Ovi Maps Framework

Re-developing Nokia's online mapping platform.

Working for AKQA in Nokia's offices in Berlin, I was part of the team that redeveloped Ovi Maps.

Initially working as a small team of 4 developers on a proof-of-concept prototype, we laid down the foundations for the new framework in just 4 weeks.

One of the key features of the new framework was a move to a lazy-loading architecture, where interfaces and functionality are created on-demand instead of on the initial load. To support this approach I designed and created of a scalable CSS architecture which introduced CSS namespacing, vastly simplifying the development and integration of interfaces across the framework's modules.

I also created the HTML shell that the application lives in, championed the use of microformats wherever possible, and successfully lobbied for the inclusion of basic accessible search functionality.

Once the foundations were in place, the team was scaled in order to gain momentum and deliver the project to aggressive deadlines.

After the team expanded, I acted as "Presentation Guardian", helping module developers to integrate the HTML and CSS of their interfaces into the new framework. As well as pair-programming, I created front-end coding standards and CSS architecture documentation, and a ran a workshop on developing interfaces for the new framework which I delivered to module developers.

The new framework was benchmarked at more than 300% faster than its predecessor and dramatically simplified the process of developing and integrating new functionality.