Chris Underwood

HTML & CSS... a match made in heaven. Well, if heaven was created by a front-end developer. I created my first website using basic HTML and CSS over 15 years ago when I was still in High School. Website design and development has been a passion of mine since the days of AOL Pages, HotDog, HomeSite, and FrontPage. If you just cringed at the very mention of those website builder tools, you and I will get along just fine. Or, if none of those ring a bell, trust me when I say you'll be fine not knowing what they are. Website development and the tools we use have come a very long way since the '90s but I can't dismiss them completely. Good in their day, they at least provided a basic platform for those like myself interested in building websites. It was these primitive tools that sparked my interests and the drive to become a professional website developer which still exists and is even more profound today than it was 15 years ago.

Responsive (and adaptive) development involves the creation of custom CSS and sometimes JS/jQuery code to produce unique visual layouts & user experiences while utilizing the existing HTML markup within a website instead of creating an entirely new "mobi" website like the days of old. This added code produces easier to use, less obtrusive website experiences when viewed on mobile devices like smart phones and tablets and over the last few years I've created semi-responsive (sites only needing certain elements to adapt) and fully responsive websites. Multiple studies have proven if your website doesn't look or perform well on a mobile device you are losing potential leads & ultimately new business.

I've been using WordPress, an open-source content management system, over the last 10 years for numerous individuals and businesses of all sizes. I'm well versed in creating custom themes, plugins, widgets, and other functionality using the WordPress API. I also have experience migrating small and even extremely large WordPress websites & databases.

Soon after the first couple of personal websites I created in the mid to late '90s, I began learning JavaScript in an effort to further enhance my website visitors' experiences with basic to advanced JavaScript functions such as date based operations, fun and silly questionnaires/quizzes, animations, and so on. Although it is needed less and less due to the creation of jQuery, which makes DOM manipulation so much easier and less time consuming, I still seldomly use pure JavaScript to this day.

I use jQuery in some form on all of my websites to help with front-end development, functionality, and user interface experiences. I've used quite a few jQuery plugins in the past and I'm also able to create custom jQuery functions when a plugin is overkill or just won't work as needed.

My PHP experience goes hand in hand with my 10 years of experience with custom WordPress development. Not only have I been using PHP within the confines of the WordPress environment but I've also used it for custom content management systems and a few other lesser known frameworks.

Looking to set up an online store? By way of WordPress, Magento, Shopify, etc. I've built a variety of e-commerce sites from large to small and can help you with yours.