JL
Juan Lara
Hire Me
Available · Q3 2026

Ships ads.
Ships motion.
Ships on time.

Senior interactive developer based in Costa Rica. 15 years producing HTML5 ads, motion graphics, and automation — for agencies and brands across the U.S., Costa Rica, and the U.K.

15+
Years Building
2000+
HTML5 Banners
50+
Motion Pieces
10+
Devs Mentored
01

Why work with me.

About · the short version

Fast & Reliable

I deliver on time, every time. Clear timelines, no surprises, no last-minute scrambles.

15 Years Deep

From Flash to agentic AI — I've shipped through every era of the modern web. Problems get solved fast because I've seen them before.

Easy to Work With

Clear communication, no jargon, no ego. I collaborate smoothly with designers, PMs, and other engineers.

02

Where I've shipped.

Experience · 2010 — present
Present2024 — Now

Freelance Software / Automation Developer

// Independent · U.S. + Costa Rica + U.K.

HTML5 banner production, motion work, and automation for brands and agencies across the U.S., Costa Rica, and the U.K.

  • 300+ HTML5 banners for U.S. and Costa Rica brands — spec-perfect across ad networks
  • 50+ videos for U.S. and U.K. agencies — 50% faster, more flexible production workflows
  • Partnered with art directors, AEs, designers, animators, and engineers on delivery
  • Automated repetitive processes — +10% productivity across client teams
HTML5 Motion Automation Ad Tech
2017—247 years

Sr. Interactive Developer

// Havas Magma

High-volume HTML5 ad production for global brands — plus training, standards, and tooling that reshaped how the interactive team shipped.

  • 300+ HTML5 banners/year — 100% on-time across Google Ads, DCM, Sizmek, Flashtalking
  • Led HTML/CSS/JS/GreenSock training — +80% proficiency; 90%+ moved off Adobe Animate
  • 3× team resource availability; +50% ticket throughput with no added headcount
  • Animation & implementation standards — 90% fewer QA issues and client revisions
  • Mentored 10+ juniors — 5+ promoted to mid/senior during tenure
  • Custom scripts and template generators — +10 hrs/week saved team-wide
HTML5 GreenSock Training Standards Ad Tech
2014—173 years

Sr. Creative Engineer

// Prodigious

Design-system-driven UI work and HTML5 ad production at scale — plus training that moved the team off Flash for good.

  • Design-system UI work — 3× faster than building from scratch
  • 100+ HTML5 banners/year — spec-perfect across global brand accounts
  • Training moved 100% of team from Flash to hand-coded production; +90% proficiency
  • New standards cut QA / client revisions 90% and unlocked +50% ticket capacity
Design Systems HTML5 GreenSock Flash→HTML5
2012—142 years

UI/UX Designer & Developer

// The Hangar Interactive

Web and mobile work for enterprise clients — front-end fixes, hybrid iOS apps, animation, and build tooling.

  • 100+ issues resolved on Citibank USA's Credit Cards site — usability & cross-browser
  • iOS apps shipped 3× faster with HTML5 + JS inside Electron / Cordova
  • Web animations across 4+ client sites — lifted perceived brand quality
  • Custom build scripts and template generators — +10 hrs/week saved
Citibank Electron Cordova Animation
2011—12Start

Web Developer & UI Designer

// Virtual Works

eBrochures and responsive web experiences for world-class international hotel brands.

  • 30+ eBrochures for Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Punta Islita, Best Western, Holiday Inn
  • Standardized eBrochure process end-to-end — 60% faster delivery
  • Redesigned Holiday Inn's full suite for Flash→HTML5 — +50% device/browser compat
eBrochures Hotels Flash→HTML5
03

Selected work.

Projects · a short shelf
#01 54 Banners · Live

HTML5 Banner Work

Animated display creative for U.S. and LATAM brands — Amazon, Sears, Target, Kohl's, HP, Fitbit, NFL, Welch's, and more. Built during seven years at Havas Magma and through independent practice.

HTML5 GSAP Animation Display Ads
Browse the gallery
#02 Motion · Live

Motion Graphics

Animation and motion design across widescreen, square, and vertical formats — explainers, animated ads, and social reels. Hover to preview; click to play at full size.

After Effects Animation Video Social
Browse the reel
04

The toolkit.

Skills · languages, frameworks, instruments

Languages 06

JavaScriptTypeScript PythonNode.js HTML5CSS3

Frameworks 03

React Angular Tailwind

Design 04

FigmaSketch UI/UXPrototyping

DevOps & Tools 04

GitGitHub CI/CD SSHAWS Practitioner

AI & Automation 06

LLMsRAG MCPCopilot Prompt Eng.Agentic AI

Soft Skills 03

Team Collaboration Clear Communication English B2+
05

Always growing.

Education & training
01
Bachelor's — Graphic Design
Universidad Creativa
02
Angular Web Development
Cenfotec
03
AWS Practitioner
Cenfotec
04
Generative AI
VLA
05
Python (PICAP)
VLA
06
AI-Assisted Programming
Dojo Coding
07
ECMAScript 5
La 404
08
UX / Product Design
La 404
09
English Proficiency B2+
MET Exam
Say hello

Let's build
something real.

Open to senior full-time roles and interesting commissions. Send a note and I'll get back to you.