Each member of our team is passionate about the role we play in making a positive impact in the community. Learn more about the people behind the passion and what makes them proud to be part of the work we do.
Introducing Shannon
I grew up in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. I did a lot of activities as a kid, both in school and outside of school. At school, I was part of the chess club, dance club, choir, and I played the clarinet in orchestra. Outside of school, I learned piano and played tennis. I also love to draw, solve puzzles and play video games. Growing up, each year my family would travel. Most of the time we’d go to Singapore, which is where my parents are from, but we’ve also visited other countries such as Malaysia, China, Taiwan, USA, Canada and New Zealand.
What is your role at the Information Access Group?
I’m a web developer and graphic designer. I undertake a lot of different tasks. For example, I make sure documents are accessible no matter what format they’re in – Word, PDF, HTML. I take care of client websites, maintaining and updating them, and designing and developing new web pages when required. I also develop and maintain internal tools that help our day-to-day operations and try to help solve miscellaneous issues that come up.
Tell us about a project you’ve worked on that you are proud of
I can’t think of a particular client project that’s my favourite. But the things I like to do most as part of my job is coming up with ways to do something differently or more efficiently and learning how to develop the method or application to do so. For example, last year I was able to help develop a web application that converts our Easy Read documents into a HTML format. Doing this project taught me a lot about how web applications are built, how the front and back end interact, how to use a web development framework, and the best practices for designing the user experience and user interface. Since working on this project, I’ve been more confident with programming, UX/UI design, and have been able to explore other frameworks and languages.
What do you find most rewarding about the work you do at the Information Access Group?
I like being able to use my skills to help people, whether that’s my colleagues or the wider community. I like the opportunities I get to solve problems and be creative. The value that I appreciate most here is inclusiveness and how important it is to consider how everyone has different needs and ways of living and thinking.
You are a huge supporter of Essendon Football Club – how did that come about?
I’ve been seeing a few TikToks that say, ‘I know what loyalty is, because I barrack for Essendon’, and I agree, haha. I’ve been going for Essendon since I was 8 – it was the team my tennis coach went for and he told me to go for the Bombers, so I did. Honestly,
I just like watching footy and I think it’s more fun to watch a sport when you go for a team. You really get to experience all the feelings of winning and losing with the Bombers and hopefully one day we’ll win a flag.
You’ve been called a ‘unicorn’ for having skills across both web development and graphic design – did one area of expertise lead you to the other, or did you approach them for different reasons?
I’ve always loved doing both. In high school, I’d always want to take all the computer classes and all the art classes, and then in uni, I chose to do a double degree in communication design and IT. I think I did this because I couldn’t decide which area I liked more, because I like how each field forces me to use a different side of my brain. I enjoy thinking both analytically and creatively to solve problems and I like the practical outcomes you can get from both fields. For example, in uni, I had the opportunity to create logos, posters, brands, websites, mobile applications, video games and board games.
I think design and development work best together when you can use your knowledge from both fields to foster a level of understanding. Like I understand the frustration of designers when developers shut down some of their ideas for practicality, but I also understand a developer’s frustration when a designer proposes something functionally difficult just for aesthetics. So, for me, being able to understand how both sides think and work alleviates some of that tension within myself and also helps me work better with others to create cool things.
What are some of the ways you indulge your creativity outside of the workplace?
Sometimes I take on personal projects for myself or my friends, like designing a new brand, logo, or creating a website. I like to draw for fun or do anything artsy. I pick up a lot of hobbies, such as digital art, sewing, photography and gaming. If I ever get a chance to create something, I take it!
Where is your favourite place to go bouldering? Do you think it’s important to have a balance of creativity and physical activity?
I usually go to the Boulder Lab gyms around Melbourne, but I also enjoy visiting other gyms, such as La Roca and Urban Climb.
I got into bouldering because a friend of mine bought me a voucher for Christmas, and after I went to a session, I got hooked immediately and bought a membership. I think what I like about bouldering is that it also involves careful problem solving,
where part of the sport is figuring out how get to the top. And the way one person does it might to work for you, so you can learn different ways of doing the same climb.
I do think it’s important to have a balance of creative and physical activity, because I love doing both! I grew up playing a lot of sport and I think it’s important to keep fit so I can keep playing. I guess this also applies to creativity – I think it’s important to keep finding ways to be creative and learn new skills so I don’t lose inspiration and can continue to create new things.
