Alex Smoller
Website Design & Development
New York
I've been designing and building websites for more than 25 years, working with clients ranging from independent artists and cultural organizations to small businesses and major corporations. My work has often extended beyond development to include project planning, user experience, design, and the many decisions involved in bringing a project from concept to completion.
Some of my favorite projects have come from partnering with designers and design studios. Because my background spans both design and development, I understand the intent behind a design, anticipate the technical decisions it requires, and carry it through to a finished site without losing what made it compelling in the first place. I'm equally comfortable discussing typography and layout or functionality and code.
Interested in working together? Reach out to me at hello@smoller.com.
Notable Projects
Mount Kisco Arts Council
As a volunteer board member of the Mount Kisco Arts Council, I designed and developed the organization's first website, creating a central hub for arts programming, events, membership, and community engagement. The site provides a platform for promoting local artists and events while making it easier for residents to discover and participate in the arts.
Maison Française
To celebrate the centennial of Columbia University's Maison Française, I worked with designer Marc Blaustein to develop a bilingual website exploring the institution's 100-year history. An extension of a campus exhibition, the site brought together archival photographs, documents, audio, and video in an engaging, easy-to-explore online experience.
Butterfield Market
Butterfield Market has been an Upper East Side institution since 1915. The challenge was bringing a century-old neighborhood market into the world of online shopping and grocery delivery. Working with Strohl, one of my favorite design studios ever, to bring it to life was an absolute treat.
RGR Landscape
RGR Landscape creates thoughtful spaces that bring architecture and landscape together, with an emphasis on nature-based design. The challenge was bringing their broad portfolio together in a website that feels cohesive, polished, and easy to explore.
Black Dahlia CBD Botanicals
Black Dahlia CBD Botanicals brings together science, craftsmanship, and a distinctive sense of style across an unconventional range of products. Working again with Strohl, we refreshed the brand's online presence and created a cleaner, more streamlined ecommerce experience.
Design Studio Partnership
For many design studios, maintaining dedicated development staff doesn't make sense. I work as an independent technical partner, becoming part of the team and collaborating closely with studio principals, designers, project managers, and clients from early planning through launch. My role often extends beyond development to helping define the technical approach, establish budgets and schedules, and manage the work through completion. When a project requires additional resources, I can bring in and supervise other developers, giving studios the flexibility to take on projects of different sizes and complexity.
Nice things people have said
Working with web developers in the past, we've run into numerous situations of being told one thing and getting something else. Beyond the fact that Alex has the ability to design as well as build websites, our studio has found dealing with him refreshing in that he really works with us in figuring out the best approach to each project. When he delivers (on or ahead of schedule) we get exactly what we hoped for. Working with Alex is a pleasurable and successful experience.
- Sam Eckersley, Partner, RED
Whenever Alex is not riding his BMW motorcycle, he is there for us. Either in his office, at home, or sitting in a Starbucks café making emergency changes that the client requested 20 minutes before launching a new site. Alex is a great developer to work with: a creative problem solver who is extremely patient with predominantly picky print designers. We Muccans love working with him (the next projects are already lined up so don't steal his time!).
- Nadja Tata, Project Manager, Mucca Design
Please do not work with Alex Smoller. He is professional and consistent, his code impeccably clean and his work ethic outstanding. I would rather not share the fact that he is someone who delivers on his promise, goes above and beyond for the call of perfection, and is actually a pleasure to work with. If you are looking for a developer who really knows the business and is a partner in creating outstanding solutions, you have found him. Don't spread the word.
- Amy Gershoni, President, Gershoni
We designers can afford to be unkempt, space-cadet, artiste-types. But when it comes to turning our designs into tight, functional websites for our clients, we need rockstar developers like Alex on our team. Meticulous, highly-knowledgeable, super-reliable—this guy delivers. And unlike developers you may have worked with in the past, Alex is articulate, sociable, and an ACTUAL pleasure to work with. Sure, he doesn't wear a cape, speak Vulcan, or drop Lord of the Rings references, but what he DOES do is take your layered photoshop files and turn them into pixel-perfect websites.
- Doug Muise, Principal, Doug Muise Design
When I was looking for a web developer I was surprised by the incompetence and approximation I found.
Luckily I met Alex, who is competent and truly knowledgeable, reliable and fast, and is of course a good developer. He knows what's appropriate, and what's a superfluous gimmick. Thanks Alex!
- Francesco Gianesini, Principal, Gianesini Design