Jacob
Jay
Jacob Jay

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

17 Photo projects

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

ProfileConnect Gateway API for Verse

Abstract API methods from across multiple third-party prodivders into a normalised set of methods for use by clients with either intermediary gateways or end service providers.
Function
API Photo

Innovations

  • Unlike the MediaSock specification which concerns itself with only endpoints (client and server), this specification attempts to deal predominantly with intermediaries (gateways), yet also still offers endpoint functionality. Thus its methods might be used alongside existing API methods fufilling specific functions (whether provider-specific, or generic such as MediaSock), or in a completely-abstract manner on their own to fufil the same functions. However in such an abstract manner the method naming does not reveal the functionality offered by a provider, as compared to non-abstract APIs, instead it must be discovered using introspection, or hard-coded relying upon established behaviours or assumptions.

Links

2008 — Conception, Server, APISummary ↙︎
Details, 0 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

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

Mac Uploader Application for XtremeCamera

Very simple drag and drop JPEG upload application to interface with an existing website (not having an API and using cookies for authentication).
Function
Photo

2006 — Development, Desktop, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 1 images

Digital Railroad Uploader for iView / Microsoft

FTP image upload application interfacing with iView MediaPro and providing metadata validation via a simplified workflow.
Function
Photo

Features

  • Included bespoke installer for Windows version
  • Metadata validation and file conversion procedures to match DRRs requirements before upload to the server
  • Destination FTP folder selection
2006 — Development, Desktop, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 3 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

Mac Uploader Application for Gekko Images

Develop an uploader for a stock-photo service to replace an existing partially automated system of AppleScripts and a multi-step web interface, with a fully automated single-step solution.
Function
Photo

Features

  • Transfers images and metadata from iView MediaPro catalogs to website, transparently through serveral verification and data transfer steps.
2006 — Development, Desktop, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 2 images

Mac Uploader Application for Fotografia

Bespoke FTP file and folder upload application for photo service.
Function
Photo

Features

  • Folder structure verification
  • Drag and drop (with custom interface focus)
2005 — Development, Desktop, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 1 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

Folio Concept for Verse

Product concept, branding and website for professionally-oriented photo portfolio service.

Innovations

  • SaaS with SSL on MivaScript
  • Flexible CSS boxes with custom edge and corner frames
  • Research on hosting latencies for optimal single-location US deployment across metro areas

Features

2005 — Design, Web, PhotoSummary ↙︎
Details, 1 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

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