Cécile Lebleu

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Cécile Lebleu

Cécile Lebleu

Nice to meet you! I’m Cécile Lebleu, brand designer turned front-end developer.

I like to build interactive websites and design systems. I also enjoy making great food.

If you're here, chances are, you want to learn more about who I am. So I have been brutally honest in the making of this slice of my life, so you're not missing out on details. To me, a personality is more important than a person's stacks or degrees. I'm playful and I live for learning. So if you like who I am and you think I can help you, please reach out — I'd like to be friends!

Currently working with: Gatsby, React, Figma

Currently learning: Advanced JavaScript, Advanced React

Some things I love:

  • ❧ Typography
  • 🖋 Classic & minimal design
  • 🍜 Ramen
  • 👩🏼‍💻 Clean code
  • 🥖 Fresh bread
  • 🌳 Walks in nature

Skills

What I'm good at, and not-so-good-at too, because I'm human after all 🤷🏼‍♀️

Development

  • Current stack: Jamstack with React and Gatsby.
  • WordPress with Elementor, optionally WooCommerce. Will bug everyone about "plugin bloat" and nag about optimizations.
  • Always looking for the newest things to learn, and will avoid older frameworks and tools at all cost. I prefer using modern CSS over Bootstrap, for example, or anything over jQuery.
  • Currently diving into back-end database and the like, but so far, I'm far from knowledgeable in the field. I'd prefer working with your back-end engineer of choice.
  • Good at: Front-End
  • Not so much: Back-End

Graphic

  • Walking know-it-all about typography. Will complain about kerning and use of "classic" default system fonts without a very good reason.
  • Design systems (like brand identities), layouts (like responsive web design or prints), icons, and letters.
  • Not so good at illustration or artistic things. It's too free. I prefer to keep art for personal leisure, and use tried-and-tested systems for client's projects.
  • Good at: Designing systems
  • Not so much: Arts & illustration

Cookery

  • I have a special thing for bread, soup, sauce, and salad. It just makes me happy. My alter ego is a 17th to 19th century cook. Yes, with the costume and all. Shh, don't tell anyone.
  • Particularly good at making pizza and bread, according to people.
  • Not into spicy food (as in hot peppers). But might eat all the mustard and soy sauce in your fridge, if left alone.

Timeline

Best read from the bottom up.

2020

  • Currently going through The Advanced JavaScript Full-Stack Bootcamp.
  • Finished a very thorough React Bootcamp.
  • Learned Gatsby.

2019

  • 🚀 Deep dive into coding. Characters typed per year must have skyrocketed here.
  • 🖥 Worked with even more amazing people, building even more WordPress websites.

2018

  • 💻 Continued learning about front-end web development. Figured out that vanilla might not be the standard anymore.
  • 🎴 All the hard work finally started to yield results: I had the opportunity to work in an amazing card game! I love that game and play it regularly. My first little brother is a huge fan.

2017

  • 🗂 Took a deep-dive into brand identity design. Somewhere around here I figured out I really like building, and following, systems.
  • ⚙️ To expand my graphic design capabilities, I started learning how to use WordPress to build client websites.
  • 💻 Meanwhile, I started learning about programming. Dabbled with Python, PHP, and Machine Learning, but ultimately decided to stick to front-end.
  • 🤓 Still nerding every day into books about typography, print, design, and marketing, and designing every day better type.

2016

  • 💼 Worked on my freelance logo designer career, with more clients and more project diversity.
  • 📕 Learned about graphic design and marketing. Obsessed over print design vs pixel design.
  • 📐 Kept expanding my knowledge in type design. Started designing my first typefaces.

2015

  • 🖌 Started learning lettering design. Got sucked into learning what defines the shapes of letters.
  • 🧑🏻‍💻👩🏼‍💻 Got married!
  • ❧ Learned about type-setting and type design.
  • 🏆 Started designing logotypes for clients: First freelance project!

Prior

  • 🥐 Looking for a simpler life, I worked as a baker and barista at a local french shop for a while. While painting the menu on the walls, I dived into letter design, and spent some time in the nearby university's library reading all about Frutiger.
  • 🎥 Then, I studied and worked part-time in photography, videography, music video production, including product photography, production, recording, editing.
  • 🎙 I also got a lot into the music industry — at one point it was my goal in life. I learned about all the processes, from recording to mastering to marketing and everything in between, met some incredible producers and artists, and visited amazing audio gear factories and studios.
  • 💾 I worked and played in web development, doing the monotonous HTML and CSS my dad didn't want to do (lol), back when DreamWeaver was the best thing since sliced bread.
  • 👧🏼 During my childhood and early years, I was in a great environment to learn all sorts of things. At-home summer jobs were the norm for me, and we were always doing something different.


Last updated: August 1, 2020