aaron hedquist
Senior Engineer at Polyarc
senior engineer polyarc
team lead senior developer 8 year experience working fast-paced team startup . proven record working effectively tight timeline constraint develop novel solution . deep technical experience clean code architecture , unit testing , profiling provide consistent user experience . currently focusing understanding fundamental realtime rendering game engine . studying linear algebra , rendering pipeline , modeling , shaders , unity , unreal , c++ vr application .
Polyarc
https://www.linkedin.com/company/polyarc-games
Senior software engineer working on VR games, using Unreal Engine and C++, with an emphasis on gameplay and graphics.
Seattle, Washington, United States
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Senior Engineer
Moment
https://www.linkedin.com/company/moment-inc-
• Built and tested features for the Moment Pro Camera app
• Developed Metal compute and render shaders for photographic tools, such as waveform, histogram, and focus peaking displays
• Improved energy efficiency and performance of Metal-based components
• Wrote App Store review responses, solicited feedback from beta testers, and corresponded daily with users
• Lead daily scrums, prioritized user stories and bugs, and encouraged agile workflow concepts
• Wrote constructive code reviews and led architecture improvements by example
• Implemented unit tests and TDD
Greater Seattle Area
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iOS Engineer
Mighty AI
https://www.linkedin.com/company/mightyai
• Managed 3-6 colleagues, being iOS and web developers.
• Led scrums by worked with product managers to validate technical feasibility, scope, and estimations to keep our team delivering on time
• Fostered collaboration with architecture and strategy discussions
• Supported team members by doing all the small things to keep them on task and focused, working on the features that most suit them.
Greater Seattle Area
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iOS Team Lead
Mighty AI
https://www.linkedin.com/company/mightyai
• Prototyped a myriad of new image and video annotation tools, gamification features.
• Created a video tool to track moving vehicles.
• Prototyped AR features with Metal
• Contributed wireframes and final mobile designs
• Specialized in improving graphics performance
• Helped reduce crashes to < 1%.
• Helped increase App Store rating to 4.7
• Contributed to Swift refactor from Obj-C
• Initiated unit testing and test driven development
Greater Seattle Area
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Senior iOS Developer
University of Washington
https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-washington
Member of UW's iOS and Mac Application Development program Advisory Board
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Advisory Board Member
The Curio Dept.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-curio-dept.
Co-founded and led design and development at this boutique iOS development studio that focused on imaginative apps for children.

• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally, Disney’s first “Appisode,” which added interactive games and activities into an episode of the animated TV show.
• Pillowcapers, a beautiful, hand-animated storybook. Prototyped and developed an innovative rubber-band page turn interaction.
• Tiny Tiger and Friends, a self-produced illustrated activity app for kids. Featured by Daily Candy. Led development, art direction, and designed the user experience.
Seattle, WA
Founder / Developer
University of Washington
https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-washington
Aided students as they learned the Objective-C programming language and built applications for Mac and iOS. Reviewed assignments with feedback to the student how they could improve their work, worked with students the better understand important development concepts.
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Teaching Assistant for iOS and Mac Application Development
pinch/zoom
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinch-zoom
Lead front-end iOS development for this boutique mobile agency.
• Developed working prototypes in collaboration with the design team
• Created conceptual design and wireframes for client pitches
• Contributed to the development of our client apps from end to end
Greater Seattle Area
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Technical Director
Aaron Hedquist Design
Principal
Belle & Wissell, Co.
Worked closely with Design Director Gabe Kean on studio projects, mainly involving designing and building multimedia applications and installations for museums. Created experience schematics, interface design and style guides, functional prototypes, and animations. With those elements I completed final deliverables in Flash using AS 3.0 and object-oriented programming principals, with a focus on ease of use for the client’s visitors.
Senior Designer
Aaron Hedquist Design
Principal
POP
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pop
Designed and developed a variety of multimedia web sites and applications, mainly using Flash technology. Programmed in AS 2.0 using OOP concepts when it was applicable.

Clients included Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft, The Seattle Opera, 
San Francisco Symphony, The Mars Mission, and PBS Kids.
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Interaction Designer
POP
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pop
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Interactive Designer
Description
Groupon Getaways Hotel & Travel Deals delivers exclusive deals up to 60% off your next hotel stay or vacation package. Discover trips to top destinations in the U.S., around the globe, and hopefully soon to outer space.

Download the Getaways app to start saving on your next adventure—whether it’s a staycation in your city, an all-inclusive resort in paradise, or a two-week tour with included airfare that whisks you around the capitals of Europe. 

With the Groupon Getaways Hotel & Travel Deals iOS app, you can:

• Book and redeem exclusive Getaways deals directly from your iOS device. 
• Enjoy low rates without settling for budget hotels.
• Find last-minute hotels deals available only on the app.

But wait, there’s more!

• Earn 5% back in Groupon Bucks on select stays.
• Search for deals by date, location, and even trip type. 
• New searchable themes include Beach, Family Fun, Romantic Trips, Outdoor & Adventure, International & Tour, Ski, and Air-Included Trips.
• Sign in and pay with your regular Groupon account; there’s no need to re-register.

Download the Groupon Getaways Hotel & Travel Deals iOS app. It’s your shortcut to an amazing vacation for up to 60% off.
Groupon Getaways
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/groupon-getaways-hotel-travel/id930656366
This fall we got a chance to write some iPad apps for Seattle’s Experience Music Project museum, to accompany their new exhibit about Jimi Hendrix. Titled Hear My Train A Comin’: Hendrix Hits London, the exhibit tells the story of Hendrix’s nine months in London from September 1966–June 1967. It uses photos, videos, clothing, instruments, original news clippings, and music contemporary to the era to highlight Hendrix’s work and illuminate the music and the London scene that influenced him.

The Curio Dept. wrote two iPad apps to enhance the multimedia aspects of the exhibit and allow visitors to see extra artifacts that couldn’t fit on the exhibit floor. Visitors can watch rare concert footage, listen to hit songs from the era by Hendrix and other artists, and even thumb through Hendrix’s own record collection. We’re proud of how they turned out, and we had good time building them. It was a lot of fun to create  apps that had such great content! These apps are not in the App Store—they’re exclusively in the museum. If you’re in the Seattle area, we hope you’ll stop by the exhibit and check them out.
iPad interactives for "Here My Train A Comin': Hendrix Hits London"
http://www.empmuseum.org/at-the-museum/current-exhibits/hear-my-train-a-comin-hendrix-hits-london.aspx
Tiny Tiger and Friends is a game for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad designed to connect children ages 2-5 with some delightful imaginary friends. The Curio Dept. has teamed up with award-winning children's book illustrator Steven D'Amico (“Ella the Elegant Elephant,” soon to be an animated series) to create a game using a hand-drawn style that feels like a lively animated classic children's picture book.

Features:

• Choose from three animal pals: Tiger, Monkey or Hippo!
• Create a crazy outfit for your animal using dozens of hand-drawn outfit parts!
• Take a souvenir photograph of your pal!
• Play Peek-A-Boo! Tiny Tiger and Friends version of the classic game!
• Play Poke-A-Nose! How many noses can you poke before time runs out?
Tiny Tiger and Friends
http://www.tinytigerapp.com
Experience Music Project's Science Fiction Museum created this fascinating look at our culture's obsession with horror film as "...an in-depth look at horror, and how it’s expressed through cinema, biology, history, and contemporary culture."

The Curio Dept. created two iPad-based interactive applications to support this exhibit. The first helps interpret the various props from historic horror cinema on display, using their silhouettes to trigger film clips that feature the prop. The second plays interviews and films from horror film's luminaries about a variety of subjects including, "What is Horror?", "The Music of Horror",  and "What Scares You."
iPad interactives for "Can't Look Away", EMPSFM's horror exhibit
http://www.empmuseum.org/at-the-museum/current-exhibits/cant-look-away-the-lure-of-horror-film.aspx
"Kid In Story" is an app by LocoMotive Labs that we helped design and build. It is a fun and easy way for parents and children to create their own iPad storybooks. Users can create stories from scratch or use one of their pre-made templates. A simple editing interface allows users to add text, insert pictures and even record audio narration. Exclusive LocoMotive Labs technology allows users to superimpose their child's picture onto any page. Finished stories can be read in the app's simple reader mode and can be shared via email or Dropbox.
Kid in Story
https://www.curiodept.com/kidinstory.php
The first in a series of stories about kids in the town of Tidy Corners with remarkable powers (and adorable pets). The Curio Dept. built a platform that allowed Yankee Peddler to create a storybook in which each page is a full-fledged interactive multi-track AV presentation, complete with 1080p video, musical score, sound effects, and narration.

As with any children's app, the user experience is extremely important. The user interface is designed to be usable by young children without the need for special instructions, and it features a unique "rubber band" page turning gesture that is both delightful and easy to use. The app's options are guarded during playback to prevent accidental taps, and all parent information is blocked so that children don't get stuck or distracted. This is an app designed for kids with parents in mind.
Pillowcapers
https://www.curiodept.com/pillowcapers.php
Children
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bbbsps
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Big brother
Seattle Soccer Club
Local meetup for playing soccer for all levels.
Founder
University of Washington
Certificate in iPhone and Cocoa Programming
Joseph Sunga
      
          



            
              
        
              
  

    
        Aaron was one of my closest partners in crime during our days at Spare5/Mighty AI. He’s one of those unique individuals who was able to look at a problem from all facets whether it’s assessing the business reasoning, technical feasibility, and even the user experience. He wore a lot of different hats from coding to designing, which is a key reason why we worked well together. He has a great practical and creative mindset to building product. I have similar traits, and in the end we accomplished a lot on the projects we worked on. He led our mobile development and worked great with the team he led, both in-house and remotely. Outside of just getting stuff done at Mighty AI, Aaron is a fun guy to be around and I’m excited to the next opportunity we work together. I’d tackle any problem with him. It’s a small town and I know those opportunities will happen. Sarah Bhandiwad
      
          



            
              
        
              
  

    
        Somehow it seems like Aaron already knows everything there is to know about iOS development but at the same time, he made a point to learn something new every single day. He encouraged my own professional development by holding me to a high standard and encouraging our small team to try out the latest new theories or best practices. He is a fantastic leader and will push you to perform your best. Anyone that gets the opportunity to work closely with Aaron will benefit greatly from his knowledge and leadership.

Besides his vast technical knowledge, he is just a great team member and friend. He goes above and beyond to make sure that everyone is unblocked, being appropriately challenged, and most importantly enjoying the work that he or she is doing. It's so nice to work with someone who makes you feel taken care of in the workplace. 
Liked by Aaron Hedquist
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Here's a little thing I wrote about 2020. I hope it brings you some joy going into the new year. https://lnkd.in/gKm7gbe
Liked by Aaron Hedquist
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Amazon: profit up 100%Walmart: profit up 80%Target: profit up 80%Lowe's: profit up 74%Microsoft, Facebook, Apple, Google: stock at record…
Liked by Aaron Hedquist
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Merci à la Presse de la Manche pour ce sympathique article #clickandcollect #web  #normandiehttps://lnkd.in/dtU2agJ
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-hedquist-b4258a92
Washington, DC
Aaron Hedquist
Health Care Policy Researcher