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Sean Swanson_

Open to full-time, contract & freelance work

Hello,I am Sean.

I design it, build it, and ship it - websites, brand systems, desktop apps, and game servers, start to finish.

GPA, Bryan University
4.0
Plugins built & launched
30+
Specialty disciplines
4
Person, start to finish
1

Disciplines: Web Design, Brand Identity, Front-End Engineering, Minecraft Plugins, Conversion Copy, AI Workflows, Desktop Apps, Custom Builds.

About

Designer and developer,
same person.

Portrait of Sean Swanson
Sean SwansonBrainerd, MN

I am Sean. I came to design from a delivery route and a job site - ten years of driving, construction, and running crews before I ever opened Figma. Then I went back to school for it and graduated from the Web and Graphic Design program at Bryan University with a 4.0 GPA: real training in typography, layout, and user experience, and the engineering side to actually build the thing.

That combination is the whole point. Most projects need a designer, a developer, and someone to hold the two together. I am all three, which means fewer handoffs, fewer meetings, and a much shorter line between an idea and something running in production.

Day to day that looks like Next.js and TypeScript on the web, Java on game servers, Electron on the desktop, and a lot of time spent making AI tooling do the grunt work so the judgment calls stay human.

I still drive the route. Everything on this page got built around it, which is the most honest thing I can tell you about how I work.

Education

  • Bryan University

    Graduated with a 4.0 GPA

    Associate of Science - Web & Graphic Design

    Formal training in typography, layout, color theory, and user experience, alongside front-end development and production workflow.

  • OSHA 30 (2025)
  • CDL Class A
  • Air Brake Endorsement
  • CPR Certified

Toolkit

Design

  • Typography
  • Layout & grid systems
  • Brand identity
  • UI/UX
  • Figma
  • Adobe CC
  • Print production

Web

  • TypeScript
  • React
  • Next.js
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Node.js
  • Supabase
  • Vercel
  • WCAG 2.2 / axe

Software

  • Java
  • Paper / Bukkit API
  • Electron
  • Gradle & Maven
  • SQLite & Postgres
  • Git
  • discord.js

Practice

  • AI-accelerated workflows
  • Claude Agent SDK
  • Automated testing
  • Technical writing
  • Client communication

Resume

Where the hours
actually went.

Two tiers, both real: the studio work up top, and under it the ten years of driving, construction and running crews that got me here.

  1. 2025 - Present

    Founder & Solo Studio

    SwansonX Studio

    Design and development studio of one. Websites, brand systems, custom software, and game-server tooling, delivered end to end for small businesses and communities.

    • Built and shipped 30+ production Minecraft plugins running on live servers
    • Designed, built, and deployed client websites on Next.js and Vercel, each with its own admin panel
    • Rebuilt the studio process around modern AI tooling - faster delivery at a lower price, without cutting the review pass

The rest of the resume

I drive a Pepsi route Monday through Friday and build everything above on my own time. Ten years of delivery, construction, and running crews is where the discipline came from, and I am not going to pretend otherwise.

  • CDL Route DriverPepsiCo

    Class A route driver. DOT compliance, pre- and post-trip inspections, and every customer relationship along the route.

    Apr 2026 - Present

  • Crew Supervisor & Class A DriverRose City Canopy

    Ran canopy job sites start to finish across the Midwest - steel and ACM installs off blueprints, OSHA 30 certified, out of state Monday to Friday.

    Jun 2022 - Apr 2026

  • Vending Account RepresentativeBernicks

    Independent route stocking and servicing vending equipment, handling both product and cash.

    Mar 2022 - Jun 2022

  • Property MaintenancePueringer Investments

    Handyman and remodel work across a rental portfolio - bathrooms, kitchens, tile, paint, and whatever the tenant app sent through.

    Aug 2021 - Mar 2022

  • Route Sales RepresentativeFrito-Lay, PepsiCo

    Managed a sales route and its inventory, consistently meeting or beating monthly targets.

    Apr 2020 - Aug 2021

  • MerchandiserPepsiCo

    Built displays to brand guidelines, ran rotation and stock across stores, and trained new merchandisers. The first design work I was ever paid for, even if nobody called it that.

    Mar 2017 - Apr 2020

  • Shift SupervisorLittle Caesars

    Supervised and trained a team of 20, scheduled against peak hours, and closed out the drawer every night.

    Dec 2015 - Mar 2017

Outside the work

When the laptop
is shut.

Family

Most of the time that is not work goes to the people in it. It is the part of the week I plan everything else around.

Sporting events

I would rather be in the stands than watching a stream. Any level, any sport - the crowd is half the reason to go.

Exploring

Back roads, small towns, and places I have not been yet. Minnesota has a lot more of them than people give it credit for.

Selected work

Things I built,
start to finish.

Web apps, desktop software, game servers, and the tooling around them. Everything here shipped.

Showing 25 of 25 projects.

Need a website for your business?

Fixed price agreed before anything starts, live in days, and you keep the source code. Pricing and the quote form are on swansonx.com.

What I offer

Four disciplines.
One person accountable.

No account layer, no handoff gaps, no waiting a week for a status email. You talk to the person doing the work.

Websites that convert

Layouts built around one job: turning visitors into inquiries, bookings, and sales. Fast, responsive, and measurable - with accessibility checked, not assumed.

Brand & graphic design

Logos, brand systems, print, and social assets. Formally trained in type and layout, not improvised out of a template gallery.

Custom software

Odd requirements welcome. Tools, dashboards, integrations, desktop apps, and one-off builds that off-the-shelf software refuses to handle.

Minecraft plugins

Server-side plugins, game mechanics, and admin tooling for communities that want something nobody else has. Clean-room Java, built to survive real players.