Hello, I’m David.
Thanks for taking the time to have a look at my portfolio.
I enjoy building websites and web applications, with accessibility being one of the main things I think about when developing something.
I work with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP, mainly using WordPress, but I’ve also been spending more time developing standalone web applications and improving my JavaScript skills.
A lot of what I’ve learnt has come from actually building things and finding a way around problems as they come up.
Professional experience
Alongside the projects on this website, I also work professionally with digital systems and online services.
My work has given me experience with web forms, case management systems, accessibility, supporting users and improving existing digital services.
I think that experience has helped how I approach my own projects too. I try to think about who will actually be using something, what could go wrong, and how easy it will be for someone else to understand and maintain.
WordPress development
One of my bigger projects was building my own WordPress theme from scratch using PHP, CSS, HTML and JavaScript.
The theme took around 7–9 months to develop. One of the biggest challenges was building the PHP side of it and creating the responsive mega-menu.
Accessibility was considered throughout the development, with the theme built around WCAG guidelines and with keyboard navigation, screen readers and different screen sizes in mind.
As WordPress has moved more towards Full Site Editing, I’ve also built FSE websites and learnt more about how WordPress now handles layouts, templates and responsive design.
Web applications
More recently I’ve been putting more of my time into web applications.
This includes projects such as HolmesPortfolio Forms, which is a WordPress plugin I built for creating enquiry, booking and application forms, and CheckinApp, which I created to practise and demonstrate JavaScript.
I’ve also built a GDS-style project to experiment with GOV.UK design patterns and accessible components.
I use AI as another development tool, particularly when working through ideas or problems, but I still want to understand what I’m building, how it works, and make the decisions around accessibility, security and how everything fits together.
Accessibility
Accessibility has been a big part of the way I build websites and applications.
I try to think about accessibility from the beginning rather than build something first and then try to fix it afterwards.
That includes keyboard navigation, clear focus states, colour contrast, forms, screen readers and making sure things remain usable across different devices and situations.
I’m always learning and improving, and accessibility is something I want to continue developing my knowledge of.
My past projects:
You can find my previous work on the Projects page
My current projects:
- HolmesPortfolio Forms
- Accessible multi-step WordPress form builder
PHP • JavaScript • WordPress • Accessibility- Grandma’s Pudding Co
- Accessible Full Site Editing WordPress website
WordPress • FSE • WCAG • Custom development- GDS Showcase
- Accessible interface inspired by the GOV.UK Design System
HTML • CSS • JavaScript • GDS
HolmesPortfolio Forms is currently still in development and is planned for release soon.