Gravitywho? #13 Dulcie
In this series, I interview the award-winning team of creative geeks, thinkers and grafters, one by one.
Dulcie, great to meet you! Where are you from and how long have you been at Gravitywell?
I grew up on the south coast in (sometimes) sunny Poole, Dorset. Right now I live in Camden, but I’m planning a move to Bristol in the next few months - and hoping that the rental market is kind to me! I’ve been at Gravitywell for neaaarly a week now, although I met everyone in real life (gasp) at Campwell Woods a few weeks before I started!
Don't get me started on the rental market... but I digress. What’s the best thing about working here (so far)?
Freedom to do something new, and put your spin on it. It’s great working in a team with such a variety of interests and skills, where it’s always ok to try something out and bring a personal opinion or idea to the table. Everyone’s absolutely lovely, too.
Who would be your dream client and what would you like to work on for them?
Anything with an ethical and/or environmental focus. I’ve always been pretty active in the tech-for-good space, and it’s been really inspiring to work with organisations like the Red Cross and the Gender Pay Gap Service to bring about positive change - but it’s also showed me just how much more still needs to be done.
It’s great to see brands like Ecosia, Rapanui and Headspace integrating ethical practices and wellbeing into our daily lives, and I’d just love to contribute to the growing movement in whatever ways I can!
Seconded. So, how did you get into software development?
What connects orthodontics, architecture, graphic design and software development? That’s the list of career options I was considering at age 16 - and for me, it was the intersection of arts and sciences that stood out. I’ve always loved problem-solving, puzzles and maths - but I’m also very creative, so in the end, I went with my gut and did a bit of both!
I took A-Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Computer Science...and Art (yeah, I know) and eventually, a Computer Science degree stood out as a way for me to combine the analytical elements of the sciences with some sort of innovation and design. Looking back, it all seems like a bit of a blur, but I’m so glad I stuck with both of my interests and ended up here!
There was me thinking that 3 A-Levels was challenging! What’s your advice for someone wanting to get into development?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Throughout education, the focus is always on personal achievement, so it can feel like cheating to “give up” and admit you don’t know something. But development is such a collaborative environment, and even when you do know what you’re doing, a second opinion can open up opportunities you hadn’t even considered!
What’s the worst thing about being a developer?
PHP. I’ll leave it there.
I rate that answer a C++. What’s your favourite piece of tech and why?
Honestly, I’m not much of a tech-junkie outside of work - I believe in tech in moderation and keeping my carbon footprint down by buying good quality, useful stuff and keeping it for as long as possible. So yeah - my record player, trusty iPod classic and 9-year-old Wacom tablet are probably the highlights!
Your Hackathon dream destination would be..?
Denmark or Norway. Slow pace of life, incredible nature, coffee and pastries - what’s not to love?
I'm all about that hygge life, so count me in. Finally, what’s the best-kept secret in Bristol?
Uh, this is a tough one - I visited Bristol for the first time two weeks ago! But if you fancy an adventure, What The Pitta is an amazing vegan kebab shop in Camden, and Coast in Poole is one of my favourite cafes - which also sells brunch, surfboards and motorbikes!
Thank you to Dulcie for being interviewed.
Stay tuned for another edition of Gravitywho? ...
