~/davidwesst about
About
About David Wesst, his work, background, and current interests.
Hullo. My name is David Wesst, but you can call me DW or Wessty. I am a solution architect based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada who loves building code, learning tech, and playing video games while attempting to develop my own.
Find me on GitHub, LinkedIn, or YouTube once and a while.
Current Building
Currently Learning
Currently Playing
- Keep Driving (Steam)
- Astro Bot (PS5)
The Short Version
As a Solution Architect at the University of Manitoba, I specialize in modernizing legacy enterprise systems with a focus on user experience and cloud-centric platforms. With a Bachelor of Computer Science and nine years as a Microsoft MVP, I have built expertise in web technologies like HTML, CSS, and .NET, while sharing insights at conferences across North America. Outside work, I channel my passion for video games into designing original creations through Cocoboko Studios, combining technical innovation with creative storytelling.
The Long Version
My Work
I am a solution architect at the University of Manitoba, focused on the migration of legacy enterprise systems and bringing them into modern, more cloud-focused platforms.
When I am not working in and around software code, I am usually talking about it in a public venue. Since the late 2000s, I have prepared and delivered original content for in-person technology conferences across North America, and continue that tradition whenever the opportunity arises.
Through my career, there has always been a recurring theme in my work: user experience focus and customer enablement. Whether I was coding the solution directly, or creating a plan to migrate enterprise resource management (ERP) systems, the focus on the user experience has rarely failed me.
My Professional Origins
In my second year of university, I was trying to raise my GPA and was looking to sign up for a "Computer Usage" course. What I did was sign up for "Computer Science" by mistake, and the rest is history, ending with a Bachelor of Computer Science, with Honours and Co-op option.
Beyond university, my career stayed in software development, with a heavy emphasis on open web technologies, like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript along with a healthy dose of Microsoft technologies, like .NET, SharePoint, and Microsoft Azure. I was a Microsoft MVP in the area of front-end web dev, formerly Internet Explorer (yes, really), for 9 years running, where I worked with various other professionals from around the world to help represent the revolution in web technologies as we see it today.
Outside the Office
In the evening, I tend to learn about video games, my favourite entertainment medium. Although I play as much as I can, my focus for the past many years has been to learn the history, curate my own collection, and attempt to design and develop my own original video game creations.
Cocoboko Studios is the embodiment of my passion and drive to make video games. Although there are no releases yet, the company is a work-in-progress and with some blood, sweat, and pixels one day I expect to see my ideas come to life.
