James Cross
I help small teams and ethical organisations build accessible, resilient digital tools. Especially in areas where trust, clarity, and simplicity matter most.
About Me
I’m a dad of one, a freelance developer, and someone who tries to live and work in a way that aligns with my values. I grow food at home, make practical choices about the tech I use, and put my energy into projects that help people navigate complexity, not add to it.
My background spans technical delivery, product leadership, and digital support for mission-driven teams. I care about resilience, equity, and designing systems that make life easier, especially for people under pressure. Whether it’s helping organisations reduce admin or giving non-technical teams more control, I focus on digital tools that work well and stand the test of time.
What I Offer
- Accessible Site Builds
Small but mighty sites for teams that need reliable, fast, WCAG-compliant websites. Built with React, Next.js, and Tailwind. - Strategy + Technical Discovery
Help with scoping features, preparing rebuilds, or aligning digital goals to values and real-world use. - Custom Admin Tools + AI Assistants
Structured data tools, CMS setup, and GPT-powered assistants to reduce admin and improve consistency.
Case Study: Street Support Network
As the sole developer and technical lead, I rebuilt Street Support Network, a national platform used by over 100,000 people annually across 30+ UK locations to help people find and deliver homelessness support. I maintained and grew the original website until it became difficult to maintain and relied heavily on manual intervention, which limited its ability to scale. I led the full technical rebuild, designing a more resilient platform from the ground up using a modern stack (React, TypeScript, Tailwind) and a test-driven approach. My role included shaping the product roadmap, introducing a new CMS for partners, leading stakeholder engagement with non-technical collaborators, and implementing AI tools to reduce admin and improve data quality.
Results
- Replaced legacy infrastructure with a maintainable, test-driven codebase designed to last 10+ years
- Reduced support workload by introducing structured CMS workflows and automated service verification
- Empowered 1,800+ partner organisations to independently update their listings with minimal oversight
- Improved consistency and accuracy of public-facing content through AI writing support
- Strengthened network-wide trust by supporting partners and coordinating volunteer contributions
Who I Work With
I collaborate with values-led teams working in:
- Charities and community organisations
- Civic tech and public service innovation
- Startups with a social or ethical mission
- Local authorities, NHS partners, and policy teams
How I Work
- Grounded in real-world constraints. Designed for low admin, high trust environments.
- Structured and collaborative, especially when supporting non-technical contributors.
- Committed to accessibility, open documentation, and ethical tech principles.
- Tools and architecture built for sustainability, not just speed.
Let’s Work Together
If you’re building something meaningful and need support from someone who values clarity, resilience, and ethical tech, I’d love to hear from you.