Can you believe we have more new teammates for you to meet and greet? We just introduced you to new WebDevStudios team members last week, but our website agency never ceases to grow. That means WebDevStudios (WDS) is continually adding new talent to our team of experienced technologists.
Today, you’re going to meet and greet UX Designer, Melissa Rausch, and Lead Engineer, David Walz. Both jumped right into their new roles at WDS, and it feels like they’ve been a part of our team forever. Keep reading to learn more about them.
Melissa Rausch, UX Dsigner
Melissa says she enjoys design because she loves communicating messages in engaging ways for everyone. “Like, making storytelling visual and interactive because, to me, that is more exciting and efficient.”
She applied to work at WDS because she felt our website company offered thought-provoking culture and the opportunity to work with reputable web professionals. So far, she is relishing her experience.
“It has been beyond delightful with an inviting and supportive group of people who I came to care about so quickly,” Melissa describes her time at WebDevStudios. “The projects I’ve worked on already help me build my skills while also passing on improved UX to our clients. I feel lucky to help transform websites that improve both business and user goals.”
Melissa has an interesting pastime that she engages in when she’s not designing big client projects. At home, she creates 3D printer projects. She explains that not only do she and her husband use these projects as a way to bond, but they also exercise their creative and technical minds.
For instance, her proudest project occurred after a piece of her computer mouse broke. “I measured the mouse cover and then recreated it on a 3D modeling application,” recounts Melissa. “My husband prototyped the attachment section on our 3D printer a few times which only took a few minutes. Finally, we were able to attach a new piece to my mouse so I can use it again.”
On another recent 3D project, Melissa and her husband designed a custom lamp as a wedding gift for their friends who had a cactus-themed wedding. “We laser-engraved one of their photos onto a green acrylic sheet then laser-cut it into a cactus shape,” says Melissa. “We then 3D-printed a stand to hold both the photo and an LED light. Our next idea is to 3D-print climbing holds and laser-cut decorations to build a rock-climbing wall for our cat.”
David Walz, Lead Engineer
As a lead engineer at WebDevStudios, David says it’s his job to remove barriers. “It’s important to me to help push projects forward and help my team by providing clarity when needed,” he clarifies. “This could be getting information from the client, third-party vendor, or even a development framework.”
David says one of his favorite parts of his job role is providing test support when a team member is pushing up a fix or feature improvement. “This gives my team important knowledge about how their code is working in an actual environment,” he says.
Before joining WDS, David focused on websites for travel and tourism. One of his first significant code pushes was to update the South Dakota tourism website.
“I added a small component to the homepage, a series of square tile links. The code push itself was straightforward, but the feeling I got was impactful,” says David, “I had already worked on some freelance sites in the past and personal projects. However, this was the first time that I got to make a change that was going to be used by a large number of people. That idea and feeling were empowering for me. I was thankful that I was surrounded by a team of people, who allowed the quality assurance guy to have that realization and experience.”
We’re glad David brings that level of expertise with him to WebDevStudios. In fact, what attracted him to apply here was our team. And, we can’t blame him.
“I was referred to the company by a past coworker and friend. I believe we share a lot of the same values in terms of the team we are on being super important to us,” David says. “So far I’ve met a lot of great and super-talented people at WDS. I also like the fact that WDS has clients from a variety of industries and different products. The last few years have been focused on a single industry for me, so this is a breath of fresh air. Some of the products that WDS has to offer I’ve already used years ago. That was a cool realization!”
Another cool thing about David is that he collects old tech and gives it a new life.
“I clean up computers, game consoles, game controllers, typewriters, etc. I’m still trying to figure out what drives me in doing this. It’s a cocktail of nostalgia, right-to-repair therapy, and an understanding that a good deep cleaning can bring a thing back to life,” David explains.
David tries to focus on his own old junk, but he has purchased a couple of Sega Saturns from Japan really cheap and untested. He disassembles them and cleans each piece. Best of all, he actually gets them up and running. However, these rehabs can be complex and take a lot of time.
“Cleaning a game controller might take a couple of hours. I’m usually just chilling and taking my time when doing that kind of stuff. I’ve worked on a PC cleanup that took weeks though,” David reports.
So far, he’s been keeping his rescued technology or giving them to friends. But one day, he might sell a few on eBay.
WebDevStudios Is Recruiting
We are currently on the hunt for top-tiered talents like Melissa and David. Do you love WordPress, open-source technology, relationship building, and tacos? Well, then you will probably fit right in at WebDevStudios. Apply online today.
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