The Humans of Hancock and Rowe: Ross

The Humans of Hancock and Rowe is a series of interviews that introduces you to who we are and the people we work alongside. From our team to our clients, we’ll be sharing the stories of those who our agency help, support and collaborate with.

Introducing Ross, our specialist partner in Craft CMS and website development, who we have a long-standing relationship with.

Where do you come from? 

I was born and raised in Morayshire in the North East of Scotland. It’s a beautiful part of the country, nestled between the foothills of the Cairngorm mountains and the beaches of the North Sea. 

My brothers and I had so much freedom growing up, heading out straight from the door, on foot or on bikes, appearing home filthy and only when hunger drove us back. Sport has always been a big part of my life. From the age of nine I swam for a local club, getting up at 6am to train 3 mornings a week before school (which I can't even imagine now!) travelling around the country for competitions. I managed a 2nd in Scotland for breaststroke at the age of 14. 

I also played a lot of golf. My dad got me started early and I got involved competitively but it was skiing, which was only a short drive away from home, that became my favourite sport during my teenage years and which I'm fortunate enough to do now with my own family.

Where are you now?

We've lived in Dunbar, a seaside town just south of Edinburgh, since our daughter was born, so for 18 years now. It's a great place to be, the beach is just a 5 minute walk away yet we can be in the city centre within 20 minutes by train, which is handy for meetings as well as nights out. I've worked from home since I set up on my own 15 years ago, and I have to say I love it. I miss having a laugh in an office from time to time but it's great to have the flexibility to walk the dog, head out for a bike or a surf when work allows. It also meant I was able to be fully involved when the kids were young. They appreciate my presence a little less now they're teenagers of course!   

How did you travel between the two?

On leaving school, having toyed with the idea of Architecture, I ended up studying Product Design Engineering at Glasgow, a course split between the University and the Art School. However at the end of the four years I was more inspired to travel than to look for a job in Product Design. So following a year of surfing my way around the globe I stumbled across a course in building websites. It was early days for the web but it was a great grounding that kick started my future career. 

From there I worked for a couple of design agencies in Glasgow before taking another year out (with my now wife) to teach English in San Sebastian on the North Coast of Spain, a fantastically different experience. On returning to Edinburgh, I worked for The Touch Agency  – now Scottish design agency of the year – before taking the plunge and starting out on my own.  

Since then I’ve spent over a decade working with a wide range of growing businesses on everything from animation through to large catalogue e-commerce.

Much has changed during that time – building a website these days doesn’t have to be complicated. There are dozens of platforms that can produce a basic site for a small monthly cost, or you can set up a Wordpress site with minimal knowledge. 

However, what you cannot buy off the shelf is experience and understanding of audiences and their behaviours when it comes to interacting with the web. What I love most about my job is collaborating with brilliant clients to understand complex business needs and solving knotty consumer problems to deliver tailored and effective web solutions that work for all. 

What are your hopes for the future and the digital world?

I think if we’re honest with ourselves we all need to learn how to switch off, which means disconnecting from the endless stream of messages and content on our devices. We need to be able to immerse ourselves in ‘offline’ activities without distraction and without thinking about how it might look on Instagram!  

On the flip side, the benefits of technology should not be forgotten. It has been responsible for immeasurable improvements in quality of life and opportunity particularly in less developed countries and has helped us all become better connected and to access information literally in the palms of our hands. Not to mention the fact that it has enabled remote working.  

AI is the tech on everyone’s minds and it’s going to raise a lot of issues going forward, including the line of work our children decide to pursue. I’m not sure if my job will exist in 15 years time. But my hope for the future is that AI can be net positive – helping develop sustainable and eco-friendly technologies.

What do you find most enjoyable about partnering with Hancock and Rowe?

Jason and Katie are highly skilled at what they do, but also care deeply about the end product. They are always open to collaborating to develop the right solution for their clients and they’re lovely people too which makes them great to work with.  

As a developer it’s not uncommon to be sent designs from an agency without any opportunity to input. That never happens with H&R. We collaborate from the outset, kicking around ideas and refining through every stage of development. We work at pace but our focus is on finding the right solution, not just getting the job done. The end result is an effective and user friendly website that can be easily adapted in line with changing needs. Without hesitation, H&R are my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for a UX agency!