Project: Google Maps Optimizations
When Google Maps technology first became available for websites (circa 2005) 🔗, I leveraged its API to independently develop advanced mapping features for the The Tacoma News Tribune 🔗—creating solutions that were not yet available but later became industry standards.
At a time when web development had limited online resources and no modern frameworks, I manually built AJAX- and JavaScript-based optimizations to efficiently render large numbers of map markers, preventing browser crashes. I also developed a marker clustering system for wide zoom levels, implemented custom heat maps and shape overlays using HTML Canvas, and created a streamlined interface that allowed journalists to generate interactive maps with a single JavaScript snippet—before Google Maps offered their own built-in embedding capabilities.
These interactive maps were prominently featured in the newspaper’s print edition, encouraging readers to visit the website and engage with the content, ultimately driving traffic and increasing ad revenue. The success of these projects helped position the newspaper as an early adopter of emerging web technologies.
Initially hired as an intern, my contributions to these mapping projects led to a full-time position as the dedicated software developer for the news department. As I gained professional experience, I actively engaged with journalists to understand their stories, allowing me to suggest and develop interactive maps that enhanced news coverage and reader engagement.