Work
I mainly do these things
Web & Interface Design
I design attractive websites and interfaces that help visitors find what they're looking for. But looking pretty isn't enough, design is also how it works. As far as the customer is concerned, the interface is the product.
Front-End Development
HTML, CSS, jQuery, microformats, semantics, responsive and adaptiveness, and more. Whether you look at it or not, I write less code that does more.
HTML Emails
Tables? Inline styles? Outlook 2010? Mobile? I don't mind coding like it's 1999!
Website Speed
People tend not to wait for slow loading pages and often abandon them. Slow sites leave money on the table and I build with this in mind.
More
I'm perpetually interested in where the web is going and the techniques used to get there. I read voraciously (lately I'm into The Manuel and Offscreen Mag), like tinkering with code, and talk shop on Twitter, dribbble, and Zerply. Building the Internet is more of a hobby than a job.
I have some experience
I have agency experience.
While living in Arizona, I worked for an agency specializing in web design and C# development. I experienced the 'agency life' in all its glory, including kickoff meetings, short timelines, direct client relations, and leading on-site training session. I worked on projects for large accounts like Red Bull and NASA.
I have startup experience.
As part of a four-person team at a funded startup called Insurance Quotes, I designed the flow of a huge, multi-step form and built a Wordpress theme from scratch , among other things. Shortly after I left for another job closer to home, the startup was sold and the remaining three guys took home a good chunk of change. Guess I missed my payday.
I have big brand experience.
At Insight, I had the privilege of working with most of the world's major hardware and software manufacturers. Many times, I worked directly with designers at those companies to master the varying style guides of each individual project.
I keep up with old friends.
Many of my co-workers and former bosses still check in with me, from time to time. I've kept in touch with the creative directors at Latin Percussion, for example, and sometimes help them with some of their more complex front-end development.
I manage web performance.
When working at Toys “R” Us, my boss and I led the effort to test web page speed, uncover ways to decrease load times, and sell our findings to upper management. After leaving the company, my boss went to Oxygen Network / NBC Universal reached out to me for help with the same project there.
I went to college. Twice.
I have a B.S. in Multimedia and an M.S. in Technology Management, though I don't talk about them often. Did they increase my skill as a web designer? Maybe. Did they teach me how to think critically and filter out the crap? Definitely.