UI/UX Designer, Front-end Engineer
Reston, VA | kellyd@kellyd.com | linkedin.com/in/david-allen-kelly | kellyd.com
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Profile
UI/UX Designer and Front-end Engineer specializing in crafting accessible, engaging user interfaces. Leveraging a creative writing background and hands-on experience building and maintaining websites and intranets, I bring a keen eye for detail and a passion for clear, concise communication and engagement. Skilled at translating complex information into intuitive online experiences, optimizing performance, and ensuring seamless responsiveness across devices. Strong analytical ability—honed through website data analysis—enables me to understand user behavior and tailor content to their needs. Driven to create impactful digital experiences that inform, empower, and delight users.
Professional Experience
Palm Beach County
Senior Software Designer (UI/UX Design / Front-end Engineer)
West Palm Beach, FL — 10/2012 – 02/2025
- Led user research, design, and development of the Neighborhood Information Portal using JavaScript and ArcGIS REST API, delivering comprehensive local resources validated through testing.
- Led full UI/UX redevelopment of the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser site, converting design concepts into a scalable, ADA-compliant production platform.
- Engineered and maintained a decentralized web ecosystem – including public-facing and intranet – coordinating content and technical strategy across 20+ departments for sites with 10M+ annual page views.
- Led iterative user testing sessions with internal customers, incorporating feedback to refine interface designs and enhance site functionality.
- Modernized video streaming solutions for cross-platform compatibility (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, tablets).
- Instituted rigorous accessibility testing and remediation, consistently achieving/exceeding WCAG 2.1 benchmarks.
- Developed digital marketing strategies and training resources using OBS, Google Analytics, and Mailchimp.
- Oversaw social media workflows, data migrations, and ongoing CMS enhancements.
- Liaised with leadership and stakeholders to align web strategies with organizational goals.
- Instrumental in the creation and management of the Digital Information Support Center (DISC), which leverages social media for information gathering and dissemination during emergency activations such as hurricanes.
- Collaborated with Mayor and Commission offices on digital marketing initiatives, including photography and proclamation design.
JR Dunn Jewelers
UI/UX Designer / Digital Marketing / SEO
Lighthouse Point, FL — 03/2011 – 10/2012
- Designed and deployed retail websites using CMS and ASP.NET.
- Optimized user experience and site performance with targeted analytics and SEO improvements.
- Managed online advertising campaigns across Google Ads, Bing Ads, and Facebook Ads, optimizing performance and achieving target KPIs.
- Conducted in-depth analysis of campaign data to drive strategic enhancements and budget efficiencies.
Education
Florida Atlantic University
B.A. in English, Writing/Rhetoric Concentration
Boca Raton, FL — 05/2015
Magna Cum Laude
Studied under Dr. Roxane Gay (author, NYT columnist)
Skills
FRONT END DEVELOPMENT
- JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML5, CSS3/Sass
- React, jQuery, TailwindCSS, Bootstrap
UI/UX DESIGN
- Figma, Wireframing, Prototyping, Responsive Design
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
- User-Centric Design, Cross-Browser Compatibility
PLATFORMS & CMS
- SharePoint, WordPress, Drupal
- Power Apps, Tableau, ArcGIS
DATA & ANALYTICS
- Google Analytics, Looker Studio, A/B Testing, SEO
- SQL, RESTful APIs, ArcGIS API
ACCESSIBILITY & COMPLIANCE
- ADA, Section 508, WCAG 2.1
EMAIL MARKETING
- Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Sendy, Amazon SES
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
- Agile, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Jira
AI & EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
- Python for GenAI, RAG, Ollama
- Stable Diffusion, AI-Assisted Coding
WRITING & EDITORIAL
- AP Style, Copyediting, Proofreading
- Content Strategy, Technical Writing
Certificates
- UX Designer Career Path – Codecademy, 2025 — Codecademy Profile
Awards & Recognition
- Golden Palm Awards (4) – Library Rebranding, Streaming Modernization, CMS Migration, Property Appraiser Redesign
- Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society — Florida Atlantic University — 2014
- Hollingsworth Short Story Scholarship Award – Florida Atlantic University — 2013
Personal Achievements
- Selected to attend Dennis Lehane’s Writers in Paradise Retreat, 2016 - Faculty included Laura Lippman, Andre Dubus III, Stewart O’Nan, Les Standiford
Hobbies
- Sound design, audio & video editing
- Creative writing
- Console & PC gaming