About

Nathan Smith

FAQ | Résumé | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Nathan + Olga I have been at this since last century, back in the days before WYSIWYG editors, coding each and every page by hand. In high school I made a basic site to house my award-winning multiplayer levels for various video games. As web publishing has become more robust, I want to push it to its full potential.

At my day job, I am a Senior Front-End Developer at Viewzi. Previously, I was an Information Architect at EMC. Before that, Web User Interface Developer at Albertsons + Supervalu, a Fortune 500 company. I am happily married to a brilliant woman, and we serve as short-term missionaries to Estonia (home of Skype), where her father is a United Methodist pastor.

I am also a Master of Divinity student, via correspondence classes from Asbury Theological Seminary. I used to be a developer for their online curriculum. While helping teach IT605: Technology for Ministry, I realized many Christian sites are poorly designed and coded. The majority of ministries simply cannot afford the cost of quality web development.

That is why I decided to provide an alternative solution. Granted, I certainly do not consider myself to be some sort of revolutionary thinker. The notion of starting a web development business is not novel, by any remote stretch of the imagination. I am just using common sense in assuming that people are tired of getting ripped off and being given the runaround.

I refuse to perpetuate the myth that publishing on the web must be difficult and expensive. It is fairly simple and can be done without too much trouble. This is evident by the countless number of sites already out there. The trick is to find a concept, design or approach that is fresh and inventive.

This is what I feel makes SonSpring different. I am not out to make a buck, hand-over-fist. It should be possible to offer solid work without charging an arm and a leg. I simply believe in using my God-given talents to help others. If you also share that belief, then you have come to the right place.

Ministry Vision

John 7:37-38

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried – saying: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said – from within him shall flow rivers of living water.” – KJV

SonSpring is a small, Christian web studio that specializes in creating sites for churches and non-profits. The mission statement and fervent prayer is the utmost would be done to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ through web development.

Our global society today exists amidst a booming Information Age, in which communication throughout the entire earth happens at near instantaneous speeds. This has both its positive points and its drawbacks.

Despite differing opinions on technology, the Internet is neither a perfect miracle of modern communication, nor is it inherently evil. It is simply a tool which can be used for good or bad purposes. It is a widely recognized fact that if the church is to compete with the world, it must not fall behind in its ability to reach those who need to hear the gospel.

This often times is quite expensive, as many companies charge exorbitant sums of money for a simple website. This can be especially troublesome for non-profit organizations, as they usually do not have the extra capital necessary to reach a broad audience base.

I want to remedy this problem by offering high quality, bug free site designs at reasonable prices. Whether a profit is made is not the primary concern. The key focus is that each ministry be able to maximize its sphere of influence. Therefore, it is my pledge to work with you not only on a business-client basis, but in a prayerful relationship of mutual edification.

Sincerely,
Nathan Smith
Nathan Smith

FYI


Member of 9rulesHosted by Mosso

My Book

Textpattern Solutions I had the privilege of co-writing Textpattern Solutions for the web technology publisher Friends of ED. If you want to develop a professional dynamic web site, without the hassle of writing all the server-side code from scratch, then Textpattern could be just the solution you are looking for.

Testimonials

Nathan is one of those rare individuals entirely comfortable conceiving, describing, and certainly working with a 360 degree view of any interactive project. He intuitively grasps the relevant factors and has the skills to then implement them, be they visual, behavioral, or functional. He has been a willing tutor and a valuable mentor in my ongoing scripting and CMS education. Few of my professional friends have his combination of broad skill, patience, and humor.
— Andy Rutledge

Nathan is like a sponge. He knows so much, yet he yearns to learn more. My frequent conversations with him have taught me that. He is a gifted individual with a great taste for design. Ambitious but level headed, he is dedicated to supporting causes that matter to him.
— Bryan Veloso

Any time I receive a compliment for the Stonebriar site, I have to give Nathan a big portion of the credit, because he always encouraged me to not let those code monkey voices in my head hinder my artistic instincts. He constantly told me, “Just design it how you want to design it, and I’ll worry about how to make it work.”
— Chris Merritt

Nathan is fantastic to work with. He creates quality solutions quickly. He comes to the table with many of the problems inherent in today’s designs already worked out. So, you spend more time developing a great solution instead of arguing about details. I will continue working with him.
— Dave Merwin

Nathan deftly transformed [the Geniant blog] into markup while navigating the endless requests and changes that Jared and I threw at him as the idea evolved. Working with a team like that makes everything seem so easy and painless.
— Garrett Dimon

Thank you very much for your kindness and generosity. You are taking Life Light Ministries to a different level. You have spoken for those who can do speak for themselves. You are making a difference.
— John Dongerdive

As with any Nathan Smith endeavor, this kit is very well thought out and executed. He has considered many details and implemented them thoroughly. If you are looking to cut down development time while sketching, wireframing, or coding hi-fi prototypes, his work on 960.gs is sure to be a great starting point.
— Mark Kraemer

I have collaborated with Nathan on several projects and each time he has amazed me with his efficiency, effectiveness and knowledge of web design techniques.
— Matt Heerema

Nathan has done a couple of freelance jobs for me. I can say without reservation that his work is simply amazing. His design and code are impeccable. He even delivers when he says he will. I would hire him full-time in a second if he would let me!
— Peter Flaschner

Nathan is one of the most genuine people I’ve met and is extremely accomplished at his ability to adhere to and educate others on web standards. Also, his comprehension of CSS and XHTML is something to be admired. He is a natural leader in the web design community and someone with whom it is a joy to associate.
— Phil Coffman