About Me
a Web & Design specialist from Sheffield
I focus on creating stunning brands, intuitive user interfaces and optimised user experiences for startups and established companies across the UK.
I believe striving to create pixel perfect designs and a natural user experience helps maximise revenue and improve brand reputation and customer relations.
I'M PROUD TO HAVE WORKED WITH
- Plusnet
- Mattress Online
- Overfinch
- Pupil Aspire
- & more
My Creations
Websites
Over the past few years I have worked with many start ups. I have also been fortunate enough to have worked on some of the most popular e-commerce sites in the UK, delivering a variety of projects with some very experienced and creative people.
thehappymotorist.co.uk
I was approached by The Happy Motorist late 2016 to revamp their website which was created in 2007. The current version of the website is in Beta, over the next couple of months we will be fixing bugs and then marketing the site.
- Website holds over 2 million rows of car part data
- All managed by a bespoke admin area made in Node JS
- User can find parts via reg number
- Custom design & fully responsive
overfinch.co.uk
Overfinch are one of the market leaders in Land Rover modifications
- E-Commerce implementation
- Wordpay payment portal Implementation
- Website maintenance
- Page modifications
plus.net
Plusnet are one of the UK's leading internet service providers offering a low cost but high quality service to residential and business customers
- Bespoke page design
- Main navigation development
- User journey optimisation
- Conversion rate optimisation
- Assist with user testing
mattressonline.co.uk
Mattress Online are one of the UK's most popular award winning online e-tailor
- Conversion rate optimisation
- Tracking and testing software implementation
- A/B testing & planning
- Development of a tactical sales system
- Designing core features on their new website (to be released soon)
learn2dive.co.uk
Diveworld are a Scuba Instructor Development Centre based in Sheffield
- Bespoke mobile compatible design
- Content Management System Implementation
- Modern video introduction capturing the visitors attention right away
- Easily browse courses & holidays
ashley-clarke.co.uk
Ashley Clarke Consultants are a UK based start up who are looking to provide cloud and communications to corporate and small business across the UK
- Branding & website project
- Content Management System Implementation
- Wireframeing techniques used when designing
- Animated website introduction
- Avoids the "stereotypical" style that telecom providers often use
pupilaspire.com
Pupil Aspire provide a tool which helps school's manage their pupil's targets/aims in a more structured user friendly way
- Re-design and rebuild the front end website and main application
- We broke down the old design/functionality and took things back to basics
- Simplified each step in the application and created a much more consistent user friendly user interface
remapbhp.com
Formally known as PD Developments, RemapBHP are a start up in the UK focusing on providing vehicle performance improvements
- Branding & website project
- Fully responsive and is also retina resolution friendly
- Bespoke vehicle data system
- Mobile friendly
muazzamtrust.org.uk
Muazzam Ali Shaheed Welfare Trust is a charity established in Pakistan which are now looking to register in the UK
- Content Management System Implementation
- Branding & website project
- Linked into the Paypal API
- Mobile Friendly
- Custom built "Urgent Alert System"
sun-casa.co.uk
Sun Casa Properties are based in The Sheffield City specialising in Residential/student Properties sales and lettings
- Content Management System Implementation
- Mobile friendly
- Branding & website project
- Fully responsive and is also retina resolution friendly
Web Apps
Every minute of every day my mind is constantly ticking and I am always thinking of how to improve every day tasks. Many of these Web Apps start as ideas which I prototype, propose and then finally create.
Warehouse Stock Take
Previously Mattress Online's stock takes have been recorded on paper then transferred into a spreadsheet. Now with the new app:
- Saves hundreds of man hours
- Allows staff to easily record stock across 3 large warehouses
- Linked to Google Sheets API for easy reporting and updating
- Created in just 10 days
Automated Photobooth
Over the course of 2 months I created a fully automated Photobooth.
- Both the physical build and the software was created by me
- The software runs on Node JS and uses Web Sockets to communicate between the touch screen tablet and a Macbook
- Bespoke system allows the use of selling tokens and typing a code to start a session
- Themes can be managed remotely for special events
- It can take and print photos in as little as 30 seconds.
Facebook Prize Draw
A custom built app to enable prize draws on Facebook:
- In order to enter the prize draw you have to like the page
- A user can only enter once
- Referral system to five extra entries if they have shared the prize draw
Offer Timeline
Overtime, Plusnet's offers have become more complex, the company is growing daily and keeping on top of offers/releases can sometimes be quite difficult. With this app:
- Timelines can be updated at a click of a button
- QA can easily test sale periods, with the ability to click and drag to change a date on a testing environment
- It can be viewed by the wider business, helping people understand exactly what's planned for the future
Ducky Dip
This is a game for a bar in Spain, a very different project to normal!
- The bar can set odds of winning
- Change game type from random to skill
- Change what prizes can be won
- Increase in bar revenue
Advertisement Generator
Plusnet's online display ads are currently animated GIF's, which have rapidly become outdated with the release of HTML5/CSS3 animations:
- This application allows marketing to create their own modern HTML5 animated advertisements
- Online based panel within 2 - 3 minutes (rather than 2-3 hours dev work)
- The web development team can create "presets" and "themes" when a new advertisement "creative" is needed
Email Image Generator
This app helps improve efficiency in Plusnet's web development & marketing department
- No more tasks briefed in to create graphics for emails
- Sanity saver, removing tedious and time consuming tasks
- Allows Plusnet's marketing department to create these graphics themselves
Casetracker
Case Tracker is a Chrome Extension which provides Plusnet's CRM with extra features and provides the following:
- Keeps track of what checks have been completed by the customer
- Alerts staff when a customer replies
- Flag certain accounts
- Keep track of what accounts have been worked on throughout the day
Branding
As well as specialise in User Experience and Web Development, I'm able to create branding and deliver an all in one solution from start to finish. I believe over time I have created my own style when it comes to designing brands and websites.
Luna Mattress
Luna is a sub-brand created in 2016 by mattressonline.co.uk Initially releasing 3 new mattresses.
- Minimalistic logo design which is easy to embroid
- Matches the parent Mattress Online brand
- User testing used to select the most eye catching logo from a selected three
Ashley Clarke
Ashley Clarke Consultants are a UK based start up who are looking to provide cloud and communications to corporate and small business across the UK.
- Premium, powerful looking brand
- Different from the common blue cloud logos often seen in telecommunications
- Eye catching and is ready for print
Muazzam Charity
Muazzam Ali Shaheed Welfare Trust is a charity established in Pakistan which are now looking to register in the UK.
- Friendly looking brand
- Branding appeals to both UK and worldwide audiences
- Eye catching and is ready for print
Remap BHP
I was approached by a company called PD Developments to help take their brand into the 21st century
- Modern looking brand
- Memorable logo
- Appeals mainly to a younger audience
Help Save Holmbridge
This branding/brochure was created as a campaign to prevent the build of a new estate in Holmbridge
- The "Which do you prefer" image was created from around 6 photos to create a strong sense of destruction
- Urgency technique used throughout the brochure
- Iconography used to assist with skim reading
My Journey
Freelancing & Contracting
A life long ambition of mine has been to one day work for myself doing something I love. After years of planning and finally having the courage to go solo, I'm now pleased to say that I'm a full time freelance & contractor.
I'm enjoying being able to deliver projects from start to finish, covering wire framing, designing & development. What's great is that I also have the opportunity to work with various companies, developers and designers from different backgrounds, allowing me to continue learning whilst sharing my knowledge and skills.
- Delivering projects end to end
- Aiming to specialising in CRO
Travelling
Travelling has been on my bucket list for a very long time, but working full time since school made this quite difficult. Before making the jump to full time freelancing, I decided to take a seven week break. During this time I travelled Thailand & Laos, this was one of the best experiences of my life. I met some wonderful people and made some friends for life whilst also learning a hell of a lot about my self.
Mattress Online
Within my first 3 months of working with Mattress Online, I was able to help automate sales campaigns, implement A/B testing/user tracking software and run Mattress Online’s first ever measurable A/B test. Some of the changes I have implemented have proven to increase revenue by 12% and increase conversion by 8% during large sales periods. This has helped break Mattress Online’s record sales to date.
Automation means that Mattress Online are now able to create sales campaigns in 60 minutes rather than 5 hours. They're able to change prices at certain times with no manual interaction, update both mobile and desktop sites from one system, which saves great amounts of time and enables them to react to the market faster then ever before.
My main focus was to create a new website, which was being built on their recently developed mobile framework. The struggle they had before I joined was that the new website, created in 2015, did not convert as well as the old one and they were unable to identify why.
Along with their designer, I helped put together a plan to slowly evolve their current website. We were testing core functionality/design with carefully planned A/B testing and reviewing each test to ensure that the changes we made had the outcome we expected without the risk of any losses.
- 12% increase in revenue
- 8% increase in conversion
Plusnet
After working on my skills and portfolio since 2005, I landed my first official job in Web Development (for a commercial company). This was a dream come true! At the age of 18 years old, I was able to absorb so much knowledge from peers that have been in the game for 10+ years and work on a website which receives almost 2 million hits per month.
Within a year, I was helping manage the workload of two members of my team and guide them on a daily basis.
I also managed A/B tests, helping improve the user experience, conversion, bounce rate and more. Some of the tests include a new landing page for our affiliates, increasing the uptake of products on their sign up journey and many more. Some of these tests have improved conversion by over 5%, helping smash some of Plusnet’s record sales at the time.
- Improved conversion by over 5%
- Helped beat Plusnet’s record sales
Portfolio Time
I was eager to leave school and build on my freelancing career. I started college but shortly after left, it just wasn't for me! After freelancing for many years, I found it very hard to continue sitting in a classroom learning from outdated books. I wanted to get out there and continue creating products which would get used every day.
I continued working on my portfolio in aim to get that dream job in web development. During these years, I also set up a small business of my own in Spain creating customised souvenirs. This was a nice way of making my own money, whilst working on that all important portfolio.
Finishing Studies & Freelance
I was extremely lucky to work on freelance projects at such a young age. Popping to the toilet to answer business calls was something I had to do quite often at School. At this point, I knew that this was the career I wanted to pursue, which I had already started doing so.
During these years I really upped my game in regards to web development. I learnt Javascript & PHP allowing me to create bespoke E-Commerce & recruitment websites for companies in Sheffield & Rotherham.
The Myspace Era
I discovered Myspace when trying to find music for some of my favourite artists at the time. I discovered that Myspace accepts custom HTML & CSS so you can create your theme, this is when I decided to gave it a try. Turns out, I was pretty good at them! I could move every element on the page with position absolute and with the help of Flash MX (yes MX!) create layouts which have never been seen on Myspace.
I contacted some of the popular music artists at the time and offered them a free layout. I did this for around 4 artists, which lead to my designs being discovered by a record label in London. This is how I landed my first official freelance project at the young age of 14, creating designs for the likes of Ashley Walters.
Dial Up & Matmice
It all started when AOL installed our first dial-up connection and I discovered "Matmice". Matmice was a social network aimed at young people. You were able to create your own homepage using HTML and CSS. I spent hours and hours creating crazy layouts, spinning animated Gifs, scrolling text and much more! This is where I learnt the very basics of HTML & how to structure pages.
Let's work together
If you have a project in mind and would like my help to get it off the ground, or you would like my help with anything else, please feel free to get in touch!