Jesse Baker

Javascripting, UI designing, team leading front end nerd.

jessembaker@gmail.com

jesse@starquee.com     07540 778917

Hello

I am the head of Front End Development at KOBAS Technologies and a co-founder of The Board Game Shop living in Woking, Surrey.

I use 13 years of experience in web technologies to innovate, iterate and create amazing web applications. I use smart metrics and user experience testing to adapt, improve and refine my approach and deliver robust, high quality work.

I ❤ technology

Skills overview

HTML 5

I produce fully browser tested, standards compliant, HTML5 mark up for all my applications. This ensures robust layouts that look great in modern browsers and degrade gracefully in older ones.

CSS 3

With an exhaustive knowledge of all aspects of CSS including tons of experience using CSS3 properties no layout is impossible.

jQuery and JS

From tiny flourishes to full AJAX driven web applications with thousands of users, many years of jQuery experience allows me to craft powerful user interfaces and stunning websites.

Angular.js

With Angular.js I can create efficient, stable, object oriented, reusable code that perfectly interfaces with RESTful APIs.

Mobile first, responsive web design

Responsive design means that users get content delivered in the best possible way no matter their device. I have extensive experience in creating websites that cater for any resolution.

GIT version control

I've used Perforce and CVS in the past but I have fallen in love with Git and its super elegant work flow.

Adobe Creative Suite

I've been using Adobe create suite and Photoshop for over a decade to design websites and web applications however I believe wireframing is the most important step in creating a web application. It offers a speed that means I can rapidly iterate on a design before I write a single line of code.

I love NodeJs!

I have written NodeJS applications with real time socket.io connections. I also love to use NodeJS as a utility to speed up my workflow.

I ++ productivity

 

  • Innovative and passionate.

    I strive to always be ahead of the curve. I love to encourage discussion and innovation in my team.

  • Authoritative but friendly.

    I'm a natural leader, not a busy body. As a manager it is my responsibility to facilitate my team's strengths and sometimes that means letting them get on with it!

  • Efficient and methodical.

    I learn from my mistakes and plan for everything. I constantly analyse my previous work and know when to fall back on what works to get the job done.

  • Constantly improving.

    I've worked on massive web applications with weird and wonderful build cycles. I'm at home working under the pressure of mission critical continuous integration environments.

  • Mentor and facilitator.

    I love explaining technology and teaching other people. I work with my team to make sure we achieve our goals.

  • Moral and compassionate.

    I believe that there is room for both in business and strive to do the right thing - even if it's harder.

Work History

KOBAS

Head of User Experience

June 2013 - Present

After leading a very successful project to rebuild their industry leading EPoS system as a freelancer I was invited to come on board full time as their Head of UI/UX.

  • Single-handedly designed and built the front end of KOBAS' industry leading touch screen point of sale system using web technologies. (Demo - Designed for Chrome only. Fascinating blog post)
  • Re-designed KOBAS' cloud based hospitality management suite, introducing design and UI/UX guidelines for the platform.
  • Built a loyalty card as a service application used by over 6000 customers in it's first year and growing! (Example. Blog post)
  • Designed and built the KOBAS marketing website.
  • Currently working to migrate the entire KOBAS cloud software into an industry leading web application using Angular.js.

Sign-Up.to

Senior Interaction Engineer

March 2010 - June 2013

Having worked there before, I was asked to return to Sign-Up to build and lead a new team of front end developers. I was tasked with rebuilding and redesigning their web application.

  • Built the website for, and worked on creating the Sign-Up.to public RESTful API.
  • Wireframed and re-designed 90% of their marketing platform.
  • Instrumental in managing a project to dramatically change the focus of company by building a suite of social network management tools.
  • Conducted and recorded usability tests of the product.
  • Built multiple new, user friendly, javascript web applications, including a drag and drop email builder, data capture form builder and micro transaction based web store.
  • Planned and implemented a full branding overhaul.
  • Recruited and trained a brand new team in the company of web designers and developers.
  • Managed the team by conducting appraisals and performance reviews, setting goals, managing their time off, organising trips to seminars and training etc.

Electronic Arts (EA) Pogo Europe

Web Developer

May 2008 - March 2010
  • Lead European web development projects for pogo.co.uk, pogo.fr and pogo.de routinely working on projects with tens of thousands of concurrent visitors.
  • Built marketing materials such as competition pages, email campaigns, marketing landing pages etc in 3 languages.
  • Advised on technical and user interaction focused implementation of projects.
  • Collaborated heavily with the US engineering department (both remotely and on business trips to US headquarters).

Sign-Up.to

Web and Email Designer

2007- May 2008
  • Designed and built over one hundred bespoke HTML email marketing newsletters.
  • Promoted to front end web developer tasked with building and maintaining the Sign-Up.to web platform.

Artavia Advertising

Web Designer/Developer

2005 - 2007
  • As part of Artavia’s newly founded web advertising department I played a lead role in demonstrating the feasibility of using an in house web team versus external contractors by designing and coding high quality websites and landing pages that were successful in generating revenue for clients.
  • I also completed significant work on a bespoke CMS web UI for a large hotel chain before relocating to the South East.

Self employed

Freelance Web Developer

2004-2005

Maxetek

Web Designer

2003-2004

Trainee Web Designer

2002-2003

Education

State of the Browser

London

April 2013

tiConf 2013

Valencia

February 2013

The Psychology of Online Influence

London

May 2012

National Diploma in Computing

North Devon college

2000-2002

References

Official references are available on request.

" Jesse is an extremely talented, conscientious and reliable fellow. He's forever full of cheer and fantastic ideas, and always keeps himself on top of the latest technology and trends. In short, he's an awesome designer, a top professional, and a great friend. I'd jump at the chance to work with Jesse again and recommend him without hesitation."

- Daisy Lang, former colleague, Sign-Up.to.

"Jesse is one of the hardest working people I've ever met. He will embrace any task no matter how complex."

- Aidan Jalali, former colleague, EA.

"He is always there with technical and creative answers to the tricky problems..."

- Tom Read, former colleague, EA.

Personal

The Board Game Shop

This is my hobby/side project. The Board Game Shop is an online shop selling table top board, card and dice games.

  • The Board Game Shop is a full e-commerce website built using Wordpress Woocommerce.
  • In charge of design and implementation of marketing initiatives
  • Worked with suppliers to secure stock and negotiate prices.
  • Manage stock levels and order dispatch.

Other

When I'm not making websites, you're likely to find me larking about with my daughter, in front of a video game at home, at the cinema or in a restaurant. I'm a big fan of:

Print me!