imdaniel

During my time at GlobalOrange I get to work on more projects than just one. I started my work here inheriting a React based platform where clients could see and monitor their efficient space usage. The platform had poor performance and bad practices, so slowly we implemented more and more improvements. Problems such as: inflexible data rendering, API calls with loads of unnecessary data, rendering tons of images that weren't even visible unless you expanded an accordion just to name a few. I did this with help from a great backend engineer and together we improved the platform's performance and design.

After this project we had another project that we inherited which made use of Contentful as a backend and NextJS as a frontend. This company had many different gyms under different brand names scattered accross Amsterdam. It used another external system where the company stored all their user data, club data and membership offers. The problem is that this external system wasn't able to provide us with enough information that we had to display according to the design. So we had to create and synchronize (by ID) the same "type" of content inside of Contentful. For example, a club has an ID in this external system, then we make sure we also make a club in Contentful with the same ID. Then any fields that were missing in this external system we would put in Contentful. Then whenever a call was made from the Frontend, we needed to make sure to fetch data from both the external system and Contentful and merge it together.

In my work I take the lead on anything Frontend. Whether it's about interviewing potential new colleagues, standardization of best practices & architecture, and making sure features get translated properly from design, to Jira and eventually to the web.

As a Frontend Engineer at OneWelcome/Thales, I architected the Frontend for our key React applications, ensuring that Redux was effectively implemented for scalable and maintainable code. I took the lead in the creation of a microfrontend architecture using Webpack Module Federation, enabling us to develop isolated features that integrated seamlessly into larger applications.

One of my notable contributions was the creation of reusable packages that significantly reduced code duplication. For instance, I developed an OIDC authentication package and a microfrontend event handling package to streamline interactions to and from the host container.

Our team maintained a comprehensive React component library, showcased through an instance of Storybook. I went the extra mile to improve the library by creating a custom Storybook plugin that allowed users to easily configure different aspects of components, such as colors and font sizes. This ensured that our applications were not only functional but also visually consistent, adhering to our design standards.

Quality was very important within our frontend development team. We employed a rigorous code review process and adhered to best practices ranging from performance optimization and accessibility to responsive design. Our collective aim was to consistently deliver an outstanding user experience.

Starting out in 2018 as a junior frontend developer, I was responsible for creating, configuring, and maintaining WordPress websites and Magento 2 webshops. Our designer provided the designs, and we were tasked with converting them into interactive websites that worked on both modern and older browsers (down to Internet Explorer 11). In those first 8 to 9 months, I learned a lot from my colleagues and grew exponentially.

When my fellow Frontend Developer left after 8 months, I became the sole person handling frontend implementations for the Magento 2 side. Although we had a full-stack developer for the WordPress projects who could help if I got really stuck, my role expanded significantly. I led initiatives to ensure the quality and performance of our web applications while continuing my work on website development. I was also given the opportunity to improve our developer experience by creating a standard theme for Magento 2 and standardizing configurations and setups.

My work extended to VPS configurations and the development of progressive web apps using technologies like VueJS and NuxtJS. One standout project involved transforming WordPress into a headless CMS and seamlessly integrating it with our NuxtJS-based PWA solution. Additionally, I mentored junior and intern frontend developers, guiding them through code reviews and supporting their professional growth.