Hey there, I'm

TaraDunmore

I've got design roots, developer instincts. Self-taught, self-driven, systems-minded, building the bridge between design and code.

See my workGet in touch
Tara Dunmore

that's me!

About me

I'm a front-end developer who got here the long way, and I think that's my strength. I taught myself HTML, CSS, and JavaScript as a kid, long before it was a career plan, and later built on that foundation through two bootcamps (LaunchCode and Skilled KC) before a 5-year career at VML.

That career has centered on design systems: owning and maturing them across many large-scale client projects, building components in HTL or React, backed by Java and Sling Models, styled with Sass. Before development, I spent three years as a content design specialist, designing brochures and templates in InDesign across dozens of client brands, training that still shows up in how I approach design systems today.

Outside of shipping components, I've led conference representation (KCDC, RenderATL), organized volunteer initiatives, and was featured on local radio discussing women in tech.

I'm currently exploring my next opportunity, ideally somewhere that values strong design and strong culture in equal measure.

Work

All work

Featured project

Midwest Burners : Rebuilding the Hub for a Five-Site Network

Building a completely custom Wordpress theme for Midwest Burners Association to split a single static default site into a five-site network. Designing the org site's from the ground up and building the shared architecture the other four event sites now run on.

  • WordPress Multisite
  • Advanced Custom Fields
  • GenerateBlocks
  • PHP
  • SCSS/Sass
  • FSE (Custom Child Theme)
Case studyLive site (opens in new tab)

  • The Haunting of Hatfield House

    A horror movie catalog app for our family horror movie tradition. It features automatic ratings and posters from an API, social sharing, and a spin feature for nights when nobody can decide what to watch.

    Case study

  • taradunmore.com rebuild

    My own portfolio site (this very site!), rebuilt with Next.js and Contentful to replace a static single-page site that couldn't grow with me.

    React · Next.js · TypeScript · Contentful · GraphQL · Tailwind

    Case studyLive site (opens in new tab)

  • Festival Website Overhaul: Part 2/5

    Case studyLive site (opens in new tab)

Skills

Languages/Frameworks

  • CSS
  • HTML
  • Java
  • JavaScript
  • Next.js
  • Node.js
  • React
  • Sass
  • TypeScript

CMS/Platforms

  • Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)
  • Contentful
  • WordPress

Testing & CI/CD

  • eslint
  • GitHub Actions
  • Jest
  • Maven
  • Prettier

Accessibility

  • ARIA
  • Semantic HTML
  • WCAG

UI/UX

  • Figma
  • Storybook

Version Control

  • Bitbucket
  • Git
  • GitHub

Project Management & Collaboration

  • Confluence
  • Jira
  • Notion
  • Slack
  • Trello

AI Tools

  • Claude Code
  • Copilot
  • Vercel V0

Where I've been

Professional Experience

  1. Apr 2021 to Jul 2026Frontend Software DeveloperVML

    Role

    Dates

    VML

    Frontend Software Developer

    Apr 2022 — Jul 2026

    LaunchCode

    Frontend Software Developer Apprentice

    Apr 2021 — Apr 2022

    • Owned and matured design systems across many large-scale client projects, ensuring visual and component consistency from Figma through to production

    • Built and modernized component libraries using HTL or React (TypeScript), backed by Java and Apache Sling Models, styled with Sass

    • Developed within Adobe Experience Manager (traditional and Cloud Service), converting legacy code to current systems, identifying risks and dependencies during legacy-to-Cloud Service migrations

    • Maintained test coverage with Jest, worked within CI/CD pipelines via GitHub Actions, and configured Maven build files

    • Applied accessibility-conscious development practices across projects, including semantic HTML, ARIA, and alt text, validated through manual keyboard/screen reader testing, jest-axe, and eslint-plugin-jsx-a11y

  2. Nov 2018 to Jul 2019Junior Web DeveloperGo Local Interactive

    • Built and maintained WordPress Multisite installations across LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack for a portfolio of clients

    • Gained foundational full-stack development experience in a first professional developer role

  3. Aug 2013 to Sep 2016Content Design SpecialistLockton Companies

    • Designed print and digital materials, including brochures and templates, across a broad client portfolio, each with distinct brand guidelines

    • Collaborated with internal teams and clients to translate brand and content requirements into polished, accurate materials

Volunteer Experience

  1. Jan 2025 to PresentInformation & Media Department LeadMidwest Burners
  2. Aug 2019 to Jan 2025Event CoordinatorMidwest Burners Association
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Let's connect!

I'd love to hear from you. Whether you have a project in mind, want to collaborate, or just want to say hi, feel free to reach out.