There are two main aspects in the development of a website or web application. They are front-end and back-end development. Utilizing these key components ensures efficiency in building and maintaining a project. Here are the skills that I have learned and combined over my 15 years of experience in building great web projects.

Front-End Development

I really enjoy both ends of development, but if I had to choose, front-end development would be my favorite. I prefer front-end development because you can dictate how the user will interact with the website, also known as client side. I accomplish this with the use of the techniques of CSS and Javascript through the jQuery & jQueryUI libraries.

It is important to recognize cross-browser and device limitations in front-end development. For instance, how the design/layout will display on different devices like a phone, tablet or desktop is something I always try to consider. Many of the questions regarding the layout are managed through the use of Bootstrap framework & CSS media queries. These means help optimize a website for all devices without the need for seperate stylesheets and/or subdomains to display correctly.

When deciding the target audience and type of device that would be used, I harness the jQuery library to address these questions of interactive functionality and their limitations. It is vital to weigh the importance of functionality when choosing the options of having something unique like a subtle CSS styled shadow or a mouse triggered event.

As far as coding HTML Emails you need to go back to the basics, this way you can create an efficient and effective email campaign to all audiences and devices.

Back-End Development

Heading over to the server side is back-end development. This is it what makes your front-end code dynamic! You also don't have to worry as much about what device your code is compatiblie with becuase the code gets dictated by the server you are on. This allows you to use logic and conditions to "do something" with "this data". The language that I primarily develop in is PHP using the CMS framework of MODx and the database language of MySQL.

The MODx framework is great to work within as it has been able to handle any project requirements that I've had. There are various plugins that can be quickly downloaded and installed to allow you to make your website dynamic within minutes. If there isn't a plugin available for your exact need, MODx has a great API that can be used to create a custom Snippet using PHP to meet your requirement. MODx is easy to setup and customize based on the client, without their knowledge of HTML or CSS.

FoxyCart is the eCommerce framework that I develop within. What I love about FoxyCart is that its shopping cart system can be integrated with any website and most payment gateways. I have also integrated with the eCommerce platforms PayPal and Stripe.

Another area of back-end development that I have experience in is MailChimp. Though it is mainly used for HTML Emails, I've setup templates before where the client has the ability to edit content so they can send different campaigns.

Software/Technology

I've used both of the Operating Systems - Windows and MAC. I started out on Windows and then semi-converted to MAC by switching to an iMac that ran Windows. Talk about geeky! Now, I run most of my development and operations from MAC. However, I still need to access Windows from time to time for testing and troubleshooting.

For design and development I working exclusivley within the Adobe Suite - primarily Dreamweaver and Photoshop, but I have fair experience in Illustrator and InDesign. I'm also becoming familir with Premiere.

I am very experienced with the Microsoft Office Suite for clients that may not have access to the Adobe Suite.

Overall, I like to consider myself a very open computer user that is willing to learn and pickup programs as they are needed for the success of the project! Check out some of my work by heading over to my portfolio.

View Portfolio