I'm a web developer, designer and systems engineer with a strong focus on cutting edge open source technologies, frameworks and libraries predominantly in the Javascript eco-system. I have built full stack, database-driven web applications, ecommerce solutions and lightning fast statically generated content-centric websites.

Over the last couple of years I've been using AstroJS for content-driven websites. Astro is a next generation Javascript framework that allows developers to build blazingly fast, standards-based websites that provide an exceptional end user experience. Astro orchestrates components and tooling from other well-known frameworks and technologies and bundles them into a tiny, performance-optimised package.

Unlike other, ancient PHP-based web frameworks that try to be all things to all men, Astro focuses on being a frontend framework. It does not have an admin panel for adding content; instead it takes the more modern approach of being easily integrated into headless applications such as CMS. There are lots of great CMS options but I've found Directus to offer a superb developer experience whilst being ridiculously easy to adapt for non-technical users. Astro and Directus can be integrated simply and easily giving you the freedom to structure your content in whichever way you see fit.

Shopify has ruled the roost for a number of years now, and although a powerful platform it's incredibly expensive if you require any level of flexibility or integration with external systems. Thankfully open source solutions such as MedusaJS have emerged that provide a headless, modular, API-based ecommerce platform that can be easily adapted for use with all modern frontend frameworks.

Headless, modular, API-based web technologies make it easy to evolve ideas into fully-fledged applications that can be adapted and integrated into existing systems. I've implemented solutions that span the full depth of the 'stack' - frontend, identity, authorisation, session and state management, databases, APIs and more. I look to work with modern JS-based backend frameworks such as NodeJS, Deno and Bun over archaic PHP-based frameworks and server components.

I try to automate anything that's repetitive and shouldn't need human intervention. Creating workflow automations and CI/CD pipelines makes the task of deploying, maintaining and updating applications completely time-neutral. I like to add simple webhook-based integrations to provide notifications, reports and information via chat, email, WhatsApp etc.

AI as an integral part of the development, debugging, refinement and refactoring process. Furthermore, building AI into your web applications should be given strong consideration. Not because it's a buzzword but because LLMs, RAGs and other AI tools add value and efficiency when used correctly, helping you stay ahead of the competition and relevant to your audience.