# Christian Gjelstrup | Frontend Engineer > Portfolio of Christian Gjelstrup, a highly experienced Senior freelance Frontend Engineer based in Berlin with expertise in React/Next, Vue/Nuxt, and modern web technologies. - **Site:** https://www.christian-gjelstrup.com - **Languages:** [English](https://www.christian-gjelstrup.com), [Danish](https://www.christian-gjelstrup.com/da), [German](https://www.christian-gjelstrup.com/de) - **Repository:** https://github.com/christiangjel/christian-website ## About Me I'm a Senior Freelance Frontend Engineer based in Berlin with over a decade of experience delivering complex digital experiences. I've worked with leading brands such as Deutsche Bahn, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz to deliver high-impact products across desktop, mobile, and specialised hardware environments. ## Core Expertise ### Primary Stack - TypeScript - React / Next.js - Vue / Nuxt ### Architecture & State - Redux / Pinia - SSR / SSG - REST / GraphQL ### Quality & Delivery - Jest / RTL - CI/CD / Jenkins - Docker ## Career Highlights ### Senior Frontend Developer - **Period:** March 2024 – February 2026 - **Company:** [Scholz & Volkmer GmbH](https://www.s-v.de/) ### Senior Frontend Developer - **Period:** July 2022 – November 2022 - **Company:** [Das Büro am Draht GmbH](https://dasburo.com/) ### Senior Frontend Developer - **Period:** April 2019 – November 2019 - **Company:** [Aperto AG - IBM iX](https://ibmix.de/) ### Frontend Developer - **Period:** March 2016 – June 2017 - **Company:** [Hi-ReS! Berlin GmbH - SYZYGY](https://www.syzygy.de/) ### Frontend Developer - **Period:** October 2014 - **Company:** Began Freelancing ### Frontend Developer - **Period:** November 2010 – September 2014 - **Company:** [Razorfish GmbH - SapientRazorfish](https://www.publicissapient.com/) ### Junior Frontend Developer - **Period:** June 2010 – November 2010 - **Company:** [Neue Digitale GmbH](https://www.neue-digitale.com/) ### Languages - Danish: Native - English: Fluent - German: Professional ## Education ### Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Medialogy - **Period:** 2009 – 2011 - **Institution:** Aalborg University Copenhagen - **Details:** Specialisation in interaction - **Link:** https://vimeo.com/25155015 ### Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Medialogy - **Period:** 2006 – 2009 - **Institution:** Aalborg University Copenhagen - **Details:** "Medialogy focuses on education and research that combines technology and creativity for designing new processes and tools in media technology" - **Link:** https://www.en.aau.dk/education/master/medialogy-aal ## Awards & Recognition - **2011** — Cannes Lions, Bronze ("Audi Augmented Reality Kalender 2011") — https://www.canneslions.com/ - **2011** — ADC Deutschland, Auszeichung ("Audi Augmented Reality Kalender 2011") — https://www.adc.de/ - **2010** — DMMA Onlinestar, Silver ("Audi Augmented Reality Calendar 2010") — # ## Featured Projects ### Digital ### DB Info 4.0 Pia - **Role:** Senior Frontend Developer - **Client:** Deutsche Bahn - **Agency:** Scholz & Volkmer GmbH - **Description:** Built a cross-platform information system using Vue and Pimcore CMS, enabling service staff to manage train connections and real-time delay communication across desktop, mobile, and dedicated hardware terminals. - **Link:** https://www.s-v.de/de/projekte/db-info-40-pia/ ### Bundeswehr Government Portal - **Role:** Senior Frontend Developer - **Client:** Bundeswehr - **Agency:** Aperto AG - IBM iX - **Description:** Implemented modular frontend components and scalable template structures using React within a CoreMedia CMS environment for the Bundeswehr public information platform. - **Link:** https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/ ### Privatmolkerei Bechtel - **Role:** Senior Frontend Developer - **Client:** Privatmolkerei Bechtel - **Agency:** Das Büro am Draht GmbH - **Description:** Delivered a React-based digital management system for monitoring plant equipment and scheduling maintenance at a dairy production facility. - **Link:** https://www.planemos.de/modernisierung-prozessleitsystem-privatmolkerei-bechtel/ ### SensEm - Citizen Sensing Emission - **Role:** Senior Frontend Developer - **Client:** BMBF-funded Research Project - **Agency:** Scholz & Volkmer GmbH - **Description:** Developed a citizen science platform built with Nuxt and Directus CMS, enabling the collection and analysis of air quality data in public spaces. - **Link:** https://www.interaktive-technologien.de/projekte/sensem ### Automotive ### BMW Corporate Website - **Role:** Frontend Developer - **Client:** BMW - **Agency:** Hi-ReS! Berlin GmbH - **Description:** Built scalable Next.js (React) frontend components and templates integrated with Adobe Experience Manager for BMW's digital platform and vehicle configurators in a Dockerized environment. - **Link:** https://www.bmw.de/de/index.html ### BMW-M - **Role:** Frontend Lead - **Client:** BMW - **Agency:** Hi-ReS! Berlin GmbH - **Description:** Led frontend architecture and implementation for the BMW M community platform built on Liferay CMS, collaborating closely with design and backend teams. - **Link:** https://community.bmw-m.com/de/ ### Audi A3 Sportback - **Role:** Frontend Lead - **Client:** Audi - **Agency:** Razorfish GmbH - **Description:** Led frontend development for an interactive mobile web experience supporting the launch of the Audi A3 Sportback. - **Link:** https://www.birdyvogel.com/audi ### Audi Augmented Reality Kalender - **Role:** Frontend Developer - **Client:** Audi - **Agency:** Razorfish GmbH - **Description:** Contributed to the development of an augmented reality web experience for the 2010 and 2011 Audi calendar editions. - **Link:** https://www.behance.net/gallery/3447711/Audi-Augmented-Reality-Calendar-2011?locale=en_US - **Awards:** Cannes Lions Bronze (2011), ADC Deutschland Auszeichung (2011), DMMA Onlinestar Silver (2010) ### Mercedes-Benz AMG Series - **Role:** Frontend Developer - **Client:** Mercedes-Benz - **Agency:** 17 GRAD - **Description:** Implemented natural feature tracking for an augmented-reality web application showcasing the Mercedes-Benz AMG Series at an interactive exhibition. - **Link:** https://www.17grad.com/de/work?s=p ### Hyundai Asphalt 7 Training - **Role:** Frontend Developer - **Client:** Hyundai - **Agency:** Razorfish GmbH - **Description:** Developed an interactive training application supporting the Hyundai Asphalt 7 campaign on social media. - **Link:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpQnWQYoRSg ### Food & Retail ### McDonald's Global Brand Website - **Role:** Frontend Developer - **Client:** McDonald's - **Agency:** Razorfish GmbH - **Description:** Developed modular UI components and extensible template systems within Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) supporting the McDonald's global digital platform. - **Link:** https://www.mcdonalds.com/de/de-de.html ### McDonald's Digital Campaigns - **Role:** Frontend Lead - **Client:** McDonald's - **Agency:** Razorfish GmbH - **Description:** Led frontend development for multiple national digital campaigns, including Big Mac Hunt, Do-Your-Own-Coupons, and Mexify Yourself. - **Link:** https://www.horizont.net/medien/nachrichten/-McDonalds-meldet-Rekordteilnehmerzahlen-bei-Mein-Burger-105372 ### McDonald's iOS App - **Role:** Frontend Developer - **Client:** McDonald's - **Agency:** Razorfish GmbH - **Description:** Contributed to the native iOS development of the McDonald's Germany mobile application. - **Link:** https://apps.apple.com/de/app/mcdonalds-deutschland/id524943492 ### Sharaf Online Shop - **Role:** Frontend Developer - **Client:** Sharaf DG - **Agency:** SOWHAT! GmbH - **Description:** Developed and customised a Shopware-based e-commerce platform for Sharaf DG. - **Link:** https://uae.sharafdg.com/ ### Other ### The Black Cheetahs - Official Website - **Role:** Senior Frontend Developer - **Client:** The Black Cheetahs - **Agency:** None - **Description:** Developed a Next.js single-page application to showcase music releases and media content. - **Link:** https://www.theblackcheetahs.com/ ### Unilever Fragrant Flowers - **Role:** Junior Frontend Developer - **Client:** Unilever - **Agency:** Neue Digitale GmbH - **Description:** Contributed to the development of an interactive campaign experience for Unilever's Fragrant Flowers initiative. - **Link:** https://www.campaignlive.com/article/razorfish-wins-two-global-unilever-accounts/1080848 ## Ecommerce Platform ### Overview From idea to a complete ecommerce platform Designed and built Caravano, a multi-tenant ecommerce platform for creating and managing fully branded online stores. The platform brings together storefronts, products, content, orders, payments, shipping, localisation, and administration in one system. AI-assisted store and product composers let merchants describe what they want in natural language and turn those descriptions into structured, editable storefronts and product content. The generated result can then be reviewed and refined through the regular platform interfaces. Built with Next.js, TypeScript, Payload CMS, PostgreSQL, Cloudflare R2, and Stripe, Caravano combines a flexible frontend with a full ecommerce backend, integrated services, and managed infrastructure. - [Visit website](https://caravano.app/) ### Features Commerce, content, and AI-assisted creation in one platform - **AI Store Composer:** A natural-language store composer turns a short description of a business into a structured starting point for the storefront, including content, styling, and store configuration. - **AI Product Composer:** Product information can be transformed into structured product content, helping merchants create listings faster while keeping the generated content editable and under their control. - **Storefront & Branding:** Flexible storefront configuration supports branding, typography, colours, layouts, content blocks, responsive experiences, and custom domains, allowing each store to have its own identity. - **Products & Content:** Products, variants, categories, pricing, media, pages, and content are managed through a unified administration interface with drafts and preview before publishing. - **Commerce & Checkout:** Cart, favourites, guest checkout, customer accounts, orders, discounts, and Stripe-powered payments provide the core shopping experience without relying on a collection of separate apps. - **Payments & Operations:** Stripe Connect provides merchant-specific payment accounts and direct payouts, while transactional email, order management, and shipping integrations support the operational side of running a store. - **Internationalisation:** Multi-language storefronts support English, Danish, German, and Spanish, with configurable currencies, VAT settings, shipping zones, and translation workflows built into the platform. ### Technology A modern stack for a complex product The platform is engineered around technologies chosen for maintainability, performance, flexibility, and a strong developer experience, while keeping the architecture practical for a growing SaaS product. - Next.js - TypeScript - Payload CMS - PostgreSQL - Cloudflare R2 - Stripe Connect - Resend - Sendcloud - DeepL - Gemini - Vitest & Playwright The architecture spans multi-tenant ecommerce, AI-assisted content generation, content management, payments, media storage, internationalisation, third-party integrations, and deployment infrastructure. ### Product Built to evolve with the product Caravano separates the AI composition layer from the underlying commerce platform, keeping generated content editable and the core models independent from the way content is created. This architecture makes the system easier to extend as new storefront capabilities, integrations, and AI workflows are introduced, without making generated content or predefined templates the centre of the platform. From the AI composition layer to the storefront, administration interface, and underlying services, Caravano is built as one extensible product. ## Get in Touch Available for freelance projects, ecommerce solutions, and long-term collaborations in Berlin or remotely. Let's discuss how I can help bring your digital ideas to life. - **Email:** hi@christian-gjelstrup.com - **Phone:** +49 15787005997 - **Location:** Berlin, Germany - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiangjelstrup) - [Xing](https://www.xing.com/profile/Christian_Gjelstrup) - [GitHub](https://github.com/christiangjel/christian-website) ## Professional profile Senior freelance frontend developer with 10+ years of experience building large-scale web applications and digital platforms for enterprise, public-sector, and agency clients. Specialised in React, Next.js, Vue, TypeScript, frontend architecture, accessibility, and performance optimisation. - **Title:** Senior Freelance Frontend Engineer - **Website:** https://christian-gjelstrup.com - **GitHub:** https://github.com/christiangjel - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiangjelstrup - **Work arrangement:** Based in Berlin; Available for remote work; Available for hybrid engagements - **Freelance since:** September 2014 - **Availability:** Available for freelance projects and long-term collaborations ## Core competencies ### frontend Architecture - Scalable component-based systems - SSR and SSG - State management - API integration (REST and GraphQL) - CMS and digital experience platforms ### ui Engineering - Responsive design - Design systems - Accessibility (WCAG and ARIA) - Motion and interactive interfaces ### quality And Performance - Unit and integration testing - CI/CD - Core Web Vitals optimisation - Technical SEO - WebSocket integrations - Code reviews ### collaboration - Agile and Scrum - Jira - Azure DevOps - Confluence - Figma - Cross-functional teamwork ## Additional technologies - TanStack Query - Tailwind CSS - MUI - shadcn/ui - Ant Design - Styled Components - Vitest - React Hook Form - Zod - Three.js - Framer Motion - Vite - WebSocket - Shopware - MapTiler - Leaflet ## CMS and platforms - Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) - CoreMedia - Liferay - Pimcore - Directus - Payload CMS ## Industries - Enterprise - Public sector - Agency and digital branding - Automotive - Transport and rail - Food and retail - Research and citizen science - Consumer electronics retail