I make software because I love solving problems. These can be hard technical problems such as the design of software algorithms; fuzzy problems such as how best to lay out a user interface; or human problems such as how to organise a team to tackle a project too complex for any one of us alone.

I work across many technologies. In my career I have:

Designed and built the software behind inamo (http://www.inamo-restaurant.com): an interactive restaurant that required programming in several languages and inventing new technologies
Built AJAX derivatives trading interfaces for Deutsche Bank
Given a training seminar to the JavaScript developers of Vodaphone PLC
Created an extension to the Java language (http://berniesumption.com/software/mixins-for-java)
Invented a technique for HTML animations (http://berniesumption.com/software/animator) that has been incorporated into most of the major JavaScript frameworks

I want to work with a team of people who are proud of the project that they are working on. I believe that I can fit into most technical environments: every role I have taken on required the learning of new technologies and languages.

Contact

email: bernie@berniecode.com phone: +44 7801 482 609

Keywords

Core languages: Java, ActionScript, JavaScript, HTML/CSS

I have a deep understanding of these technologies, down to a virtual machine level. I have read the specifications of the languages, and understand the different implementations of them. Working with them I can code fast, and from memory.

Primary skills: C#, PHP, Python, C, XML / XSLT, SQL / MySQL, Flex, AJAX, GWT, Spring, Hibernate, Maven, JUnit

I have completed substantial projects with these languages and technologies, and am very comfortable working with them. Armed with appropriate documentation I can start coding immediately.

Secondary technologies: Tomcat, Glassfish / Java EE / J2EE, UNIX/Linux, cryptography, Apache, IIS, Image generation and processing, video processing, distributed systems, SMTP, Perl, UNIX & Windows shell script, Windows Forms

I have worked with these technologies at one time or another, and can get up to speed quickly.

Design skills: Photoshop, Illustrator, graphic design, user interface design, animation, usability testing, photography, photo retouching, colour management, printing

I am happy either creating original user interface layouts and graphic designs, or working to existing designs. I enjoy collaborating with specialist graphic designers to create software that balances the conflicting requirements of usability and visual flair.

Project history

Sabbatical Dec 2010 - June 2012	I spent 18 months travelling through Europe, Africa and Australia while keeping myself busy on a number of technical projects. I spent 5 months working with Imagination in Sydney building multi-touch tables for GE China, using C++ and OpenFrameworks I spent 4 months working with Arclight Systems in Sydney building a rental property management system with Google Web Toolkit and Google AppEngine I designed and built a website for a Tanzanian NGO (http://artintanzania.org) I created OGRE (http://ogre.berniecode.com), an experimental protocol for cross platform data replication I made a WordPress plugin (http://berniesumption.com/travel/map) for tracking my progress towards Australia I started building an iPhone app that solves boggle puzzles by taking a photo of the board. One day I may even finish it.
Inamo Restaurant Software Architect May 2007 - Nov 2010	Inamo is a pioneering restaurant in Soho, London, where diners can place orders using a computer interface projected onto their table. The software and hardware system that powers inamo is called E-Table I joined the project in the early stages, steering it through requirements capture and building of software and hardware prototypes, working with restaurant service specialists and industrial designers to create a finished product. Over three years I built up a team that is capable of continuing the development of the product. I’ve written up a full case study (http://berniesumption.com/software/inamo-case-study), or for the technically inclined a very geeky account (http://berniesumption.com/software/inamo-mouse-system) of one of the technical problems overcome as part of the project.
Deutsche Bank JavaScript Guru May 2006 -May 2007	Deutsche Bank is a leading investment bank. I joined a team of four developers building a web browser interface to a Java-based fixed income derivatives trading server. Work I did included: interfaces for executing butterfly trades that used a client-side mathematical model of the risks associated with a trade to provide traders with real-time feedback on the risk spread of a transaction. a tool that used Java byte code analysis to automatically generate JavaScript API access code from a server binary. This tool saved many developer weeks. work on details often overlooked in AJAX development such as garbage collection, memory leak prevention and inter-window messaging.
7city Learning System Analyst Feb 2005 –Jun 2006	7city Learning is a financial training company that provides bespoke training courses for investment banks. I joined 7city learning to work on developing their ERP system – a PHP/MySQL intranet and extranet that supports around a hundred employees, thousands of clients, and tens of thousands of delegates. Before I joined, this system had grown organically and without proper planning; as a result it fell short of requirements in both feature-completeness and maintainability. To remedy this I worked with team leaders and directors to identify requirements and design new features. While building these features I designed and implemented a new modular system architecture that myself and the other developers used to create maintainable software.
Previous employment	From 2001 to 2005 I worked as a web developer and graphic designer for a number of companies and agencies. I developed the opinion that programmers are nerds who do not care enough about aesthetics and marketing. I did not realise that I would become one.

Education

MSc Computer Science, with distinction, finishing 1st in year. University College London. 2003-2004.
BA Biological Sciences, 2/1. Oxford University. 1999-2002; A-Levels in Physics (A), Biology (A) and Chemistry (A).

Bernie Sumption’s Curriculum Vitae