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Current Read:Algorithms +
Data Structures =
Programs
by Niklaus Wirth
I want to build large, complex online applications with brilliant, passionate people.
As a multi-disciplined design and development expert, I know software from requirements gathering to post-launch support. See my work ›
Skills
PHP expertSymfony Framework expert
WordPress CMS expert
jQuery expert
Javascript expert
AJAX expert
XHTML expert
Cascading Style Sheets expert
Information Architecture expert
User Interface and User Experience Design expert
Web Standards and 508 Accessibility expert
ASP.NET Framework UI Development past experience
JSP past experience
Technologies
ApacheMySql
Mac
Linux
Git
DNS
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
\ Experience
Matter 3/2008 - present
Lead Developer
My experience as a UI Designer and Information Architect honed my attention to detail and helped me ask the right questions when vetting user activity diagrams and Photoshop mockups. By approaching development as a designer, my perspective respects the end users experience while balancing the reality of managing complex software.As lead developer at Matter my at-the-keyboard responsibilities included:
- Writing thousands of lines of PHP (with Symfony), jQuery, CSS, and SQL code
- Configuring Apache, Linux, MySQL, and any other infrastructure technologies
- Working with Postfix email servers to send automatic emails from an online application
- Integrating the Paypal API to collect credit card payments and recurring subscription payments
- Designing an online application on a whiteboard to discover which pieces of the application are easy and which are horribly complicated
- Estimating scope, effort, duration and resources - using these estimates to create bottom-up project plans and determine project cost
- Working with designers to explain why UI design are good, bad, expensive, impossible, or awesome. By explaining how the technology works, designers often intuit the constraints and design practical solutions
SimplePhoto.com 10/2007 - 3/2008
Independent Contractor (UI)
I lead SimplePhoto’s corporate website redesign, SimplePhoto 1.0 user experience renovation, and SimplePhoto 2.0 design. Apart from my UI role, I consulted with the CEO to conceptualize and launch a new product for the company. ‘SimplePhoto Managed Accounts’ is the first turn-key service for volume photographers.EarthLink, Inc. 9/2006 - 10/2007
Interface Architect
As lead IA for EarthLink’s portals and platforms, I owned the user interface for the myEarthLink Personal Start Page 2.0 (defunct with EarthLinks downsizing), EarthLink WiFi Local Content Portals (defunct), and the myEarthLink Maps (defunct). As a certified Scrum Master, I worked with Product Management and Software Engineering using the Agile Scrum process. When designing UI functionality, I created HTML/CSS/Javascipt prototypes, because describing Web 2.0 animation, dragging/dropping, and on-the-fly form validation with written specifications alone is nearly impossible.- Converted Product Management’s “User Stories” into HTML prototypes and Photoshop mockups
- Managed visual design and copy writing resources for my projects
- Wrote UI Functional Specification documents
- Created HTML prototypes to flush our interaction design.
- Certified Agile Scrum Master; represented UX Department in EarthLink’s transition from waterfall to agile methodology.
- Participated in strategic product roadmap and back-log planning
- Participated in future project ideation
- Lead process improvement programs
Autotrader.com 1/2006 - 9/2006
User Interface Engineer
As UI Engineer, I collaborated with Business Analysts and Software Engineers to design and develop new functionality for the Autotrader.com consumer Web site. The waterfall project lifecycle began with ‘concept’ sessions, followed by writing technical feasibility documents, and finally converting table-heavy, legacy HTML to XHTML/CSS. I also developed community building concepts and AJAX prototypes to explore how Autotrader.com could evolve into a Web 2.0 application.- Refactored HTML heavy JSP files to hybrid XHTML/CSS files. The objective was to render error free on IE 5.5+ and FireFox 1+ and W3C validate when possible.
- Worked with JBOSS, APACHE, CVS, and Solaris
- Prototyped AJAX widgets to understand how to intelligently use the technology
- Collaborated with User Interaction designers and Information Architects to ‘concept’ new functionality
- Wrote technical feasibility documentation in parallel with Business Analysts
- Worked on Beta projects including an Autotrader.com Yahoo Widget written in XML, Javascript, and AJAX.
Trans Parent Systems 3/2004 - 1/2006
Director of Technology
I joined TPS as the lead UI designer and redesigned the entire eDOPT application. After TPS downsized, I was promoted to Director of Technology. My team was responsible for rewriting the application’s business logic, improving the user experience, and converting the application from ASP to ASP.NET. I also managed production Exchange servers, Windows Server 2003 Web Servers, DNS, and File servers, and a five-person development team in Kiev, Ukraine.- Managing a development team in Alpharetta and Kiev, Ukraine (learning the pros/cons of outsourcing).
- Created a library of UI elements, such as calendar pop-ups, dynamic select boxes, and inline editable forms.
- Authored a XHTML/CSS standards document to unify Engineers method of writing code.
- Converted the application to UTF-8 encoding for Cyrillic (Russian) and English characters.
- Re-wrote all ASP.NET and ASP pages in Visual Studio 2003/2005 (with VSS and Team Foundation Server). Using the ASP.NET syntax, <asp:Button /> instead of <input type="button" />.
- When 508 Accessibility Laws were a requirement, only wrote XHTML/DHTML which screen readers could process (Used JAWS for testing)
- Reduced UI visual noise in order to emphasize data/information by skillfully employing ‘depth-of-field’ techniques.
- Built a Win2K3 DNS Server to obtain complete control over hosted DNS (A, MX, PTR records).
- Daily managed an Active Directory Domain on a Win2K3 Server. I monitored group policies, log files, users, and groups. I deployed Windows Update Service for enterprise patch managment.
- Managed Cisco PIX 515E Firewalls and wrote all ‘access and translation’ rules for TPS’s hosted applications and Web sites.
Objectware, Inc. 11/2002 - 3/2004
User Interface Designer
At Objectware, I designed, developed, and project managed ASP.NET, Java Web sites and online applications.- In 2002 wrote ASP.NET Front-End code in ASP.NET syntax in Visual Studio 2003.
- Designed interfaces for ASP.NET online applications. Applications ranged from document management systems, CD/DVD replication systems, education/class room management applications, proprietary instant messengers, ecommerce shopping carts, content management Websites, and inventory management applications.
- Wrote Front-End code for JAVA online applications.
- Designed Web sites in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator and presented design comps to clients. Worked with clients to approve final designs. Delivered finished products to clients.
- Wrote HTML 4.0, Cascading Style Sheets, Javascript, and DHTML code.
- Designed Kiosks for Wheaties and Nascar.
- Worked within a team of two designers and an Art Director on larger projects.
- For smaller projects I managed the project with a team of one to three developers.
PlanetJam Media Group 6/2001 - 11/2002
User Interface Designer
At PlanetJam, I designed Web sites for FM radio stations built with an ASP business logic engine and CSS skins.- Maximized Cascading Style Sheets to produce 50 unique interfaces. Color and background-images were very important.
- Used HTML 4.0, Javascript, and DHTML to design/develope PlanetJam’s corporate Web site.
- Worked with software architect to improve the application’s Front-End structure and design.
- Designed Ad Banners with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe ImageReady.
- Designed a marketing Web site in Macromedia Flash 5.