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Graphic Design Senior to Web Developer over 25 yr period
John Lewis
,
Trerulefoot, United Kingdom
Experience
Other titles
Skills
I'm offering
I would describe myself as a creative technical. I strive foor good design and am fluent in all things Adobe, as well as being handy with code. I've self taught myself from Y2K onwards as a PHP/MySQL developer, with frontend skills. I am experienced to senior level and can manage myself or a team, dependent on the situation.
I've huge resilience when it comes to pressure, possess the patience of a saint, a great sense of humour, and also am a veteran of the Technics 1200s, having played all over the world as a semi professional DJ. If that wasn't enough, I have also released plenty of music as an artist in my own right (SacredScience), or as an award-winning label owner (Dusted Breaks), mainly coming from my self-built and self-designed shed/outbuilding studio.
I've huge resilience when it comes to pressure, possess the patience of a saint, a great sense of humour, and also am a veteran of the Technics 1200s, having played all over the world as a semi professional DJ. If that wasn't enough, I have also released plenty of music as an artist in my own right (SacredScience), or as an award-winning label owner (Dusted Breaks), mainly coming from my self-built and self-designed shed/outbuilding studio.
Markets
United Kingdom
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Industries
Language
German
Good
English
Fluently
Ready for
Larger project
Ongoing relation / part-time
Full time contractor
Available
My experience
2019 - ?
job
Web Development Team Lead
Tanist Computer Systems, Cornwall.
Tanist is a multi service IT and Web Development agency based in Bodmin, boasting several prestigious clients in the Cornwall area for services such as Web Development, Hosting, IT Infrastructure Support, Broadband, Webcams and Telephone Systems.
Managing a team of 4 developers in Cornwall and a large pool of 20+ outsourcers in the South West, India, Asia and America, I was brought in to lead the Web Development side of the business last year. This brought with it a new skillset, suggesting improvements and changes in direction, structure and design as and when required (and sometimes when not!). Day to day tasks include not only managing people, but also developing websites and complex systems using OO PHP and framework derivatives such as Laravel, Symfony and our ever evolving in-house framework and deployment setup. We also work in MySQL, JavaScript/frameworks, Ruby on Rails, as well as making themes, plugins and heavy modification for most popular systems such as WordPress, Shopify (Liquid/JS/HTML/CSS) and Magento.
I also provide support, integrations and modifications to both backend and frontend code for established local and international brands, extending to Hitachi, Dyson and Bosch. Other activities include various highly technical aspects such as debugging very complex codebases in PHP/MySQL/JavaScript, managing the Amazon Web Services infrastructure, client facing negotiations and briefing, requirements gathering and overall workflow management. I also manage an apprentice who I am training as a Web Developer from a local college. This entails timesheet tracking, invoicing and P&L for monthly billing cycles, as well as tuition in website upkeep, wireframing and user interface design.
Managing a team of 4 developers in Cornwall and a large pool of 20+ outsourcers in the South West, India, Asia and America, I was brought in to lead the Web Development side of the business last year. This brought with it a new skillset, suggesting improvements and changes in direction, structure and design as and when required (and sometimes when not!). Day to day tasks include not only managing people, but also developing websites and complex systems using OO PHP and framework derivatives such as Laravel, Symfony and our ever evolving in-house framework and deployment setup. We also work in MySQL, JavaScript/frameworks, Ruby on Rails, as well as making themes, plugins and heavy modification for most popular systems such as WordPress, Shopify (Liquid/JS/HTML/CSS) and Magento.
I also provide support, integrations and modifications to both backend and frontend code for established local and international brands, extending to Hitachi, Dyson and Bosch. Other activities include various highly technical aspects such as debugging very complex codebases in PHP/MySQL/JavaScript, managing the Amazon Web Services infrastructure, client facing negotiations and briefing, requirements gathering and overall workflow management. I also manage an apprentice who I am training as a Web Developer from a local college. This entails timesheet tracking, invoicing and P&L for monthly billing cycles, as well as tuition in website upkeep, wireframing and user interface design.
Support, Web Services, Symfony, Management, Service, Website, Workflow, It, Developer, Hosting, Magento, Infrastructure, Amazon, Development, International, Web, Direction, Framework, Asia, Backend, Laravel, Wordpress, Css, Html, Design, Php, Mysql, Backend, Frontend, HTML/CSS/Javascript, Javascript, User Interface Design, Websites, Training, Shopify, Wireframing, Deployment, Ruby on rails, Amazon Web Services, It infrastructure
2007 - 2019
freelance
Freelance Developer/Designer/Tech
John Lewis Design & Tech, Cheshire/Cornwall.
In my long and varied career as a freelancer I started off building websites, designing materials and creating data collection solutions for the Pharmaceutical industry alongside commercial websites for branding agencies, the entertainment sector, small to medium businesses and communications companies. Working directly for corporates such as Roche Pharmaceuticals, Genzyme, Thyron Systems, Spire Payments, Hasbro and more recently Bosch, I have amassed plenty of experience with major players in industry both first hand and as a supplier to service agencies (such as the award winning creative agencies TBWA and Matmi in the North West).
I also rescued development of a Magento site from a third party for an IT company, first finishing the code and securing the deployment before converting the front and backend from Magento 2 to WordPress so they can more easily manage it in house. The Magento site, whilst good looking and functional, was actually far too large for their needs; unoptimised it was costing a lot to host on Amazon's AWS platform. This saved money, energy and retraining admin staff on a new platform, as several members knew WordPress.
Previously I have worked with clients in the USA and Spain on sensitive material for a B2B retailer. Tasked with importing orders from their rather fragile Network Solutions store to their offline system, I used an API to automate a lot of their processes, syncing orders every few minutes and creating on-the-fly brochures. I then got qualified in Sage and QuickBooks to focus on integration, becoming the specialist on the team. This made for huge improvements in my skill set, bringing a lot of my strengths together. I also worked cross-continent heavily on the first phases of YourTreatmentChoices.com - a site with Australian and British directors aimed at connecting people with clinical trial doctors in the event their illness treatment options are looking low.
I also rescued development of a Magento site from a third party for an IT company, first finishing the code and securing the deployment before converting the front and backend from Magento 2 to WordPress so they can more easily manage it in house. The Magento site, whilst good looking and functional, was actually far too large for their needs; unoptimised it was costing a lot to host on Amazon's AWS platform. This saved money, energy and retraining admin staff on a new platform, as several members knew WordPress.
Previously I have worked with clients in the USA and Spain on sensitive material for a B2B retailer. Tasked with importing orders from their rather fragile Network Solutions store to their offline system, I used an API to automate a lot of their processes, syncing orders every few minutes and creating on-the-fly brochures. I then got qualified in Sage and QuickBooks to focus on integration, becoming the specialist on the team. This made for huge improvements in my skill set, bringing a lot of my strengths together. I also worked cross-continent heavily on the first phases of YourTreatmentChoices.com - a site with Australian and British directors aimed at connecting people with clinical trial doctors in the event their illness treatment options are looking low.
Network, Winning, Backend, Processes, Energy, USA, Energy, Data collection, Development, Amazon, Costing, Developer, It, Wordpress, Pharmaceutical, Service, Integration, Event, Magento, Deployment, Websites, B2B, AWS, API, Backend, Branding
2014 - 2016
job
Web Developer/Designer
RealFusion.
Working for a relatively small outfit, I was brought in to manage the workload for primarily WordPress development clients, alongside a fellow developer and a graphic designer. In this position we produced many websites and literature for global brands as well as academic institutions and councils. One of note was the bespoke PHP/MySQL content managed website umbrella for Norbord/Contiboard's international operation. https://norbord.co.uk. This website has 5 umbrella sites translated out of the master English site, alongside RSS feeds to allow article flow from the marketing company to the umbrella sites autonomously. There was also a bespoke eCommerce solution built in ColdFusion for Contiboard which was later converted to a mobile-first format to keep up with the pace of the web.
As well as work in the office, I also presented as part of a team and won the pitch for the highly-esteemed Mount Kelly public school in Tavistock against several other agencies. This was to produce their literature, both on and offline and spanned e-mail bulletins via MailChimp (including the design of the templates), website marketing and updates - and finally paper distribution such as brochures and publications, securing a large chunk of future business for the company, which was later sold.
Another noteworthy development was Mayflower400, Plymouth City Council's website precursor to the 400th anniversary of the birth of the United States of America by the Founding Fathers. This was launched alongside events, activities and publications for schools around the area in conjunction with The Real Ideas Organization. Produced in WordPress, there was a theme framework built on Bootstrap to underpin the educational areas and keep things consistent. Additionally, Magento websites were designed and produced for Smirthwaite, a UK-US conglomerate specialising in mobility aids and St Mellion Flowers, a large florist in Saltash, Cornwall, where I was also tasked with a huge amount of data conversion, cleansing and importing to Magento, which can be hugely time consuming in the wrong hands.
As well as work in the office, I also presented as part of a team and won the pitch for the highly-esteemed Mount Kelly public school in Tavistock against several other agencies. This was to produce their literature, both on and offline and spanned e-mail bulletins via MailChimp (including the design of the templates), website marketing and updates - and finally paper distribution such as brochures and publications, securing a large chunk of future business for the company, which was later sold.
Another noteworthy development was Mayflower400, Plymouth City Council's website precursor to the 400th anniversary of the birth of the United States of America by the Founding Fathers. This was launched alongside events, activities and publications for schools around the area in conjunction with The Real Ideas Organization. Produced in WordPress, there was a theme framework built on Bootstrap to underpin the educational areas and keep things consistent. Additionally, Magento websites were designed and produced for Smirthwaite, a UK-US conglomerate specialising in mobility aids and St Mellion Flowers, a large florist in Saltash, Cornwall, where I was also tasked with a huge amount of data conversion, cleansing and importing to Magento, which can be hugely time consuming in the wrong hands.
Magento, UP, Framework, Web, International, Office, Development, Developer, Content, Website, Marketing, Mailchimp, Websites, Bootstrap, Ecommerce, Mysql, Php, Design, Wordpress
2004 - 2007
job
Senior Graphic Designer
Prime Medica Limited.
In my time at Prime Medica (a medical communications agency servicing the pharmaceutical industry) I managed a multitude of different media, including a series of newsletters for a global brand, up to 10 issues per month against all odds, delivering every issue and iteration on or before deadline with a high level of accuracy. Additionally I was responsible for the rebrand of a large client's identity, bringing it up to date with some careful layout decisions and a minimal, streamlined design ethic. Although Prime Medica's workflow is primarily production-based, being heavily led by drug research, I was also tasked with a variety of creative design pitches. These secured some very important business, such as the revamp and relaunch of the monthly 250,000 print run GMC Voice magazine for the General Medical Council.
Part of my contribution to Prime Medica was to offer skills not previously touched upon, such as using 3D software (Cinema4D) for visuals. This gained new business from pharmaceutical companies using flythroughs and 3D mock-ups to show off the stage sets as they would look in real life. Another was the interactive PDF, enabling a user to browse a file in a manner similar to a website but self-contained and entirely portable. This can beat print to a location, easing logistical problems; as such it has since moved to a requirement, mainly to aid delivery times.
Part of my contribution to Prime Medica was to offer skills not previously touched upon, such as using 3D software (Cinema4D) for visuals. This gained new business from pharmaceutical companies using flythroughs and 3D mock-ups to show off the stage sets as they would look in real life. Another was the interactive PDF, enabling a user to browse a file in a manner similar to a website but self-contained and entirely portable. This can beat print to a location, easing logistical problems; as such it has since moved to a requirement, mainly to aid delivery times.
Design, Layout, Research, SoMe, Print, Website, Pharmaceutical, Workflow, 3D, It, PDF, Software, Production, LED, UP
1999 - 2004
job
Senior Mac Operator/Senior Production Designer
Gardiner Caldwell Communications.
Starting as a freelancer in late 1999 I quickly learned the ropes leading to the offer of a full time position in early 2000. My main area was large format hi-res graphics, which all had to be produced in the fastest possible time without sacrificing quality. Other jobs included the production of monographs, abstract books and scientific posters with accuracy and efficiency at the forefront. This was a very high volume working studio with some tight deadlines, and quality was of utmost importance. Onsite experience was added to my remit as we offered overnight newsletters to clients. The first stage was a template design, then flying out to meet with a foreign printer in Europe or the USA and calibrating colours. Next was attending the symposium as a delegate to take photographs alongside a writer. Typesetting, retouching and approval all happened back at the hotel direct with the client, usually very late at night. Finally, the job would be sent out approved and print-ready in the early hours of the morning to arrive printed at the attendees' hotel room by breakfast time the next day. These were for major international players in the pharmaceutical industry.
Aside from my contractual obligations as a designer I also maintained and administered around 40 Apple Macs across 3 sites and 7 departments in Macclesfield and London. Working closely with the IT department I was involved in the creation of the monthly Mac Forum meeting, bringing all managers and IT staff up-to-date with the production and creative departments. I also instigated and project-managed the switch from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X, the biggest in-production operating system upgrade in the history of the Mac. I provided one-to-one training with operators over a two-month period with no comebacks or dissatisfied users.
Aside from my contractual obligations as a designer I also maintained and administered around 40 Apple Macs across 3 sites and 7 departments in Macclesfield and London. Working closely with the IT department I was involved in the creation of the monthly Mac Forum meeting, bringing all managers and IT staff up-to-date with the production and creative departments. I also instigated and project-managed the switch from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X, the biggest in-production operating system upgrade in the history of the Mac. I provided one-to-one training with operators over a two-month period with no comebacks or dissatisfied users.
Design, Training, Retouching, SoMe, Print, Mac, Pharmaceutical, It, International, Production, USA, OS X, Typesetting, UP
1998 - 1998
freelance
Freelance Designer/Mac Operator
Orchard Agency, Salford Quays, Manchester/Creative Resource Agency.
My freelance work involved travelling the North West of England providing high profile design and production work for numerous top line creative agencies, and also involved working onsite directly with the client. Larger companies included McCann Erickson, PDP Momentum and The Co-Operative Group of companies. Projects ranged from print preparation to advertising material and conceptual work.
Design, Advertising, Print, Mac, Production
1997 - 1998
job
Mac Operator
The Quay Advertising Agency, Salford Quays, Manchester and Altrincham.
At this award winning agency I worked alongside a traditional paste-up Art Director. Everyday tasks included packaging design, advertising campaigns, point-of-sale, patient leaflets, newsletters through to high-profile pitch work. Most notable was the successful pitch for the global Durex account which involved some intensive conceptualising and subsequent conversion to material for pitch. Quay's client base included Durex, Scholl, Resolve, Remegel and Tubigrip. The Quay is now a part of the internationally-renowned creative agency, McCann Erickson.
Design, Advertising, Packaging, SoMe, Mac, Art director, Point-of-sale, Winning, UP
1996 - 1997
job
Graphic Designer/Production Lead
Ewen Communications.
After their design studio left to start up a new agency I was drafted in to run the new studio. Day-to-day activities included design and typesetting using QuarkXpress, Photoshop and Illustrator, production of PowerPoint presentations, print buying and pitch work. Clients included ICI Fluoropolymers and other major players in the plastics industry such as M. A. Hanna and Victor International Plastics.
Design, Powerpoint, Illustrator, Print, International, Production, Quarkxpress, Typesetting, UP
1995 - 1996
job
Mac Operator/Production Designer
Clifford and Ree Advertising and PR, Old Trafford.
Clifford and Ree is a small but extremely busy agency servicing the automotive and nuclear industries. My tasks here consisted of high volume, quick turnaround car adverts for the national press, as well as annual reports and exhibition materials. Major clients included BMW, British Nuclear Fuels, Jaguar, Land Rover, Honda, Nissan and Mini.
Mac, Turnaround, Production
1994 - 1995
job
Typesetter, Scientific Journals
Life Science Communications (a subsidiary of Elsevier Science).
I started my career as a trainee at Colour Bytes, the UK's leading PC-based prepress bureau. After 2 months I was thrown in at the deep end and managed the successful running of 5 monthly medical journals. The journals were Critical Care, Structure, Chemistry & Biology, Folding & Design and Current Biology. As this was primarily a prepress bureau I also learned first-hand about computer-to-plate imaging, colour proofing, ISDN, FTP, retouching and Mac OS. Working with Editors and Writers meant deadlines were tight; accuracy was of the utmost importance. Other work included illustration, drum scanning, encapsulation, and, strangely, various print work and advertisements for Soho's adult entertainment industry.
Design, Illustration, Retouching, Print, Mac, Chemistry, PC
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