Need a web developer?
Tight deadline? Technical questions? Tricky problems? Demanding project?
Don't worry, I'm here to help. I work with leading marketing agencies, established companies and start-ups to help with the development of their websites and web applications. No problem is too challenging, no project is too big.
How can I help you?
Here are a few common scenarios that companies find themselves in when they reach out for my help. Which scenario are you? Keep scrolling to find out how I can help your company.
E-commerce integration
A mid-sized retail company wants to refresh its outdated e-commerce website and integrate it with Shopify for seamless inventory management and customer tracking. The current site struggles with slow load times and lacks mobile optimization, leading to lost sales.
Website development
A large organization needs their website ready to distribute content for a major launch. Content needs to be imported from multiple legacy systems and formatted into a clean, cohesive look. The website needs to perform flawlessly for different languages across all screen sizes and it needs to stand up under heavy visitor traffic load.
Agency overload
A digital marketing agency is struggling to keep up with client projects. Their internal development team is slammed with work and deadlines are starting the slip. They desperately need a seasoned developer who can parachute into the chaos and help their team with frontend and backend development.
Five questions I get asked
- What do I do?
- How does it get done?
- Who have I worked with?
- How long have I been at it?
- Why should you hire me?
If you find the answers you are looking let's talk.
What do I do?
I specialize in website and web application development. With over twenty years of experience, I have a multitude of tools at my disposal to get your project built on time and within budget. My technical skills include PHP (Craft and Laravel), Javascript (Vanilla, AlpineJS, React, Remix, Vue), CSS (Vanilla, TailwindCss) and integrations with platforms like Shopify, Klaviyo, and NetSuite. I would be happy to chat about how I can help get your project completed. Click here to get in touch.
How does it get done?
It starts with questions and conversations. Once we have dug into the issue I can start to peel apart the problem, layer by layer, and construct the best possible solution for you. Design, code, integrations, and content. Each layer gets the attention to detail it needs. All the layers get crafted together into a bespoke solution to address your needs and challenges.
Who have I worked with?
Over the last twenty years I have been able to work with amazing teams and clients on some great projects. Each project has been unique, some big, some small, some easy, some challenging, but the end result is always a happy client and a great website. A few of my favorite projects are featured below. If you want to see more click here.
I have been fortunate to work with many award winning agencies and top brands. They trust my ability to deliver successful projects, to work alongside them with integrity and to uphold their high standards. Get in touch if you would like to talk about your project.
How long have I been at it?
Over fifteen years freelancing and over twenty as a developer. I have seen a lot, learned a lot and done a lot. Every day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity. Here's a few career highlights.
2006 Sink or Swim
After a few years of working in the corporate world I decided to take the dive and go full time into freelancing. I had no idea what was ahead but I knew I needed a change from the corporate grind. What a ride it has been.
2009 Beam me up Scotty!
As a life long Star Trek fan (William Shatner was the best Kirk) I didn't think twice when Project C and Paramount Studios asked for help on a photo mosaic photo booth to help promote the Star Trek movie. I never expected a little side project like my photo mosaic generator would get noticed by Hollywood.
2012 Do I get a medal?
It's not every day you get to work on an Olympic sized project. NBC needed help managing and distributing the digital material for the 2012 London Summer Olympics to their partners and internal teams. Gotham and All Kinds gave me the call and I got the chance to shine on the Olympic stage. Talk about deadline pressure ... not being ready on July 27, 2012 was not an option.
2017 Google who?
Sometimes lightning hits the same spot twice. I was fortunate to work with the awesome team @ This Is Grow on a project for Google. Not long after that project wrapped up Youtube came knocking with a project they needed help with. Working with developers from Google was a little scary at first. Was I good enough, did I know enough? Turns out I did.
2019 Ready to rumble?
I think this was more exciting for my kids. The crew @ FirstBorn needed some heavy duty Craft help with the family of Supercell sites for web and in app content management. Getting to work Clash of Clans, Boom Beach, Clash Royale and Hay Day was great but working with the team @ FirstBorn was even better. Insanely creative people with technical chops and a passion to make great stuff. One of my favourite projects to work on.
2023 10 year anniversary 🎉
Back in 2013 I decided to build and launch a side project called PageProofer. I was frustrated with getting flooded with feedback spreadsheets and bug report emails while building websites. The idea was pretty simple, add sticky notes to websites and streamline the back and forth feedback. It took all my knowledge in frontend, backend and dev ops to pull it off. Turns out a lot of people found it useful and ten years later it is still going strong.
🤔 What's next?
Honestly, I have no idea. Hopefully more problems to solve and more great people to work with. Freelancing is a crazy ride with lots of ups and down. Every day is a chance to learn and experience something new.
Looking back on everything, it's been a blessing to experience and learn so much in 15 plus years. I have worked with some amazingly talented people and pushed myself farther than I thought possible. What is the biggest takeaway? GRATITUDE!
Why hire me?
Well, besides the fact my wife says I'm pretty special, here are five great reasons why you should hire me to work on your project.
Get In, Get Out
Define a mission. Get in. Get it done. Get out. I like to set clearly defined parameters and goals for a project and then deliver ...
I love to deliver
Who doesn't love it when the pizza man shows up at the door with a fresh, hot pizza. Being able to deliver a project on time and on budget is one of the most rewarding things I get to do. I don't have a 30 minutes or it's free policy though 😥.
I have a curious mind
I love a challenge and coming up with creative solutions. The best part of being a developer is the problem solving. Think about it, break it down, and then start solving. Some of the best projects I have worked on presented the toughest problems.
Pressure makes diamonds
I have worked on plenty of high pressure, high demand, tight deadline, large scale projects. The gold medal for high pressure, tight deadline projects that I have worked on goes to the 2012 Olympics media site. I'm comfortable working in an environment that presents pressure situations.
Referrals like this
Derrick is a wealth of information! Not only is he incredibly communicative but deeply analytical, technologically skilled and does immense topic research. I am pleased and proud to have worked with Derrick as I gained personal knowledge through this experience. Highly recommend as he is someone you can speak with on a practical level to get positive results.
We hired Derrick on contract to complete a web application project for one of our clients. Timelines were extremely tight, but Derrick was always calm under pressure and came through for us in a huge way. His attention to detail, flawless execution, and depth of knowledge in front- and back-end web development are only a few of many of Derrick's strengths.
Sam Najjar - The Marketing Store
Having Derrick as a developer has been a game changer for us. He continually gets our projects done to perfection and on time. With our site being a critical resource for over 950,000 manufacturing and distribution businesses, we couldn’t afford any missteps. We’re thrilled with the results and couldn’t recommend more highly!
Christina Morrison - True North Insight
Not all the skills we need can be brought in-house. Sometimes we have to hire contractors. Generally, I view this as a necessary evil. However, in Derrick's case, it was a great experience. He not only had the knowledge and skills, but understood what we needed and got it done.
Wayne Rasmuss - Popstar Networks
How can I help you?
You lasted through all that scrolling.
If you have an interesting project or just need some technical help, let's chat.