KuraFire Network

Faruk Ateş

Faruk Ateş is a User Interface Engineer at Apple, where he works on the continuous improvement of both web pages and the processes to create them. Having experience with both front- and back-end development as well as design and management, Faruk aims to improve the overall quality of websites by introducing better principles and techniques to all people involved in web productions and education.

Besides his blog, Faruk writes for books and online magazines on anything ranging from XHTML and CSS to JavaScript, Accessibility, SQL and design. When not writing on these subjects, Faruk can be found speaking about them at conferences. His personal ideas and projects, made to help shape the Internet, include technologies like FACE; a new approach to giving life to static websites.

Faruk is also a member of the Web Standards Project, a grassroots coalition fighting for standards which ensure simple, affordable access to web technologies for all.

In his spare time, Faruk enjoys music, photography, role playing games and anime. He is fascinated by Japan, technology and movies and hopes to finish his first screenplay before he turns 30.

Kaizen

Faruk lives life by the philosophies of Kaizen, a Japanese principle which can be translated as "continuous improvement." The Kaizen approach originates from Japanese manufacturers, its goals including the elimination of waste, standardized work, Just in Time delivery and more.

From Wikipedia:

A closer definition of the Japanese meaning of Kaizen is "to take it apart and put back together in a better way." What is taken apart is usually a process, system, product, or service.

The cycle of kaizen activity can be defined as: standardize an operation → measure the standardized operation (find cycle time and amount of in-process inventory) → gauge measurements against requirements → innovate to meet requirements and increase productivity → standardize the new, improved operations → continue cycle ad infinitum.

Learn-by-Doings

The "zen" in Kaizen emphasizes the learn-by-doing aspect of improving production. This philosophy is focused in a different direction from the "command-and-control" improvement programs of the mid-20th century. Kaizen methodology includes making changes and looking at the results, then adjusting. Large-scale preplanning and extensive project scheduling are replaced by smaller experiments in improvement, which can be rapidly adapted as new improvements are suggested.

Faruk applies the Kaizen principles to the Web by promoting modern approaches and methodologies, such as those found in the Web 2.0 principles as outlined by Tim O'Reilly and Dale Dougherty in What is Web 2.0. It all starts, however, by using the right tools for the right jobs: XHTML, CSS, unobtrusive DOM scripting and XML.

For inquiries about speaking engagements, workshops or otherwise, please use the Contact information page.