Matthew McAdams

Front-End Engineer, Designer, and Developer Advocate

Curriculum Vitae | August 2024

mattmcadams.com · [email protected] · 205.435.5745

Summary

  • Firmly established developer advocate currently working in the front-end user experience field as a designer, developer, user advocate, and now leader, having been in the creative and design industry for over ten years.
  • Directed a system to assist clients in refining their web architecture, as well as establishing and maintaining quality control, CI/CD workflows, and client-developer relationships.
  • Worked with all stages of the product lifecycle and collaborating with leaders involved to ensure a realistic, well-tested, and delightful end user experience.
  • Experience training developers, hosting workshops, and adivising stakeholders on the development team's behalf.
  • Passionate about technology, best practices, and always learning the latest industry developments and viability; with several personal open source code projects.

Experience

  1. Associate Director, Web Strategy

    The University of Alabama
    Division of Strategic Communications

    2022 - Present

    Responsible for supervision and management of the day-to-day operations of the web development staff, set web development standards for websites and applications, and manage code deployment systems and architecture used by the department. Lead collaboration efforts with developers in other campus units and serve as a primary support person for critical UA web infrastructure used by high-profile University websites.

    Projects

    • Minerva Web Framework architecture
    • WordPress Theme architecture
    • Web documentation hub
    • Directory web app

  2. Frontend Developer

    Shadow Dragon

    2022 - 2022

    Designing and developing user interfaces for open source intelegence software used for monitoring, link analysis, and user management. Work with backend API developers on data architecture and integration with frontend products, and engage in cross-departmental collaboration to implement user experience improvements to internal tools.

  3. Senior Web & User Experience Designer

    The University of Alabama
    Division of Strategic Communications

    2020 - 2022

    Responsible for the definition of requirements, web design, front-end code, content, and development activities within UA's institutional web framework and content management system. Advising leadership on best practices, University standards in web content strategy, accessibility, information architecture, and user experience

    Projects

    • Admissions website refresh
    • Capital Campaign website design (Gold ADDY)
    • Definition of new design system
    • Development of new institutional Wordpress theme
    • Technical and Design documentation

  4. Student Assistant - Web Development

    The University of Alabama at Brimingham
    Department of Information Technology

    2016 - 2020

    Responsible for maintaining website content, tracking analytics, and creating mockups, as well as developing new web pages using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

    Projects

    • 2017, 2018, and 2019 Annual Reports
    • TechConnect branding and website
    • Internal design system
    • Design documentation and graphics standards
    • Website rebuilds

  5. Print Technician

    OfficeMax

    2015 - 2016

    Working with clients to design and print a variety of products, overseeing print orders and job progress, printing, cutting, laminating, and binding products. Responsible for maintaining printing equipment and tracking supplies

  6. Silkscreen Printmaker

    Designs on You

    2013 - 2015

    Developing and reclaiming screens before and after production, aligning and calibrating the printing press, as well as making prints on fabric and paper media

Service

  1. Design for Good

    Freelance

    2020 - Present

    Pro-bono projects for regional clients, local non-profits, and under-served communities. Using thoughtful design to create a positive impact in our community, as a medium for social change, and to encourage economical development for local businesses

  2. Graphic Designer

    Bloom Studio

    2019

    Student run design studio focusing on "Design for Good" projects for local clients

    Clients

    • Cahaba River Society
    • Birmingham Audubon Society
    • Historic 16th Street Baptist Church
    • Birmingham Botanical Gardens
    • Aveda Institute
    • Paddle the Gulf
    • Plain Schemer LLC

Education

The University of Alabama at Birmingham

2020

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Cum Laude - Graphic and Web Design

Honors & Awards

  1. Innovator of the Year

    Minerva Web Framework
    University of Alabama Division of Strategic Communications

    2022

  2. Gold ADDY

    Consumer Website
    The Rising Tide Capital Campaign

    2022

  3. SIGGUS Communication Award

    Best in Show
    UABIT 2017 Annual Report website

    2017

Exhibitions

  1. BFA Exhibition

    Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts
    Birmingham, Alabama

    2020

  2. Putnam Birds & Trees

    Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts
    Birmingham, Alabama

    2018

    Collaboration with Putnam Middle School, Desert Island Supply Co, and the Birmingham Audubon Society to produce a mobile app encouraging students to learn about nature and express their creativity through poetry

Personal Projects

  • Color Scale app

    A web app designed to make harmoneous color scales using various digital color mixing techniques, easing, and graphing.

    2024 - Present

    Check out colorscale.app and it's GitHub source.

  • Dotfiles

    Backup system for dotfiles, common system configurations, and scripts to make my life a little easier. Very much a work in progress, but an interesting project none the less.

    2022 - Present

    Check out my dotfiles on GitHub

  • CSS Boilerplate

    An open source boilerplace for websites focusing on smart style and consistency.

    2021 - Present

    Check out the CSS Boilerplate on GitHub

  • Typefaces

    A group of typefaces I've published

    2019 - 2020