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INTERVIEWER: Let’s say client wants a gif in the EDM design but older outlooks don’t support it. How do you solve it?
ME: Maybe we can try using iframes if outlook supports them and host gif somewhere and use iframes to show it.
INTERVIEWER: Any other solution?
ME: We can probably also detect the email client and just show gif for all other email clients but a picture for outlook.
INTERVIEWER: No but the client wants the gif to show on all email clients
ME: But outlook doesn’t support gifs!!!
INTERVIEWER: yeah
ME: …..
INTERVIEWER: …..

I thought maybe I missed something having been a junior dev and never developing edms. So jumped on the internet after the interview and my second answer is literally how everyone does it. What even was the point of that question? At no point she said yeah that’s a good solution and that’s how we do it in the industry. If outlook doesn’t fucking support gifs then what the fuck kind of solution am I supposed to bring to the fucking table in 5 fucking minutes.

Comments
  • 3
    Maybe show a message to update outlook or give a link to open in browser?
  • 5
    Or ask a critical question of why client want gif? Something the client think their problem can be solve with X technology but you actually need Y technology.

    In some case, the problem is in human process and no amount of techno magic can solve it.
  • 2
    add a link to view the message in a browser.

    Also I don't really understand. any outlook prior 2007 CAN display a GIF image...

    It will not work on recent outlook clients.
  • 0
    You missed the point. In these cases say - "I ask for help after researching solutions online."
  • 3
    My kind of answer:
    “Do they also need me to fax them an animated gif?”
  • 5
    An actual answer is, “Get the person making the gif to have the first key frame as the intended static image. No programming will be required and the email client will show it as a static image.”
  • 0
    You ask if the client uses outlook. If the client does convince client to install your plugin. Tell client it works on every client...
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