Joe Hawes

Joe Hawes

I am passionate about technology, growing, making and cycling. Born in the UK, I now live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

I enjoy being creative through building things, writing, having my hands in the dirt or through coding.

I am an advocate for Open-Source software and have been working with web technologies since 1997.

Work

Auction Nudge

Auction Nudge – Creator/Developer

2008 – Present

Skills: Entrepreneurship, Web Development, API Integration, WordPress development, Web Service Scaling, User Support, Documentation

Technologies: PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, WordPress, Git, AWS (S3, Amplify, Route 53), eBay APIs, oAuth

  • A suite of advertising tools for eBay sellers that provides widgets and plugins to display eBay listings on websites.
  • I designed and created the website, backend services, and WordPress plugin from scratch.
  • Supporting over 50,000 eBay sellers, with features focused on ease of integration and customisability.
  • The service has scaled to keep up with user growth, gained by integrating feedback and enhancing features based on user needs.
Waymark

Waymark – Creator/Developer

2018 – Present

Skills: Open-Source Project Management, Web Development, Library Authoring, User Support, Tutorial and Documentation Creation

Technologies: Git/GitHub, WordPress, PHP, JavaScript, Leaflet.js, HTML/CSS

  • Open-Source mapping plugin for WordPress, allowing users to create beautiful interactive Maps.
  • Initially developed as a personal project to document my bikepacking trips, I Open-Sourced the project which now powers Maps on hundreds of websites.
  • I focued on making the plugin as flexible and as easy to use as possible, meaning it can be used to display all sorts of data.
  • The plugin is managed through the WordPress plugin directory and on GitHub.
  • I have also created a JavaScript library for creating maps, which is used by the plugin.
Freelance

Freelance – Web Developer

2008 – 2012

Skills: Web Development, E-Commerce, Project Management, Custom CMS Development, Project collaboration

Technologies: PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, WordPress

  • Working with small business to create websites, custom Content Management Systems and bespoke software.
  • Collaborating with web designers and design agencies to turn their designs into fully functional websites.
  • Provided ongoing support and maintenance to ensure the websites were up-to-date and secure.
Passion

Passion Online (NSFW) – Web Developer / IT Specialist

2008 – 2011

Skills: E-Commerce, SEO, WordPress Development, IT Support

Technologies: PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, jQuery, HTML/CSS, OSCommerce, WordPress

  • Developed and maintained a new e-commerce platform, handling both bricks and mortar and online sales.
  • Continually enhanced the website's functionality by developing new features, optimising the user interface, and improving the overall user experience.
  • Led efforts to improve SEO strategies, resulting in increased traffic and sales conversions.
  • Managed backend systems, including inventory management, order fulfillment, and technical troubleshooting, to ensure smooth operations across all areas of the business.

Projects

Tiny House

Tiny House

2016-2018

I designed and built a 240 sq ft tiny house on wheels, which my wife and I lived in for two years.

This was a huge learning experience from planning to construction, I taught myself and undertook all aspects of home building to complete the project.

I documented the entire process through blog posts, which you can read here.

Bathroom

Carpentry & Making

I like learning new skills and doing things myself.

I like to design and make things, especially out of wood. I have undertaken several home renovation projects, including designing and installing a new bathroom.

We live in an old house which keeps me busy with repairs and improvements, so the learning never stops.

Play

Bikepacking

Cycling & Bikepacking

I enjoy riding my bike, especially over big distances. I love being in nature and carrying everything I need for multi-day trips.

I enjoy researching and planning my own routes to create my own adventures, like my recent trip to Arizona in 2024.

I have also taught myself bicycle maintenance and repair, so I can maintain and fix my bike on and off the trail.

Growing

Growing

I like to spend time in the garden, which I find balances out my time spent on the computer. There is something very primal about having your hands in the dirt.

I especially enjoy growing things from seed, nurturing them to fruition. I usually grow tomatoes, garlic and hot peppers and try to make a hot sauce each year.

Mapping

Mapping / GIS / Open-Source

I have always been interested in Maps, ever since learning map and compass skills as a boy scout.

These days I use digital maps for planning and navigation, and have created a few different pieces of Open-Source software.

  • Waymark – A mapping plugin for WordPress, with an emphasis on ease of use.
  • Waymark JS – An Open-Source JavaScript library for making maps.
  • Inreach Mapshare – A WordPress plugin for displaying live Garmin Inreach location data.

I am a WordPress core contributor, contribute to other Open-Source projects as well as the OpenStreetMap project.