Meet The Tunnel 7 Team
October 10, 2018 filed under: News
Derek
How did you get into web design / development?
I worked for a startup in the late 1990s when the internet was first exploding. It was an exciting time to be involved at the start of something so massive. Looking back, a lot of how we built sites back then is embarrassing by modern standards but it was exciting to see the evolution over the past 20 years!
What do you like the most about the work?
It combines technical know how with straight up creativity in a way few jobs can. You have to be analytical and logical to build solid foundations for things like content models and wireframes and then have to be very creative with color palettes and font choices and layouts of the website. It scratches both sides of the brain and I like that.
The least?
Owning your own business is always far more work than anyone will ever tell you. :)
3 favorite things to do in the Valley?
-Hiking (in general) and hiking the entire Mount Holyoke Range (it's a brutally hard up and down hike that's 10 miles long out and back) (more specifically)
-The Montague Bookmill
-Birding at one of the many unique habitats that the valley has in search of rare birds
Secret superpower?
Can identify birds by sound.
What's the craziest outdoor adventure you've been on this year?
This year it would have to be the Presidential Range hike in the White Mountains ... 20 miles and nearly 9,000 feet of elevation gain ... we started at 5:00 am and didn't finish until nearly 9:00 pm. It was hard and beautiful and just awesome.
Place you'd most like to visit
I'm not a big one for travel as there are still so many places in a 200 mile radius that I haven't seen yet, but if I had to pick something ... Alaska (in summer) for the beautiful desolation.
Anything else you want people to know
I have a deep love of literature.
Derek hiking the Presidential Range this summer.
Emily
How did you get into web design / development?
Via a career in social work. Over the years of working with nonprofits, some of my jobs included managing organizations' websites / their online marketing. It was fun and interesting to learn how to support an organization's mission via their online presence.
What do you like the most about the work?
It's varied, creative, requires great precision and attention to detail, and also the ability to zoom out and look at things from the bigger picture.
The least?
So much screen time.
3 favorite things to do in the Valley?
I live in Portland, Oregon and work remotely for Tunnel 7... 3 favorite things in Portland are:
-hiking in the nearby Columbia Gorge and on Mount Hood
-being able to ride my bike everywhere
-Portand's very many good restaurants
Secret superpower?
Standing on my head for extended periods (a skill I learned in yoga class).
What's the craziest outdoor adventure you've been on this year?
I was training to hike a 10,000 foot peak this summer. That hike got cancelled due to bad weather on the mountain, but I did get to do another doozie of a hike prepping for it: Mt Defiance in the Columbia Gorge is a 12 miler with 5,000 feet of elevation gain.
Place you'd most like to visit
Japan
Anything else you want people to know
I'm a Texas native, but somehow managed to not pick up a drawl.
Emily backpacking in the North Cascades in Washington State.
Tim
How did you get into web design / development?
Mostly through being curious and interested in the internet. I love to see what's "under the hood" so I started to look under the hood of websites. You might say my 3rd grade HTML intro class was what gave me the tools and curiosity to take a look.
What do you like the most about the work?
I like that it keeps me on my toes and continually learning new things. Standards are always evolving and I'm just trying to keep up.
The least?
Sometimes staring at a computer screen is a little hard on the eyes. It's important to take a break :)
3 favorite things to do in the Valley?
-A picnic and swim at one of the many swimming holes
-The Cummington Fair
-Finding new roads while out in the hilltowns
Secret superpower?
Sifting through moderately relavent information to find the answer tucked away deep in a six year-old forum post.
What's the craziest bike trip you've been on this year?
I rode 102 miles to the Hoosac Tunnel and back with a friend.
Place you'd most like to visit
London
Anything else you want people to know
I like doing the NYT Ken Ken
Tim points at the east portal of the Hoosac Tunnel in Florida, MA, a tunnel through the Berkshire Mountains.
It was completed in 1877 and took over 50 years to build.