Summary
A frontend developer builds software components, primarily in the form of user interfaces.
At this role level, you will:
• collaborate and work closely with other disciplines to develop designs and working prototypes based on user needs and in support of organisational aims
• develop software components that form part of a product to meet user needs
• write clean, well-tested code that follows web standards
• coach and mentor more junior colleagues
Background
| Description | Background |
|---|---|
| Demonstrates a concern and aptitude for considering the user's perspective in IT development. Is aware of the theory and practice of user-centred systems development and use of the relevant tools. Is aware of the principles and application of ergonomics to IT systems, products and services. Is effective and persuasive in presenting technical issues, processes and solutions, both orally and in writing. | Prior Knowledge and Skills |
Work Activity Components
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Involve, synthesise and inform (Level 3) User research | Provides evidence drawn from data and research analysis to represent the user in product and design discussions. |
| User-centred design (URCH)(Level 3) | Conducts user journey mapping exercises and use them as a tool to support user-centred design decision making. |
| Design, analysis and iterative development (Level 3) | Assists, as part of a team, in overall user experience design including for example: user interface (including colour, language, presentation, input methods, error handling and responses); user documentation; program specifications; and backup, recovery and restart procedures. Assists in the evaluation of design options and trade-offs. |
| Visual design and branding (Level 3) | Consistently applies visual design and branding guidelines |
| Test plans and evaluation of options (HCEV)(Level 3) | Constructs, interprets and executes test plans to verify accessibility and usability of completed systems. |
| Content publishing (ICPM)(Level 3) | Uses content publishing systems to manage published content across different channels. |
| Web pages and sites (Level 3) | Designs the structure and appearance of moderately complex web-sites within agreed style guidelines and in close collaboration with clients/users and content authors. Builds and maintains web-sites. Is aware of the special requirements of the visually impaired and hard of hearing. |
Behavioural Skills
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Attention to Detail | Applying specific quality standards to all tasks undertaken to ensure that deliverables are accurate and complete. |
| Creativity | Taking innovative approaches to problem solving and/or devising inventive and creative solutions. |
Technical Skills
| Title | Details | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) | Graphical human/computer interfaces that facilitate effective communication between human operator and computer. | Familiar with |
| Corporate, Industry and Professional Standards | Applying relevant standards, practices, codes, and assessment and certification programmes to the specific organisation or business domain. | Aware of |
| Systems Ergonomics and Iterative Design | Iterative methods and techniques to allocate and optimise the division of functions between the human, machine and organisational elements of IT systems and the functions themselves in terms of ergonomic impact. Systematic and iterative design of the physical and cognitive interfaces to create an effective user experience in a software system, product or service with attention paid to variety of locations and access devices employed by users. | Familiar with |
| Application Development Tools | Software tools which automate or assist part of the development process. | Familiar with |
| Database Software | Software that enables the user to capture, create, populate and manipulate data structures and where appropriate unstructured data. | Familiar with |
| Programming Languages | A set of codes and syntax (supported by software tools) that enables the unambiguous translation of specified functionality into source code for the creation of computer programs. | Familiar with |
| Graphic Design | The creation of graphical designs that are appealing to the viewer, appropriate to the material and the commissioning organisation and that project the desired 'presence'. | Familiar with |
| Web Specifics | Knowledge of web specific file extensions, Web 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 and other latest standards/ practices. Use of multimedia and Active-X controls. Understanding of the nature of browsers and how to design cross-browser layouts. Effective knowledge of metadata (e.g. tags, XML) and related aspects of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). | Familiar with |
| Information Architecture | Methods, techniques and technologies for ingesting, securing, processing and using data and information within and beyond an organisation. | Familiar with |
| Information and Data Visualisation/Presentation | The ability to visualise and present information and data in an appropriate format that helps stakeholders understand the significance of the information and data. | Familiar with |
| Data Handling | The ability to harvest, clean, curate, manage, process and manipulate data in a variety of formats. | Familiar with |
Other Skills
| Title | Details | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Time Management Techniques | Methods and techniques for making effective use of own time. | Proficient in |
| Organisational Brand and Culture | Knowledge and understanding of the brand image and personality of the organisation's products and/or services and the overall culture and personality of the work environment. | Aware of |
| Legislation | Relevant national and international legislation. | Familiar with |
| Coaching Techniques | Methods and techniques for coaching individuals or groups by a balanced combination of support and direction, which could include use of virtual learning environments plus add-ons to augment feedback specific to work items, workflow or career plans. | Aware of |
Training
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Own Organisation's Systems, Products and Services | Understanding of the organisation's systems, products and services to enable selling, support and development activities. |
| Human Factors Techniques | Methods and techniques for understanding human needs and limitations and for designing usable, accessible and ergonomically sound systems. Examples: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) approaches and iterative design methods and accessibility. Recognising ever evolving user expectations for use of a variety of access devices and locations and opportunities for environmental savings e.g. reducing office space, travel, etc. |
| Usability Evaluation Techniques | Methods and techniques for the assessment of IT product usability, accessibility and health and safety throughout the lifecycle of development projects. |
| Security Awareness | Tools and techniques to help users and employees understand the role they play in helping to combat information security breaches and for IT and security professionals to prevent and mitigate risk. |
| Graphic Design and Web Development | Tools and techniques for graphic design, user interface design (UI design), content authoring using standardised code and proprietary software, user experience design (UX design), web development and search engine optimisation. |
| User Interface Design | Principles, practices, tools and techniques for user interface design and the creation of graphical user interfaces that make user interaction with systems, software, and applications as simple and efficient as possible. |
| Coaching | Concepts, methods and techniques for providing coaching in subject specialisms to individuals or groups (e.g. GROW model). |
| Mentoring | Methods and techniques for providing mentoring support to less experienced individuals. |
Professional Development Activity (PDA)
| Title | Details | PDA Group |
|---|---|---|
| Deputising | Standing in for supervisor or manager on a temporary basis during periods of absence. | Broadening Activities |
| Job Shadowing and Special Assignments | Undertaking temporary periods or secondments in other roles, particularly those that offer a new perspective on own function or exposure to other environments and cultures. | Broadening Activities |
| Gaining Knowledge of Employing Organisation | Gaining basic knowledge of the employing organisation, its business, structure, culture, policies, products/services, operations and terminology. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Gaining Knowledge of Surrounding Technical Areas | Gaining knowledge of IT activities in employing organisation external to own function. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Research Assignments | Exploring a topic which is not part of own normal responsibilities and presenting findings to colleagues and/or management | Increasing Knowledge |
| Involvement in Professional Body Activities | Attending meetings, seminars and workshops organised by professional body and reading published material, such as journals and web content. | Participation in Professional Activities |
Organisational Skill Name and Description
| Framework | Skill | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Communicating information Communication involves conveying information using the most effective medium and language for the audience. |
Practitioner Communicating information You can: work collaboratively in a group and build relationships with others identify issues through Agile 'health checks' and work with others to address them manage stakeholder expectations be flexible and capable of proactive and reactive communication host or moderate difficult discussions within the team or with senior stakeholders |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Community collaboration (frontend developer) Collaboration in the DDaT Profession typically involves working in a multidisciplinary project team, and contributing to working groups and wider professional communities. It requires a broad understanding of the technologies, principles and perspectives of related professions. |
Practitioner Community collaboration (frontend developer) You can: work collaboratively in a group, actively networking with others adapt feedback to ensure it’s effective and lasting use your initiative to identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them identify issues through Agile ‘health checks’ with the team, and help to stimulate the right responses |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Leadership and guidance (frontend developer) Leadership and guidance involves providing effective leadership and management through team motivation, decision making, risk management, mediation and professional development |
Practitioner Leadership and guidance (frontend developer) You can: understand the impact of decisions and can make decisions characterised by different levels of risk and complexity resolve technical disputes between wider peers and indirect stakeholders, taking into account all views and opinions make decisions characterised by medium levels of risk and complexity, and can recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase contribute to best practice guidelines |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Programming and build (frontend developer) |
Practitioner Programming and build (frontend developer) You can: collaborate with others when necessary to review specifications use the agreed specifications to build, test and document user interfaces of medium to high complexity, using the right standards and tools |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Prototyping Prototyping a service or product involves exploring, testing and sharing different concepts before committing to the final design. |
Practitioner Prototyping You can: approach prototyping as a team activity, actively soliciting prototypes and testing with others establish design patterns and iterate them use a variety of prototyping methods and choose the most appropriate |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Strategic thinking Strategy involves creating a plan to achieve a team or organisation's objectives. |
Working Strategic thinking You can: work within a strategic context and communicate how activities meet strategic goals contribute to the development of strategy and policies |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Systems design (frontend developer) Systems design involves creating the specification and design of systems to meet defined business needs. |
Working Systems design (frontend developer) You can: translate agreed designs into working user interfaces following modern standards manage and document technical complexity to make sure work is easily maintained and reusable |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Systems integration (frontend developer) Systems integration involves identifying points of connection between different systems and processes, or opportunities to combine them, and designing how the components communicate. |
Working Systems integration (frontend developer) You can: build static assets from source code and test that the resulting user interface works as expected when delivered over the internet work on integration tests and support configuration of the network part of the system as part of a wider team |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
User focus (frontend developer) User focus involves understanding the user needs to develop a detailed understanding of the problems that need to be solved. |
Working User focus (frontend developer) You can: collaborate effectively with user researchers and interaction designers to represent user needs internally champion user research to focus on all users prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Web performance optimisation Data preparation involves sorting and cleansing information so it's available for more detailed analysis. |
Working Web performance optimisation You can: show an awareness of the principles of web performance, and how poor performance can negatively affect user experience support activities to improve web performance identify and help resolve issues |
Qualification Components
| Title | Awarding Bodies |
|---|---|
| FEDIP Practitioner | The Federation for Informatics Professionals |
| CUA Certified Usability Analyst | Human Factors International |
| Registered IT Technician (RITTech) | BCS The Chartered Institute for IT |
| BCS Foundation Certificate in User Experience UX | BCS The Chartered Institute for IT |
The Professional Body Responsible for this job family is BCS. This job role profile was created in collaboration with BCS, using Role Model Plus.