A digital product studio committed to using design and technology for good
Let's make a website you'll love
*or app, tool, automation, bot... whatever it is you're dreaming of!
Hello! I'm Shay and I'll be your web developer.
I'm a creative developer with a decade of experience spanning full-stack web development, web design, graphic design, online communications, and project management.
In 2018, I co-founded Nomadic Labs, a digital agency committed to working with nonprofits and social enterprises. In 2024, Nomadic Labs rebranded as Dreamside Digital, with a renewed vision for creating digital products that engage and empower communities and enable organizations to accelerate their impact.
Say hi 👋
I work with organizations who share my values
Inclusion
I strive to create products for diverse audiences with a wide range of abilities. That goes beyond checkboxes and compliance; accessibility and inclusion is foundational to my design process.
Collaboration
We'll bring together your subject matter expertise, my technical knowledge, and the voices of your community to co-create a product that truly serves your needs. When a project calls for additional skills, I don't hesitate to tap into my network of amazing collaborators!
Open-source
I'm able to deliver outstanding results by leveraging the power of open-source tools built by thousands of developers - and I actively contribute back to the open-source ecosystem.
What I do
Beyond specific services, I take the time to deeply understand my clients' needs (and constraints) so that we can come up with an appropriate digital strategy together.
- Prototyping
- Automation
- Integration
- Branding
- Graphic design
- UI/UX design
- Web development
- Custom software
Here are some of my favourite projects
Abortion Access Tracker
A centralized resource for information about policies, laws, and regulations that impact abortion access in Canada.
Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic
CIPPIC is a well-established legal non-profit with over a decade of articles and research on their website. We moved all their existing content to a new website with a refreshed design, intuitive navigation, and a better backend editing experience for the CIPPIC team.
Unboring KW
A community directory of family-friendly events and things to do in Kitchener-Waterloo
The Longest Night: A Solstice Play
Illustrations and print design for a community theatre production
Directions to Nowhere in Particular
Directions to Nowhere is a web-based app that provides thoughtful prompts for users to interact with their surroundings, often combining the digital and physical worlds.
Safe Support Chat
An embeddable, privacy-focused chatbox that connects to a secure messaging app called Matrix. Safe Support Chat is used by sexual assault support centres across Ontario."
Pathways to Care
Pathways to Care provides access to services, research, and events through their website. The website includes a tool for finding and accessing mental health services that is powered by 211 Ontario data.
RISE Cities
Web design and development for an urban sustainability initiative from the BMW Foundation
Feminist Law Reform 101
An open access course developed by the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL)
The stellar organizations I've worked with
The stellar organizations I've worked with
So what do you have in mind?
I offer two standard packages that cover the requirements of many typical projects. Both options give you a huge amount of flexibility in terms of design and functionality, and I can build additional features as needed. If you have even more specialized needs, I'd be happy to put together a proposal for you.
Feel free to reach out to me at shay@dreamsidedigital.com and we'll get the conversation started!
Editorial website
If your website is going to be focused on great content such as a blog, portfolio, or news site, this is the package for you.
- Custom designed website with up to five page templates to suit your content needs
- Modern content management system so you can edit and update the website yourself
- Ability to tag, categorize, and sort your content
- Built to look great and work fast on all screen sizes
- Meets WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards
- Includes web analytics
- Includes SEO tools
Optional add-ons:
- Managed hosting
- Ongoing tech support and development
- Additional features such as commenting, social media integrations, email notifications, and more.
$6,000 + HST
Data-centric website
If you're looking to build a website with a more data-centric purpose such as location mapping, data visualization, or a resource directory, this package may be right for you.
It includes everything from the Editorial website package, plus:
- Custom developed database with a data management system
- Data visualizations for your use case, such as mapping, graphs, tables, etc.
- User interface for sorting, filtering, and searching data
Optional add-ons:
- Managed hosting
- Ongoing tech support and development
- Additional features such as integrations with other apps, automated data input, and more.
$9,000 + HST
Looking for something else?
I am very open to taking on projects that fall outside my standard packages. I'll work with you to understand your needs, come up with an appropriate strategy, and create a proposal for your approval.
Here are some examples of projects that would be in my wheelhouse:
- Creating a web app with user accounts and members-only features
- Branding, logo design, and illustration
- Develping a custom plugin or component
- Refreshing the design of an existing website
- Technical support and/or training
Contact me to discuss your needs and request a proposal.