Summary
Hi, I'm Dan! As well as the standard expertise in React and Typescript, 20 years of being the glue between design & development has given me a collaborative focus and a great eye for UX, while 10 years in contract roles means I’m well-versed in adapting to new teams, patterns and codebases; vital qualities in the ever changing front end stack.
Whether I'm leading design system rollouts, shipping scalable UI libraries, or dragging legacy platforms into 2025, I bring a curious, pragmatic, user-first approach to every project. I'm keen to join an in-house product team where I can help shape the tech, processes & culture, together.
At a glance
NextJS:
4 yearsTypeScript:
4 yearsReact:
6 yearsStorybook:
6 yearsDesign systems:
10 yearsJavaScript:
12 yearsHTML/CSS:
19 years
Skills
JavaScript & Frameworks
Focused on the evolving React ecosystem since 2018, with the last few years in Next.js, alongside projects in Astro and Gatsby. Mainly TypeScript for SPAs & SSR apps in Next.js (v12–15). REST APIs, Redux, Context, React Query, & GraphQL. Bits of backend in Deno, Node & PHP, keen to expand to full-stack.
Testing
E2E with Playwright. Unit testing with Jest, React Testing Library. AB testing with Optimizely. Visual regression (and UX approval) with Chromatic.
Styling
Proficient in Tailwind CSS for DX & scalability, with experience in Chakra-UI, CSS-in-JS (styled-components, CSS modules), and preprocessors like SASS. Focused on scalable, efficient styling.
Semantics
Developed a strong foundation in semantic HTML for accessibility, SEO, & responsive design from working with EMEA brands (e.g., Vauxhall, Colgate). Expertise in building scalable, device-agnostic UIs.
Design systems
Advocate for design-system thinking to scale quality and consistency, from rapid prototyping to greenfield component libraries to maintaining living style guides.
Collaboration
Enjoy partnering with UX and Product from discovery to delivery. Value teamwork through pairing, code reviews, knowledge sharing and mentoring.
Tooling
VS Code, Docker, Webpack, Yarn/PNPM, Git. CI/CD with Travis, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions. Project management in Jira, Trello, Fibery.
Experience
Software Engineer
Altium
In-house product team in a multinational company
Cambridge, Remote
Sept 2023 - Dec 2024
1y 4m contract, renewed twice
As part of Octopart’s in-house web team, I helped modernise a high-traffic legacy codebase serving over 2.3 million monthly users. Worked closely with engineers, designers, & product managers in a tightly knit, cross-functional team.
- Led Styled JSX to Tailwind migration after evaluating multiple styling strategies
- Built & rolled out a new design system using Storybook & Chromatic for documentation, UX alignment, and visual regression testing
- Shipped redesigned UX filters (+4% usage) and SEO-optimised landing page templates that boosted indexing & organic traffic
- Introduced E2E testing with Playwright to support maintainability
- Advocated for a shift away from Redux & too broad Context in favour of more scalable state patterns
- Contributed to key tech upgrades: pnpm, Node 20, Next.js 14 (App Router), & GraphQL rewrites
- Active participant in Agile ceremonies; helped sustain team momentum through collaboration & continuous improvement
Senior Frontend Developer
EDD London
Agency
Hackney London, Hybrid
Jul 2022 - Apr 2023
Contract
Key role in developing booking platforms & a CMS agency showcase from the ground up, using TypeScript, React, and Next.js for dynamic SSR & seamless UX.
- Spearheaded the development & integration of reusable React components, leading two devs in the build.
- Built a custom UI library extending Chakra UI’s theming framework, enabling white-label support.
- Utilized React Hook Forms, framer-motion, and MSW for robust form handling, animations, and API mockups.
- Developed data fetching and state management with React Query & custom Headless CMS integrations.
UX Developer
Lightbydan
In-house
London, Remote
Nov 2022 - Jan 2023
Contract
Designed, developed, and deployed a photography showcase as the sole developer. Built with TypeScript, Gatsby, GraphQL, and Chakra-UI, deployed via Netlify. Integrated Formik for form handling and Firebase for backend services.
React Developer
Festicket
In-house
London, Remote
Apr 2021 - Jul 2022
Contract
Joined a product team to develop internal portals & partner-facing features for a ticket marketplace platform, working within a large React/Redux codebase.
Worked mostly with TypeScript, Redux Toolkit & React-i18next. Jest for testing, PHP templates (Twig, PHPTal) for legacy page layout, and Jenkins CI/CD pipelines.
Full Stack Dev
BDH
Agency
Bristol, Remote
Feb 2021
Contract
Brought on initially as frontend, I quickly identified backend gaps and took ownership of improving the MVP. Worked with React, Redux, Express, and Socket.io to enhance both frontend and backend components.
React Developer
Jollywise
Agency
Brighton, Remote
Sept 2020 - Mar 2021
Contract
Spearheaded frontend React & Redux-heavy revamp for Cartoon Network’s “Elliot from Earth,” with a new design, api & components. Also contributed to other interactive projects, SPAs & mini-games.
Senior FE Dev
EDD London
Agency
Hackney London, On-site
Feb 2020 - Jun 2020
Contract
Built React UI components for a camera rental eCommerce site & then led on overhauling the layout from desktop-specific to device-agnostic. Introduced animated transitions to enhance user experience across mobile and tablet devices.
Senior FE Dev
Rehab Agency
Agency
Spitalfields London, On-site
Oct 2019 - Feb 2020
Contract
Built a SCORM-based anti-phishing educational tool using React, CSS modules and JSON. 8 localisations of 6 lessons meant a lot of JSON. Ended up leading the field and advising parallel projects to bring them up to speed.
Frontend Developer
YunoJuno
In-house
Bermondsey London, Hybrid
May 2019 - Aug 2019
Contract
Implemented a new registration and onboarding system for YunoJuno’s freelancer platform using React and modular SCSS, improving the user experience and streamlining the sign-up process.
UI Developer
22 design
Agency
London, On-site
May 2018 - Oct 2018
Contract
Boutique agency role where projects included an HTML5 banner for the front page of Talk Talk, updates to an OpenCart eCommerce site, and other HTML5 and JS interactive elements.
Frontend Developer
KoffeeCup
Agency
London, On-site
May 2018 - Sept 2018
Contract
Picked up Angular to overhaul & update a Cordova app for on-site tablet & kiosk deployment at a client event.
FE Dev & CSS Architect
YunoJuno
In-house
Bermondsey London, Hybrid
Jul 2015 - Dec 2017
Contract
Built out an evolving UX & Frontend, tamed legacy startup CSS, and maintained an extensive design system using practical BEM, Stylus/SASS & Django templating, later moving to React.
Lead on a platform-wide redesign with a single CSS retheme for a seamless & non-destructive transition.
Frontend Developer
VooDooBytes
Agency
London, On-site
May 2014 - Jun 2015
Contract
Developed sites & eCommerce for clients like agreatplacetobe, Cameraworks, Heineken, Rex & Mariano, DMB represents & Blossom Hill. Used Mixture, Sass, Liquid, & jQuery for integration to Umbraco.
Interface Developer
Maynard Malone
Agency
London, On-site
Feb 2014 - Apr 2014
Contract
Worked on a content-driven site for Organix, quickly learning Drupal and using PHP, CSS, & jQuery to implement new sections.
Permanent roles 2006 - 2015
Creative Technologist
MetaBroadcast
In-house
London, On-site
Jul 2014 - Jun 2015
Part-time
Joined a backend engineering team to build experimental UIs using JavaScript to consume and test TV metadata APIs for the BBC. Also wrote for the company blog and spoke at monthly meetups.
Senior Interactive Web Developer
VML London
Agency
Camden London, On-site
Nov 2012 - Feb 2014
Full-time
Responsive CSS/UX Lead on builds from microsites to enterprise-level CQ builds, for Colgate, Premier Inn & Premier League.
- Frontend lead on a 6-month fluid mobile build (£3M revenue pw, 500k dailies).
- Organised knowledge-sharing workshops. Portraits & events photographer.
Interface Developer
MRM London
Agency
Southwark London, On-site
Apr 2006 - Nov 2012
Full-time
Starting as an Associate before promotion to Front-End Developer and then Interface Developer, I worked in HTML, CSS & jQuery to reconcile the work of copywriters, designers & backend, to build & localise sites & HTML emails for clients like Intel, Nationwide, Vauxhall, Sky Movies, MSN & MasterCard.
- Intel facebook campaign, & iPad/PhoneGap apps for Regus & The Mall.
- Championed responsive & parallax design.
- Led initiatives in bridging the tech & creative teams.
- Presented on company values & best practice.
Info
Education:
2004 Warwick University, BEng in Mechanical EngineeringLocation:
Poplar, LondonWebsite:
dangovan.comEmail:
dangovan@proton.meLinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/dangovan