Jason Nolan Reed

UX Developer

What am I looking to do?

I want to build awesome web apps. I want them to be beautiful, snappy, and a pleasure to use. I strive daily to learn and apply all that is required to perfect this lovely craft, which, as far as I can tell, moves too quickly to perfect. Most of all, I want to surround myself with [teammates/friends/family] with similar passions and goals so we can all high five each time we deliver far beyond expectations.

What languages do I speak?

  • HTML5: Emphasis on doing more with fewer nodes and semantic, self-documenting syntax
  • CSS3: Modular, scalable styling with low specificity, great browser support, and smarts to tackle the most complex of responsive layouts
  • JavaScript: Nicely extensible, human readable, easy to maintain, and performant -- whether vanilla or utilizing a framework, this is my jam
  • Java: Not a master here, but I know my way around
  • JSTL: Clean logic makes for nice, light markup output
  • PHP: Mainly using for session management, access control, and building JSON API's for web apps these days since PHP/MySQL hosting is basically all-you-want for just-about-free

What's in the ol' toolbox?

  • Git/SVN: I am a branch juggling, code merging maniac.
  • Grunt: On-the-fly LESS compilation, code concatenation, and minification? Performance is easy.
  • Sass/LESS: I author my styling with a very organized, structured approach to maximize code re-use and to ease the pain of maintainability on large projects.
  • jQuery: I can jQuery myself out of the most hopeless of situations and, on occasion, have done exactly that using tools like Monetate and Optimizely.
  • Dojo: AMD is a neat concept. Dojo isn't my favorite, but I can get it done.
  • Angular: This delicious piece of JavaScript is my go-to when I'm afforded the choice. It's opinionated, and I happen to agree with its opinions.
  • Modernizr/Enquire: Responsive web design is tricky. Sometimes you have to make choices, and I'm no stranger to building conditional experiences.
  • Misc. Libraries and API's: I know how to implement and leverage code I didn't write, whether it's Bootstrap, Scene7, Amplience, or something I've never heard of.

How am I stronger than your average UX'er?

I admit that this job isn't easy. If it were, I would find something else do to, because the continually evolving challenge is what makes it interesting. I've been known to realize technical solutions while sleeping and to build a component a few different ways just to confirm which works best for a particular application. I know the importance of communication in an organization and have learned to tailor my correspondence to the audience, whether it's fellow Developers, Project Managers, or Clients. I've received many peer-issued awards acknowledging my proficiency while leading UX Development efforts on large projects -- yep, like Dundies, but hard earned.

To whom have I traded my code for paychecks?

CrossView

At CrossView, I'm responsible for front-end development on large-scale eCommerce (B2C and B2B) projects on both Websphere Commerce and Hybris platforms. I take existing comps and wireframes and ensure that the live pages look and function exactly as expected for a wide array of devices and browsers. The success of these projects is heavily dependent upon exceptional project planning and creation/enforcement of coding guidelines for other UX resources I manage. On a daily basis, I interact with Developers, Solutions Architects, Project Managers, Business Analysts, and Clients to understand needs, identify potential issues, and provide solutions enabling us to always deliver on time.

Dillard's

While working full-time on Dillards.com, I was tasked with developing and integrating countless custom features and internal tools in addition to basic site maintenance. With a rapid iteration and deployment schedule, we were constantly focused on improving performance and running A/B tests to increase conversion through interaction optimizations.

All Sorts of Side Projects

While most of my skills are honed at my day job, I make it a point to spend some of my free time building smaller web apps. This allows me to develop the full stack and to experiment with a wider gamut of tools and frameworks. Often I'm able to validate new techniques and tools to the extent that they can be used for primetime. In the very least, it satisfies my hunger for nudging the boundaries of my abilities and helps keep me sharp and motivated.