Web development in Reading, Berkshire.
Freelance and contract web development from a senior frontend engineer based in Reading, with 17 years building the parts of a site or app that most developers route around: the complex feature, the design system, the CMS integration that has to survive a non-technical editor. If you need a web developer in Reading or Berkshire for a project that's more than a template site, this is what that looks like.
What I actually build
Most "web developer near me" searches turn up template sites and page builders. That's not this. My work is on the complex end: design systems that a whole team builds from, headless CMS integrations (Contentstack, Sanity, Adobe Experience Manager) wired to real editorial workflows, and schema-first code generation that turns one definition file into types, templates and CMS dialogs instead of four hand-maintained copies. It's the same senior-level work I've done for a global pharmaceutical client, an enterprise SaaS learning platform and Sony PlayStation, scaled down to whatever a Reading business or a Thames Valley team actually needs.
Performance and accessibility are built in rather than bolted on: fast-loading pages, clean semantic markup, and WCAG 2.2 AA as a baseline rather than a retrofit. That's a supporting standard on every build, not the headline — the headline is that the thing you asked for actually works, loads fast, and doesn't fall over when you hand it to a non-technical editor.
Who this is for
Two kinds of client, both welcome:
- Reading, Berkshire and Thames Valley businesses who want a website or web app built properly — quick to load, easy to edit, not held together with string — and would rather work with someone local than a faceless agency. Straightforward marketing sites and small web apps go through Noctal Studio, my productised fixed-price arm: four packages plus monthly care plans, still built by the same senior frontend engineer.
- Teams anywhere in the UK who need a senior frontend contractor for a few months: design-system work, a gnarly integration, or a lead-frontend seat on an existing team. Outside-IR35 contracts, typically 3–12 months, remote with occasional on-site in London or the Thames Valley.
Relevant work
Case studies from the senior-level end of the same skill set that goes into a Reading web development project: design systems, headless CMS, and schema-first tooling.
- Schema-first codegen on AEM: one YAML file per component generates the TypeScript types, Lit templates, CMS dialogs and markup for an enterprise SaaS learning platform — around 25 production components, zero hand-maintained duplicates.
- A strangler-fig design-system migration: a 37-component Lit 3 web component library running alongside a legacy stack in production on a global scientific content platform, bridged by typed event contracts.
- Four years across regulated healthcare platforms: search architecture, accessibility remediation and an analytics framework for a global pharmaceutical client's public-facing platforms.
Common questions
- Do you only work with businesses in Reading?
- No — Reading and Berkshire clients get the option of meeting in person, but the work itself is remote-friendly and I take on freelance projects and contracts from anywhere in the UK, with EU-friendly hours for teams further afield.
- What does a web development project cost?
- Depends on scope. Small marketing sites and simple web apps run as fixed-price packages through Noctal Studio. Larger or more technical builds (custom web apps, CMS integrations, design-system work) are quoted individually once I understand the scope, or run as a day-rate contract for ongoing team work. Email or call for a straight answer rather than a starting-from price that never applies.
- Do you build with WordPress or Shopify?
- My depth is in hand-built and headless setups — React, Vue, Next.js, Astro, and headless CMS platforms like Contentstack and Sanity, plus Adobe Experience Manager on the enterprise side — rather than page-builder platforms. If a project genuinely needs WordPress or Shopify, I'll say so and point you elsewhere rather than force a mismatch.
- How long does a typical project take?
- A fixed-price marketing site is usually weeks, not months. A custom web app or a CMS integration with real editorial workflows is a longer build, scoped project by project. Contract engagements for team-based design-system or platform work typically run 3 to 12 months.
- Do you offer ongoing support after launch?
- Yes — monthly care plans are available through Noctal Studio for sites built that way, and for larger builds I'll agree a support or retainer arrangement upfront rather than leaving you stranded after handover.
- Is accessibility included, or an extra?
- Included as standard, not sold separately: WCAG 2.2 AA practice on every build, checked with real screen readers rather than an automated scanner alone. It's a baseline expectation of the work, not the reason to hire me.
Get in touch: email hello@hiten.dev or call 07827 443 288. Same-day reply most days, and no obligation quote for Reading and Berkshire projects.
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