My Engineering Background

Hello! My name is Katie Ayres, an experienced full-stack WordPress Developer who has loved software engineering since writing my first line of code back in college.

I graduated cum laude and received my Computer Science degree from California State University, East Bay in 1987 in the San Francisco Bay Area where I was born and raised.

I was a Senior Software Engineer and Technical Manager for twenty years, first working for GTE Government Systems, and then General Dynamics after it acquired GTE. I built software for signal processing systems, writing the real-time equipment control software.

I loved my work, won awards at the company, and worked on amazing systems that help defend our country. But after 20 years, I was at a decision point in my career.

I had left my much-loved job to become a caregiver to a family member, and when it was time to return to the workplace, it would have been natural to return to my old position at General Dynamics.

However, there was another part of me that I wanted to combine with my engineering skills: my creativity. Growing up, I had a deep love for the creative arts. I played various instruments, composed music that I performed in high school, and explored photography—a hobby I continue to this day.

I created One Creative Developer, LLC to bring together the two key aspects of my world: my extensive software engineering background and my creative spirit. I’m passionate about merging technical expertise with my design sensibilities, leveraging skills in typography, color theory, and layout to create innovative and visually compelling solutions. 

I work with:

• Creative Individuals
• Direct booking websites for vacation rentals
• Portfolio websites for creatives

I love collaborating with clients to uncover the best ways to showcase their business through their website—the heart and soul of their online presence. I have spent 35+ years thinking about how to best express the real world in the digital space and will help you communicate your business to your future clients.

I develop professional websites and then maintain them to keep them running smoothly. My clients feel empowered by technology and reassured knowing that the technical aspects of their business are in reliable hands.

I participate in Stack Overflow, a large online website with 14 million registered users, where professional software developers help people with their code. I generally rank in the top 20% even when I am busy with work, as some of my answers continue to help other engineers.

Each of my clients brings with them unique challenges. Because of my extensive engineering background, I can solve those challenges through custom software solutions. You can learn more about my past projects, the challenges my client’s faced and how we solved them.

What challenges do you face? I’d love to hear from you!

My Skills