Daniel Spajic

Front-end engineer with a full-stack skillset

Hey there—I'm Daniel.

I'm a full-stack developer full of passion for all aspects of building great software.

Although my skillset is diverse, I specialise in front-end development. I've worked on projects of various scales, both solo and as part of a team.

I'm keen to collaborate with passionate people working on interesting projects. If that's you and you're looking for the right guy for a job, continue reading to get to know me and see if we're a match.

01 — Skillset

As an individual with diverse interests and experience, I've developed a broad, yet deep skillset as a web developer.

Developer

As someone who loves the art of software development, I have a passion for writing robust, clean, and maintainable code.

This also means I strive to follow best practices and use industry-standard tools, including git-flow, TDD, linting, package management (Yarn, NPM, and Pipenv), and modern build tools (Webpack and Parcel).

Although I've a wide range of experience, the technology I prefer and/or am most familiar with includes Python, Django, PostgreSQL, React.js, JavaScript ES6, Sass/CSS/PostCSS, HTML, Twitter Bootstrap, and Linux.

Front-end development

React.jsReduxJavaScript ES6JestTwitter BootstrapSassCSSHTMLWebpackParcelGulpNunjucksjQuery

Back-end development

DjangoPythonPostgreSQLGraphQLRESTPHP

System administration

Linux (Ubuntu)DockerNginxuWSGIVPS

Design sense

Although designing isn't my profession, I've developed a strong sense for elegant design and fluid user experiences. I've studied the core fundamentals, designed many projects myself, and understand its importance in building great products.

Business insight

Through my education and experience as an entrepreneur I've attained a strong understanding of business. This includes completing a Diploma of Business with The Entourage—Australia's leading educational institution for entrepreneurs.

02 — Values

Collaborating well is more important than someone's skillset. Here's an insight into how I work to ensure we'll get along well.

Passion

I love what I do and therefore put genuine effort into my work. I enjoy working with people who share the same passion.

Craftsmanship

I'm creative, meticulous, take my time, and find great enjoyment in doing things properly. I'm not one to rush.

Cooperation

Working well with others is crucial for producing great work and everyone's happiness. I'm friendly and have fun.

Communication

I want to make life easy for both of us. I'm candid, ask many questions, and don't let things slip by.

Focus

Multitasking is my Achilles' heel. Synonymous to taking my time, I work best when concentrating my effort.

Curiosity

I love learning and dedicate myself to it. You can count on me to pick up anything I don't know on my own accord.

Independence

Although I'm able to work in a team, I'm very driven and self-motivated. You can count on me to get things done.

Open-mindedness

I'm objective and question everything. I don't hesitate to discard my convictions when provided with a good reason.

03 — Showcase

Here's a few of the many things I've worked on over the years. Check out the case studies for a deeper insight into how I work.

My portfolio — 2018

An appealing home for my life's work was needed, so I designed one. Since learning and falling in love with React, I decided to use Gatsby: a static site generator using React and optimised for the modern web.

GatsbyReact.jsGraphQLSassPostCSSTwitter BootstrapNetlify

Trausing — 2016

Whilst solo-travelling across Canada, I witnessed the extreme disparity between the supply and demand of homes in Whistler. The platforms used to find homes were terrible, so I developed an elegant solution with great success. The project was featured in the media, with hundreds of users, and exceptional feedback.

DjangoPythonPostgreSQLTwitter BootstrapjQueryMailgun APIDigitalOcean

Antun Debak's Portfolio — 2017

After a failed attempt working with another developer, Antun approached me looking for someone capable of building his portfolio he designed. Using the provided design files I worked closely with him to successfully achieve his vision.

SassHTMLTwitter BootstrapjQuery

View site

Trizma — 2018

After our successful past experience working together, Antun approached me to build a static site for a client. Using the provided design files I wrote modular code, which was required for a Wordpress developer to implement the site with WPBakery.

GulpNunjucksSassTwitter BootstrapJavaScript (ES6)jQuery

View site

B4UBUY Home Inspections — 2018

Peter needed an attractive site for his new business to stand out from the competition. Working alongside a SEO specialist he hired, I designed and developed an elegant solution suitable for the provided site's copy and brand.

DjangoPythonHTMLCSSTwitter BootstrapjQueryMailgun APIDigitalOcean

Devarity Game Store — 2015

In addition to being my first business venture, Devarity was also the project where I taught myself to code. Working alongside a front-end and back-end developer I hired, I assembled the pieces together, wrote tweaks and new features, and both deployed and administrated the site.

PHPMySQLHTMLCSSTwitter BootstrapjQueryStripe APIMailgun APIOpen Exchange Rates APILinode

04 — My story

Learn more about who I am and why I love what I do.

My journey as a developer

Ever since I was a child I've been obsessed with building things. I'd spend hours enamored by whatever mechanical contraption grasped my interest. Today coding satiates my desire to work with elegant, dynamic systems with real-world applications.

I find designing and developing robust systems extremely satisfying. Excellent quality is something I take pride in and strive to achieve in all my work.

As a self-taught developer I've learned through real-world experience, with the assistance of video tutorials, documentation, articles, and books. It's been a very rewarding challenge.

More about me

Although I have many interests besides coding, I tend to spend most of my free time learning, reading, listening to music, pondering the universe, cooking food, running, and working out.

My primary ambitions are to live life the fullest and help unite humanity towards a positive future. Everything I do has a purpose and is a stepping stone towards these goals.

Random facts about me

My Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is INTJ
I'm rarely not listening to music
My favourite videogames are open-world RPGs
A book I think everyone should read is "The Obstacle Is the Way" by Ryan Holiday
I'm obsessed with health and nutrition

Favourite quotes

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right." — Henry Ford
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." — Wayne Gretzky
"When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor." — Elon Musk
"If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning." — Mahatma Gandhi

05 — References

Don't take my word for it. Here's what people I've worked with have said about me.

“It was a pleasure working with Daniel on numerous website development projects. His attention to details and dedication to the project specification and establishing collaborative processes with design teams is something that rarely can be seen nowadays.

He always went one step above expectations and has delivered nice looking, working and documented code, but also was there to say no to unreasonable or unfeasible requirements.

I would recommend Daniel to anyone who’s looking for a freelance front-end engineer, he’s a rare catch worth getting in touch with.”

“I am pleased to offer a formal recommendation for Daniel Spajic. In addition to adding value to the team, he also exhibited numerous qualities and skills that any employer will find valuable, such as:

Punctual, reliable and consistent
High level of attention to detail
Team orientated
Strong positive attitude

Succinctly, I am confident Daniel will be a positive addition to any team.”