited to study was a new experience for me.
Well I can tell you now that I enjoyed every second of studying and wouldn't give back any of it. It thought me how to become more independent, research better, write up documents, socialise digitally as well as interacting with academics.
Apart from that, the subjects offered everything I wanted to understand at that time - it was exciting. Working through the last two years of my degree and traveling opened my eyes to the digital world and the fast pace development we live in. It fascinated my and led me to focus my thesis on the main things I enjoyed as well as wanted almost create something that can help others. Next stop - present.
Nowadays, I work at RS2 Software Ltd. as an Application Developer. University does its best to prepare you but the industry is still different and much more demanding. For now, i'll stick to research, freelance projects and working full-time though I will be on the look out to read for my Masters down the line.
Java, Maven, JBoss, Apache, Spring and Spring MVC, Linux, NodeJS
C#, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, NodeJS, RequireJS, KnockoutJS
Unity using C#, Processing IDE using Java, JFuzzyLogic
Currently offering eCommerce consultancy, UI and UX design advice for free.