Robert Alford
Web Developer | Software Engineer
I've been building websites and software applications for nearly a decade as a web developer and software engineer based in Seattle, WA.
Before learning to code, I worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker and I bring the same strong work ethic and craftsmanship I learned from my time in construction to my current work creating websites and apps for small businesses and nonprofits.
Learn more about me and my services
My Process
I believe in collaboration and clear expectations in every aspect of the web development life cycle. That's why I provide careful cost estimates up front, sliding scale hourly rates and a commitment to open communication through every step of my process.
01.
Discovery
Each new project begins with discovery. We will explore the web looking for inspiration and creative ways to get an edge on your competitors. We define the scope of your project, its page structure and features and estimate the cost of the work to be done so there aren't any surprises.
02.
Design
The design phase is where your project comes to life. We will identify a palette of colors, fonts, images, icons and branding elements to reflect the unique character of your business. We finalize your page structure and layouts and produce mockups that I will use to code your website. If your project works with data, we design your data model during this phase as well.
03.
Development
Development is the process of taking your visual designs, site structure, page layouts and data models and translating these elements into code. In addition to writing the custom code for your site, I will suggest any 3rd party plugins, services or 'no code' tools we might consider to super charge your project and to avoid reinventing the wheel.
04.
Deployment
The final step of the process is deploying your project's code online and hooking it up to your domain for the world to see. Deployment environments range from shared hosting providers to large cloud platforms to platform-as-a-service solutions depending on your business needs.
Learn more about my process
Projects and Experience
I've worked on many different types and sizes of web and software projects in my career and I've valued the opportunity to work on teams of talented engineers, designers and product developers learning the best practices and tools of the trade of web and software development from my mentors, teachers and colleagues. This is a showcase of that work and the role I played in each of these projects.
Alford Homes Inc. is my dad's construction business where I worked for several years as a carpenter, cabinetmaker and contractor before changing careers into software development. Alford Homes builds world-class architectural homes and operates custom cabinetry, furniture, mill work and metal fabrication shops.
I got my start in web development coding up a static version of this website years ago, and throughout the years, I've updated and redesigned it to use the latest web development technologies, styles and services. It's an honor to showcase my family's business while also honing my own craft of web development.
Center to Advance Palliative Care
Throughout the years I've worked on many features for the Center to Advance Palliative Care's website as an external freelance developer for the web agency Green Light Go.
Helping doctors help relieve patients from their pain and suffering.
My first web development 'client' was a small boutique web agency founded in NYC called Green Light Go. I've returned to work for them off and on throughout the years, primarily on the website for the Center to Advance Palliative Care, capc.org.
Some of the largest features that I've delivered for capc.org include an e-commerce storefront with a fully integrated payment system, an online educational portal for the Palliative Care Leadership Centers program and customized tools to help their organization expand and retain their own clientele such as the Hospital Cost Savings Impact Calculator.
Wheels Up
I worked as an external contractor through the agency Lightmatter on a small team of engineers brought in by their client Wheels Up to build the CMS that powers the private aviation company's entire digital platform.
Writing code that powers the nation's leading purveyor of on-demand private jet flights.
Working as a software engineer for the NYC-based digital agency Lightmatter, I was assigned to a team of designers, product managers and software engineers tasked with designing and building a highly-customized CMS to manage Wheels Up's digital content across their web and mobile platforms.
Zonar Systems
I worked for three years as a software engineer on the mobile platform team for the transportation technology company Zonar Systems.
Keeping the roads safe and revolutionizing the transportation business with the power of big data.
As an engineer on the mobile platform team at Zonar Systems, I helped write and maintain the code that connects tens of thousands of vehicles to Zonar's technology systems through their propriety hardware, tablets and mobile applications.
Zonar's patented technology helps semi-truck, bus and construction vehicle drivers log their hours for federal compliance, inspect their vehicles, meet safety and fuel efficiency standards and communicate with their dispatchers.
A key part of my role at Zonar was to use my skills in web development to build internal tooling for the company's software engineers and customer support team to help them troubleshoot issues in the field and gain valuable insights into live vehicle data using cloud computing and big data technology.
My portfolio of projects and experience
