min. readAt Abstra, we celebrate Women in Engineering Week by sharing stories of growth and reinvention. I am Paola Morales, and I want to share how I transitioned from web designer to frontend developer, transforming my passion for visual design into a career building scalable, accessible technology. My journey shows that with curiosity and determination, it is never too late to redefine your path.
Let Me Introduce Myself
I’m Paola Morales Valiente, from Paraguay. I’m 35 years old, and since I was a child, I’ve always been curious about how things work. My earliest memories with technology go back to the 90s, when my mother, who was an accountant, had computers in her office. They were black and white, and for some reason, she let me play with them. I remember using a drawing program and printing my first designs when I was just seven or eight years old.
Later on, when I was eight, I decided to take apart the car radio because it wasn’t working. Without touching any electronics, I managed to fit the pieces back together. At thirteen, I got my first cell phone, a Nokia 5190, and at seventeen, my father gave me a PC that became my gateway to design. I used Corel Draw to create graphics for school activities. In university, I learned to edit videos and continued exploring everything related to design and technology.
Over time, I realized that what started as curiosity became something much bigger: a vocation. Today, I’m the person everyone goes to when they need CSS or help with user interfaces. This is the story of how curiosity shaped my path as a front-end developer.
My Frontend Developer Journey: Where It All Started
I began developing web pages in 2009 using Adobe Dreamweaver and Adobe Flash. I created landing pages with animations that, at the time, felt like magic. What truly captivated me wasn’t the visuals. It was logic. I loved understanding how a computer responds to instructions and watching it execute exactly what I intended.
In those early projects, I learned to be self-taught, driven by curiosity. That mindset of experimenting and learning by doing has stayed with me. Even now, I approach new challenges with the same determination. I trust that I can learn whatever I need to, and I always do.
What Keeps Me Motivated
What I enjoy most about my work is seeing people use what I help build. I want them to have an experience that feels effortless, both visually and functionally. I care about creating products that are solid, scalable, and built to last.
Several key ideas and people have shaped my approach:
- Respect for foundational knowledge. I believe in building with long-term clarity, always considering what will last.
- Robert C. Martin taught me to write a clean, ethical code guided by principles like those in the Programmer’s Oath.
- Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman helped me prioritize usability, accessibility, and inclusive design.
- My mentors at Abstra continue to guide me on how to maintain high-quality standards and clean, scalable architecture.
For me, clean code is not just the best practice. It is a way to build responsibly and intentionally, always with the user and future developer in mind.
My Strengths as a Developer
Throughout my frontend developer journey, adaptability and problem-solving have helped me grow. These two qualities allow me to stay grounded during complex projects and make smart, timely decisions. They’ve helped me take on bigger challenges, and they continue to guide me through my work every day.
What I’ve Found at Abstra
Joining Abstra gave me the opportunity to work alongside people who set high standards. That environment motivates me and pushes me to improve constantly. I have contributed to strategic projects as part of a multidisciplinary, specialized team.
When I started, I already knew how to program, but only in a basic way. I understood pseudocode and had some experience with JavaScript, but I had never worked deeply with modern frameworks. At Abstra, I learned to program correctly using Angular. I learned to build Single Page Applications and reactive user interfaces and to connect the UI with backend APIs. These experiences helped me strengthen my skills and use modern technologies with confidence. Over time, I transitioned from being a designer who knew some code into a frontend developer.
One project that stands out involved removing a deprecated dependency called Flexbox API that we used to build responsive layouts. This issue affected dozens of components and was blocking us from advancing the product and completing our SOC 2 certification. We needed to remove the dependency without disrupting the visual structure of the system.
To solve it, we automated part of the replacement process and handled the fine adjustments manually. The result was a key structural update that modernized the platform and cleared the path for certification. This experience strengthened my technical skills and problem-solving abilities. It also gave me the confidence to make critical decisions under pressure.
A Culture That Works for Me as a Frontend Developer
If I had to describe Abstra’s culture in one phrase, it would be: specialized, agile, and flexible.
- Specialized, because every team includes experts: UX designers, frontend developers, data engineers, and backend developers, who bring precision and clarity to the process.
- Agile, not only in the frameworks we use, but in how we think. We work fast, iterate constantly, and improve every day.
- Flexible, in ways that show trust. Whether it’s working from home when you’re sick or choosing your own PTO days, there’s space for life without sacrificing responsibility.
This culture lets me do my best work without compromise.
What I Want to Build Next
Looking ahead, I want to create experiences that work for everyone. I want someone with reduced vision, using a slow connection or an older device, to be able to say, “This feels right.” That’s the kind of quality I aim for. It’s not about reaching the largest audience. It’s about making sure no one gets left out.
For Anyone Starting Out as a Frontend Developer
If you dream of becoming a developer and joining a team like this, the first step is to take action. Dreaming matters, but action is what makes a difference.
Start with a clear plan. Look for projects where you can learn by doing them. Surround yourself with people who push you to grow. In Paraguay, I often recommend programs like IEEE WIE mentorships, MITIC scholarships, or platforms like SheCodes.
You don’t have to know everything in the beginning. What matters is having the courage to start. And every line of code you write, write it with respect. Respect for the person who will use it, and for the person who will eventually maintain it.
Sharing knowledge is a way to open doors. I hope these words reach someone who is just starting today. – Paola Morales
About the Author
Paola Morales Valiente is a Frontend Developer at Abstra. With more than 10 years of experience, she specializes in scalable architecture, accessibility, and user-centered design.