Jacob
Jay
Jacob Jay

Peripatetic British full-stack developer, designer and entrepreneur.
Specialising in web applications and usability.

81 Portfolio projects

Please note that this system is a work in progress, with incomplete data.

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27 Highlighted projects

Directory for Cooperative Coliving

Website with categorised and filterable listings of coliving spaces for workations.

Innovations

  • Filter flexibility on some classifications as enumerated scales (e.g. outside spaces from terrace to big garden; workspace from bedroom desk to coworking) enabling results to be expanded with degrees of relevence, instead of simply returning unhelpful 'nothing matched'.
  • Multi-faceted classification system uses both structured and unstructured tags; which may be grouped by parents, optionally redirecting and hilighting child tags; plus enabling customisation of every view where values are consumed.
  • Freeform rates, in which multiple unit classes may be declared with any duration and rate; the system creating summaries of these for common cases (e.g. weekly and monthly rates).
  • Unusual mobile UI giving access to an almost fullscreen map with information panel below it as a single swipable view, instead of the more typical multi-modal/click-panel-close interactions. (Usability value to be ascertained.)
  • For the explore map, a SPA-style client-side with real-time filtering, using a compact base dataset maintained as JSON, supplemented with per-property JSON data requests upon user interaction, thus avoiding server-side dependencies and database queries. (Obviously only capable of handling a smaller datasets, though under 75k gzipped for 1500 properties, not likely to be exceeded for many years.)
  • Tags for all filter criteria preserved in the URL facilitating sharing. Clicked properties are preserved in the query string thus do invoke a server-side response to permit sharing when first accessed with a property query string.
  • Given a huge variety of spaces and users, anonymised and unrated reviews to focus the user's attention upon their own interpretations.
  • Fallback client-side rendering, should the server be unable to cache Instagram using a private API.

Features

  • Highly performant, using the Moonstalk framework and its javascript loader, resulting in data loading and rendering completion in under half a second for the explore map.
  • The use of tags in a provider-specified order to classify spaces also supports a self-declaration community label/marque using the logo, in which any space may declare itself a "coliving community" by prefixing its core offer or values as tags e.g. «Hub House is a #purposeful #cooperative Coliving Community».
  • Data stored in easily edited structured text format (Lua).
  • Third-party data sources (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, Google) cached on the server to eliminate additional latency.
  • Passable/overridable filters in URL, as well as settable with cookies, this statefulness allows the map and list views to be shared preserving the user input criteria.
  • Some data always in-page for instant client-side changes and reduced server processing, and when unspecified shows all spaces in list view with 'disabled' styling thus ensuring all potential results appear on pages for SEO and first-time visitors. If prefs are set or passed the server trims the data set to send a lighter load.
  • Unstructured locations and contextual adjustment derived from declared human-friendly strings, e.g. "Barcelona, Spain" only appears as "Barcelona" on the Spain page, but a space may declare it as "near Barcelona" or anything else appropriate for reference instead of displaying simply an unhelpful administrarive name.
  • Tags permit optional space-specific custom details, e.g. the "meals" tag can be expanded with free-form text such as "full-board included".
  • Friendly URLs e.g: /in/spain /with/pool
  • Custom pages can replace or supplement entire categories; CSS can also easily be used to make changes to specific categories.
  • Currency conversion with rounding to faciliate user information scanning and consumption.
  • Instagram photos only render the two most recent official account photos, also showing both top-ranked and recent location-specific posts (where an Instagram location is known).

Links

2020 — Conception, Web, Content ManagementSummary ↙︎
Details, 8 images

Scouting and planning for Hub House

Identify and evaluate properties for operation with a cooperative coliving model.
Function
Living Space
Tool

Innovations

  • Novel multistakeholder model combining both investment returns as a hospitality business, and flexible fractional ownership, supported by a strong community-interest operation reducing overheads.
  • Space planning for several properties permitted the use of split-level mezzanine designs optimising the number of private units.
  • Crowdfunded ownership, with pledges obtained through direct outreach and marketing to potential members. (A propotion allocated for investors has not yet been raised, however some leads were generated simultaneously.

Features

  • database and public portal listing and enabling discussion amongst candidates
  • bespoke CMS to catalogue candidate properties and score them for easier classification, using multiple criteria, colour coded for ease of reference
  • most of the properties involve the replacement of extremely large numbers of windows, thus sourcing was researched from China, to reduce the otherwise significant fitout costs (despite tariffs)
  • some properties include adequate capacity for multi-use event spaces, further diversifiying potential revenue and uses, especially for remote team offsites

Links

2019 — Space Planning, Community, Living SpaceSummary ↙︎
Details, 12 images

Website for Playworking

Responsive interim website for a destinational coliving space offering outdoor activities.
Function
Tool
CSS HTML

2018 — Design, Web, Summary ↙︎
Details, 5 images

Lajpat Nagar for Moonlighting

Fitout of a new coworking space.
Tool

Innovations

  • Partnered with an emerging streetartist to create a Steve Wozniak mural, providing him with exposure, and an atypical but recognisable portrait that prominanetly features in the social media posts of visitors, becoming strongly associated with the space.

Features

  • 6 private offices in an ancillary block at the rear of the space, ensuring the core community space is not overly influenced by predeominantly static users.
  • Two dedicated hotdesk rooms, plus flexible use of common space for events, and also featuring standing deskspace.

Links

2015 — Space Planning, Community, HospitalitySummary ↙︎
Details, 12 images

Popup Event for Warp aur Weft

2014 — Design, Community, SocialSummary ↙︎
Details, 7 images

B2B Rental Marketplace for HSS

Bring an existing business department and its processes online and up-to-date using a marketplace mediating with third-party suppliers.

Innovations

  • Multiple pricing and comission models to support both owned assets and third-party assets
  • Per-class (category, product or variant) cascading inherited attributes, with ancestor and descendant overrides providing a variety of ways to control how suppliers add new items and values
  • Mediated messaging, with client-supplier messaging relayed through an operator
  • Supplier auctioning with deferred (countdown) booking assignments in cases of unknown availability
  • Collection options using geolocation
  • Flexible delivery class calculations assignable per-category and postcode
  • Geographical search ranking availability of items with delivery constraints
  • Ability for an operator to easily swap their CMS view to that of a supplier (delegate authentication) when handling operations by telephone

Features

  • Categorised product (and variant) listings with search
  • Bespoke CMS handling categories, products and their variants with dynamic attributes
  • Booking functionality (not calendared)
  • CMS and API for suppliers
  • Mobile app with push notifications and messaging for suppliers and customers
  • Multi-device and multi-role authentication and notification settings
2014 — Architecture, Web, E-commerceSummary ↙︎
Details, 10 images

Product Website for Esofaber

Site to promote and sell a specific product line.

Innovations

  • Bespoke image slider handling multiple content parts (image, title, subtitle, price, inset image) and integrated as the core compoent of the page layout
  • Image slider waits for the next slide's image to finish loading before progressing to that slide (a common issue on slower connections with every other slider implementation)
  • Shows the name of the next item in the slider

Features

  • Responsive design (adapts to screen size and orientation such as for tablets)
  • Feature products in the front page slider simply with tagging
  • Automatic slider with manual controls
  • Web fonts (to match the product aesthetic)
  • Localised prices and shipping notices
  • All the Moonstalk Kit optimisations (e.g. typographic prices and async JavaScript loading

Links

2011 — Design, Web, E-commerceSummary ↙︎
Details, 1 images

Estate agency SaaS for duHome

Provide a customisable website for estate agencies.

Innovations

  • Fuzzy-logic search, gradually widening search criteria scope when not enough matching results are found, i.e. for every non-matching input criteria a corresponding potentially acceptable criteria would be used instead such as 1 bathroom instead of 2, with these criteria being colour-coded (match versus near-match) for easier identification by the user.
  • Comprehensive type-ahead search using multiple sources of data (names, telephones, locations, emails, prices), removing need for time consuming paging of adminstrative list views to find relevent records.
  • Use of geohash indexes for high-performance geospatial property search.
  • Use of deferred slideshow loading to improve performance and usability (almost unheard of at the time, most solutions simply advancing to to half-downloaded images on a timer, or attempting to download all upon page load despite potentially not subsequently showing them).

Features

  • Customer-facing functionality including geographic search and display of properties with mapping and slideshow
  • Agent functionalities including search, management of properties
  • Agency-owner functionality including customisation and configuration of website, and management of agents
  • Support for multiple agency locations per site, and agents per-agency
  • Activitiy streams with messaging and notifications for each agency, agent and property
  • Signup for new agencies (clients) with a default name-derived subdomain
  • Automatic geo-location and address completion when adding properties
  • Image upload and optimisation for slideshows
  • Email notifications when agents are not active on site
  • Property owner CRM with agent association
  • Editable print view with QR code for window display
  • Utilisation of Moonstalk's internationsalistion, geospatial data, type-ahead search, and notification features
2011 — Conception, Web, Content ManagementSummary ↙︎
Details, 8 images

Delhi for Moonlighting

Establish a house in Delhi with facilities for both coworking and accommodation.
Tool

Innovations

  • First coworking space in Delhi, and one of first few in India.
  • First open-access space offering both coworking and accommodation for those visiting from further afield.
  • Bespoke furniture constructions including large-span communal tables using wood with internal (hidden) iron dowels

Features

  • Regular community events and meals
  • 8 en-suite bedrooms amd 1 bunkroom (convertible between 4 bunks, or 1 double)
  • Live-in cook and 2 kitchens
  • Cleaning, housekeeping and security staff
  • Mixed-use lobby, lounge and dining space with A/V system
  • Coworking desks (and monitors)
  • Colourful paint and fabrics to enliven the otherwise drab interior

Links

2010 — Space Planning, Community, HospitalitySummary ↙︎
Details, 19 images

Moonstalk for The Moon Mill

Open-source web development framework and hosting stack using Lua.

Features

  • Automated filesystem to URL mapping for sites and applications, with no configuration necessary before use (including web server)
  • Includes a bespoke low-latency NoSQL database which shares the web application environment and functions, whilst also supporting a task queue with seperate processes
  • Internationalisation and localisation including handling for plurals and GeoIP
  • Best-practice handling of script-loading, CDN assets, canonical tags, addressing, salted passwords, microcaching, deployment (via dCVS), etc.
  • Many supplementary applications providing functionality ranging from calendaring to geospatial search

Links

2010 — Conception, Server, APISummary ↙︎
Details, 2 images

API Gateway for Pixelpipe

An API gateway server accepting media uploads from clients using a wide variety of supported APIs, and re-broadcast them to well over 50 different service providers.

Innovations

  • Deferred batching to accept multiple uploads over a configurable timeframe, and then re-broadcast them together as an album or single blog post after no more items had arrived (instead of individually upon arrival).
  • Utilisation of special 'routing' tags, allowing uploaded media to be dispatched to specific accounts or groups of accounts simply using a tag, thus avoiding the need for specific client routing UI, and instead using a client's native tagging UI.

Features

  • Prioritised image processing queue with service provider connection constraints
  • Service provider error aggregation and reporting to quicly idenitfy and prioritise API issue resolution with destination service providers
  • Support for multitudinous client upload APIs including metaweblog and Flickr, which with DNS spoofing enabled official clients to be used with the server
  • Bespoke upload applications and Plug-ins including iPhone, Aperture, Windows Live Gallery and integration with Nokia share
  • Support for hosting uploads directly on the service, including views for user streams, albums and individual photos
2008 — Management, Server, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 7 images

Submission Utility for iView / Microsoft

Batch image transfer application for professional photographers using MediaPro / ExpressionMedia and submitting to third-party service providvers such as Alamy, Corbis and Getty Images, following specific procedures. Rearchitected based on several previously developed provider-specific application, to utilise generic behaviours with provider specific plugins.
Function
Photo

Innovations

  • Unique cross-platform provider plugins, deployed with a single download and simply double-clicked to install. Easily constructed plugins using ZIP packaging with XML provider configuration and platform-specific processing scripts.
  • Clicking an item in the validation checklist selects it in the media catalogue for correction.
  • Automatically re-validates after corrections are made.

Features

  • Support of submission via disc (postal) or FTP.
  • Report generation for printing when submitting via disc.
  • Conditional metadata validation and review.
2007 — Development, Desktop, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 4 images

Social Networking Site for Indivibe

Design and build a nightlife events publishing and social networking site with regional versions.

Features

  • Photo upload with user, location and event galleries
  • Location and user profiles with public and private messaging
  • Friending with reciprical relationship indication ('strength')
  • Simple colour-coordinated navigation
  • Options to feature/hilight photos and sponsored events/locations
  • Watermarked photos
2006 — Development, Web, SocialSummary ↙︎
Details, 1 images

Aperture Plug-In for Digital Railroad

Upload images from Aperture via FTP.
Function
Photo

Innovations

  • Utilised a two component architecture, a plugin gathered metadata, and a seperate standalone application performed the FTP uploads, progress feedback, finishing by updating Aperture's metadata status fields. This architecture was beneficial to avoid blocking the modal Aperture plugin architecture, and additionally allowed the standalone application to handle uploads from other applications, including via Drag and Drop.

Features

  • Ability to perform additional exports from Aperture and have them appended to an existing upload
  • Saves upload status back to Aperture after upload
  • Minimised (menubar) progress view
2006 — Development, Desktop, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 2 images

PictureSync Windows Application for Verse

Modernise the architecture and UI of PictureSync for a new Windows application.
Function
Photo API

Innovations

  • Optimised service addition and sign-in UI, including transparent post web authentication token retrieval (e.g. OAuth) using a simple 'becomes frontmost' check
  • First application to upload both image data and annotations
  • First application to interface between both multiple applications and multiple web services
  • Comprehensive abstractions for web service behaviours with modular service plugin architecture including per-plugin version checking
  • Co-branded builds with default sign-in prompts for service providers using an automated build system, and with provider-specific statistics (via a private website login)
  • Only application to be able to upload images and then later sync the annotations (e.g. via Flick API)
  • Only application to employ database-free metadata via file system extended attributes (i.e. for service upload IDs)
  • Transparent licence activation after purchase on website

Features

  • Integral image and metadata manipulation functions
  • Support for multiple disparate web-service APIs for uploads with an aggregate progress UI
  • Interfaces with the file system and external applications to collect data, including support for standards-based emebedded IPTC/XMP and XMP sidecar files for annotations

Links

2006 — Conception, Desktop, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 3 images

MediaSock Client Framework for Verse

Abstraction framework for media-sharing web-services, utilising loadable modules, and a flexible properties architecture.
Function
Photo Framework API

Innovations

  • First library to enable use of common code and functionality with disparate service providers.
  • Simultaneous classed data and string handling (suitable for AJAX-type web server deployment scenarios as well as desktop).

Features

  • Standardised functionality: list/make albums, list/download/upload media.
  • Initially available with modules for Webshots, Flickr, and Yahoo! Photos.
  • Session saving (service dependant).

Links

2006 — Conception, Server, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 0 images

‘Lumiere’ Business Plan for Verse

Research and model a plan to further the development of PictureSync and aligned webapp projects.
Function
Photo

Links

2005 — Conception, Miscellaneous, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 10 images

MediaSock Protocol for Verse

Lightweight service discovery protocol and web-service API to facilitate handling a user's media assets.
Function
API Photo

Innovations

  • clients can utilise service discovery not only check with a low cost (i.e. via HTTP HEAD) if a provider supports the protcol, but also what methods and characteristics are supported by that provider (interoperability between clients and servers is notably not guaranteed by the protocol)
  • designed from the outset for easy implementation by service providers; could be implemented simply atop existing page forms, using existing cookies for authentication and utilising other common API methods instead of requiring new implementations

Features

  • choice of implementation models for service providers
  • fixed-string XML and values allow parsing of responses without requiring a heavyweight XML parser

Links

2005 — Conception, Server, APISummary ↙︎
Details, 0 images

PictureSync Mac Application for Verse

Batch upload annotated images to web services
Function
Photo API

Innovations

  • Optimised service addition and sign-in UI, including transparent post web authentication token retrieval (e.g. OAuth) using a simple 'becomes frontmost' check
  • First application to upload both image data and annotations
  • First application to interface between both multiple applications and multiple web services
  • Comprehensive abstractions for web service behaviours with modular service plugin architecture including per-plugin version checking
  • Co-branded builds with default sign-in prompts for service providers using an automated build system, and with provider-specific statistics (via a private website login)
  • Only application to be able to upload images and then later sync the annotations (e.g. via Flick API)
  • Only application to employ database-free metadata via file system extended attributes (i.e. for service upload IDs)
  • Transparent licence activation after purchase on website

Features

  • Integral image and metadata manipulation functions
  • Support for multiple disparate web-service APIs for uploads with an aggregate progress UI
  • Interfaces with the file system and external applications to collect data, including support for standards-based emebedded IPTC/XMP and XMP sidecar files for annotations
  • Fullscreen view

Links

2004 — Conception, Desktop, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 19 images

Standard bid document for Initial Hygiene

Design and typeset a standardised bid proposal document.
Function
Tool
InDesign

2004 — Design, Print, Summary ↙︎
Details, 1 images

Website Design for SpinHalf

Function
Role
Design
Tool

2003 — Design, Web, Summary ↙︎
Details, 2 images

OnDeck Mac Application for Verse

View iTunes track artwork and upload to a website
Function
Photo

Innovations

  • First and only application to avoid polling iTunes every second or so, and instead more efficiently poll by simply calculating when the track ends, thus avoiding undue CPU load
  • Use of variables for configuring metadata preferences
  • Creation of JPEG artwork from iTunes PICT wrapper
  • First application to provide artwork upload

Features

  • Locates artwork from disk, or extracts from iTunes
  • Integrated Last.fm scrobbling

Links

2003 — Conception, Desktop, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 2 images

Continuity Management System for DigiPlex

Online best-practice incident reporting procedure automation for a datacentre.

Features

  • Forms guiding a user through the incident reporting process, including providing multiple points of contact according to availability
  • Backend databases and administration for locations, contacts (multiple internal and external roles, with individual calendar-based availability and regional holidays)
  • Backend reporting for incidents by location with highest severity identification
  • Email notifications with normal and priority addresses (for SMS)
  • User authentication with anonymous 'SOS' login
  • Multi-language support
2002 — Development, Web, Content ManagementSummary ↙︎
Details, 5 images

Website for Aspect Education

Redevelop consumer site for international education provider.

Features

  • enrollment forms and cost calculator for courses and locations (200+ combinations with 7,000 dates and further options)
  • CMS with multi-region and language capabilities, for page content, plus news and jobs
  • Course finder (narrows choices through a multi-stage questionaire)
  • Co-branded version for affiliates (distinct logo and contact details)
  • Messaged board
2001 — Architecture, Web, Content ManagementSummary ↙︎
Details, 4 images

Toshiba for Complet Computer Cover

Sales site for computer insurance provider
Function
Tool

Features

  • Uses the WebShop system (listed elsewhere)
2000 — Development, Web, Summary ↙︎
Details, 1 images

WebShop System for Enigma

Comprehensive modular E-Commerce framework for deployment in various client sites.

Innovations

  • Whilst having similar functionality to Miva Merchant v2 (current at the time of development) this bespoke solution provided extensive options for custom integration. See the other E-commerce projects on here for some specific deployments.

Features

  • Shopping basket and wish-list supporting custom price calculators with multiple input variables
  • Discounts (static and dynamic, from codes or links)
  • Subscriptions (time and useage based)
  • Affiliate tracking
  • User accounts with multiple addresses per-user
  • Product-specific supplementary requirements
  • Distinct order and payment statuses
  • Product availability restrictions (with potential for stock keeping)
2000 — Development, Web, E-commerceSummary ↙︎
Details, 4 images

Intranet for CBX / Sulzer Infra FM / Axima FM

Improve the usability and presentation across an intranet uniformally, following a rebranding of the company.

Innovations

  • Use of tabbed-UI and javascript popup menus to maximise functional real estate whilst providing two-click access to almost all areas of the system.
  • Color coding of tabs and areas for ease of identification (in an earlier implementation).
1999 — Design, Web, SocialSummary ↙︎
Details, 2 images