engineer - designer - entrepreneur
my story - contact
Hi, my name is Joseph Ward.
Hover for details.
I am an engineer, designer, and entrepreneur.

Front End

Back End

engineer

Design Process

designer

Infinite Sketch

"A canvas without borders."
Coming to an App Store near you, Q2 2013.
If ideas are a dime a dozen, I've got a dollar's worth.

entrepreneur

my story

contact

“Where the Spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.”
- Leonardo da Vinci




Copyright © 2013 Joseph Ward
But you can call me Joe.
With over 140 domain names registered, I'm not in want for ideas. Just time to build them.
I move fluidly between backend and front-end code. I enjoy solving problems end-to-end.
I have over 20 years software engineering experience, including 15 years building web applications.
I was the Principal Engineer for N2uitive, Corp for 5 years, building technology that is used by AAA Insurance, Farmers Insurance, etc....
I quickly move from sketch to wireframe to in-browser prototyping. It keeps me true to the built-in constraints of the platform.
I am an HFI Certified Usability Analyst.

Human Factors International (HFI) is one of the oldest and most-established names in usability certification.

I set aside time on a regular basis to take art and design classes (e.g. sharpen the saw).
I regularly set aside time to take art and design classes (e.g. sharpen the saw). I love reading and talking about design.
My life goals center around disrupting education, entertainment and ending poverty.

my story x

An early start

I wrote my first computer program on a TI-99/4A when I was 10 years old (1985).

By the time I was in high school, I had learned Basic, Pascal, C, and C++.

I was the quintessential "computer nerd". Computers were my life.

Getting into Agile

After working at a number of companies, I had experienced my fair share of overdue projects, death marches and changing business requirements.

There had to be a better way.

In 2003, I discovered Kent Beck, XP, and the Agile movement. I was soon doing TDD, pair programming, and studying design patterns. I even got a job for an Agile consulting company.

But something still felt like it was missing. Agile had a lot of ideas around how to build software, but not enough ideas on knowing what to build.

Discovering design

Eventually I started exploring the field of design.

I realized that great engineering was wasted if the software wasn't usable - or worse yet, wasn't even needed.

I realized that design was more than just "making things pretty". Design is a systematic process for understanding users and a toolkit for solving visual, usability, and interaction problems.

I realized that design wasn't the last step in the process. Design was the process.

I was determined to learn everything I could about design.

Beginning the journey

Over the last six years I have taken art lessons and design classes. I have studied animation, graphic design, interaction design, and pyschology.

And in the process, I have gained a whole new understanding of design.

Design is about people. About understanding how they work. About truly and deeply solving their problems with simplicity and elegance.

Design is about changing the world for the better.

And like many great disciplines, design is a journey that will last a lifetime.