Jackson Vander Wal

Who are you and what do you actually do here?

I’m Jackson, a developer–designer hybrid at SilverServers. My work lives at the intersection of clean code, clear structure, and thoughtful design. On any given day I might be planning a site’s architecture, building or refining a custom WordPress setup, tuning performance, designing interfaces, or writing the bits of on-page text that quietly guide people where they need to go.

What kinds of problems do clients usually bring you?

Clients come to us when their site feels like it’s working against them instead of for them. That might mean an old build that’s hard to update, an online store that’s grown messy over time, or a layout that makes it difficult for customers to find what they’re looking for.

My role is to help untangle that. I reorganize content, streamline navigation, and build structures that make sense to both visitors and the people maintaining the site. Sometimes that’s as simple as a better landing page; sometimes it’s a full rebuild with new templates, ecommerce tools, and a more logical way of managing everything behind the scenes.

Since joining SilverServers in 2024, what are you proud of?

Since coming on board in April 2024, I’ve had the chance to help modernize and relaunch a number of sites that were stuck on dated platforms or struggling with complexity. I’m especially proud of projects where we’ve gone from “fragile and confusing” to “fast, stable, and easy to work with” — both for users and for the client’s team.

Some of those wins include redesigning and restructuring ecommerce experiences, improving how products and categories are organized, and simplifying multi-step processes like forms, bookings, and checkout flows. Seeing a client gain confidence in their site and start using it as a real business tool is always a highlight.

How does your design background shape your web work?

Before joining SilverServers, I spent over a decade in branding, publication design, digital prepress, and motion graphics. That experience trained me to work with dense or technical content and turn it into layouts that feel simple and approachable.

On the web side, that shows up in how I think about hierarchy, grid, and rhythm on a page — and in how small details like spacing, typography, and micro-interactions can make a site feel “quietly polished” instead of busy or chaotic. My motion background also influences how I plan out visual storytelling: featured images, diagrams, and animations that support the message instead of distracting from it.

How do you approach AI and new technologies as you create?

I’m very hands-on with AI and emerging web technologies. I keep up with how different models, checkpoints, and fine-tuning methods affect what these tools can do, and I follow the open-source ecosystem and model hubs closely. That includes paying attention to where tools are hosted, how they handle data, and which platforms are practical for real-world business use.

In practice, that means I don’t just “use AI” — I design workflows around it. I think carefully about how to use structured instructions, provide context, and choose the right tools so we get useful, reliable output that actually supports a project instead of creating extra work.

The goal is always the same: use technology thoughtfully to help clients communicate more clearly, move faster, and get more value from their websites.

What excites you about where the web is going for your clients?

I’m excited about building sites that feel less like static brochures and more like adaptable tools. That includes smarter integrations with the systems businesses already use (like ecommerce, inventory, or booking tools),faster and more resilient front-ends, and content structures that teams can actually maintain without needing a developer for every small change.

Looking ahead, I’m interested in continuing to improve performance, accessibility, and clarity — making sure sites load quickly, behave predictably on a wide range of devices and connections, and stay readable and usable for everyone. The technology keeps evolving, but the core goal stays the same: make it as easy as possible for the right people to find what they need and take action.

Where might a client see your fingerprints on a site?

You’ll often find my work on SilverServers projects that have recently moved into WordPress, gained a new visual direction, or had their content reorganized into something more intuitive. That might be a refreshed ecommerce layout, a cleaned-up navigation system, a custom landing page, or a more focused article or support section.

Behind the scenes, I help implement custom features and structures — from product categories and filters to forms, events, and other interactive elements — so that the site aligns with how the business actually operates. I also experiment with new layout and interface ideas in my own sandbox projects and bring the best of those patterns into client work when they’re a good fit.

What do you do outside of work?

Outside of work, I’m into tinkering with handheld gaming devices, collecting briar pipes, and trying new web design effects on my personal domain, jacksonv.com. When I’m not building or modding something, you’ll probably find me reading vintage military science fiction or playing old computer RPGs.

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