Graphic and Web Designer Blake Clerke-Smith of DiscoverTec, a digital solutions provider based in Jacksonville, Florida, has been invited to speak at next year’s Codegarden conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Blogging can be a solitary hobby, with many bloggers unsure if anyone is actually reading what they publish. Local designer Blake Clerke-Smith recently found out how far a simple blog post can go when an online guide she created earned her an invitation to speak at an international conference for developers.
“I saw that you could submit your post to Umbraco online, and a few days later I got an email that it was going up,” said Clerke-Smith, who blogs about design and development at letswritecode.net.
Umbraco is an open source content management system, written in the C# programming language. The Umbraco advent calendar is a holiday tradition, with developers from all around the world sharing tips, tricks and guides to the more complex features of the content management system. For this year, Clerke-Smith created an all-encompassing, easy to follow guide for newbies just getting started with Umbraco. Shortly after, she got a message on Twitter from Umbraco founder Niels Hartvig, asking if she would be interested in delivering an introduction to Umbraco talk at Codegarden 2015.
Held annually by the company founders, the Codegarden conference brings developers from all around the world together to network, learn new features and participate in workshops. There are also fun events and activities for participants, like Umbraco bingo games and a boat ride around beautiful Copenhagen. Since beginning in 2005, the conference has grown from 70 participants to just over 300 developers and designers from around the world.
“Of course I’m nervous,” said Clerke-Smith, a Jacksonville native who has never left the country. Though she has experience conducting web-based training sessions, speaking in front of a large group is a new challenge. She hopes to help new designers and front end developers get up to speed with the skills she has perfected over three years of work at DiscoverTec, where she works on graphic design and front end development.
“You do need some experience to use Umbraco, which is why I wrote the article,” she said.
Clerke-Smith’s ability to pick up concepts so quickly has made her invaluable to DiscoverTec, a digital solutions firm that provides design, hosting and marketing, according to CEO Donny Lamey.
“We’ve already seen how talented Blake is through the amazing work she does each day,” Lamey said. “We’re just glad to see her getting the recognition she deserves and the opportunity to share her insights in an even larger forum.”
DiscoverTec provides online solutions, including hosting, digital marketing and design services. The company recently celebrated its 20 year anniversary by moving to a brand new, cutting edge space in Jacksonville’s Southpoint area.