Curriculum Vitae - Adam Taylor

I'm a creative, skilled and efficient developer who is hugely enthusiastic about the Web in all its forms. I'm an independent learner, able and willing to spend as much of my own time as necessary to crack a problem - solving problems in an elegant way is something I love. I'm a born communicator, verbally and in writing, and able to put across complex concepts in an entertaining and relaxed way.

I'm expert in (X)HTML and CSS, especially with regard to Accessibility and cross-browser issues. I've also got professional experience in JavaScript and the DOM, XML and XSLT, ASP and PHP. I've built and managed SQL Server databases through several versions. I've created many sites from scratch and redesigned many more. I've been very successful with optimising sites for Search Engine position, especially with Google.

Portfolio:

Snow Goose Chalet

A small but perfectly-formed site for an attractive skiing chalet in Bulgaria - as always, accessible and Standards-based. Briefed as 'comforting and welcoming'...

Happy Manuals

Happy's latest venture is a site where manuals can be uploaded and shared, often without licensing charges. The design is a departure from the other Happy sites, and is entirely my own work. It's intended to be both intuitive and modern, while maximising the utility of the available screen space. XHTML, CSS, Javascript, on a 'Classic' ASP & SQL Server platform. As always, both front-end and back-end have been developed entirely in-house (by me!).

Happy eLearning

Here's Happy Computers' sister site devoted to online learning, with a design based around the original Happy look. It's the largest of our projects, that is expanding to a rewrite and re-style of the LMS and the learning material itself. Throughout, accessibility has been a primary concern, and the site has been put together to be easily accessed by users with a wide range of needs via a set of XSLT transforms to XML content. Behaviour and presentation are through in-house JavaScript and CSS, respectively.

CSS Demos

This is a set of assorted CSS / XHTML tricks and conceptual demos, mostly cribbed from design cognoscenti across the Web in my attempts to teach myself CSS and apply it. It serves as a test-bed for advanced CSS techniques - all the code is available for others to take and adapt for their own uses.

New York

In November 2002 I had a thoroughly enjoyable trip to the States, and here's the site showcasing my (admittedly amateurish) photographic skills... Of the sites I've created for my own amusement, this is my favourite. It's hand-coded XHTML and CSS, with some homebrew JavaScript.

Weird Carnival

Originally this began as an experiment using Dreamweaver and a pile of JavaScript-activated layers to produce 'tab-style' navigation; a roughly-organised set of odd places and people on the Web. It's since mutated into something entirely hand-coded; it remains a test-bed for CSS, (X)HTML and homebrew JavaScript.

Mortal Wombat Freeforms

The latest version of the first site I ever created. It was originally built with the venerable NetObjects 2.0; since then I've continually improved it, moving to a more accessible and standards-compliant hand-coded design. It's now built with PHP includes, XHTML and CSS.

Professional Experience:

Happy Ltd, London E1

1998 to Present

Web Developer - Happy eLearning

Feb 2005 to present

Converted Happy portal site to new, cleaner and modern design. Accessible, XHTML Strict.
Converted current Happy Computers sites to run via Joomla CMS; I heavily modified the backend PHP to output accessible/Standards-based code.
Built, designed and coded Happy Manuals from scratch; site for free and licensed training manual downloads. Includes homebuilt shop integration with WorldPay.
Built XML/XSLT templating system ('Content Machine') from scratch; coded in 'classic' ASP as replacement for 'Control Station' application. Vastly speeded up production of course materials as a result.
Responsibility for production of new courses via XML 'Control Station' and XSLT templates. Creating new XSLT to convert XML content to a new accessible / Standards-based format, including 'unobtrusive' JavaScripting.
Creating bespoke CBT materials for Happy eLearning's corporate and government customers.
Continuing responsibility for full re-vamp of Happy eLearning sites; dividing materials into proper content, presentation and behavioural layers, while allowing for easy corporate branding where needed.

Web Manager - Happy Computers

Jan 2003 to Jan 2005

Continuing responsibility for troubleshooting, updating and managing Happy's sites.
Created site for Pan-African Development, Education and Advocacy Programme (PADEAP) as part of voluntary charity contribution. The success of the new site led to other web design projects.
Campaigned for and undertook re-working of original table-based FrontPage Happy Computers site to follow WAI Accessibility and usability guidelines under XHTML Strict.
During allocated six-month period I used my own time to learn cross-browser CSS, XHTML and ASP.
Redesigned and rebuilt the site using home-grown CSS / ASP templates, meeting the deadline to go live in January 2004. NB: I no longer have responsibility for this site, and it's since been altered.
Redesigned and rebuilt sister site Happy eLearning, going live on schedule in September 2004, as a companion to the Happy Computers design.
Created XSLT templating to transform old online learning material into standards-based accessible XHTML as part of large-scale revamp of Happy eLearning.

Senior IT Trainer

1998 to Jan 2003

Specialising in Web Design and Network Admin courses, I trained full-time for Happy Computers on- and off-site.
Became Happy Computers lead web design trainer; created HTML, Dreamweaver and FrontPage courses for all levels of expertise.
Took responsibility for introducing CSS and semantic XHTML design techniques into existing courses. Transferred these skills to other trainers to bring them up-to-date with modern web design theories.
Responsible for answering all Happy Computers web-related helpline calls; met all agreed SLAs in this area.
Gained experience of full Microsoft Office suite, FrontPage, Photoshop, and Quark Xpress to a high level.
Lead Trainer for Yell.co.uk project with Yellow Pages in 1999; trained over 1000 Sales and Admin staff in Internet principles, concentrating on web hosting and Domain name sales.

Mortal Wombat, London SE11

1997

Writer, Editor and Administrator

Wrote and edited one-off project of half a million words; contributing approx one third of text; organised historical research and work of six writers.
Developed formatting and layout for resulting work The Feast of All Souls using Word 6.0.
Created first website using NetObjects Fusion v2.0 and 3.0. for Mortal Wombat (here's the latest iteration).

Mac Supplies Ltd, Perivale

1996

Testing and Returns Administrator

Responsible for returned stock for entire group; Macintosh and PC software / hardware. Administration of above; testing of suspect hardware. Created bespoke Returns database for group. Gained experience with Macintosh GUI, apps and hardware.

Dolomore Group Ltd, London SE1

1995 to 1996

Group Buyer in Chief

Overview of wine and spirits group purchases (UK and Overseas); responsible for stocks of largest UK agency lines, reporting directly to CEO. Produced reports on all stock levels; increased work with spreadsheets, pulling in data from in-house database to Excel for analysis. Sourced new national lines.

Ebury Mathiot Wines Ltd, London SE1

1992 to 1995

Assistant Buyer

Feb 1994 to Sept 1995

Sole responsibility for maintaining stock levels of all UK purchases; some 500 lines involved. Overseeing the work of two clerks and organisation/administration of departmental budget and accounts payable. Administration of exports. Lotus 1-2-3 / Windows 3.11 / MS-DOS experience gained.

Customer Services

Nov 1992 to Feb 1994

Sole customer liaison for sister company (Michael Druitt Agencies); dealing with prestige hotel/restaurant and national accounts, handling orders and invoicing; some organisation of delivery schedules.

Porter and Laker Ltd, London SE11

1988 to 1991

Shipping Clerk

June 1988 to Dec 1991

Customer liaison and organisation of groupage shipping of wines and spirits; up to ten full trailer-loads a week from wine-producing countries all over the world. Administration of invoicing and international customs procedures.

Accounts Clerk

Jan 1988 to June 1988

Basic accounting; purchasing and sales ledger; chasing payments and fending off creditors.