Thomas J Baker logo

A bit about me...

Good evening, and welcome to my portfolio! I'm Thomas, a website developer from Sheffield.

When the world went into lockdown in 2020, I started teaching myself the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript – taking online courses, watching YouTube tutorials, practising. As I've become more experienced, I've found myself focusing more on code quality and maintainability, creating products that are as streamlined as possible - but most importantly, still readable! - optimising for accessibility and performance.

The problem-solving nature of the job is what ultimately drew me in; nothing beats that feeling of finally solving an issue that's had you scratching your head for days, or hearing a client say that the system you built has made their life easier.

So sit back, grab a cuppa, and see what I've been working on!

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In my current role I’ve led the development on a huge range of projects; from WordPress brochure sites for local businesses to bespoke CRM systems, to building websites for international brands.

0+ projects

0+ years in the industry

My original setup when learning to code from home
My latest setup - still very basic, but the second monitor's been a lifesaver!
Giving my first talk at Front End Sheffield earlier this year
Web developers, fuelled by caffeine - even when I'm not in the office!
Walking on fire to raise £200 for the amazing Roundabout charity

Skills

Languages, frameworks & tools

  • PHP
  • HTML
  • CSS
  • SCSS
  • JavaScript
  • jQuery
  • WordPress
  • WooCommerce
  • MySQL
  • PDO
  • Git
  • PHPStorm
  • Postman
  • Figma

Experience

Education, training & work

August 2020...

This is where I really laid out the vision of what I wanted my life to look like. I was studying cyber security at the time and decided to switch trajectory, instead teaching myself the fundamentals of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Alongside my full-time job, I was taking courses, watching YouTube tutorials and building practice projects to boost my skills.

February 2022...

I graduated Google's UX Design Professional Certificate, learning how to conduct user research and create journey flows, wireframes & Figma prototypes. This had initially been part of a plan to start a hybrid career in both design and development, but instead I now use it to inform my development process and create products that empathise with users.

September 2022...

I landed my first job in the industry with Hydra Creative in Sheffield. This is where I started to learn PHP and WordPress development, drawing on the experience of my senior developers as mentors. As a successful agency, they gave me the opportunity to work on a huge range of both new & existing projects.

December 2023...

After just 15 months in the industry, I was promoted to mid-level developer - gradually adopting a more client-facing role, working on more complex projects and supporting junior developers where necessary.

August 2025...

I was promoted to Deputy Head of Development at Hydra, working closely with our Lead Developer to improve efficiency and manage the upskilling & support of junior developers.