Stuart Jones
Verified Expert in Engineering
React Native Developer
London, United Kingdom
Toptal member since August 5, 2022
Stuart is a React Native developer with over a decade of experience building hybrid mobile applications for iOS and Android. He specializes in delivering apps across various industries at global organizations, scaleups, and startups while setting and achieving realistic deadlines. He launched a software development consultancy in 2018, advising and building mobile apps for companies such as Nando's and Perkbox. Stuart enjoys working on exciting React Native projects with international clients.
Portfolio
Experience
- Hybrid Apps - 9 years
- Google Play Store - 9 years
- App Store - 9 years
- React Native - 7 years
- TypeScript - 5 years
- React Navigation - 5 years
- CodePush - 5 years
- Detox - 5 years
Preferred Environment
MacOS, iOS, Android, React Native, React Native Bridge, JavaScript, TypeScript
The most amazing...
...app I've built is Gluten Free Scanner, a side project which has organically grown to over 50,000 monthly users in just 12 months.
Work Experience
React Native Developer
Pets at Home
- Updated libraries, including React Navigation, Reanimated, and Vision Camera, to support Xcode 15 and iOS 17.
- Built several new features, including search with infinite scroll, checkout, my pets, and find a pet care center.
- Suggested and implemented new tools, including MMKV storage, ts-prune, Proxyman, and Redux Persist.
- Mentored and pair programmed with other members of the team.
- Helped build the design system and component library with Storybook.
- Used Zod validation and React Hook Form to build several forms, including “Add a Pet."
- Wrote unit, integration, and acceptance tests using Jest and Cucumber to improve code confidence.
- Proposed several design improvements such as using formSheets on iOS to make the app feel more native.
Senior React Native Developer
Wait What Inc
- Implemented RevenueCat SDK to improve the in-app purchase flow and allow users to restore old purchases.
- Fixed several longstanding issues to increase Android's crash-free rate from 86% to 98%.
- Established a development process so the team could release the app multiple times each week.
- Set up multiple AB and ABn tests using Firebase so the product team could test multiple features and flows simultaneously.
- Maintained white-label infrastructure so multiple apps could be generated from a single codebase.
- Generated iOS and Android builds using Fastlane and Codemagic.
- Updated the React Native app and over 70 dependencies, as the app had not been updated in two years.
- Built a sneak peek feature that allowed users to preview the first minute of premium audio content.
- Communicated with Firestore Database using Firebase Functions.
- Initiated the react-native-track-player library to manage audio and adverts.
React Native Developer (Contract)
Nando's
- Improved Nando's app rating from 2.2 to 4.6 on iOS and 3.6 to 4.7 on Android.
- Developed new app features, including collection, delivery of native login, and profile.
- Led the rebuild of both authentication and profile features, focusing on security, performance, and UX.
- Added unit, integration, and end-to-end tests using Jest, React Native testing library, and Detox.
- Generated iOS and Android builds using Fastlane, Azure pipelines, and Bitrise.
- Collaborated with the designers to make the app feel more native, added Lottie, and re-animated animations.
- Designed a back end for the front end to move slow app logic to the API and improve app performance.
- Added CodePush to enable the bug fixes without going through the app store review process.
- Led the transition over to the new React Native tools, including Hermes, JSI, and Flipper.
- Set up multiple A/B and A/B/n tests using Firebase to test different design variants.
React Native Developer (Contract)
Tally
- Built a secure authentication system using iOS Keychain, Android Keystore, and biometrics.
- Set up the sandbox, development, staging, and production environments to adequately test CodePush releases and other third-party services.
- Implemented push notifications using OneSignal's SDK.
- Developed new app features, including savings, devaluation charts, and statements.
- Added CodePush and Fastlane scripts to distribute releases to the App Center, Google Play, and the App Store.
- Built a React Native bridge in Objective-C and Java to communicate with Help Scout's native SDK.
- Implemented Redux Toolkit and Axios-hooks to manage data in the app and communicate with the RESTful API.
- Set up linting, unit tests, and Android builds with GitHub actions.
- Created custom animations between screens, including shared transitions.
- Added many native libraries, including camera, gallery, contacts, and Firebase.
React Native Developer (Contract)
Perkbox
- Created a React Native bridge in Swift and Java to enable Perkbox to use the Adyen drop-in implementation.
- Set up Detox end-to-end testing on iOS with GitLab pipelines.
- Built the payment, recognition, and reward features on both iOS and Android.
- Implemented TypeScript and React Apollo across front-end monorepo.
- Added new native build configurations on iOS and Android.
- Updated many libraries, including React Native and React Navigation.
- Created GraphQL endpoints using Apollo to communicate with Go microservices back end.
Front-end Engineer
Homelyfe
- Joined a team to develop and maintain iOS, Android, and web apps.
- Used monolithic architecture for the React Native mobile apps and React for the web apps.
- Wrote unit tests for core business logic using Jest.
- Set up Detox end-to-end testing on Android and iOS and Puppeteer for the web.
- Developed a markdown parser that outputs web and native components.
- Integrated many third-party packages, including Firebase, Zendesk, and social login.
- Used continuous integration tools such as Bitrise and Octopus Deploy.
- Contributed to Detox and Zendesk open-source projects.
App Developer
Easyodds
- Developed several cross-platform Android and iOS apps in React Native and Cordova.
- Led the application development lifecycle from the initial planning to the full release on Google Play and App Store.
- Designed logos, splash screens, wireframes, and other app artwork using Photoshop.
- Performed the App Store Optimization to rank mobile apps at the top search rankings.
- Contributed to multiple PHP REST APIs to deliver JSON data to mobile and web apps.
- Developed the MySQL databases to store betting odds data and app content.
- Maintained the Linux servers in both the UK and Australia.
- Implemented Redis, enabling to cache most API endpoints and massively improving load times.
App Developer
Hoffi
- Used HTML5 technologies while working on several web and cross-platform mobile projects.
- Helped with the Sustrans cycle app using PhoneGap and Cordova, which delivered content to users based on their GPS location.
- Created a website and mobile app that interacted with iBeacon to determine a user's indoor location and deliver exclusive content depending on where they were in the room.
Web Developer
Cardiff University
- Developed an iOS and Android app in Cordova to help autistic children communicate their pain to health professionals.
- Created a responsive web app for learning Welsh before converting it into a mobile app using Cordova.
- Built a drug conversion app that allowed doctors to convert medication dosages between drugs.
- Dealt with clients, worked within deadlines, and managed and calculated the costs of projects.
- Joined a team to migrate old Joomla sites to WordPress, creating child themes and plugins used across many sites of the University.
- Performed important backups and updates to the WordPress server using a Linux environment.
Experience
Gluten Free Scanner
https://glutenfreescanner.app/Noughts and Crosses
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.uk.bluepixl.noughtsandcrosses&hl=en_GBI built this app from scratch using React Native in my spare time to learn new tools. Since its release on App Store and Google Play in 2018, the game has been played over 50,000 times, with an average of 500 daily users at its peak.
I Am Vegan: Translations
I built this app from scratch using React Native in my spare time to learn new tools. Since releasing it on both the App Store and Google Play Store in 2020, it has been used by just under 3,000 users.
Social Distancing Game | Stay Away Game: Avoid Things
I built this app from scratch using React Native in my spare time to learn new tools and technologies. I released the first version of the game in late 2021.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science
Cardiff University - Cardiff, United Kingdom
Skills
Libraries/APIs
React Navigation, React, Firebase iOS SDK, Firebase Android SDK, Libraries/APIs, Camera API, Puppeteer, jQuery, Accelerometers, Redux Persist, Node.js, Stripe, Stripe API, REST APIs, Google Maps, Google Maps SDK, Google Maps API, Google Geocoding API, Lottie-iOS, Apple Subscriptions
Tools
Fastlane, Xcode, Android Studio, Redux Toolkit, Sentry, Firebase Analytics, Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), OneSignal, Adyen Payments, GitLab CI/CD, React Apollo, Cordova Plugins, Photoshop CC, Crashlytics, Firebase Authentication, Stripe Checkout, GitLab, WebView, RTK Query, ChatGPT
Frameworks
React Native, Jest, Detox, Redux, Laravel, PhoneGap, Ionic
Languages
JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, C++, HTML, CSS, Objective-C, Swift, GraphQL, Markdown, PHP, HTML5, Kotlin
Paradigms
App Store Optimization (ASO), REST, Agile, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Deployment, Testing, Mobile Design, Mobile App Design, iOS UI Design, App Development, Gamification, Mobile Game Design, Cross-platform, Mobile Development
Platforms
iOS, Android, MacOS, Bitrise, Firebase, Mobile, Azure, Keychain, Web, Zendesk, Linux, Joomla, WordPress, Google Ads, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Bluetooth Low Energy (LE)
Storage
JSON, MySQL, Redis, Google Cloud, Firebase Realtime Database, Cloud Firestore, NoSQL, SQLite, Databases, MMKV
Other
CodePush, Google Play Store, App Store, Hybrid Apps, Mobile Apps, Cordova, React Native Reanimated, Animation, Authentication, Push Notifications, Axios, ESLint, Security, Performance, User Experience (UX), Manual QA, Quality Assurance (QA), Analytics, App Design, UX Wireframes, App Store Acceptance Process, Hybrid Frameworks, Algorithms, Data Structures, Bluetooth Beacons, React Native Bridge, Lottie, Okta, A/B Testing, Java KeyStore, Biometrics, Environment, Charts, Graphs, SVG, GitHub Actions, Gallery, Contact, Monorepos, Octopus Deploy, Design, Logo Design, Web Servers, APIs, Mobile GPS, Geolocation, Websites, iBeacon, Indoor Positioning Systems, WordPress Themes, WordPress Plugins, Google Play Console, App Themes, Product Owner, Translation, Languages, Advertising, App Store Marketing, Google AdMob, Game Engine Programming, JSI, iOS App Design, Android App Design, Branding, iOS Animations, Android Animations, Firebase Cloud Functions, In-app Purchases, Audio, White Labeling, Integration Testing, Android UI Design, Food Safety, Food, Food Packaging, Scanning, UPC & Barcodes, Barcode Reader, Diet, Dieting & Weight Loss, AdMob, Mobile Advertising, Apollo, Payment APIs, Mobile Payments, Stripe Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Mobile App Development, Mobile App Testing, Mobile Games, Games, Game Design, Cross-platform App Development, Mobile Applications, Architecture, API Integration, Media, Fintech, Fintech Consultant, Startup Consulting, IT Consulting, Finance, Google Maps Styling, Bluetooth, Mobile UX, Storybook, iOS Camera, Android Camera App, Barcode Library, iOS 17, Paid Advertising, AppLovin MAX, Image Processing, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), IAP SDK, Digital Payments, Subscriptions, Full-stack, WebSockets
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