UK Government (Planning Inspectorate) :: WordPress API Architecture, Plugin Development & Stack Upgrade

I was contracted by the UK Government to review, architect and develop a new set of Rest APIs for the Planning Inspectorate, the body responsible for all national infrastructure and local planning information. The Planning Inspectorate were leveraging a combination of technologies and legacy APIs to allow the seamless transfer of the different documents, imagery, data and content between their respective platforms and third parties.

Through my detailed review I was able to identify numerous architectural inefficiencies that i was then able to re architect into a simplified, stable, standardised, documented, flexible Rest API. Some superfluous requirements were sidelined under my instruction to be coded as standalone Laravel solutions in the future. The API was constructed using WordPresses new core api (WP-API V2) as a series of plugins, each one catering for a different document type. In addition to the above i was responsible for managing and documenting the upgrading of their frontend WordPress site and all the supporting environments (test, dev, staging) and the wealth of customised plugins that their stack required and ensuring that all areas of the site continued to work as desired. I also was responsible for setting up version control on all of the stacks plugins and source code.

BuzzMyVideos :: Mobile CMS, UX, UI and Build

BuzzMyVideos is a leading MCN with over 5000 YouTube channels. I reported directly to the owners (two ex-YouTube executives). The majority of work I was tasked with involved setting up and managing a new mobile arm for the business that enabled their creators (including Roberto Saviano) to have their own apps on both the Google Play and Apple’s App Store. The apps were targeting the fans of the creators and contained a social feed with timeline-based posts from Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, a chat room, direct messaging with the creator and exclusive CMS-powered content and media not available elsewhere. My duties included planning and AB testing the UX, designing the base UI’s and creating detailed wire-frames and user journeys. I also setup an App CMS / Management suite on the Google Cloud and built a range of hybrid Mobile apps for individual Creators (JS / CSS3 / Rest API-based). I was also responsible for the day to day management of two offshore Mobile Development Agencies and built their new wordpress-based website.

Playabl :: IOS & Android Football Score Prediction App for Chelsea, Real Madrid etc

  • Technical Director for a range of Football Score prediction apps for the likes of Chelsea, Fulham, Real Madrid, Monaco and the Wolves.
  • Apps were built using the Ionic Framework within Cordova and are built using a combination of HTML5, CSS and Angular
  • All apps are ranked highly on both Apple’s App Store and Android Play Store.
  • Role included enabling the owners to gain clarity and visibility over the current state of the build and deliver the next steps to complete production on time and on budget.
  • Instilled process, setup and deployed project management tools, recruited developers and mentored the team.
  • UX audits, AB Testing and QA Control.
APPLE APP STORE: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/developer/playabl-limited/id1022893401 ANDROID PLAY STORE: https://play.google.com/store/apps/dev?id=5672004587872613797 WEBSITE: http://playabl.com/  

WPMotion :: Touch, Swipe, Gesture WordPress

I have just completed WPMotion a premium wordpress theme and potentially a web service too. This site is currently running in it. Its designed with portfolio and presentation sites in mind and allows you to navigate with click, touch, swipe and even gesture via leap motion. It utilises Reveal JS and supports all standard wordpress functionality (posts, pages, attachments, categories, tags, search, comments, galleries etc). Check it out at www.wpmotion.net.

Hogarth Worldwide :: Freelance Technical Director

I was recruited to assist when their Technical Lead departed and just before a new Head of Digital took over. My role was very varied and included:
  • Working on apps, websites, online tools and digital display advertising for the likes of HSBC, Santander, Dior, BetFair and British American Tobacco.
  • Assisted outsourcing the majority of their development work to their rapidly growing network of owned off shore development teams.
  • Assisting HR to recruit the right fulltime employees (developers and QA) and project-based freelancers (Mobile, PHP + FrontEnd) via the ‘right’ channels and subsequently interviewing them.
  • Helping align the design team with frameworks (Bootstrap) and principles (Mobile First) to ensure the minimum friction between London-based design and offshore development.
  • Using WordPress as both a CMS, Mobile App Foundation and rapid prototyping tool to assist conveying complex sites and solutions with the minimum of time
  • Assisting the trans-creation team (localization) in automating the translations of large Drupal, WordPress and custom CMS based sites
  • Working alongside client services to assist managing clients expectations
  • Creating a MediaSpec Hub that aggregated all the media (banner) spec from publishers and
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    allowed quick 27/7 access to the correct build spec allowing quick briefing and turn around of banner production
  • Gave significant advice on internal technical projects like Zadar, SocialStream and Dep (a highly customized version of Jira)
  • Ultimately owning all internal technical decisions relating to both projects and how they are built and how both developers and QA work
  • Extensive working with and managing of offshore teams based in Romania, India and Africa to build apps, websites and online tools
  • Writing technical documentation on sites, builds and apis and Helping PMs with briefs, SOW’s and Functional Specs.
  • Managing the entire multilingual build of the new Hogarth Worldwide website and all their global satellite office
  • Instigating the use of Atlassians HipChat and GitHub Enterprise to both increase accountability and visibility, and streamline the development process
*Hogarth Worldwide is one of the fastest growing companies in the UK. Acting as the production hub for fellow WPP agencies (JWT, Ogilvy, Grey) and its own clients (Nike, HSBC, Burberry, Dior, HTC etc) its rapid success has seen it grow from 12 – 2000 employees in just 5 years, with over 18 offices around the world.

Santander :: Mobile Banking UI Framework

Whilst at Hogarth Worldwide (a WPP Company)  I was responsible for the creation of a new HTML5 Mobile Banking UI Framework. The idea was to allow Santander to rapidly prototype and produce mobile-based, platform agnostic, product-related Mobile App UIs, and potentially Web Applications, for their customers. I investigated using Semantic UI and other UI frameworks but decided to build something more bespoke and light. I led a team of UX Designers and together we created a range of reusable, stable, responsive UI elements including Navigation, Sliders, Knobs and Cards.

Pernod Ricard's OPN :: Lead Creative Technologist

Pernod Ricard: digitalizing the world of premium drinks

Press Release: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/technology/opn-pernod-ricard-cocktail-library/

Press Release: https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/01/pernod-ricard-takes-lead-on-cocktail-hometainment/

As the lead Creative Technologist at Native Design I was responsible for a new intelligent product and platform for one of the worlds largest drink manufacturers, Pernod Ricard whose brands include Absolute Vodka and Beefeater Gin. They have released a press release of the project I was involved with, entitled Project Gutenburg. An NDA prevents me from disclosing any specifics other than the fact that the product was extremely disruptive to traditional retail methods, it aimed to be sustainable, it utilised both Wifi Direct and Bluetooth LE and had numerous patentable aspects in software, hardware, data and the wider ecosystem.

In addition we had to build both IOS and Android powered control apps that demonstrated a wealth of functionality including rich interactive, premium photo realistic experiences, product catalogues, social interactions, inventories, mCommerce and logistics.

I was also responsible for designing and building the eCommerce Platform that was based on Magento, allowing realtime ordering and fulfilment of the product.

The project required regular visits to Paris to meet the clients face to face, and involved numerous board level presentations and demonstrations to the relevant parties.

The project was run using Agile methodologies, utilising both GitHub and HipChat for communications and versioning.

Hewlett Packard :: Android Customisation & Launcher

Whilst lead Creative Technologist at Native Design, the integrated design agency, I was required to oversee the technical and development aspects of three new Nexus devices for HP – a 7, 8 and 10 inch tablet. The majority of the project was the modification of the Android platform to make it more aligned with the HP brand and improve certain core experiences through its customisation. This fascinating, yet uncommon area of Android, included rewriting and redesigning core aspects of the Andrid core including First Boot, Standard Boot, Lock Screen, Home Screen, Widget, App Drawer and System Fonts, Colours and Effects. Many interactions had to be done as the fine tuning of aspects like animations were critical to the products performance with the aim of producing the best android experience without impacting the quality of the HP brand at any stage, especially on a new product range. These Android powered devices had a range of hardware specifications and each experience had to be tailored and optimised accordingly. HP had a global team working on the hardware and compliance aspects so we had almost daily contact and numerous face to face meetings with HP’s senior management throughout the project. The project was run in an agile, sprint-based environment that utilised both GitHub and HipChat.

Bowers and Wilkins :: UI, UX & Mobile Applications

Whilst working as the lead Creative Technologists at Native Design I was involved in numerous projects for and client meetings with their client Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) the leading speaker and headphone manufacturer. My work is under a very strict NDA and the products will not be out for another year or so. I am permitted to say that the products both involved JukeBlox and BluetoothLE and services such as Spotify, one of B&W’s lead partners, AirPlay by Apple and both Android and IOS Mobile applications.

SFR – Home Hub (£2 billion of value)

SFR Stargate from Native on Vimeo.

Whilst Natives Lead Creative Technologist I worked for SFR, Frances leading telephone, mobile and broadband provider (part of Vivendi the group). The projects I was involved in ranged from the research, design and build of their next generation set-top box featuring plenty of ground-breaking entertainment and home-orientated technologies accessed via an advanced HTML5 UI. The majority of my work was based on the User Interface and User Experience side and involved numerous tasks including Prototyping UIs, investigating technologies, recruiting the necessary IOS, Android and HTML5 developers and regularly visiting France to discuss and present the progress with the client SFR. In addition i was also responsible for evaluating and improving their range of cloud based business SAS services. Please note the images displayed are not the products created as they are under strict NDA and will not be released until 2016.