Who am I?

I am a professional web application developer with over ten years of experience who specializes in Flash, Flex and Coldfusion development. I am located just north of Toronto, Canada. The majority of my work is done from my home office (I love my commute) with clients around North America.

What can I do?

People hear Flash and they think funky animations, cheesy games, greeting cards ... goofy stuff. That's not what I do.

Robust client side applications that tie in with backend business systems. Data intensive applications without boring interfaces. Enabling back office systems and processes to be accessible to people over the internet. That's what I do.

From Flash sites that need to display data in a visually enticing manner to enterprise level RIAs (Rich Internet Applications), I have the experience and knowledge to deliver the solution you need. Working closely with clients, I help move projects from concept to reality.

    The expertise I offer:
  • Flash application and web site development
  • Flex and AIR Rich Internet Applications
  • Server side coding and development
  • Application planning, architecture, and development
  • Integration with existing back end systems
  • Developer mentoring

    The technology I use:
  • Flash, Flex, AIR
  • Actionscript, Javascript
  • Flash Remoting, BlazeDS, WebOrb
  • Coldfusion, PHP, Java, ASP
  • MsSQL, MySQL, Oracle, SQL
  • HTML, XML
  • XMPP

What have I done?

My career started developing database and CRM systems. Since 2001 I have been focused on developing Flash based Rich Internet Applications (RIA's), pushing the envelope of what web applications can do and how they can work. I have developed solutions for large multinational companies in the logistics, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, automotive and food industries.

Feel free to view my detailed profile and experience on LinkedIn. View Derrick Grigg's LinkedIn profile

Visit the Projects and Apps pages to learn more about some of the work I have done.

What do clients say?

Not all the skills we need can be brought in-house. Sometimes we have to hire contractors. Generally, I view this as a necessary evil. However, in Derrick's case, it was a great experience. He not only had the knowledge and skills, but understood what we needed and got it done.

Wayne @ Popstar Networks

When I hired Derrick for our company's flagship product, I had no idea how lucky I was to land such a valuable resource. His knowledge of the technology and his results oriented attitude are world class.

Dale @ Instructional Spice

We hired Derrick on contract to complete a web application project for one of our clients. Timelines were extremely tight, but Derrick was always calm under pressure and came through for us in a huge way. His attention to detail, flawless execution, and depth of knowledge in front- and back-end web development are only a few of many of Derrick's strengths.

Sam @ The Marketing Store

I consider him to also be a top developer able to take on any task with ease and eloquence in execution. Eager to work with him again.

Lindsey @ AKQA

Faq's

Where do you work from?
I work primarily from my home office.
Are you available to work on-site?
It depends on where you are located and for how long. For the past few years I have worked almost exclusively from my home office for clients around North America. I am always available for phone calls, video chats, conference calls, etc. If your project has tight deadlines and budgets, would you rather have a consultant wasting time and money traveling to your office to work in a cubicle on your computer, or have them spend 30 seconds walking to their office and getting right to work in an environment they are comfortable with?
How much do you charge?
Prospective client answer: It depends. What is your budget, your deadline, the technical requirements? If you are serious about getting a project done, let's have a serious conversation and what it will take to get it done.
Freelancer answer: Do your research, figure out what your skill level is and determine what you are worth, don't base your value on mine? Check out this helpful site.
If you work from home, how do we know you are actually working?
Call my past and current clients. I hit deadlines, I answer all questions, I don't go running when the pressure goes up.
What hours do you typically work?
I'm in the Eastern Time Zone (same as New York and Boston) and try to work normal business hours. I typically work 9-5, Monday to Friday but when needed I can be online anytime (another advantage of working from home).