# Stephen Sparling

> Software Engineer, Making Cool Stuff, currently at finnovate.io. This site (sparling.dev) is a single-page, animation-heavy portfolio; this file summarizes its content for LLMs and crawlers that don't render JavaScript.

## About

- I got into web development because I love to create. Turning plain text files into apps, layouts and backend systems still feels like magic.
- I've been building software professionally at finnovate.io since March 2020, working across a wide range of teams and stacks.
- My day to day includes: React, Node, TypeScript, Python/Django, GCP, AWS, Kubernetes, React Native, Postgres, MongoDB and MySQL. Underneath all that sits a strong base in semantic, accessible HTML, CSS and TypeScript/JavaScript.
- I am also a big believer that AI and LLMs, love them or hate them, are going to be an integral part of work in the future. Not to the degree the CEOs are hyping it up to be mind you, but just like with any tool, in the right hands, it can be incredibly powerful. I am spending a fair amount of time making sure I am an adept wielder, and can harness that power to build incredible things.
- The best code in the world means nothing if you can't explain it. I talk with developers and non-developers alike in ways everyone can understand the technology that I build. I lead teams in a way that lifts up people's successes & helps them grow.
- Career progression: 2020 (developing since) -> staff dev (2 years later) -> sr. tech lead (2 years after that)

## Skills

- **Frontend**: React, Next.js, React Native/Expo, Vue, SCSS, Tailwind, (Framer) Motion, HTML/a11y, Figma
- **Backend**: Node.js, Python/Django, GraphQL, PHP
- **Data**: Postgres, MongoDB, MySQL
- **Infra**: AWS, Kubernetes, GCP, Docker, Playwright

## Projects

- **Super Duper Samples** — Electron desktop app for browsing 700k+ Freesound clips and dragging them straight into a DAW or game engine. Built-in waveform editor, multi-format export and automatic CC attribution tracking. (Electron, React, TypeScript, Zustand, SQLite, Tailwind) — https://superdupersoftware.net/samples/ — source: https://github.com/Super-Duper-Software/super-duper-core
- **Super Duper 3D** — Electron desktop app for browsing 10,600+ free CC-licensed 3D models from poly.pizza, with live rotate-and-preview before dragging into Unity, Unreal, Godot or the web. (Electron, React, Three.js, React Three Fiber, TypeScript, SQLite) — https://superdupersoftware.net/3d/ — source: https://github.com/Super-Duper-Software/super-duper-core
- **Super Duper Software** — Marketing site for Super Duper Software, with a 3D hero scene and dedicated landing pages for the Samples and 3D desktop apps. (Astro, React, Three.js, Tailwind, Cloudflare Workers) — https://superdupersoftware.net/
- **Portfolio v3** — The current sparling.dev. A tech-inspired, minimalist site with 3D props and purposeful motion throughout. Secrets to be found! (React, Vite, Mantine, Three.js, Motion, TypeScript) — https://sparling.dev
- **Studio Planner** — Authenticated app for managing a musical instrument dashboard, with drag and drop. Supabase backend, built in a weekend. (Next.js, React, Supabase, Chakra UI, dnd-kit, Framer Motion)
- **Portfolio v2** — Statically generated project pages, a filterable projects/skills explorer and purposeful motion. (React, Next.js, Tailwind, Framer Motion, Figma) — https://oldish.sparling.dev/
- **MIDI Particles** — Plug in a MIDI device and play particle visualizations, with velocity driving speed. Canvas2D and an artisan-crafted OOP particle system. (Vue, Web MIDI API, Canvas, Vuex, SCSS) — https://midiparticles.netlify.app/ — source: https://github.com/sparlos/MIDI-Particles
- **Livestream Radio** — Save and categorize YouTube livestreams as radio "stations". Built in a week, open source, and where I approved my first PR! (Vue, Vuetify, Material Design, SCSS) — https://livestreamradio.netlify.app/ — source: https://github.com/sparlos/livestream-radio
- **Portfolio v1** — Minimal Gatsby portfolio designed in Figma. Tailwind layout, with hand-crafted SCSS and Framer Motion animations. (React, Gatsby, GraphQL, Tailwind, Framer Motion) — https://old.sparling.dev — source: https://github.com/sparlos/dev-portfolio
- **CodePen Experiments** — Weekly-challenge pens built around sound: prime-number music, audible bubble sort, a singing starfield and Piano Phase as orbits. (Vue, Web Audio, Algorithms, SCSS) — https://codepen.io/collection/Xermmq
- **Sparling Creations** — Freelance design, video and audio showcase. Designed in Adobe XD, with a custom Vue player wrapping the SoundCloud API and Cockpit CMS. (Vue, Audio, SCSS)

## Writing

Blog: https://blog.sparling.dev/

## Contact

- Email: mailto:sparlingcreations@gmail.com
- Github: https://github.com/sparlos
- Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/stephen-sparling-033643171
- Codepen: https://codepen.io/sparlos