Behind the Scenes with Cary Walski

by Hannah Crawford

When you visit Rainbow Rumpus, what’s the first thing you notice? I bet it’s the awesome website design! This month on Behind the Scenes, we talk to Cary Walski, one of the main people who made the website look as great as it does.

What kinds of things have you worked on for Rainbow Rumpus? When did you start? 

Get in the way-back machine! October 2006 was the very first issue of Rainbow Rumpus that I brought online. With me on board as Rainbow Rumpus’ first webmaster, it marked the exciting beginning of the magazine publishing on a monthly basis. The web team started with just me. Then we brought on other talented web team members as our content grew, including Michael French, Jake MacDonald, Sarah Musgrave, and Karl Smith. 

What was your favorite part of redesigning the Rainbow Rumpus website? 

Working with the redesign team was a lot of fun. It was great to learn from Laura Matanah and Beth Wallace during the process. Both of them had great insights on how to make the development process inclusive.

How long did it take to redesign it?

A lot longer than anticipated! It was a little over a year before we finally completed the project. I’ve learned since then that that happens a lot, especially with a website that’s as large and sophisticated as Rainbow Rumpus. 

What sorts of skills do you have to have to do a website design? 

I think the best developers and designers are really good listeners. You have to be able to put your own feelings aside in order to deliver what your audience and your clients are looking for. 

Tell us a little bit about your life outside Rainbow Rumpus. What other things do you like to do? 

I enjoy writing, both fiction and non, taking my newly adopted dog Lela on walks, biking, and eating at the great restaurants we have here in northeast Minneapolis, where I live. 

For kids interested in computers and designing, what’s a good way to get started learning? 

Never stop having fun. If you enjoy drawing, creating graphics, or playing with code on your computer, do it every day!

If you’re a girl, don’t be shy about taking classes to learn more when you’re in high school. There are a lot of great careers for smart women who know how to code out there. Don’t be intimidated if you’re one of the few girls you know doing it. Stick with it; it’s totally worth it. If you don’t believe me, check out this great video by Pamela Fox, a computer engineer who works at Google. 

Personally, I steered clear of programming class when I was in high school, and I regret it. I have a degree in psychology, and I feel as if I’m playing catch-up with everyone who took computer science!