Arrowyn needed to restart a half-finished project. Since the original developer was no longer available, she needed someone who could dive into the existing code and get the site up and running.

As a designer, Arrowyn handled the visual design and HTML/CSS, while I added functionality via jQuery and completed the Ruby on Rails backend. We worked together to implement her ideas, creating a consistent experience throughout the site.

Sewing and craft blogger Sarai Mitnick was launching her own line of sewing patterns. She needed to expand on her existing blog, creating a shop that would showcase her new products.

Sarai was already using WordPress, so I evaluated ecommerce plugins and chose the powerful and customizable Shopp as the best way to meet her needs. Shopp brought Sarai easy order management and flexible payment options, along with the ability to manage the store the same way she manages her blog.

Because Colette Patterns had a very specific look and feel, I created a custom WordPress theme based on her own designs, giving her exactly the look and functionality she needed.

The Environmental Media Fund had spent three years formulating their flagship project, doGoodr. The founder was assembling a small team to create a site to connect charitable causes with interested donors.

I joined the team to build the front end, integrating HTML and CSS with the Ruby on Rails backend. Using an agile development process, I worked iteratively with the designer, taking his designs from mockup to functional user interface. As an extremely complex application, doGoodr required close collaboration between the development team and the project lead. As a team, our open communication helped us achieve a successful launch.

Anna had an idea for a local pet-oriented resource network. Overwhelmed by the technical aspects of the project, she soon realized she needed help.

I helped Anna evaluate her initial needs, develop criteria for hiring into technical roles, and interview developers. Once the site was launched, I continued to advise on its technical evolution. Because of our close working relationship, Anna asked to expand my role, entrusting me with the ongoing development of new features and the management of the web server.

With a week to go before launch, Seattle-based incubator 8ninths needed a platform for their newest project, a social gift-giving service. With a big PR push planned, they needed an infrastructure that could adapt to changing traffic levels.

Using virtual servers, I installed Apache with a mongrel_cluster backend, which gave us the ability to scale the site to meet fluctuating demand. Further data security was provided by MySQL replication, which ensured they had two copies of their data at all times. This gave Lolligift piece of mind throughout a turbulent and tight launch schedule.

In order to make further improvements easier, I also configured a matching environment for development and staging with the deployment tools they need to reliable move their code from one to the other.

The iSkoot team needed an updated website to accompany a launch for their newest mobile product. An international company, they needed someone to work with their widely distributed design, marketing, and software development teams.

The lead designer and I worked together to develop technical requirements for their product website and integrated blog. The design and marketing teams formulated UI ideas, and brought them to me for rapid implementation. This iterative design and development process allowed the team to experience realistic interactions as they finalized the design.

As I built the WordPress site, I in turn delivered my work to the overseas software development team for integration with the existing systems. As each stage was finalized, I delivered the new versions for implementation and testing, creating a fluid workflow across multiple time zones.