Nana Poku: Creativity on the Front End
We spoke with CivicActioner Nana Poku, Front End Engineer, about the creativity of front end engineering, seeing the larger vision of a task, how Drupal is a phenomenal tool, and why his colleagues are “genuinely passionate geniuses.”
People know you at CA for your creativity — why is it important to be creative in your position?
(Smiling) I’m appreciative that my colleagues recognize my creativity. Creativity for most people outside front end engineering is assuming an individual is a great artist, painter, graphic illustrator, etc., but I can guarantee you I’m no Picasso. As a front end engineer, creativity is utilizing the tools to think critically of an issue and provide results through an optimized user interface while maintaining high code standards and maintainability. You have to solve a problem without using words to illustrate your answer. No pun intended.
You have a background as a creative lead, as well as an educator. How does this multidisciplinary background inform your approach to Front End Engineering here at CivicActions?
The two disciplines work quite well together in my favor as a front end engineer here at CivicActions. This allows me to see a larger vision of the task at hand and how my particular task/ticket plays a part in the larger objective of supporting company culture or client deliverables. Just like creating a syllabus for a semester-long class, each lesson must build upon the foundations of the prior with a continuous aim of meeting curriculum objectives.
You are part of the Drupal Practice Area. Why is Drupal such an important tool in your work at CA?
Drupal is a phenomenal tool, and I’m so glad to have come across such a platform and its vast and continued growing community. What I love about Drupal is how it allows people of diverse backgrounds and skills to come together for a common goal: utilize this open-source platform to achieve something great. In our instance at CivicActions, the goal is to effectively use technology to bridge the communication/information gap to and from government entities.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Knowing that millions of people in America utilize digital products that I had the privilege of contributing to is surely one of the most humbling experiences.
How would you describe CivicActions’ company culture?
The company culture at CivicActions is hard to honestly describe. I’ve tried explaining it to individuals outside of CivicActions, both in and out of gov tech, and I feel I do it no justice. It is an experience one has to go through in order to understand and appreciate. Listen…you can work on tech anywhere, but I’ve yet to find the level of cohesiveness I have with my colleagues at CA anywhere else. They all are genuinely passionate geniuses.
On a lighter note, what are some fun facts that people may not know about you?
There are a few fun facts about me that may not have been told yet.
- I like 3D Modeling & Animation
- I love snorkeling
- I’ll soon be launching a YouTube channel with a focus on Design, Web Dev. & Business Management
- Even though I consider myself a “techie,” I still appreciate “analog.” For example, I’ll pick a manual car over an automatic any day, everyday (zroooom zrooooom)
Join other creatively-minded technologists like Nana at CivicActions by checking out our current job opportunities: civicactions.com/careers
