Senior developer with production experience
I’m Dax Castellon, a Web developer with 20+ years of experience maintaining critical websites.
How I think about software
I care about understanding the problem before coding and leaving behind work that another developer can understand later. Good development should make the next change easier, not harder.
The experience behind the work
Website problems rarely stay in one layer. A problematic website usually involves hosting, bad coding practices, bloated and conflicting plugins, and SEO at the same time. I’m useful in those overlaps.
What I’m like to work with
I am a friendly guy 😊. I like to communicate early, ask questions when something is unclear, and make decisions visible. Teams should know what changed, why it changed, and what to watch next.
How I use AI in development
I use AI as a productivity tool, not as a replacement for engineering judgment. The important work still comes from understanding requirements, reviewing the code, testing the result, and making sure the solution fits the system.
Technical range
What I can work across
My core work is custom WordPress, WooCommerce, integrations, performance, and technical SEO.
Earlier work across Joomla, e-commerce, agencies, hosting, and media production helps me see websites as business systems, not isolated page changes.
| Programming and markup | PHP 8.3, JavaScript ES6, Node.js, Git, Svelte, Astro, Next.js, jQuery, HTML5, CSS3, LESS, SASS, and REST APIs. |
|---|---|
| CMS and platforms | WordPress, WooCommerce, and Strapi CMS. |
| Databases | MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL. |
| DevOps and infrastructure | Cloudflare, cPanel, Cloudways, LAMP, XAMPP, and Local by Flywheel. |
| SEO and analytics | On-site SEO, Schema.org structured data, Google Analytics, Umami Analytics, Ahrefs, and Screaming Frog. |
| ERP | JTL ERP and Odoo, which I am actively learning. |
| CSS frameworks | Bootstrap, Foundation, and Tailwind. |
| Design and media | Figma, Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere, and DaVinci Resolve. |
Beyond the screen
Outside of development, I spend time hiking in the Swiss Alps, skateboarding, and working on photography projects. At home, you’ll usually find me listening to Tool or Wu-Tang Clan, or playing The Division 2 and World of Warcraft.
You can find a selection of my photography on Instagram.
