What has being part of the Okay Dev community meant to you?

It’s like being part of an elite group.

Okay Dev was full of people I’ve always admired, so joining it felt a bit ​“weird.” It was like proof that all my hard work had finally paid off.

What got you interested in the web industry?

In 2009, I lost my job and spent nearly a year trying to find a new one, but the crisis at the time made it super hard. Eventually, I got the chance to enroll in a web design course in Modena, a city near where I lived back then. It was run by an agency called Evolve.

I put every cent I had into that course, and it didn’t take long to realize I’d made the right call. Everything about it was new and super interesting: SEO, copywriting, UX, UI, front-end development, back-end — you name it.

The course itself was really basic. We learned Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and WordPress. But it was enough to teach me how to design and build a website from scratch.

After the course, I kept studying every single day, diving into topics it didn’t even cover, just to soak up as much knowledge as possible.

A few months later, I joined a web marketing company in Modena. That’s where I started working on real client projects and met my partner in crime, Fabio.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

How did you learn your craft?

Most of my knowledge comes from trying to replicate work (or even single parts) created by other developers or agencies, like Aristide Benoist, Unseen, Active Theory, and many more.

I also want to mention Bruno Simon for his ThreeJS Journey and Yuri Artiukh (Akella) for his Sunday morning streams. These two guys are an unlimited source of knowledge.

What was your first industry job like?

Honestly, it was just ​“okay,” and that was only because of the people I worked with.

The company was pretty awful, and the projects were even worse. But I had great colleagues, and I was picking up skills I knew would come in handy someday, so it made things a bit more bearable.

What does a typical workday look like?

I usually get up around 9 AM and do a couple of hours of work while having breakfast.

After that, I hit my local gym (at least three times a week) to give my brain a break and my body a boost. Then I head back home, grab some lunch, and work at my desk until dinner time.

When are you most productive?

Mornings are definitely my most productive time. My mind’s fresh, and I’ve got plenty of energy.

How do you find new projects/clients?

I’ve been lucky enough to never have to look for clients since the day I started freelancing.

What’s on your desk?

Honestly, it’s usually a big mess. 😂 I love the idea of working with a clean, organized desk, but I’m way too lazy to keep it that way.

Thankfully, my girlfriend steps in and yells at me every now and then until I clean it up. ❣️

What are your go-to apps?

My go-to for coding is VS Code, but lately, I’ve been trying out Cursor AI to see if it can boost my productivity.

You’ll also find Figma, Blender, and Godot in my dock.

What inspires you?

Merci-Michel and makemepulse inspire me. They create the kind of sites (or rather, games) I aspire to work on someday.

Also, as a gamer since I was 5 years old, I often take inspiration from the UIs of the games I play. You’d be surprised how much a game’s UI behavior can influence and adapt to a web project.

Do you work best in silence, or do you prefer some background noise or music?

It’s a huge ​“IT DEPENDS.”

Sometimes I have Netflix playing on my smaller screen, sometimes I watch YouTube videos about video games, and other times I put on headphones and listen to some drum ​’n’ bass music.

Which project(s) are you most proud of?

That’s an easy one: Heights Agency and Malvah Studio.

What’s your perspective on AI, and have you integrated it into your workflow?

I see it as a super useful tool for people in our field — a kind of ​“Google search for specific problems.”

Never let AI do your job for you, but ask it as many questions as you can about the problem you’re trying to solve. It can be an invaluable tool for gaining knowledge.

Are there any technologies or tools that you’re excited to explore more?

I’m diving into as much WebGL and ThreeJS as possible, mixing in some physics and a bit of Rive along the way.

Any advice for aspiring creatives?

This industry can be tough — it’s challenging, overwhelming, and frustrating. But it’s also the one that pays off the most in the end.

Look up to people you think are better than you, and try to replicate what they’ve done, even down to the smallest detail. You’ll improve without even realizing it.

It’s a long journey, but it’s 100% worth it.

Final thoughts, exciting projects, or upcoming trips?

I’ve got a couple of projects in the pipeline that are set to launch in Q1 2025. All I can say for now is that they’re awesome. 🤫