About
Rafael Derolez is a freelance front-end engineer with a strong focus on user interfaces and experience working remotely from Ghent, Belgium.
Work Experience
Projects
Migrated the Magento website from Magento to a full-fledged headless e-commerce site running Next.js + Shopify + Sanity.io, resulting in improved website performance, user experience, and messaging.
Enabled the marketing team to create content-heavy pages using predefined blocks, resulting in better and clearer messaging and in turn increased conversion rates and sales.
Created and maintained internal component libraries and utilities such as ESLint and Prettier configs.
Next.js • Shopify • Sanity • Chakra UI • TypeScript


Extended an open-source version of Wordle against a tight deadline. It features a clean redesign with extra features such as: clues, fun facts, puzzle feedback, giveaway eligibility depending on amount of guesses, CMS support.
Next.js • Sanity.io • Tailwind CSS





Set up internal design system and component library.
Close collaboration with the design team to rethink the signup flow: segmented into 3 steps to make sure relevant data was captured at the right moment. Solid increase in conversion.
Increased performance on landing pages across multiple verticals.
React.js • GraphQL • styled-components
Semi-brutalist One Pager sporting several gradient bursts as you scroll for brand consultancy Hello Astro.
Gatsby • Sanity.io

Developed a new website for ICON Printing, a UK-based custom clothing printing company, using tech such as Next.js 9 and styled-components on the frontend, Prismic.io and WordPress for content, and ICON's custom backend for the quote tool.
Integrated a headless WordPress backend to power the blog.
Created engaging marketing pages for ICON Printing’s products and services.
Next.js • styled-components • Prismic.io • WordPress





Contributed to the development and maintenance of the Everpress website, a leading online marketplace for custom merchandise.
Implemented a Guest Checkout feature and conducted A/B testing to optimise the user experience and increase conversion.
Made UX improvements to the Shop section based on user research and feedback.
Developed new marketing and event pages to promote the brand and engage customers
React • Tailwind CSS • Prismic.io





Collaborated with the design and marketing teams to develop an animation-led website to promote Fnatic Gear's gaming hardware.
Developed the website using industry-standard practices to ensure optimal performance and cross-browser compatibility, especially regarding video and animations.
Implemented a Shopify integration to enable customers to purchase products directly from the site. The successful launch of the hardware products and website resulted in increased brand awareness.
Gatsby • Shopify




Team effort at Neverbland for 'Mariah or Messiah' as part of a hackathon with the aim of creating a fun (and rather silly!) Christmas card. Whilst generating publicity for Neverbland, it also helped raise money for the Hackney Winter Night Shelter charity. The quiz makes heavy use of the Greensock library to facilitate all the animations.
React • GSAP




Speaking
CodePen meetup hosted by Dogstudio where I gave a quick 15-min tutorial about how to build an interactive mouse-animation that was very popular at the time.


Awards
Hello Astro
Mariah or Messiah
50 of the Best Personal Websites We've Ever Seen