About me
My name is Dechaun. I'm a software engineering student and freelance graphic designer.
My story
Walking through our house as a little boy I came across drawings on all kinds of different sheets of paper. Not because someone in my family was an artist, but because of my mother. Whenever my mother was on the phone, she would draw pictures on every piece of paper she could find. At a certain moment I thought: "I can do that too, right?". And so I started drawing. Not my strongest point, but I could do something with it. All sorts of creative drawings came out of this.
In my early teens, my brother was educated in IT. Once in a while, when our computer started to malfunction, he would take our computer apart and I would always be the one to watch with him. I always wanted to understand exactly what he was doing. Although I didn't understand anything about it, that didn't stop me from constantly watching and asking questions all the time. When I found out that I quite liked this, I knew I wanted to do something with computers when I was older.
It started with making drawings in MS Paint, but this was not a success. Then I got a little more familiar with PowerPoint because of school. I decided to practice with this. Here I made my very first graphic designs. From this point on I knew I wanted to be a graphic designer.
My journey
Design after design was made, and I spent quite a few hours behind the computer. Even in high school. When I had to choose a course at some point, I hesitated between Communication and Multimedia Design (CMD) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). I wanted to choose CMD because this study was about designing and building websites, but I was already able to do all this. That's why I chose ICT, so that I could broaden my knowledge and learn even more about computers. After my first year I opted for the Software Engineering differentiation. I especially feel at home here because I can program and design applications here.
Nowadays I am a software engineering student at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in The Hague. Here I focus on my school assignments and try to gain experience with programming applications and software. In addition to my studies, I started my own company, where I focus on graphic design and creating websites for clients.
My past experience
Spine Agency
We're a young, dynamic company that aims for quality and uniqueness.
We bring innovative designers, pixel-perfect developers, and creative writers together. All this to create a unique website, corporate identity or application for your company.
Owner
- I've set up and succesfully finished several branding projects for clients.
- I made a couple of custom websites for clients.
- We also do hosting. I have a number of clients for whom I do the hosting and maintenance of their site.
Deloitte
Deloitte is a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and related services. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of professionals in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms.
Software Engineer
- I deliver white goods to customers.
- I started in August 2021 with the idea of working there for a few months. I have been working here for over six months now and I still enjoy it.
Coolblue
Coolblue is more than just an e-commerce company. We build all-in-one solutions for our customers through our leading customer journeys and supporting infrastructure. We do this in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, both online and in our 20 physical stores.
Deliverer
- I deliver white goods to customers.
- I started in August 2021 with the idea of working there for a few months. I have been working here for over six months now and I still enjoy it.
America Today
America Today fits just like your favorite pair of jeans. Our heritage in American lifestyle is found in every fiber of our brand. We are inclusive and welcome all, the bigger the crowd the better. It's our mission to be relevant, fun and always put a smile on your face. Oh, and did you know we take our responsibility towards the planet seriously by creating sustainable fashion that lasts a lifetime? There is no planet B!
Sales Employee
- I have enjoyed working here as a sales employee for four years.
- I was able to develop and practice my social skills here with customers.
- I occasionally model for America Today for their campaigns and social media.
Education
The Hague University of Applied Sciences
HBO-ICT, Software Engineering
Herbert Vissers College
Senior General Secondary Education
My skills
Frontend Development
I've been working on frontend development since high school. Here I made websites from raw HTML, but later I got more familiar with Bootstrap and became an expert at it.
Branding
Ever since I was little I have been involved in graphic design. I have already successfully completed dozens of logo's for clients.
Graphic Design
In addition to making logos, I have also completed dozens of projects in which I have designed websites, packaging, stickers, or business cards and had them produced.
Backend Development
During my education I spent two years developing in ASP.NET. I developed my skills with C# and ASP.NET in school and I built several applications in this framework.
Webhosting
For a handful of clients I have arranged their web hosting to make sure they can receive emails and keep their site online.
Site Maintenance
In addition to web hosting, I also perform maintenance on clients' websites to ensure that their website is always up to date and nothing can go wrong.