Mike Stenhouse

CSS, (X)HTML, Javascript/DOM, Rails, XSL, PHP

As a freelancer/contractor specialising in Accessibility/CSS/XHTML I have worked for a wide range of clients as a user interface developer, including the BBC, Business Link, the GLA, Virgin Mobile, Red Bull and PriceWaterhouse Coopers. I normally work on-site with the in-house agency teams and have also been responsible for directing small groups of developers.

At Wordtracker I am responsible for the research into and interpretation of user requirements for their Wordtracker Keywords web application. The interface is designed and developed in frequent small iterations, each step accompanied by user testing and feedback.

After initially being taken on to redesign the Trampoline Collaboration web application I moved over to specifying and designing their new product, Sonar. The details of this project are currently confidential.

With a team of designers and directing two other developers, I was responsible for the production of the XHTML/CSS front-end templates of the redesign of business.gov.uk, which complied with the XHTML 1.0, WAI 1.0 and RNIB See It Right standards. The site went on to take gold at the prestigious 2004 IVCA Awards and was commended by the BIMAs in the 'Best usability or accessibility category'.

I was called in to help Empower meet tight deadlines for one of their high profile clients, cleaning existing templates and developing new HTML/CSS ones within strict corporate coding guidelines.

Brought in after the start of the project I developed a series of innovative CSS 'plug and play' modules for the home page and V Festival sections of the Virgin Mobile Loud site that allowed Recollective's flexible CMS to add and remove content at will.

The Ramblers Association approached Milo to redesign their home page and sections of their site in preparation for a publicity blitz. Milo chose me to both design and develop accessible and standards compliant templates that would be easy to integrate with the existing site.

To aid Nykris' migration from classic HTML towards web standards I wrote a series of documents for designers, developers, project managers and potential clients covering all aspects of CSS, XHTML and Accessibility.

After a short spell as a Java Support Engineer I moved into the marketing department where I was responsible for the company’s online and offline presence. The job included re-branding the company, designing and developing the company’s web sites, designing and implementing a database system to capture lead information, designing the company collateral, print adverts and tradeshow materials, and writing a CMS for future web site maintenance. My varied role required working alone, with in-house teams and with external agencies, under creative instruction and independently, to build upon existing skills and learn new ones. The result of my work with SpiritSoft was a robust, future-proofed and easily maintainable web site, plus a strong and consistent corporate identity both on- and off- line.

My thesis was a 20,000 word piece of original research conducted over the course of a year. The time scale of the research and the intricacy of the evidence required a high degree of organisation and painstaking attention to detail, along with good time management and research skills.

The main focus of the computer science half of my degree was on object oriented programming (C++ and Visual Basic both solo and as part of a team) and SQL with relational databases. Other courses included VRML, TCP/IP and project management. The course culminated in a final large project for which I wrote a management and analysis tool for the Shropshire Archaeological Society's database of small finds.

I specialised in Egyptology for the Ancient History part of my degree, studying ancient Egyptian language and society.