Ben Norman
Digital Developer
Site
bennorman.com.au
ben@headjam.com.au
Intro
A little about me.
Hi! I'm Ben, and I make apps and websites. I've been learning and working in web development since I was 16, and getting paid for it ever since I realised that was a thing. These days I work at Headjam, a creative agency in the heart of Newcastle that does some amazing work (seriously, check them out).
My current hobbies including Javascript and canvas development, deep-fry cooking reality shows, and quoting half-remembered The Simpsons episodes.
Expertise
The things I love to do.
01
CSS3 & HTML5
The bread and butter for a front-end developer. Informed HTML structure and adherence to best-practices can have enormous benefits for a site's SEO, and precompilers such as SASS make creating modular, maintainable CSS a breeze.
02
Javascript & JS Frameworks
With ES2015, Javascript is becoming a more modern, reliable language. Frameworks such as React and AngularJS, combined with build tools like Webpack and Gulp, allow for rapid development of clean, feature-rich apps.
03
Cordova
Hybrid apps allow for fast, reliable development of mobile apps that works across multiple platforms, while still providing acess to specific device capabilities such as geolocation, file storage, and sensors.
04
Node.js & APIs
Node.js is a platform for building scalable network applications. It is extremely useful for developing APIs. APIs provide a standardised, secure communication channel between a data source and client applications.
Career
Places that paid me to do this stuff.
2013 – Present
Headjam
Senior Digital Developer
Newcastle, NSW
Headjam is a full service creative agency based in Newcastle. Our clients are primarily in the health, education, arts, and community sectors. We produce some really exciting and challenging work for these clients; everything from custom websites to bespoke hybrid mobile apps.
2012 – 2013
BYBO
Web Developer
Port Stephens, NSW
BYBO is a web design agency based in Port Stephens. I got to work with small business owners throughout process of establishing their online presence; from concept and wireframing to development and implementation.
2010 – 2012
HWA
Communications Manager
Newcastle, NSW
The newly-created position of Communications Manager involved bringing all the internal and external marketing and communications material up to scratch and into line for this local engineering firm. I also assisted stakeholders to develop proposals for major projects going to tender.
2008 – 2010
WWF
Online Manager
Sydney, NSW
As a part of WWF's Climate Change team, I got to work with many WWF national offices around the world. We produced print, broadcast, and online media content, and developed strategies to increase our programme's visibility, grow our user-base, and promote online user-engagement.
2007 – 2013
Freelance
Front-end Developer
Newcastle, NSW
As a freelancer I worked primarily with non-profits, including international organisations such as TckTckTck and WWF and local organisations such as CEN and Eco Change. I developed digital and online media such as digital product brochures, websites, and media strategies.
Education
My expensive bits of paper.
2015 – 2016
Upskilled
Diploma of Software Development
Online
I worked full-time while completing a Diploma of Software Development through a Registered Training Organisation. For my final assignment I developed an API that queried New York Stock Exchange data in real-time and provided the data to bespoke desktop and mobile clients.
2004 – 2008
University of Newcastle
Bachelor of Communications (Honours)
Newcastle, Australia
At the University of Newcastle, I studied for a Bachelor of Communications, double-majoring in Journalism and Media Production. For my honours thesis I completed a study on usability in web design for a Hunter New England Area Health nephrology clinic's website.