Guillermo Esteves

Welcome!

Hello, my name is Guillermo Esteves. I’m a geek, systems engineer and freelance web developer & designer from Caracas, Venezuela. I specialize in designing and building simple, usable, elegant websites, that focus on the people who end up using them, and that are based on web standards and semantic code that make them look great in modern browsers while still working in older ones. ¿Hablas español?

And what do my clients think?

My opinion of Guillermo and his work might sound clichéd, but he has demonstrated commitment, punctuality and professionalism.

Ligiana Hernández, CAVECOMPRA

So, you want to know a bit more about me? Well, I was born on July 12th 1982, in Caracas, Venezuela, where I currently reside. I’ve been playing with computers since I was about six years old, when my dad got me an Atari PC, but it wasn’t until 1995 that I met my true passion, the Internet, which explains why I was embarrassingly called Mr. T-Net (after an ISP of the time) on my high-school yearbook. I graduated in 2006 as a systems engineer from Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, but I’ve worked as a freelance web developer and designer since way before I graduated.

My involvement in web design began in 2001, when I started making websites for pocket money between classes. Eventually, it became more than a simple side job. Somewhere along the line I became extremely passionate not just about web development, but about the web itself. My thesis, which consisted in the design and development of a web application called Meiru, received the verdict of sobresaliente con mención honorífica (outstanding with honorific mention.)

After graduating, I took a job in the procurement department of Estudios y Proyectos DITECH, S.A., a consulting firm for the venezuelan oil industry, where I performed support duties for several web applications used in-house in addition to buying industrial equipment for oil projects in Venezuela. I decided to quit that job in 2008 to focus entirely on web design and development, which is what I intend on doing for the foreseeable future.

In case you’re wondering about how this site is built, I made it using the Django framework, with a bit of jQuery for the user interface (including Ariel Fresler’s ScrollTo plugin,) and is hosted at Google App Engine. The image zooming effect in the portfolio section uses Cabel Sasser’s fantastic FancyZoom.

So, what do I do?

In a nutshell, I build websites. The slightly longer version is that I build simple, usable, elegant websites, that focus on the people who end up using them, and that are based on web standards and semantic code that make them look great in modern browsers while still working in older ones.

Besides building your new website from scratch or helping you revamp your existing one, I also offer consulting services. If you need advice on usability, user experience, information architecture, hosting, domains, or anything else web-related, I can help. If you need to set up web applications or services like Google Apps, I can help with that as well.

How do I work?

Most of the time, I work on my own, as I have a good grasp of what does and doesn’t work on the web and enjoy handling all tasks of web development myself. That includes everything from server configuration and back-end programming in a variety of languages and frameworks, to front-end and UI design using standards-based technologies such as XHTML and CSS, information architecture, usability testing, and more. However, although I love the graphic design aspect of my job and enjoy doing it on my own, I am not a graphic designer, so I have no problem outsourcing it to a partner if I feel my skills aren’t enough for a particular project.

Who do I work with?

Because I’m usually on my own, I tend to work with individuals and small or medium businesses. This allows me a more direct and personal contact with my clients and their needs, and the work I produce for them. Plus, someone’s got to take care of the small guys while everyone else is trying to catch the big fish, and I’m happy to be that person. With that said, I’m always looking for an interesting project; if you’re a large company looking for a web developer, we can talk, but be advised that I’m usually not inclined to take on huge, large-scale projects.

How long will it take?

Obviously, every project is different, but on average the ones I usually tackle take between three and six months to complete. Rush projects with tighter timelines mean I’ll probably pass, as do large-scale projects that take longer than a year, as those will probably need more people and resources than I have. However, as I mentioned, my door is always open and if your project is interesting enough, I might just take it.

How much will it cost me?

Obviously, every project is different, but just so you can have an idea, most of the work I’ve done has been in the US$2,500-US$10,000 range.

What do my customers think?

My opinion of Guillermo and his work might sound clichéd, but he has demonstrated commitment, punctuality and professionalism.

Ligiana Hernández, CAVECOMPRA

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