Introducing Rob, our new developer at Mars!
Our team has been growing over the past months. The work we do is becoming broader and more complex, and that brings new opportunities. It also means we need people who enjoy solving problems, sharing ideas and helping each other move forward. It is a good moment for Mars and it gives us room to welcome someone new,
Rob joined at exactly the right time. He brings experience, curiosity and a calm way of working that fits our team well. It already feels natural to have him here, so we are glad to introduce him!
A look at Rob’s background
Before joining Mars, Rob shaped his career across design and development. He spent more than a decade growing his own practice, RvdB Design, where he worked on graphic design and web projects. Over the years he developed a strong eye for detail and a habit of building things from scratch.
He later worked as a developer at Lyceo and Maatwerk Online, where he focused on WordPress development and eventually on development quality. Alongside that he continued to work as a freelance webdevelopment specialist. This mix of hands on design work and technical development gave him a broad foundation that fits well with our team.
What Rob will work on at Mars
Rob looks forward to sharing knowledge with the team. Over the years he has tried many different development approaches. That gives him a clear sense of what works and what does not. By learning from each other, he hopes we can grow in a steady and practical way.
He is also excited to help move our blueprint setup toward a block based structure. He likes working on systems where the editing view mirrors the front end. It makes work clearer for both developers and editors.
What give you energy within development?
Creative problem solving gives Rob energy. Sometimes that means shaping a clean front end. Other times it means building a back end that brings the right data together. When he can explore ideas and find a solid direction, he feels at home.
What Rob values in building a good website
For Rob, quality always comes first. Even when timelines are tight, the work needs proper testing. He cares about how things function, how they look and how they feel to use. In his view, careful work early on leads to a stronger product later.
The tools Rob enjoys working with
Rob enjoys working with React. It is modern and fast, and it helps him stay in a creative flow. Seeing changes instantly, without refreshing the page, makes his work feel more intuitive.
What Rob wants to learn this year
This year Rob wants to understand our internal systems fully. He is especially curious about Blade and the build processes we use to deploy code. He has worked with similar setups, but wants to know the details so he can automate repeating tasks and help improve the workflow.
A bit about Rob outside work
Music plays a big role in Rob’s life. He is the drummer and singer in a Blink 182 cover band and he has played guitar as well. He is also a dedicated Lego fan and hopes to join Lego Masters someday. He follows Formula 1, and in his free time he builds small side projects, like a simple app that helps people get going again when things feel heavy.
His favourite office lunch so far is two toasted slices of bread with truffle mayo, cheese, lamb’s lettuce, cherry tomatoes, vega meatball pieces and a handful of sprouts he still cannot name.
Looking to the future
We are happy to have Rob with us in this period of growth. He brings experience, curiosity and a steady way of working that fits the team well. We look forward to the work we will do together and hopefully, you will experience that as well soon!
