About
FREELANCE WEB DEVELOPER
Grace Yao
Hello! I'm Grace Yao. I'm a freelance web developer based in Chicago with 3 years experience creating beautiful and successful web experiences for clients ranging from small local businesses to global corporations in a wide variety of niches: Non-profit, e-commerce, architecture, photography, video production, food+beverage, VFX, healthcare, and more!
I came to web development through a non-traditional path. I spent 6 years in the nonprofit world working in social services and career development, supporting people as they navigated landscapes that often weren't designed with them in mind. That work taught me to pay attention. To really listen to the needs behind the ask. To analyze sysems and ask: "Who is this for?" "What needs to change for this to actually work for people?"
This ethos still runs deep in my code and practice, grounding it in real human experience. I prioritize pillars of web design/development that are often overlooked - user experience, accessibility, and clarity - in order to create digital experiences that convey a genuine respect for the people on both sides of the screen.
Proficiencies
I consider myself a "web generalist", which means I am a "jack of all trades" of sorts in terms of web technologies. I've worked with major frameworks such as React, Svelte, Next.js, and am able to shift between content schemas, syntax, and JS libraries. This enables me to make informed decisions on project architecture, and making sure I use the best stack for turning your vision into reality.