I'm an independent developer, designer, and digital craftsperson. My specialty is building sleek, intuitive, low-maintenance websites for bloggers, creatives, and folks in science.
I build websites that are
Swift. Intuitive. Resilient.

Performance

Security, speed, and responsivity across devices

Ease of use

Updating content is as easy as filling out a form

Longevity

Built to last using inherent web technologies

About me

Howdy, I'm Sami, a neuroscientist-turned-web designer with a flair for creating web experiences that are resilient, lightweight, and user-friendly for both the visitor and maintainer.

Whether you're starting from scratch or need a site tune-up,

I'm here to walk you through every step of the process. As someone that thrives in multidisciplinary spaces, I love nibbling on the charcuterie of skills I use as a web developer, from user experience and graphic design to programming and data science.

I take a scientific approach to web design.

Having worked over a decade in academia, I really enjoy drawing from my scientific expertise to build websites and tools specifically tailored for academic professionals and groups. Some of the ways I've integrated these two worlds include:

  • Taking an open source and data-centric approach to content management that will feel familiar and accessible to scientists and data professionals
  • Engineering custom tools and templates for sciencey content like current projects, people pages, publications, databases, and resource repositories
  • Creating interactive data visualizations to showcase important datasets
  • Designing intuitive user experiences and interfaces informed by neuroscience
  • Building websites and content management systems that accommodate tight budgets and busy schedules, so you can focus on your research and impact

Let's make something together

I'm currently located in Dresden, Germany, and working independently. You can hire me on a freelance basis as a developer, designer, and/or consultant. I'm also open to do talks, workshops and training sessions.

Have an idea for a project you think I'd be a good fit for?

Reach out to me at sami.r.friedrich@gmail.com or read on to learn more about the kind of work I do.

Services

My clients tend to fall into two broad categories, and I've got you covered whether:

  1. 1) you already have a website and want to jazz it up, or
  2. 2) you've decided it's time to launch a new website.

There are lots of different pieces that go into making a great website. Depending on your goals and needs, you may need just a few or many of the following:

Strategy and consultation

  • Auditing and optimizing site performance, security, SEO, and accessibility
  • Mapping, evalutating, and improving user flows
  • Solidifying a memorable online identity through cohesive design and content strategy
  • Minimizing website maintenance costs, including time investment for maintainers
  • Identifying and tailoring content to a target audience

Creative coding

  • Migrating, restructuring, and redesigning an existing website
  • Designing intuitive user experiences and interfaces
  • Ensuring your site is responsive (scales nicely & behaves as expected) across devices and browsers
  • Engineering a custom content management system to simplify updating your site
  • Building interactive data visualizations like this one

Design and content creation

  • Constructing a wireframe of your layout
  • Designing full-fledged user interfaces using Figma
  • Graphic design of logos, color palettes, font styles, and other media
  • Photo editing and optimizing media for the web
  • Authoring and editing written content for clarity and impact

My toolbox

Recent work

The Hyman Lab

A large-size & information-dense website with a playful design organized around resource sharing and documenting the lab’s rich history of people, events, and contributions.

Made with:
  • Astro
  • Decap
  • Screenshot of the Hyman Lab homepage
    Sleep and Health Applied Research Program

    A medium-size website that emphasizes the people in this research community, elegantly highlighting the team of folks that work there, as well as recruitment of new lab members and participants in active research studies.

    Made with:
  • Jekyll
  • Decap
  • Screenshot of the SHARP Lab homepage
    Portfolio

    A single page portfolio website that showcases professional interests and accomplishments while bringing personality to the design through movement and color.

    Made with:
  • Bootstrap
  • Jekyll
  • Screenshot of the Portfolio site

    Ready to start building a website that's easy on the eyes, noggin, and wallet?

    Send an email to sami.r.friedrich@gmail.com to set up an initial consultation.

    Send email