Communicate Design

Huh?

I'm a graphic designer who is proficient in modern web technologies. Some people have told me that this is quite unusual, although I’m not sure why. I believe that a good understanding of the code required to build a website can only help when designing it. This experience means that I can turn requirements into wireframes, design screens (optimised for the platform) and provide the code that makes them work.

I'm currently working at Vodafone as a senior front-end mobile developer, designing and building various bits of their mobile portal. These bits have included web widgets, such as a (proof-of-concept) HTML & JS version of MSN Messenger, shopping gadgets for Amazon and eBay, as well as various content aggregators for brands such as LastMinute, SkyScanner and LinkedIn, PressDisplay. Browser and device support for all of these widgets includes the standard desktop browsers (Firefox & Safari for PC / Mac, MSIE 6, 7 & 8 for PC), and devices include the iPhone, Android platform, Nokia s60v3+, NetFront v34, Opera 95+.

I've also worked on the platform framework, designing and coding a user interface for phones as old and incapable as the Sharp GX33, running the Openwave browser (no, I hadn't heard of it either). My experience runs from legacy mobile browsers such as Obigo v3+, s40 Wap and SEMC, through to later browsers such as Windows Mobile 6.5, Blackberry OS 4+, Jasmine and Opera Mini.

I'm currently most interested in the new generation of Webkit smartphone browsers.

My approach to web development is based on the principles of progressive enhancement, and accessibility.

What I do

In the years that I've been developing, I've worked with a lot of technologies, but I'm not going to bulk this out by including every single web acronym from the last 10 years. I now primarily code XHTML / CSS / JS (and enjoy using jQuery, although mobile development requires hand-rolled JS). I can do quite a lot with PHP, although I'm certainly not a software engineer. I know my way around .NET and can look at Java pages without weeping uncontrollably into my tea. Velocity and Freemarker are things that I’m also familiar with, and as mentioned above I have a lot of current experience with coding for mobile devices. I work primarily on Mac, but know my way around PCs - just don’t ask me anything seriously technical about them.

I'm also designing front-ends for iOS apps and in the past have turned my hand to corporate branding schemes, brochures, flyers, t-shirts, magazines, exhibition stands and more.

Who I've worked for

I’ve spent several months contracting as a web developer for AKQA, working on projects for Nike, Sky, Sainsbury's, Virgin and Nokia Mobile. Previous projects outside of contracting have included a re-branding and site design / build for Xpress Duplication and Inner Physique, as well as art direction for a couple of 100-page magazines for the extreme sports promotion brand, GetSpiked.

If you'd like to talk about a project, please email me or call 07595 221941.