Devon Gifford logo

Hello World, my name is

Devon Gifford.|

Self-taught software engineer with a strong focus on frontend development. I specialise in building modern web applications using React, TypeScript & Next.js.

Drawing on my background in quality engineering, architecture and technical leadership, I bring a unique perspective that prioritises clean, reliable software and thoughtful use of AI.

Fully committed to the philosophy of lifelong learning.

Capstone Projects

01. About me

Devon Gifford - Profile picture

Hello there, I'm a full-stack developer. Originally from South Africa, a British citizen and currently based in Madrid, Spain.

I have 8+ years of experience in the tech industry, including stints across startups, big tech and enterprise platforms. I specialise in frontend development using React & TypeScript.

My career has taken me from quality engineering at a major FAANG company to building large-scale enterprise web applications. Along the way, I've had the privilege of leading engineering teams, modernising legacy systems and working across a wide range of tech stacks and cloud environments.

Outside of work, I tinker with Linux, homelabs and AI tooling.

Devon Gifford - Profile picture

Favourite Tools:

  • TypeScript
  • JavaScript
  • Python
  • React
  • Figma
  • NextJS
  • Vite
  • Storybook
  • Tailwind
  • Jest
  • PlayWright
  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • Redis
  • Neovim

Currently Exploring:

  • Go
  • Electron
  • Zig
  • Linux
  • Claude

02. Where I have worked

Lead Frontend Developer

@ TÜV Rheinland

Jan 2025 - Present

Led the greenfield rebuild and production launch of TÜV Rheinland's enterprise web platform, replacing a 20-year SSG monolith with a reusable headless Next.js architecture powering international web applications.

  • Architecture & Development:
    Owned frontend architecture while remaining hands-on across FirstSpirit CMS, Redis caching, content validation & Storybook components, delivering requirements into production.
  • Team Leadership & Scaling:
    Led 10+ engineers across internal and external teams, hiring and onboarding developers while coordinating agency support across frontend, backend and DevOps workstreams.
  • Code Quality & Maintainability:
    Established TypeScript, ESLint, Prettier, Husky and unit, integration and E2E testing standards, alongside review gates, branching conventions and technical documentation.
  • CI/CD & Cloud Delivery:
    Built multi-stage GitLab CI/CD and Docker workflows for automated delivery across Azure, Kubernetes and Akamai, supporting migration from the legacy on-prem platform.
  • AI-Assisted Development:
    Modernised day-to-day engineering through AI-assisted development, introducing agent-based workflows across implementation, debugging, code review & developer productivity.

03. Capstone Projects

Featured Project

SelfOS

Work in progress. SelfOS is a personal data system for tracking training, nutrition, habits, measurements, and eventually health data from your devices. A shared Go API and PostgreSQL backend keep everything in one place and under your control.

  • React
  • TypeScript
  • Vite
  • Go
  • PostgreSQL

Featured Project

Flatmate Finder

A real world personal project designed to streamline the search for a flatmate. Through a simple form, applicants submit their details, allowing existing tenants to review them in a Tinder style swipe interface

  • Vite
  • TypeScript
  • ShadCN
  • Firebase
  • Vitest

Featured Project

ClearScore Ideaboard

A time-constrained frontend assessment for ClearScore. Developed within 6 to 8 hours, it utilizes modern technologies like Tailwind CSS and ShadCN UI Library for rapid development. Prioritized simplicity, accessibility, and thorough testing.

  • PostgreSQL
  • Supabase
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind

Featured Project

Thymia 2-back game

A gamified version of the 2-back task, a cognitive test designed to measure working memory. Users are presented with a sequence of letters and must determine if the current letter matches the one presented two trials before.

  • Next14
  • Event-Logger
  • Tailwind
  • TypeScript
  • Jest

Other Noteworthy Projects

FlipDish

Frontend Technical Assessment: Implement server-side data fetching to present JSON data as a restaurant menu, including some sneaky twists.

  • API
  • NextJs
  • TypeScript
  • Vitest

NextLane

Backend Technical Assessment: My solution for implementing a client-side caching layer, using JavaScript as requested.

  • Backend
  • ttl-cache
  • JavaScript

InCard

Frontend Technical Assessment: Develop a web application that demonstrates authentication functionality using JWT tokens.

  • NextJS
  • TypeScript
  • Jest
  • NextAuth

Restful API

Simple and efficient way to handle HTTP requests and interact with a MongoDB database, following modern and best practices.

  • TypeScript
  • Express
  • MongoDB

Devotion

A fullstack web application designed to replicate the seamless functionality of Notion, utilizing real-time database & recursive components.

  • NextJs
  • TypeScript
  • Convex
  • Zustand

BulkBasics

A fullstack e-commerce platform focusing on business logic and functionality, integrating various technologies.

  • Vite
  • TypeScript
  • Stripe
  • Redux

04. What's Next?

Let's get in touch

My inbox is always open and looking for new opportunities
Whether you have a question or just want to say hi, I'll do my best to get back to you!

Say Hello