Harvey Norman

In this two-year engagement with Harvey Norman, one of Australia’s largest and most recognized retail brands, I served as a Senior Frontend Engineer, tackling the ambitious migration of their eCommerce platform from a legacy PHP-based monolithic structure to a robust, headless architecture. The new system was built on Magento and integrated cutting-edge technologies including GraphQL, React, and Next.js, creating a scalable and performance-driven solution capable of supporting Harvey Norman’s high-traffic, multi-brand presence across Australia.

Upon joining, I encountered a challenging environment: the frontend was burdened by outdated code, impeding progress and scalability. I was brought on at a crucial moment when the frontend development had stalled, and my role quickly expanded as I became a primary contributor to the project’s success. My key responsibilities included initiating a substantial code refactor and re-architecting core functionalities to bring the project back on track. I worked closely with the team to transform this aging codebase into a clean, modular, and maintainable system, which enabled faster feature development and reduced technical debt.

My focus areas were strategic and tactical. At a strategic level, I implemented Clean Architecture principles and SOLID design patterns, establishing a foundation that allowed the frontend code to be reliable, scalable, and easier to maintain. I introduced Jest and Cypress testing frameworks to ensure robust test coverage, which improved quality control and streamlined releases. This shift not only set a new standard of excellence in code quality but also fostered a culture of accountability and continuous improvement within the team.

At a tactical level, I introduced a series of optimizations and innovative solutions to achieve high performance and adaptability. I led the integration of server-side rendering (SSR) with Next.js, optimizing page load times, which significantly improved the user experience, especially for mobile users. I developed a Node.js middleware layer to handle complex data queries and caching strategies, enabling fast, seamless data retrieval and reducing load on backend services. Furthermore, I restructured the frontend into a parameterized, multi-theme codebase, allowing us to use a single, highly optimized codebase to serve three unique brands: Harvey Norman, Domayne, and Joyce Mayne, each with its own styling and business requirements.

Key features that I architected and implemented included highly interactive call-to-action components, a GPS-based store locator, dynamic product variants, a sophisticated wishlist and compare feature, and an image optimization pipeline. These features were designed with user experience in mind and optimized to handle large traffic volumes without compromising performance. Additionally, I built a flexible state management system that enhanced responsiveness and interactivity across the platform.

Throughout the project, I worked fully remotely, demonstrating that quality work and close collaboration can thrive in a distributed setting. My ability to deliver at a high level while balancing work with personal pursuits, like surfing on Australia’s Central Coast and snowboarding in Italy, underscored my commitment to a balanced lifestyle without compromising on project outcomes. This headless eCommerce migration stands as one of the fastest and most scalable implementations in the Australian market, supporting millions of users and contributing to billions in annual revenue.

Ultimately, my contributions helped position Harvey Norman as a leader in digital retail, and this experience further honed my expertise in building resilient, high-performance frontend architectures on a massive scale.