Service Frontend Engineering
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Responsive Design, Accessibility, and all that nerdy stuff
Photo by Arnold Francisca on Unsplash
Hand-Coding HTML Since 1998
Frontend engineering is the process of coding flat website designs into accessible, responsive, and SEO friendly HTML documents. A well implemented website user interface builds user's trust in the website's business and its product, so this process should be taken seriously.
Some modern web design tools and software can automatically generate HTML and CSS code from designs, which is certainly convenient for designers and other non-developers who need to quickly produce a "live" interactive prototype. However this autogenerated code should never be used in production.
Just like you, I take pride in my work and believe the best user experiences are carefully crafted by hand, without taking shortcuts by autogenerating code or using a popular plugin just because the cool kids are using it.
The advantages of this hand-crafted approach include
- a leaner code base,
- better overall performance,
- simpler web server configuration, and
- a more maintainable project after launch.
Agency Owners
I partner with other freelance designers and digital agencies to provide frontend engineering services. Got an upcoming project and need a development partner?
The Process
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
1. Design Review
First we’ll review and discuss your custom designs. Usually this happens over a screen sharing session on whichever virtual conference service you prefer (Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, etc.) We’ll talk about functional requirements for certain design elements to clarify your intended user experience, and you’ll have a chance to explain any other important aspects of your project.
2. Development and UI Engineering
This is when your designs are coded into responsive, accessible, and SEO optimized HTML documents. Design elements are coded into modular components using the BEM methodology, so these components can be used globally anywhere on your site without being locked into a certain page or position. Page layouts are tested on multiple devices and platforms, and adjustments are made to optimize user experience regardless of how your site is being viewed.
Quality Assurance and testing happens continually throughout this process, and a final check is performed before sending to you for review.
Photo by Igor Miske on Unsplash
3. High Fidelity Staging Site Review
Once your designs and layouts have been coded into HTML, those pages will be assembled into a high fidelity prototype and published to a staging site. This high fidelity prototype is an interactive representation of the website in its closest resemblance to the final product in terms of user interface functionality.
You'll be able to browse these demo pages and click through the staging site just like you'd expect... using navigation menus, clicking buttons, and interacting with certain design elements and most content components.
If you haven't provided content and images yet you’ll probably see lots of “lorem ipsum” text and placeholder images in these demo pages. Otherwise I'll be sure to insert any actual content and images you've provided to simulate the final production site as closely as possible.
You'll review the staging site and submit any feedback and/or change requests in writing, most likely via shared Google docs and spreadsheets. After feedback has been collected I’ll update the staging site as necessary and resubmit it for another review. Finally, when all the T's have been crossed and all the I's have been dotted, you'll send written notice of approval and acceptance.
Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash
4. Custom Programming
Custom programming any special functional requirements or third-party API integrations. Need web forms? Campaign landing pages? Dynamic and interactive maps? A password-protected section? Custom programming turns your small business website into a powerful business tool.
Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash
5. Launch and Support
When your new frontend user interface is finished I’ll either package it up and deliver it to you, or I can deploy it directly to your production environment, depending on your specific needs. I’m also available for ongoing support and maintenance after your site launches.
Got Hosting?
Cheap hosting is not always the best solution, and today's hosting offerings can be confusing and overwhelming. I'm happy to host your website myself, or I can suggest a suitable hosting provider and help you select the right hosting package for your specific project.