Benjamin Knight
JavaScript Developer
Location
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Toptal Member Since
February 17, 2015
Benjamin brings over ten years of industry experience to the table and has worked with major tech companies like Yelp, Thumbtack, Airtable, and Namecheap. He's an expert in bridging the gap between design and engineering and helping teams establish a design language that results in quality end-user experiences. Benjamin's competent across the full web stack. He values communication and trust most when working with remote teams.
Benjamin is available for hire
Hire BenjaminPortfolio
Namecheap
PHP, Node.js, React
Thumbtack
Apex, Visualforce, Create React App, React Router, Redux, React
Airtable
React
Experience
JavaScript - 15 yearsCSS - 15 yearsPHP - 10 yearsNode.js - 6 yearsReact - 6 yearsGraphQL - 2 yearsNext.js - 1 yearLocation
Availability
Part-time
Preferred Environment
Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Google Chrome, Git, Unix, MacOS
The most amazing...
...and notable brand identity I've had a hand in is Yelp, spearheading the design of their public style guide and precipitating a company-wide change in approach.
Work Experience
2020 - PRESENT
Full-stack Developer
Namecheap
- Built a sales lead collection app for a large portfolio of high-value domains worth several million dollars.
- Coded a new marketplace using React, AdonisJs, and GraphQL. Also contributed UI/UX design.
- Worked effectively with a remote team spread across three distant corners of the globe.
Technologies: PHP, Node.js, React
2016 - 2019
Front-end Developer (via Toptal)
Thumbtack
- Built a help center from the ground up using Create React App.
- Built a Salesforce integration layer using Salesforce's Force.com platform.
- Developed a dispute settlement application also with React and Redux.
- Worked effectively with a remote team in a distant time zone.
Technologies: Apex, Visualforce, Create React App, React Router, Redux, React
2017 - 2017
Front-end Developer (via Toptal)
Airtable
- Built three new blocks for their pro blocks feature, including the records block, description block, and chart block.
Technologies: React
2015 - 2016
Front-end Developer (via Toptal)
Homely.com.au
- Implemented React component-based UIs for new product features.
- Created mobile-first, responsive interfaces.
- Utilized advanced ECMAScript 6 and 7 language features for more expressive, flexible code.
- Worked effectively with a remote team in a distant time zone (Australia) while living in the US.
Technologies: Node.js, React
2012 - 2014
Front-end Software Engineer
Yelp
- Worked closely with the product team to build new features for the desktop and mobile site.
- Had a lead role on the small team that produced Yelp's first UI style guide, and then made it available to the public. The style guide precipitated an organization-wide push towards modular design.
- Rebuilt completely Yelp's most important page (the business page) from scratch, using advanced CSS features for layout and interaction.
- Led the development of a complete overhaul of all email templates, including Yelp Weekly, which is sent to millions of users per week.
- Gained unique experience working on a large-scale software project with hundreds of contributors. Learned extensively about release engineering, including testing and deployment, as well as common web security vulnerabilities.
Technologies: Clojure, jQuery, Python
2011 - 2012
UI Designer/Web Developer
Couchsurfing
- Designed multiple experiments focused on optimizing user onboarding, using Optimizely's A/B testing platform.
- Had a fluid role within a startup environment, ranging from coding to graphic design and product management.
- Redesigned the website's primary navigation feature.
- Overcame challenges involved in modernizing the front end of a seven-year-old codebase.
Technologies: jQuery, PHP
2009 - 2011
Web Developer
Perch Design Studio
- Turned beautiful Photoshop designs into WordPress sites.
- Built some Shopify sites.
- Learned how to use WordPress as a framework for general application development, not just for blogging and static content.
- Built mobile sites using both custom mobile stylesheets as well as media queries when they were still a new technology.
- Got to work with many local businesses in and around my home town of Portland, Maine.
Technologies: jQuery, PHP, WordPress
Experience
Vietnam Coracle
https://www.vietnamcoracle.comI manage technology for this popular independent travel blog. I completely redesigned the website in 2021 using Next.js on top of a headless CMS architecture.
Panda.com
A sales lead collection app template live on several high-value domains for sale. Panda.com is just one example—this same app is hosted across thousands of for-sale domains. Built with Create React App on a PHP/Nginx/AWS back end.
Thumbtack Help Center
https://help.thumbtack.comBuilt Thumbtack's help center from scratch, acting as the sole developer, using React and Redux on top of a Salesforce back end. Served dual role as a design lead and developer.
Thumbtack Solution Center
I built a conflict resolution application as a sole developer using React and Redux. It uses a chat-like interface to guide two parties step-by-step towards finding a resolution to project conflict, such as a refund or redoing the work. It supports media attachments, single sign-on authentication, and email notifications. The public front end is behind authentication but I can demo the app during interviews.
Cocolist (Side Project)
https://cocolist.appI made a directory app with Gatsby, Firebase, and Airtable for finding eco-conscious businesses such as hotels and restaurants in different cities mostly across Southeast Asia.
Yelp Style Guide
https://yelp.com/styleguideI had a lead role on the small design team that created Yelp’s first public style guide in 2013. The style guide precipitated an organization-wide effort toward modular design across all platforms.
Skills
Languages
JavaScript, CSS, HTML, TypeScript, GraphQL, Python, PHP, Clojure, Apex, SQL
Frameworks
Tailwind CSS, Next.js, MUI (Material UI), Redux, Express.js, AdonisJS, Visualforce
Libraries/APIs
D3.js, React, Node.js, jQuery, React Router, Twilio API, Auth0 API
Tools
PostCSS, Create React App, Knex.js, React Apollo, Git, NGINX, Auth0
Paradigms
Responsive Web Design (RWD), UX Design, Agile
Platforms
Web, WordPress, Firebase, Unix, MacOS, Google Chrome, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
Other
Airtable, HTML Email, Style Guides, Gatsby, React Hooks, Full-stack, Freelancing, User Experience (UX), Web UX, Apollo, Apollo Server, Rendering Performance, SaaS, SA
Storage
Cloud Firestore
Education
2005 - 2009
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science
Colby College - Waterville, Maine