Jo Sprague
Building apps for diverse audiences since 2005. Mission-driven, clear communicator, remote-native. EU/US citizen.
Project Highlights
- Developed a modern, no-preprocessor CSS system supporting both legacy and modern browsers
- Led front end development on the Firefox.com rebuild with Django + Wagtail CMS integration
- Rebuilt the Firefox “What’s New” page seen by 40M+ people
- Spearheaded a project to streamline QA and deployment processes, automate browser tests and containerize the app, reducing weeks of expensive manual work into a minutes-long automated process on AWS, dramatically reducing time and costs
- Mentored two less-experienced developers, providing constructive code reviews and guidance, supporting them to do their best work
- Designed and developed a new feature for navigating satellite imagery and tracking natural disaster events, improving user access to critical data
- Led development of Picturing Our Future, an app for visualizing global sea level rise predictions, using Next.js with a hybrid rendering approach leveraging both server-side rendering and client-side rendering
- Architected a system using d3.js and SVG to automate the generation of climate data infographics distributed by major media organizations in the US
- Led front end development of an innovative cross-platform mobile app with Expo and React Native for 3D sea level rise mapping with Google Maps.
- Translated updated branding guidelines and designs from Zeplin into a responsive front end.
- Updated the front end of a legacy Python/Flask app using JavaScript, React and MapboxGL.
- Added features to allow users to create and manage mapping campaigns, improving the app's usability and functionality.
- Updated the Python/Flask backend to support new features, adding REST API endpoints.
- Built a React/d3 app to stream real-time data from the International Space Station.
- Integrated with Space Tango's REST API to get the latest data from the ISS.
- Added features to allow users to visualize data from their experiments aboard the ISS.
- Designed and built several prototypes for the game, including physical cards and a mobile app.
- Organized and hosted events to playtest the game and get feedback from players.
- Worked with manufacturers to produce and sell hundreds of card decks.
- Built a Shopify store for global distribution.
- Managed social media accounts and a blog to promote the game and connect with players.
Past Roles
- Developed a modern, no-preprocessor CSS system supporting both legacy and modern browsers
- Led front end development for the new Firefox.com with Django + Wagtail CMS integration
- Rebuilt the Firefox “What’s New” page seen by 40M+ people
- Led development of cross-platform sea level rise apps using Expo, React Native, Next.js, Google Maps API, d3, and SVG
- Built climate data visualizations used 10M+ times; TV segments reached 17M+ viewers during major climate events
- Created a custom ETL tool for nutrition data processing using React, MongoDB, Python, and Node.js
- Automated Amazon MTurk workflows for product data validation
- Built tools for nutrition scientists to manage and analyze data
- Optimized front-end performance for Verizon's nationwide digital billboard software, reducing technical debt and resolving memory leaks
- Increased unit test coverage and refined CI/CD processes, enhancing code quality and reliability of the advertising platform
- Led CI/CD and test automation work, cutting release cycles from weeks to 15–30 minutes on AWS
- Mentored developers with constructive code reviews and guidance
- Designed and developed a new feature for navigating satellite imagery and tracking natural disaster events, improving user access to critical data
- Enhanced developer productivity by creating developer tools, build scripts, CLIs, and chatbots for our team
- Built a React/d3 app for Space Tango, enabling real-time data streaming from the International Space Station
- Responsible for migrating a monolithic Ruby app to Node.js micro-services for high-profile clients like Bon Jovi and UFC
- Led development of a project to re-brand a React/Python/Flask app for the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team
- Developed open-source JavaScript/TypeScript libraries and plugins for Webpack, WordPress and more
- Built accessible and internationalized responsive websites for various clients
Skill Sets
Front-End Development (Specialist)
JavaScript, TypeScript, ES6, React, React Native, Vue, Next.js, Tailwind CSS, GraphQL, CSS, SASS, HTML, Redux, Vuex, webpack, Babel, GatsbyJS, WCAG Accessibility, ESLint, a11y, i18n
Technical Leadership (Expert)
Code Reviews, Mentoring, Team Leadership, Project Management, Technical Hiring, Team Building, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Stakeholder Management, Technical Writing, Public Speaking, Event Organization, Workshops, Nonviolent Communication
Full-Stack Development (Expert)
Node.js, Python, PHP, Ruby, Express, Flask, Django, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Prisma, Docker, Heroku, AWS
Testing and Performance (Expert)
Jest, Mocha, Selenium, Browserstack, Performance Optimization, Unit Testing, Automated Testing, CI/CD
Data Visualization (Expert)
d3.js, Mapbox, OpenLayers, GIS, SVG, Canvas
Other (Expert)
UI/UX, Graphic Design, Technical Writing, SEO, Public Speaking, Figma, git, Docker, GitHub Actions, REST APIs
Spoken Languages
- English — Native
- Spanish — Fluent
- Hungarian — Advanced
Education
- Minor in Computer Science, Global Business and Graphic Design