Aditya, a Technical Architect, blends hands-on development with innovative AI solutions at Appnovation. Based in EMEA, he designs complex web architectures using technologies like React, Drupal, Contentful, and Sanity. A firm believer that Gen AI boosts—rather than replaces—expertise, Aditya uses tools like ChatGPT and Roo Code for prototyping, documentation, and AI-assisted coding. We asked Aditya to share his experience at Appnovation and how AI is shaping his role.
What is the main focus of your role and how does AI impact it?
My role, as a Technical Architect primarily focuses on the architectural design and hands-on development of complex web solutions for our client globally, leveraging technologies like React, Drupal CMS and headless CMSs such as Contentful and Sanity. Recently, I have been helping the team build some innovative solutions using Gen AI.
We have always thought of Gen AI as an assistive technology. It is not a trend, it is here to stay and turbocharge productivity of any creative and knowledge work in general. For me, I use various Large Language Models (LLMs); for inspiration, as visualization tools, for documentation, and to do some AI assisted development, that includes creating POCs, scripting, intelligent boilerplate code etc.
While LLMs simplify and amplify the work we do, it's not a magic pill. LLMs are fundamentally trained on data generated by humans and can reflect the same cognitive biases and inaccuracies present in that data. We still need to know our craft and review its work with our domain experience, ethics and conscience. Also, working with LLMs requires careful prompting, patience, painful iterations, and an eye for detail.
What does a day in the life of Aditya look like?
A typical day starts with a good cup of coffee or tea. After dropping off my daughter at school, my workday starts with a mix of these activities: architecting and building web solutions, improving Drupal practices, coding, and consulting our clients globally. Once work finishes, I spend time with my wife and daughters. During this time of the year, we try to go out for walks every evening.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I have a 4 year old daughter and a newborn baby girl so I hardly get any spare time these days! But, if I have some time, I like to relax by reading books, go out for a walk and play games on my playstation in that order.
During weekends and holidays, we like to explore the outdoors and immerse ourselves in the natural beauty of Wales and the wider UK.
What is your favourite meal?
I really enjoy diverse preparations from around the world. I like Indian, Chinese and Japanese food. But, I love some British staples like Fish & Chips, Pies etc. But, if I had to choose one meal, I would choose Chicken Biryani.
What is your favourite thing about working at Appnovation?
At Appnovation, I really value the inherent and mutual trust our colleagues have for each other; it gives us agency, inspires us to take initiative and push boundaries. We are always looking ahead, not afraid of the future, and innovating (literally in our name).
Do you have any favorite AI tools or tricks that you would recommend?
For gaining a general understanding of how things work, tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are helpful. For a deeper understanding of topics, AI-powered search engines like Perplexity AI are useful.
For development or formulating an architecture, I draw inspiration from AI-powered coding assistants like Roo Code (using robust LLMs like Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet). These tools have various modes like “Code” and “Architect.” We can then use these modes to help us architect a solution and subsequently implement it. Broadly speaking, the approach is to start small and make incremental changes while actively reviewing the work at each stage.
In the CMS world, Drupal has made tremendous strides through its AI project and AI agents module, which allows us to connect to multiple LLMs and make site building and content management more productive. I anticipate even more advancements in these projects soon.
Thanks Adi for sharing your experiences with Appnovation and your daily life with us!
Want to learn about joining our team? Follow Appnovation on LinkedIn or visit our Careers page to apply to one of our open positions (yes, we’re hiring!).
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