What I do

FEATURED PROJECTS

Build a Module.com is a site which helps train new Drupal dvelopers through video tutorials. I designed and implemented the site, as well as produced the videos.

I own and operate Implied By Design, a web design and development comany. Through IBD, I have completed dozens of development and design projects. The site has also had notable search engine success.

I recently worked with Yoursphere Media, Inc., building a safe social networking site for kids using Drupal. In particular, I was responsible for the User Experience in most areas of the site. This included initial wireframing, graphic design and theming of the front and back ends, conducting remote usability tests, conducting company interviews and improving communication channels and module development.

I contributed and maintain the Navigate module for Drupal, which is my best effort at creating a highly usable Drupal administrative interface. I’m currently working on seeing what it would take to get the ideas behind Navigate into core Drupal.

I’ve developed several other modules for Drupal, including Super Nav, Save-to-file, Clean Pagination and Photoframe. I’ve contributed patches to Drupal core and am staying as involved as I can with the Drupal Usability Team.

CONSIDERING HIRING ME?

First of all, it's an honor being considered to work on your project. There's information on this page about projects I've worked on, businesses I own and skill sets I've built up over the years. After running my own full-on web development shop for 5 years, I decided to swtich my focus to Drupal contracting work for flexibility, the ability to concentrate on other ventures, and the opportunity to work with a wider swath of the Drupal community. I have the skills required to build a build a Drupal site from scratch, including information architecture / wireframing, communicating effectively with clients, design, themeing, coding and training. This puts me in a unique position of having a strong grasp of all major components and challenges related to a web development project, and that skill set is often best put to use as User Experience (UX) Architect. I also play well with others, and really enjoy an enviornment characterized by hard work and a positive attitude. If you've met me at a Drupal event, you've probably gotten that impression already.

EXAMPLES OF MY WORK

If you want to see some of my work, there's a few good places to check out:

Implied By Design - The work on this site is older than a year, but can give you an idea how I run a business. Check out the client testimonials and portfolio pages. Nearly everything in the portfolio was developed by myself directly.

Drupal.org - The best documentation of my work over the last 2 years is on Drupal.org. I've developed and maintained modules, helped orchestrate a local Drupal Users Group in Idaho, offered support to new developers and users and even done a little core patching.

Build a Module.com - On this site, I sell training videos for new Drupal developers. I also designed and coded this site, which includes some interesting hacks for integrated file downloads and Ubercart.

Yoursphere.com - Most of my work with Yoursphere Media, Inc. is hidden away, but it was pretty interesting stuff. It included building an alternative interface for the Panels module which would be usable by non-technical users, re-designing the entire front end based on extensive stakeholder interviews, conducting remote usability tests which did great things for the member portion of the site, and a heck of a lot more.

WHAT I DO

User Experience Assessments - I will evaluate a current interface and workflow to determine potential bottlenecks or pain points for users. For the zealous, this would involve conducting serveral rounds of guerrilla usability tests, folowed by evaluation, implementation and split-testing of adjustments through Google Optimizer and Analytics tools.

Usability Testing - I can help orchestrate and execute low-fi, low-cost guerrilla usability tests, either in-person or remotely. Usability tests can save you tons of time and resources by helping you identify what would have the greatest impact on your audience.

Drupal Training - Have a new hire that needs to get up to speed on Drupal development? Or a client that needs a tour of Drupal's administration tools? I will put together a program or help build online training videos to suit your needs. I also help new developers build their coding chops over at Build a Module.com.

Module development - Need a feature but don't think it already exists? I'll evalutate the current resources avalable through contributed Drupal modules, and if it doesn't exist, I will create it. I'm particularly interested in work that will be contributed back to the Drupal community.

Interface Design - I can help make your user-facing features a pleasure to use.

jQuery Integration - Suspect that jQuery will solve your problem, but aren't sure how to implement the solution? I can help advise and code a solution.

ERRATTA

I started my own business so that I could work from home, in preparation for fatherhood. The extra 2 hours a day I've saved in commuting time over the last 5 years adds up to over three months of waking time that I've been able to spend on education and my family. I work about 3 hours every day on a treadmill desk, which allows me to be far more productive. I write songs for the acoustic guitar and perform them occasionally (though I also tinker with electronica when time allows). I spend more time developing and researching life hacks than they save me, and I play Geometry Wars to center myself when I'm feeling particularly discombobulated.

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Chris Shattuck

Developer, trainer, enthusiast

Welcome! If you are here to confirm that I'm a real person with verifiable skills, you may want to look at my projects. If you're curious about my Drupal work, one good example is Build a Module.com, the 50+ hour collection of original Drupal videos to help up and coming site builders, developers and themers learn Drupal. If you're looking for signs of my recent engagements with the world, I occasionally post updates to my blog and Twitter.

I have been a Drupal freelancer for the last several years, though I've recently been focusing my full-time efforts on Build a Module.com. I conducted a highly rated training at Drupalcon 2010 with an associate, and am now focusing on virtual training through concise video tutorials. I'm passionate about learning from those around me (as you'll find out if we chat), and oddly enough I find that training is one of the best ways to learn from others.

I often do presentations, in a large part because I enjoy the process of boiling down ideas into their most essential components. That same practice also draws me to usability and understanding the impact of simple, effective design. I'm a huge fan of improving productivity and getting the most out of life, be it through GTD, jogging or quiet contemplation. When I'm not plugging away at some venture or another, I write electronic and acoustic guitar music. I also once ran a relay across the USA.

If you have any questions, please send me an e-mail.