Pittsburgh UX Designer & Developer
Josh
Soberdash
About Me
As a UX/UI designer and developer my objective is to create clean, re-sizable, functional interfaces that are W3C compliant and cross browser tested for everyday users. Making a positive impact on clients, co-workers, and the web using my skills and experience to design and develop compelling and attractive mobile first websites.
With 8+ years of hands-on experience in UX/UI design, I specialize in creating intuitive, user-centered digital experiences that drive engagement and conversions
I design with purpose—transforming complex user journeys into seamless, responsive interfaces across web and mobile platforms. My approach combines deep user research, data-driven design decisions, and modern web standards to deliver clean, functional, and accessible solutions that perform beautifully across devices.
Start To Finish
Strategy
We start by understanding your business goals, target audience, and brand identity. This strategic foundation guides every decision to ensure your website delivers real value and impact.
RESEARCH
Next, we dive into competitor analysis, user behavior, and industry trends. These insights help us uncover opportunities and define a user-focused approach that drives engagement.
DESIGN
With a clear direction, we create visually compelling and intuitive designs that reflect your brand and captivate users. From wireframes to mockups, every element is crafted with purpose and usability in mind.
DEVELOPMENT
Finally, we bring the design to life with clean, responsive code. Our development process ensures your site works seamlessly across all devices, loads fast, and is easy to manage and scale.
UX / UI / Web Design
Core UX & Design Skills
- User Research – Interviews, surveys, usability testing, heuristic evaluation.
- Information Architecture – Structuring content for clarity and findability.
- Wireframing & Prototyping – Low to high fidelity.
- Interaction Design (IxD) – Microinteractions, transitions, and feedback.
- Visual Design – Typography, color theory, layout, composition.
- User Journey Mapping & Personas – Empathy-driven experience design.
- Accessibility (WCAG 2.2) – Inclusive design practices.
Tools & Platforms
- Figma
- Adobe XD
- Sketch
- Framer – For interactive, code-like prototyping.
- Webflow – No-code responsive website design and deployment.
- Penpot – Open-source alternative for team collaboration.
- Spline / Rive – 3D and animated UI/UX design.
AI & Automation
- Figma AI features – Auto-layout suggestions, copywriting, image generation.
- Uizard / Galileo / Magician / Visily – AI-driven UI design from text prompts.
- ChatGPT / Copilot – Copywriting, user flows, and idea generation.
- Midjourney / DALL·E / Adobe Firefly – Generating visual assets and concepts.
Web & Responsive Design
- Responsive Design – Mobile-first, breakpoints, fluid grids.
- Component Systems – Design systems like Material Design, Tailwind UI, etc.
- Design Tokens – Shared, code-consumable style variables.
- CSS Knowledge – High level understanding for better handoff (e.g., Flexbox, Grid).
Analytics & Optimization
- A/B Testing Tools – Optimizely, Google Optimize (phased out), VWO.
- User Behavior Tools – Hotjar, FullStory, Microsoft Clarity.
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – Understanding user flows and drop-offs.
Collaboration & Handoff
- Design Systems & Libraries – Shared Figma libraries, tokens, documentation.
- Zeplin / Avocode (declining) – Design-to-dev handoff.
- Storybook – When collaborating closely with devs on component libraries.
- Notion / Jira / Confluence – For documentation and project tracking.
Soft Skills
- Empathy & Communication – Leading stakeholder interviews, presenting designs.
- Feedback Incorporation – Iterative design based on testing and input.
- Design Thinking & Problem Solving
- Cross-functional collaboration – Especially with front-end devs and PMs.
Development
Core Skills
- HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (ES6+) – Fundamental building blocks.
- Responsive Design – Mobile-first, accessibility, cross-browser compatibility.
- Version Control (Git/GitHub/GitLab) – Collaboration and code management.
- Debugging and Testing – Chrome DevTools, unit testing, E2E testing.
Frameworks
- React
- Vue 3
- Svelte
- Next.js / Nuxt / Astro – For server-side rendering and static sites.
- Tailwind CSS – Utility-first CSS framework, widely adopted.
Tooling & Build Systems
- Vite / Webpack / esbuild / Parcel – Module bundlers and dev servers.
- Babel – JS transpiler (less prominent with native module support).
- PostCSS / Sass / CSS Modules – For CSS preprocessing and modularization.
- npm / Yarn / pnpm – Package managers.
Quality Assurance
- Jest / Vitest – Unit testing.
- Playwright / Cypress – E2E testing.
- Testing Library – For React, Vue, etc.
- ESLint / Prettier – Code linting and formatting.
AI & Productivity Tools
- GitHub Copilot / Cody / Cursor – AI coding assistants.
- Figma-to-code tools – Automated UI code generation from design files.
- AI-driven component builders – Such as Locofy or Vercel’s AI integrations.
Design & UX
- Figma – UI/UX design collaboration.
- Storybook – UI component development and documentation.
- Framer Motion / GSAP – Animation libraries.
Performance & Optimization
- Core Web Vitals – Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights.
- Code splitting / Lazy loading
- Image optimization tools – e.g., Next/Image.
- Page Load /Script Rendering
API & Data Handling
- REST / GraphQL
- Axios / Fetch / React Query / TanStack Query
- WebSockets / SSE – For real-time updates.
Other
- Agile / Scrum / Jira
- Code reviews / Pair programming
- Accessibility (a11y)
- SEO for SPAs
Career
2019 - 2024
Senior Developer
Flying Agency Cork - Pittsburgh, PA
Education
2007 - 2011
Bachelors of Science, Interactivemedia & Web Design
Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh, PA
While attending school in Pittsburgh, I studied Interactive Media and Web Design. After graduation I stuck with my business smarts and creativity to begin my journey as a Freelancer.
Deans list | 4.0
2004 - 2007
Highschool Graduate
Highschool Graduate - Scottdale, PA
I graduated High School in 2007 while remaining in the Top 10 of my class. Since being out of High School I have turned to my creative side for employment.
Graduated 8th in my class.
Featured Projects
Here’s a glimpse of some of my recent and exciting projects. Each of them reflects my focus on user-centered design and my commitment to excellence in user experience.
View All
Iron City Websites
Objective: Conversion-Focused Landing Pages for Moving Services
Pittsburgh, needed a website that effectively showcased custom cakes, improved the user experience, and increased online orders. The existing website had poor navigation, lacked mobile responsiveness, and had an inefficient ordering process.
Services: Web Design, Development, SEO, Google Analytics
CMS: WordPress
Dash Digital Marketing
Services: Web Design, Development, SEO
CMS: WordPress
Pittsburgh Online Cake Ordering
Objective: Conversion-Focused Landing Pages for Moving Services
Luxury cake business in Pittsburgh, needed a website that effectively showcased custom cakes, improved the user experience, and increased online orders. The existing website had poor navigation, lacked mobile responsiveness, and had an inefficient ordering process.
Services: Web Design, Development, SEO
CMS: Squarespace
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Coin Collection App
Coin collections can be hard to keep track of and excel sheet data is less user friendly. We’ve create a coin collection app to inventory all of your coins by year, and many other specifics.
Services: Wireframes, Prototypes, Dashboard Design, UX Design, UI Design, and Mockups.
Wedding Towel
Objective: Conversion-Focused Landing Pages for Moving Services
A moving service company needed landing pages that converted visitors into leads. Their existing pages had a high bounce rate and lacked clear CTAs.
Services: Web Design, Development, SEO
CMS: WordPress
Articles
Creating Design Principles
Crafting your own... Research available principles for competitors and related organizations.Gather and list out the business goals, user needs, and brand attributes. Brainstorm with key collaborators. Narrow down to no more than 10. Ensure they don’t conflict or...
How to Set Up a Retainer Agreement | Freelance Income Tips
One of the best ways to stabilize your freelance income and build long-term client relationships is by offering a retainer agreement. Instead of chasing new projects every month, you secure predictable income with clients who commit to ongoing work. Here’s exactly how...
Top 6 Simple Ways to Speed Up Your Website Performance
Website speed isn’t just about better user experience—it plays a crucial role in your SEO rankings, bounce rates, and overall conversions. A slow site can push users away and hurt your visibility online. The good news? You don’t need to be a developer to fix it. Here are the top 6 simple ways to speed up your website performance starting today.