Sergio Mensing: “Gut feeling often plays too big a role”

Sergio Mensing, one of the developers who has already built many websites and webshops for Webba. Internally he’s seen as a great talent, who has already made many clients happy with a new site or shop. But who is Sergio, really? And what does he think of his work? We found out!

How did you end up in this field?

“It started when I was young. In my 4th year of HAVO I’d already built my own website. A website about myself. On top of that, I was good at computer science. I got good grades. That’s where my love for the field was born.” And then? “Then I went to study Communication & Multimedia Design in Leeuwarden, which connected well with that.

But how did you end up at Webba?

“Through my internship. I was looking for a company in the area of southeast Drenthe, where personal contact was very important and I could bike to work. I found that here. After my internship I was offered a contract. Now I do design alongside front-end at Webba.” Sounds good, if only it were that easy for everyone.. “I’ve certainly been lucky with that. I think that’s the advantage of this field. There’s a lot of demand for people. My advice to interns is therefore to choose your internship carefully. Who knows, it might become your new workplace.”

You’ve meanwhile made quite a few websites and webshops, which project are you most proud of?

“De Drommedaar. This website/webshop is coming online soon. What’s fun about this website is that it has a cool design, which makes it fun to work on. Besides that, the details were very important, which calls for expertise. Because of this I got the chance to develop myself.”

“A website has to be user-friendly on a tablet, smartphone and laptop alike, and that’s a big challenge”

And where do you get the most satisfaction from?

“Actually that’s two things. The design of a website, where both the client and I myself are satisfied. And besides that, front-end development, building a website. Think of it as an image coming to life. I think that’s really cool.”

What’s the biggest difference in developing a website compared to 5 years ago?

“I think the most important change is the user experience. Digitisation means we use more and more devices (tablets, smartphones, laptops). A website has to be user-friendly on a tablet, smartphone and laptop alike, and that’s a big challenge. Every website on every device again calls for different properties. That makes it different from 5 years ago.”

“Decisions about a website’s design are often made based on gut feelings and assumptions”

What’s the most common mistake you come across on websites?

“Decisions about a website’s design are often made based on gut feelings and assumptions. Think, for example, of the structure or layout of a website that doesn’t match the goal or usability.”
How would you do this differently? “Testing. The data will then reveal what’s ultimately the best solution. To test this we have handy tools internally. For instance, we can test different website layouts and see how different users respond to them.”

Are there any important developments coming up?

“I specialise in WordPress websites. A new development within WordPress is WordPress 5: Gutenberg. This update will make sure website owners get more options to adjust the layout and design of their website. This makes them less dependent.

Do you have one more golden tip? 🏆

“Websites offer a lot of possibilities. Because of this it’s sometimes difficult to make choices about how websites should be laid out. So don’t rely on assumptions and gut feelings, but listen carefully to what users want, or base decisions on data. That way you’ll know for sure it’ll be worth the investment.”