Michael is available for hire

Michael MacPherson

Verified Expert in Engineering

Front-end Development Developer

Location

Toronto, ON, Canada

Toptal Member Since

December 8, 2014

Michael has been making websites since 2011 and mobile apps since 2014, running his own app development company called Spotlightly since 2015. He aims to work in a world of JavaScript and has taken jobs with that intent. Michael focuses on React, React Native, Redux, GraphQL, and TypeScript.

CSS HTML5 React User Interface (UI)MySQL iOS Android Node.js PostgreSQL Express.js GraphQL TypeScript Solidity Redux Elasticsearch

Portfolio

Spotlightly

TypeScript, GraphQL, React Native

Bungalow

React Apollo, GraphQL, TypeScript, React Native

BlockX Labs

CSS3, HTML5, React Native, React, JavaScript, Node.js

Experience

JavaScript - 8 years Front-end Development - 7 years Vim Text Editor - 5 years React Native - 4 years PostgreSQL - 4 years React - 4 years GraphQL - 2 years TypeScript - 1 year

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

ITerm, Vim Text Editor, MacOS

The most amazing...

...app I've built is a roasting game called Endship, available on iOS and Android.

Work Experience

Founder

2015 - PRESENT

Spotlightly

Launched Endship, an app allowing players to roast each other. We recently relaunched with a new version built in React Native.
Launched Impression Idol, an app that is only enjoyable if you're good at impressions. We will be rebuilding this for 2021.
Launched Meow Tuner, an app that makes out of tune cat sounds, and is entertaining for no longer than 15 seconds.

Technologies: TypeScript, GraphQL, React Native

Senior Mobile Developer

2019 - 2020

Bungalow

Gave an hour-long presentation to a 30-person development team about the benefits of GraphQL versus a traditional REST architecture.
Led the development of adding GraphQL to both the mobile app and the Python server architecture.
Led the push to add CodePush into the mobile app, allowing the team to update on short notice. This was especially important since we were serving customers who were renting property from us, so this allowed us to respond to legal needs more quickly.

Technologies: React Apollo, GraphQL, TypeScript, React Native

Senior Software Developer

2019 - 2019

BlockX Labs

Built out the entire architecture of one of RBC Venture's most popular apps, Arrive. This app is dedicated to helping newcomers become better acquainted with Canada.
Led the mobile development team of Arrive, ensuring that we delivered the app on time and securely. To date, it is one of RBC Ventures' highest-rated apps on both app stores.
Helped train other developers to improve their abilities at both JavaScript and React Native.

Technologies: CSS3, HTML5, React Native, React, JavaScript, Node.js

Product Developer

2016 - 2018

Riipen

Helped built out the Riipen web app. I built out a search engine using Elasticsearch and eventually implemented a machine learning module that allows a user to select categories based upon the selection of all past users.
Helped a web app serving up to 30,000 students, educators, and employers to connect and provide a unique learning experience for post-secondary students.
Studied data from over 4,000 users to determine which educational categories would be most relevant to the needs of future users.

Technologies: JavaScript, Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Node.js, Redux, React

Mentor

2016 - 2017

Lighthouse Labs

Assisted students in learning fundamental programming concepts.
Helped them realize unique projects of their own design.
Led a few lectures on prototypical inheritance in JavaScript for the web bootcamp students.

Technologies: Sinatra, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby, React, JavaScript

Developer

2014 - 2015

OneMethod

Built the entire stack of a website, using Jade, Stylus, and CoffeeScript on the front-end, Node.js with Express on the back-end, and setting up an Nginx server on Ubuntu 14.
Worked on the architecture for a large corporation using Drupal 7 and Backbone.
Built a custom Tumblr theme.
Created numerous contest websites validated with a PHP back-end.
Worked on AngularJS projects.

Technologies: Node.js, Drupal, Backbone.js, PHP, JavaScript

Junior Interactive Developer

2013 - 2014

Sapient Nitro

Updated an existing Version 2 PhoneGap app to the Version 3.
Updated a large corporation's website and a WordPress page.
Worked with the PHP framework CodeIgniter along with Grocery Crud.
Learned RequireJS and Grunt.

Technologies: PhoneGap, RequireJS, Grunt, Sass, JavaScript

Experience

Endship

https://www.endship.com

Built the website as well as Android and iOS apps for Endship, a roasting game.
The original version was built using Meteor and Cordova, and launched in September 2016, while the new version was built using React Native, GraphQL, TypeScript, and Hasura, and launched in July 2020

Multilingual Headless Drupal Template

https://github.com/mikeislearning/Headless-Drupal-Template

A setup created for Drupal that allows you to create a REST service which can spit out customized API data. It is also fully multilingual for any number of languages.

Generator Mamma

https://github.com/mikeislearning/generator-mamma

A custom yeoman generator incorporating unit testing as well as a choice between Backbone and Angular.

To make it run, just type in "yo mamma."

Skills

Languages

CSS, HTML, JavaScript, CSS3, HTML5, TypeScript, GraphQL, Solidity, PHP, Sass, Ruby

Frameworks

React Native, Express.js, Redux, PhoneGap, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Sinatra

Libraries/APIs

React, Node.js, Backbone.js, RequireJS

Tools

Vim Text Editor, ITerm, Chrome Developer Tools, React Apollo, Grunt

Other

Front-end Development, User Interface (UI)

Platforms

iOS, Android, Drupal, MacOS

Storage

PostgreSQL, Hasura, MySQL, Elasticsearch

Education

2018 - 2018

Certificate in Blockchain for Developers

Lighthouse Labs - Toronto

2012 - 2013

Graduate Certificate in Web Development

Humber College - Etobicoke, Ontario

2011 - 2012

Bachelor's Degree in Digital Media (incomplete)

Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo, British Columbia

2003 - 2008

Bachelor's Degree in Commerce

University of Manitoba - Winnipeg, Manitoba

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