About
In short, I’m a multidisciplinary designer and WordPress developer from British Columbia, Canada with over 20 years of experience.
I’ve mostly been doing freelance work since mid-2005, working out of a cozy office in my home. I’ve been called many things -- dad, designer, gamer, geek, drummer, guitarist, and photographer to name a few. I enjoy listening to my favourite albums on vinyl, start every day with a coffee, and like to sip a nice whiskey cocktail in the evening.
Professional Life
After completing my first year of multimedia design at Durham College, I felt that “higher education” wasn’t going to get me where I felt I needed to be, so I began my first real job search. I ended up landing a job at ‘The Nation’s Music Station‘, MuchMusic. For 2 years I co-hosted a weekly internet pop culture show under the moniker MuchMatt 2.0. I was later bumped up in the ranks to a senior position and continued to work in the Queen St. window until July 2005.
July 2005, I started working as a freelance web designer/developer from the comfort of my home office. There was a year there when I stopped taking client work and joined a start-up design firm, assuming the role of Lead Web Developer. It didn’t take long for me to realize just how good I had it while freelancing; working with people I felt some form of connection with, on projects I was genuinely interested in. I decided to move back to the world of freelance web design.
September 2016, I stopped taking on new freelance clients in exchange for long-term contract work with Makeup Geek, Mischief Media, and Takeover Studio.
August 2018, after a couple of years of ups and downs, I decided it was time for some stability. An old client reached out and connected me with his business partner, the CEO of Awesome Motive, who are responsible for some of the most popular WordPress plugins in the world. I was offered a design position, working specifically on WPForms and MonsterInsights, and I took it! I’m now the design lead for WPForms and we have a number of products under our umbrella.
Personal Life
I’ve been pretty big into video games since I received a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas in 1986. I got out of gaming for most of the 90s, while I was busy riding skateboards and playing in bands. I picked the habit back up in the early 2000s, but the focus was on PC gaming. A couple of months after its release, I picked up an Xbox 360 and never looked back. Current gaming time is spent on PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
Over the years, I’ve played in a number of bands. Most notably, a ska-punk band called Lucky Number Seven from 1997-2002. I was, and still am super tight with the other guys in the band. LNS is responsible for some of my most fond memories and I met so many great people playing shows around the country.
Though I don’t spend much time behind my drum kit anymore, music still plays a massive role in my life. Spotify is always running while I’m at my desk, which is 8-10 hours per day. These days, I enjoy playing cover songs on my acoustic guitar.
- I spent the first 32 years of my life in the suburbs of Toronto but now reside in a small, oceanside town in BC.
- I’ve been working in the web industry since 2000 and freelancing from home since 2005.
- I’m currently working full-time for Awesome Motive, where I’ve been filling the UI/UX Designer role for WPForms since mid-2018.
- My first “real” job was at MuchMusic, where I worked on the web team, co-hosted a weekly show and was known as MuchMatt 2.0.
- In 2020 I got into photography in a big way, which is something I’ve always been interested in. I primarily focus on landscape and aerial photography.
- I’ve been an avid gamer since 1986. My first console was an original NES. Currently gaming on PS5.
- I’m a musician. I grew up playing drums in punk bands, and am now playing guitar and singing.
- In the 90s I owned hundreds of CDs. These days I have a growing collection of vinyl. Mostly punk, ska, reggae, and country/folk.
- I love just about everything Star Wars and have a pretty sweet collection of Black Series helmets and figures.
Work
I’ve worked with some incredible brands and currently design products that are used by millions.
Over the years I’ve helped dozens of companies improve their web presence and have single-handedly built hundreds of WordPress sites.
After a successful 13-year run as a freelancer, I joined Awesome Motive where I’m now leading design for the WPForms team. P.S. We’re always hiring!
Photography
Photography is something I’ve always had an interest in, but never pursued until recently.
I figured that I would wait until I’m older and have more time, but that day never seemed to come, so I decided to just dive in and make the best of it. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, I went on the hunt for a creative outlet to focus on to offset the onslaught of negativity. I picked up a camera and a drone and have spent countless hours exploring the beauty around me on Vancouver Island. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook.
Blog
I started blogging in 2004 and used to publish game reviews regularly. These days I spend my time on other things, but you can still browse the archive.