Because launching websites and applications is my passion.
I love designing and building a website or application from the ground up, giving it a strong foundation with everything it needs to launch successfully, provide a rich and worthwhile user experience, and grow and adapt over time to meet and exceed the audience's ever-evolving needs.
I thoroughly plan, build, and test the content, design, and functionality of each product I create for quality, performance, usability, and purpose.
My guiding principles for each website or application I launch are to ensure that it is:
I also love helping to launch my team's careers into the future.
My management style is all about flexibility. I work with each member of my team to learn what works best with them. What's their preferred learning method? What type of communication and oversight works best for them? Do they work better under a structured approach, or does that hamper their performance? In my view, anything I can do to help each individual in my team learn and grow benefits the entire team, which in turn leads to the design and development of world-class products.
My professional career has spanned for over 25 years. As a Senior UI/UX Engineer, I have gained expertise in every step of the Software Development Life Cycle beyond my primary UI/UX specialty. I've also gained valuable experience in roles outside of Engineering, such as Marketing, Product Managment, Team Managment, Event Management, Quality Assurance, Customer Success, and Customer Support. Becoming a Team Lead and then later an Engineering Manager has helped me to build my leadership skills.
What I do »
How I do it »
Where I've done it »
How I learned it »
I've done a hefty amount of work in the past 20 years or so.
In the slides below are just a few select glimpses of some of my past projects.
Part of my freelance persona, the ever-evolving Launch Girl site.
My most recent work has been as the Senior UI/UX Engineer for a suite of SaaS applications.
For most of my projects, I've done the design from scratch or have built the design system.
For other projects, I've worked within the confines of existing brand guidelines.
Here's one of my favorite projects – a responsive, ajax-driven video service.
I've designed and developed a variety of responsive, parallax animated websites.
Doing personal sites for friends gives me a chance to try new techniques.
I've contributed to several smart phone and tablet apps and mobile sites.
Doing site designs and graphics for rock bands is always fun.
I also 'do more good', working on sites for the Salvation Army and other causes.
I love doing a suite of sites that have similar, but distinct designs, like these.
I've done lots of sites for energy companies.
Lots and lots of energy companies.
And lots of sites for travel companies.
Many of the sites I work on are secure sites, often called 'back offices'.
Practically every client I've worked on had at least one of these back office sites.
I've done lots of sites for small businesses in the past.
I've worked on a ton of government sites of various types.
And I've worked on a whole mish-mash of other types of sites.
More detail on the web, print, and multimedia projects I've completed can be found in my portfolio. Over 300 projects for over 90 clients are included in the growing list, which can be filtered by employer, industry, tasks completed, and more.
For a more focused view, you can also filter the list to show just my favorites, a selection of the projects that I'm the most proud of, or that were the most fun.
Short on time? Skip right to the nitty gritty and view my case studies – my top three most extensive recent endeavors.
I am currently working full-time, but occasionally take on new projects in my spare time. If you would like to discuss a freelance project relevant to my current skill set and experience, please email me:
Tonya Abna
tonya.abna@gmail.com
My guiding principles for each product I launch are to make sure it is:
Its most important content and features should be present and functional regardless of what browser is being used. Some things may display slightly differently in different browsers. Some bells-and-whistles that enhance the user's experience, but aren't absolutely necessary for the function of the product, might not be present in older, outdated browsers. As much as possible, fallbacks for browser issues should be implemented to keep the experience relatively consistent across all major browsers.
Its most important content and features should be present and functional regardless of what platform or device is being used. The website or application should work not only on the major operating systems of desktop computers, but also on those of mobile devices, tablets, smart phones, and laptops. This may mean that some features are handled differently on different devices – like using touch controls vs. mouse input. As much as possible, the experience should be kept relatively consistent across all major devices.
Web standards are rules and guidelines established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to promote consistency in the design code which makes up a web page. Following these standards helps ensure that search engines can easily index the website or application, assists with making sure the site structure is optimized for fast loading and organized for easier maintenance, growth, and redesign, and facilitates the consistent display on a wide range of browsers and devices both now and in the future.
A responsive website or application detects the visitor's screen size and orientation and changes the layout accordingly. The layout responds to this information both on page load and when the user rotates their device or resizes their browser, and adjusts so that the layout is optimized to be easily readable and usable on any size or orientation.
A solid mantra to follow in web design is "Don't make me think!". The user shouldn't have to figure out how to use your website or application and how to reach the content they're seeking. The product should be built in an intuitive manner using standards and design patterns that the user has seen before and understands, with wording and additional cues to assist them where needed.
Not everyone uses a website or application in the same way. There are some simple techniques that can be implemented when building a product to make the experience easier for users who have special needs. On many government sites such things are required, but it's worthwhile to always include these techniques to some degree. A small amount of work behind-the-scenes can make a huge impact on your audience.
As part of the World Wide Web, most websites or applications interact with outside resources. A site may pull in content or functionality from other repositories or may send information out. Checks and balances should always be built in so that should one or more of the resources go down (whether external or internal), that the website or application itself doesn't become completely disabled. There are many things that can be done in the code to "bullet-proof" a website, providing fallbacks or work-arounds, and providing the user with meaningful feedback when needed.
A website or application is never "done" just because it has launched. It changes and grows over time. It's important to take this into consideration during the initial build and during a redesign. Many steps can be taken to ensure that future maintenance, changes, and additions can be completed quickly and seamlessly. From carefully planning and documenting every stage of the project, to providing a solid, tested foundation of styles and functionality that will work together without conflicts (including things that aren't needed now but likely will be needed in the future), considering scalability from the onset of a project is extremely valuable to the future of the product.
Skill Level | Usage, by Year | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expert | Very Often | |||||||||||||||||||||
Advanced | Often | |||||||||||||||||||||
Experienced | Sometimes | |||||||||||||||||||||
Novice | Rarely | |||||||||||||||||||||
None | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Web Development Graphic Design Audio, Video and Animation Desktop Publishing Database Administration Business Software Operating Systems Tools Used | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
ASP, ASP & C# .Net | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of classic ASP and some ASP .Net and C# .Net to code the dynamic aspects of websites and applications. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Cold Fusion | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Cold Fusion to code the dynamic aspects of websites. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
HTML, HTML5, XHTML, Wiki Markup | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of HTML, HTML5, XHTML, and Wiki Markup to create cross-browser, cross-platform, web standards compliant websites, applications, and wiki articles. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
CSS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of CSS to create responsive, cross-browser, cross-platform stylesheets. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Sass, Less | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Sass and Less CSS preprocessors to build stylesheets dynamically with variables, functions, and mix-ins, as part of a sharable design system. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
AJAX, JavaScript, jQuery | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of AJAX, JavaScript and jQuery to implement or edit existing plugins or create custom plugins and functions for websites and applications. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
React, JSX, Typescript | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of React, JSX and Typescript to create single page applications and interactive components. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Perl CGI | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of the Perl language to create CGI scripts for web forms and counters. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Dreamweaver | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Adobe Dreamweaver to create websites, including using advanced features for templating, database interaction and site management and review. While I remain an expert level Dreamweaver user, I much prefer to hand-code my websites. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Contribute | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Adobe Contribute to create a customized, role-based content management system for a site containing over 30,000 files managed by over 50 departments. Extended the built-in features of the site with custom code to assist in site management and review. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
UltraEdit, Notepad++, EditPlus, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Atom | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of text editing and software development platforms to hand-write code, styles, and scripts for websites and applications. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Adobe XD, Sketch, InVision | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Adobe XD, Sketch and InVision to design wireframes and prototypes for print, web, and mobile. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Photoshop | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Adobe Photoshop to create and edit graphics and animations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Illustrator | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Adobe Illustrator to create and edit vector graphics. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Fireworks, Image Ready | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Adobe Image Ready and Adobe Fireworks to create and edit web graphics and gif animations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Corel Draw | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Corel Draw to create vector graphics for print. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Corel Photo Paint | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Corel Photo Paint to create and edit graphics for the web. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Flash, ActionScript, Flex | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Adobe Flash software, ActionScript coding, and Adobe Flex or Adobe FlashBuilder software to create flash video, animations, data visualizations, and applications for the web. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Sorenson Squeeze, Amazon Elastic Transcoder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of video compression software to crop, resize, combine, and compress video for varying bitrates on the web. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
iMovie, iDVD, Adobe Premiere, Ulead Media Studio Pro, Avid Xpress Pro | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of video editing software to import and edit video footage and output the finished product to dvd or to web formats. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Maya, Alias|Wavefront Studio, SoftImage | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of 3D modeling software to create 3D models and animations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Adobe Audition, Audacity, Sound Forge, Acid, Peak | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of audio editing software to create original music scores for animations and video, and to edit and clean up audio for web, animations and video. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
InDesign, Quark Xpress, Adobe PageMaker | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of desktop publishing to create books, brochures, mailers, newspaper articles and other print materials. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Microsoft SQL, MySQL | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Microsoft SQL and MySQL in creating and executing SQL statements for retrieving and updating data. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Microsoft Access, Corel Paradox, ACT! Databases | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Microsoft Access and other database software to access and update data and create reports. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Jira | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Atlassian Jira for issue tracking and workflows, and project management. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Confluence, Sococo | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Atlassian Confluence or Sococo for team collaboration and documentation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Git, BitBucket, Sourcetree, VSS, TFS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Git and Git Bash, Atlassian BitBucket, Atlassian Sourcetree Microsoft Visual SourceSafe (VSS), or Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS) for source . | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Word, Google Docs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Microsoft Word or Google Docs software in creating and editing documents. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Excel, Google Sheets | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets software in creating and editing spreadsheets. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
PowerPoint, Google Slides | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides software in creating, editing, and animating presentations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Acrobat | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Adobe Acrobat Professional software in creating and editing PDFs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Email Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of email software as a communication and file sharing tool, including experience with setting up email accounts and signature files and in creating html emails for marketing and informative purposes for multiple email platforms. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Instant Message Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of instant messaging software as a communication and file sharing tool between coworkers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Scanning Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of scanning software to import documents and images for print and web. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Windows | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of the Microsoft Windows Operating System, including experience with software and hardware installation and removal, system maintenance, and usage of DOS commands. Also includes extensive experience coding and testing websites and applications for Windows desktops, tablets, phones and other mobile devices. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Apple/iOS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Apple Operating Systems on various platforms, including experience with software installation and removal and system maintenance. Also includes extensive experience coding and testing websites for iOS desktops, tablets, phones and other mobile devices. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Android | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of Android Operating Systems on various platforms, including experience with software installation and removal and system maintenance. Also includes extensive experience coding and testing websites for Android tablets, phones and other mobile devices. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
UNIX/Linux | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Usage of the UNIX/Linux Operating System, including experience with UNIX programming and commands. |
Education kept current with classes, conferences, and online training on UI/UX and software development topics.