Brad Fulford

• Software service for Architects and Designers to configure parametric models of furniture, both fitted and freestanding, that can then be submitted directly to CNC mills to be cut to exact dimensions and delivered to site 🚚 for assembly by joiners or the client thems️elves, depending on the project.
• Initially kick-started through InnovateUK grant funding, now seeking Round 1 investment through various channels.
• First task was stripping back the wildly overcomplicated MVP that was semi-finished, which was built on Kubernetes and struggling to be deployed at all at handover. 🥲
• Next was getting to grips with the Trimble Sketchup API and the novelties of working inside the stripped down Chrome-based browser built into SKP, and then continuing work on a Ruby plugin allowing us to interact with the SKP from our Typescript app.
• Now ~1.5 years on (of part-time work on the project) we have a functioning Node backend/API, 3 frontend NextJS apps deployed on Netlify, including the public-facing website, and the Ruby/Typescript Sketchup plugin.
• More info can be found on the website if my attempt to describe it has left you with more questions than before... or if you or someone you know is interested in signing up! 🎉 👋🏻

• Contract development for various clients and projects, including a major portion of Shopify development.
• This ranged from:
  • reworking existing themes following UX audits;
  • integrating with external products and services (ReCharge/Stripe);
  • full site rebuilds starting from the newest Shopify 2.0 starter theme (Dawn), utilising the wide arrange of JSON schema-based customisable settings functionality to allow clients to tweak their own sites and mitigate the need for agency devs every time they need to change a hero image or some simple copy.
• Other work has included simpler websites with small bespoke elements, MVP proof-of-concept style system using low-code + minimum coding to get a system up and running for a healthcare startup, and a wildcard project, which turned out to be a great case-study for me, creating a lightweight booking system for a campsite, also using low-code options such as Airtable to start using the system ASAP and keep costs low.
• We then allowed the product to evolve by conducting user testing with staff and owners before making any decisions on code architecture/features. The clients seem pleased what we've put together with the limited resources, now having:
  • an online booking form on their website allowing customers to make enquiries directly into the booking system;
  • an admin portal where they can view the availability/bookings calendar and the pending enquiries;
  • they then view the enquiries, confirm if there is suitable availability for the date(s), and can send the customer a Payment Link which automatically marks bookings as paid when the payment is received through Stripe.

• Contract development for MVP product/subscription service, aiming to use tech to help people improve their cooking.
• Think Strava for cooking (no affiliation, please don't sue me) - a hardware device that sits surreptitiously under your cooker hood, and when it "sees" you cooking, it records and packages up a timelapse video of you preparing your meal, finally saving that into your cooking "Diary" to peruse later.
• I mostly worked on the frontend web app, which housed the Diary of individual cooking sessions, and then later as the project evolved, an interface for recording and playing back of voiceover feedback over previous cooking sessions, enabling input from Moment's team of professional chefs in a coaching programme.
• The tech stack was the leanest I've ever worked on, which was both refreshing and brought its own difficulties (state management, dynamic UI re-rendering, native video player control) but on the whole it gave me some great experience I otherwise wouldn't have now.
• Some super interesting exposure to Machine Learning stuff (how do we know when someone is cooking, or are they just cleaning? When is the meal "finished" to snap a still for the session thumbnail?) within the team too, talking through logical ways to solve things I had never had to think about in my previous work, and definitely things I could see myself getting a little deeper into in the future.

• Food and drink discovery app + website.
• Unfortunately short but sweet employment due to the effects of COVID-19 on hospitality.
• Worked across the 5+ project repo’s, mostly as the sole non-furloughed developer.
• Implemented major feature changes e.g. facilitate delivery/contact-free pick-up through app/website/API.
• Also sole developer on a new project (Bristol Pantry) using Shopify.

• Greenfield project, as part of a four person team
• Built a bespoke CRM platform (to replace existing in-house software)
• Opened it up to be a multi-tenancy CRM platform (sold as a cloud-based SaaS) which allowed venues the ability to manage their events and clients end-to-end
• Working to tight budget and timelines with an Agile workflow, with significant collaboration and specialism overlap in the small team
• Responded to real time comments from internal users before releasing to the general public;
• Personally responsible for augmenting the core system with multiple smaller, auxiliary applications/widgets [React/Vue], packaged and deployed via CDN to be embedded in various websites, linked to the main system with APIs.

• Started casual freelance projects with my brother when I was 15;
• He managed the business and projects themselves, I taught myself to code (PHP);
• Started with very standard Wordpress websites for clients, progressed to custom plug-ins and a couple of Magento e-commerce stores;
• After 3 years of full-time development, I was leveraging new (but relatively stable) technologies such as Gatsby/Next.js to build client projects solo;
• Not a huge amount of time for extra work, so maybe 2-3 projects a year still.
• Also always have the typical side-project(s) on the go;
• Most recently, I’ve started work on an app to try to make moving house less environmentally wasteful.

During these two roles, my main responsibilities were:

• Meeting with clients to discuss their requirements and/or vision;
• Creating/critiquing/submitting drawings at all project stages;
• Increasing efficiency within the practices by introducing new technologies.

During my roles in hospitality, I was responsible for:

• Managing staff and inventory;
• Recognising what clients are looking for, even if they were not sure themselves (mostly sandwiches, no one can choose sandwiches);
• Training new members of staff;
• Generally developing a good rapport with the public and regulars in particular.