I'm Simon - a 36 year old Web/UX Designer & Front End Developer living in Norwich, UK. I first dipped my brush into a digital paint bucket at 13 in Paint Shop Pro, following a recommendation from a friend called CEM. This discovery manifested an unwavering angst to design, code and create.
I've cultivated a career by mincing a keen fondness for look, feel and design innovation with a love for construction and development; to be involved with a web project from the beginning to the very end. I adore designing - experimenting with colour schemes, fonts, layouts and new ways to communicate data with the user, all the while getting my hands muddy with HTML, CSS and JavaScript to bring it all to life.
Over the years I've honed my ability to design web sites and apps and then code them up, through daily practise, keeping up with trending technologies, getting involved in large-scale projects and learning from my peers. As a result, I'm able to bring a set of strong and reliable skills to the table.
Since launching my professional web design career back in 2013, I've had the pleasure of working with five very different companies and their web development divisions, all with very different goals, environments and day-to-day tasks.
[ 2018 to present ]
[ 2020 to present (freelance) ]
[ 2016 to 2018 ]
[ 2014 to 2016 ]
[ 2013 - 2014 ]
There is a difference between functional code and good code. A web page or app that just 'works' isn't enough - it must be well-written, easy to pick up by other developers, fluid and pleasant to use across devices, and meet certain standards. I treat all my projects with respect and like they're going to be used by millions of people.
Incoherent, poorly organised code that only makes sense to the author serves no place in collaborative projects regardless of scale. I endeavor to make my code readable, easy to track and clearly laid out, along /**with comments**/ where necessary.
The days of churning out nameless divs, tables and paragraphs are dead. Writing semantic, logical HTML that complies with search engine standards is an every day task I take on, to ensure pages are Google-proof to ultimately reach our customers.
Heavy, bloated, overengineered code is fun for nobody. Pages should be written with minimal excess fat to streamline the performance. Clever CSS in lieu of JavaScript for user interactions and animations. Pseudo CSS over extra markup. File separation and minification. This is all standard in my practise.
The right course of action is the one that puts the user or the company first, depending on the issue. I provide solutions without ego, bias or a personal filter. I see, accept and vote in the most pragmatic, sensible and beneficial ways forward that helps not myself, but the people around us. It doesn't have to be popular, but it has to be right.
Working as a designer-developer, my days tend to clog up with gazing at pixels on a Macbook. In my time off however, I love to travel and explore with my camera, play immersive board games with close friends, attempt to rock out on guitar and glide the lakes and rivers on my paddle board. A lifestyle balance is key!
I've been to Canada, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France, and a whole lot of the UK. Seeking out the best beauty spots is a life-long mission of mine.
I love all metal - heavy metal, black metal, metalcore. Except babymetal, eww. Headbanging and devil horns all the way. How well I can play all of these is another matter.
Navigating glistening waters under the beaming sun of a picturesque summer's day on my paddle board is hard to beat. This positive attitude is subject to change if/when I eventually fall in.
Pandemic. Dead of Winter. Sushi Go. All of the hits frequently find themselves on my table surrounded by my fellow nerds. I have to win, else I hog the tins of Pringles.