Hello! Iām a UK based web designer, developer and accessibility consultant.
Read more about me
Who I am and what I do
Iām Barry. Front-end developer and designer. I design and build websites using languages and tools within my skillset.
Iām currently working with the great people at dxw. Where I design, build and carry out accessibility audits.
- Iām constantly curious and always learning new things.
- Iām a designer through and through. Inspired by aesthetics and feel.
- Iām a design minimalist. I believe small changes can make massive differences.
- Iām a creative pragmatist. I like creative freedom aswell as constraints.
- I love the impermanence of the web as a medium to design for. To test on, to rethink and iterate.
- I love to problem solveāfigure out how to improve a piece of the interface, or change the look and feel to unlock that elusive missing piece. And Iām sympathetic to client and user needs.
I call myself a design engineer / tinkerer because I like to occupy the intersection of visual design and web development. I find the two disciplines equally interesting.
Skills and Expertise
- HTML
- CSS/SASS
- WordPress
- Figma
- Vanilla JS
- Git
- Tailwind
- React
- PHP
I have experience in many phases of development, with varying levels of involvement within Agile and Kanban development teams. I create wireframes, build mockups and interactive prototypes, assist user research sessions, facilitate collaborative design sessions and work with other developers in production build. I also carry out accessibility audits using automated tools and manual testing. I primarily build websites using WordPress that use either the classic or the Gutenburg block editor.
Iāve also been exploring building websites and apps using vanilla JS and frameworks such as React + NextJS and Vue + Nuxt.js. I am adaptable and a fast learner to different tech stacks.
Things I think about
Responsive web
Throughout every stage of the design and development process, I think about how the interface will appear in different size viewports.
Accessibility
I design with inclusivity in mind, ensuring digital experiences are usable for everyone, including those with disabilities, by following WCAG guidelines.
Semantics
I strive to build with clean, meaningful HTML structure to enhance SEO, accessibility, and maintainability, ensuring content is understood by users and machines.
Typography
I appreciate the value of good typographical choices. Something often overlooked in more tech focussed teams. And I stay up to date with new techniques such Variable and Opentype features.
User-Centered Design
I appreciate how design should be guided by user needs and behaviour. I use esdtablished and tested design patterns and seek to validate design choices with user research when possible.
Brand integration
I have extensive experience collaborating with brand designers and guardians, ensuring that visual identities and messaging are accurately and effectively translated into the digital products.
Hierarchy, Balance, White-Space
I carefully structure layouts using visual hierarchy, balance, and white space to guide attention, improve readability, and create a refined user experience.
Search Engine Optimisation
I build websites with SEO in mind. Semantic structure, performance optimisation, and meaningful contentāto improve visibility and engagement.
Integrating AI in My Workflow
I leverage AI tools to enhance efficiency in my workflow, automate repetitive tasks, assist my learning and ensuring smarter design and development decisions.
Content Management
I optimise the user experience for the content editor. An example of this is curating the WordPress block editor by restricting certain blocks and stylistic choices to allow for flexibility while maintaining visual consistency.
Layout/Grid
I have experience utilising advanced layout systems in CSS, including flexbox and grid. I know the advantages and drawbacks of different techniques and can identify the best approach for each.
Web Conventions
Going by the āDonāt make me thinkā principle, I design with familiar patterns and best practices in mind, ensuring usability and reducing cognitive load.
Work samples coming soon!
My story so far
dxw
2021 ā present
dxw is a digital agency that works with the public and third sectors to achieve better outcomes for citizens and business, and replacing legacy systems with more efficient and sustainable digital products
After a spell of freelancing, I was offered a permanent role within the GovPress team. Focussing on content managed websites for our clients. Much of my work is updating websites with new brand guidelines and migrating to the new Gutenburg block editor.
My first project was the design of the Screen Culture 2033 strategy micro-site and blog. I also paired with the tech-lead in the development of the site, using WordPress and utilising elements from BFIās style guide.
I also joined the Interaction Design team to develop a tool for Probation officers to find temporary accommodation for prison leavers at risk of homelessness. Using the GOV.UK design system and elements from the MoJ pattern library, I designed the service up until nation-wide rollout. Responding to several rounds of user testing.
Hamilton Brown
2020 ā 2021
Hamilton-Brown is a full-service creative agency based in London. They deliver dedicated B2B support where and when needed for regional and global clients.
As part of the digital team designing and developing B2B marketing and campaign websites, I was instrumental in transitioning our build process from page-builder tools to bespoke WordPress development. I designed and assited the development of a storefront for a corporate accounting company that sells various digital accounting tools. And maintained the product through multiple releases over the course of about a year.
Freelance
2015 ā present
I have done various contracts for companies in London
Fat Beehive
Fat Beehive are a digital agency serving the charity sector. I was involved in wireframing, look and feel design and build of several websites including The British Academy, Chevening and Croydon Pride.
Geckoboard
Geckoboard produce TV dashboards to display key performance data for customer service and SAAS companies. I worked on the main website, and various campaign landing pages.
Shelter
Working within the digital and marketing teams, I was involved in the build of landing pages and email campaigns using the brand guidelines. I also did some front-end work on the main website, addressing support requests.
Recipe
Recipe are an advertising agency. I worked on their advertising marketplace web app, linking companies looking for ad space with networks. Involved in the discovery phase, wireframing and mockups.
Helpful Digital
Helpful do training and web builds for government initiatives and charities. I designed and built various websites including a government owned property company and a fund for tech startups in Africa. I also worked on various digital tools Helpful use for crisis traning.
Stepladder
2013 ā 2015
Stepladder is a branding agency that specialises in the high-end commercial property market. Capturing the energy of spaces through strategic thinking and distinctive creative campaigns.
Stepladder produces printed material to an extremely high standard of quality, using high grade materials and cutting-edge printing techniques. I was brought in to extend this standard to their online material. Working with the designers to translate their brand designs to digital form. I produced interactive interfaces for users to find out about local amenities, infrastructure and the characteristics of the spaces themselves ā maps, representations of floor plans and various layout configurations.
What's next?
I am looking for a job where I have the opportunity to both use my existing experience and diversify my current skill-set by tackling new things, as I firmly believe in learning by doing. I try to avoid environments that impose rigid specialisation, preferring flexibility to an extent. My perfect employer would be a small to medium sized organisation that creates value by doing something innovative and perhaps against the mould. I am passionate about new technologies and paradigms. Decentralised protocols such as Bitcoin and Nostr interest me greatly.
If you want to chat, please drop me an email!