15+ Years Building Web Software
Developer, Not an Agency
A hands-on developer based in Hull, East Yorkshire. Building for the web since 2009, and still writing code every day.
How I Got Here
From agency founder to hands-on technical lead
The Early Years
I started in web development in 2009, initially specialising in Magento and WordPress. Back then, that meant PHP, MySQL, and a lot of server configuration. I learned by doing — building real sites for real clients.
In 2011, I founded Nailed It Design, a Magento and WordPress development agency. We handled everything from small business sites to complex eCommerce builds. Running an agency taught me as much about clients and communication as it did about code.
Growing & Evolving
In 2016, that business merged with a marketing company to form The Northern Foundry. I worked as Technical Director, leading development on larger projects that combined eCommerce, SEO, and PR. It was a different kind of challenge — bigger teams, more stakeholders, enterprise-level complexity.
In 2018, I sold my shares in The Northern Foundry and joined H&H Comms, an internal communications agency. This was a deliberate break from traditional eCommerce. I needed to reset. During this period, I got hands-on experience building headless software solutions using modern JavaScript frameworks — particularly Vue.js and API-driven architectures. It changed how I think about web development.
Always Hands-On
By 2020, eCommerce pulled me back in. But something had changed. After years of building on other people's platforms — WordPress, Magento, Drupal — I was done patching. Done with plugin sprawl. Done with upgrade dread.
So I built my own CMS.
HD CMS started as a side project and became a production platform powering 15+ live business websites. Pages, blog, products, bookings, CRM — all built in. API-first. Block-based. Designed to be maintained by one developer using AI at scale.
The title has changed over the years — Technical Director, Head of Development, Senior Developer — but the work hasn't. I write code. I solve problems. I build systems that people actually use. Now I build them on a platform I own end to end.
What I Do
Full-stack development across multiple platforms and technologies
Why PWAs Matter
Progressive Web Apps for real-world use cases
Beyond the Buzzword
Progressive Web Apps aren't new technology — service workers and app manifests have been around for years. But the use cases are finally catching up with the capabilities.
I'm particularly interested in PWAs for environments with poor connectivity. Not everyone has fast, reliable internet. Field workers, warehouse staff, remote locations — these are real scenarios where offline-first architecture makes a tangible difference.
Mobile-first isn't a design trend anymore. It's table stakes. PWAs let you deliver app-like experiences without the friction of app stores, while still working when the network doesn't.
Why Headless Architecture
Separation of concerns for long-term flexibility
Built to Evolve
After years of working with monolithic platforms — Magento, WordPress, Drupal — I've seen what happens when content and presentation are too tightly coupled. Every change becomes risky. Every upgrade becomes a project. The technical debt compounds.
Headless architecture separates concerns properly. Content lives in a structured, API-accessible format. The frontend is just one possible consumer of that content. You can rebuild the frontend without touching the content layer. You can add new channels without restructuring everything.
This isn't about chasing trends. It's about building systems that can evolve without being rebuilt from scratch every few years.
The Public Experiment
Learning in public, mistakes included
Work in Progress
This site is where I share what I'm working on. YouTube videos become blog posts. Debug sessions become case studies. Mistakes become lessons.
Not everything here is polished. Some of it is work-in-progress. Some of it might be wrong. That's intentional.
I still fiddle, break things, and learn. If you're looking for glossy marketing, this isn't it. If you want to see how a senior developer actually works through problems, stick around.
Want a Website Built on HD CMS?
Bespoke websites from £20/month. Built properly by a senior developer in Hull. No templates. No agencies. No WordPress.
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