Developer · Server Admin · Designer
Charlie & Co. is the boutique studio of Chad Holden — building accessible, fast, headless web experiences and the resilient infrastructure that runs them. Boutique attention, enterprise-level expertise.
/ The studio
Most studios hand you off between a designer, a developer, and whoever keeps the lights on. I'm all three. That means decisions made for the interface hold up in the codebase, and decisions made in the codebase hold up in production — on infrastructure I architect and maintain myself.
With two decades rooted in web — from art direction at the University of Toronto to building economic-impact platforms used across the country — I bring design sensibility and deep technical range to every engagement. Accessible by default, cloud-ready by design, and built for today, not yesterday.
- 20+
- Years building for the web
- EN / FR
- Bilingual, multi-tenant platforms
- 100
- Lighthouse targets, not suggestions
- 1
- Person, end to end
/ Capabilities
What I do
Next.js, React and modern JavaScript front-ends wired to headless WordPress, GraphQL APIs and custom back-ends. One codebase, fast everywhere.
- Next.js
- React
- GraphQL
- TypeScript
- Node
/ Process
A small, deliberate process — enough structure to keep things on rails, not so much that it gets in the way. One person, accountable end to end.
- 01
Discovery
We get clear on the problem, the audience, and what success looks like. No guessing, no assumptions — a scoped plan you sign off on before anything gets built.
- 02
Design
Interface and experience, accessible from the first wireframe. You see and shape the direction early, so there are no surprises later.
- 03
Build
Clean, fast, maintainable code — headless front-ends, real performance budgets, and WCAG 2.0 AA baked in, not bolted on.
- 04
Launch
Deployed onto infrastructure I architect and harden myself, with monitoring, backups, and a proper handover. It goes live ready, not hopeful.
- 05
Support
I don't disappear at launch. Patching, monitoring, and improvements on a predictable retainer — the person who built it keeps it running.
/ Selected work
All projects →/ Commitment
Accessibility is at the forefront of everything I build — never an afterthought, never a premium add-on. Every product I deliver meets WCAG 2.0 AA as a baseline and aims higher: real keyboard support, sound semantic structure, sufficient colour contrast, and respect for motion preferences. This very site is built and tested to that standard.
WCAG 2.0 AA — minimum
The floor for every engagement, not a premium tier.
Keyboard-first
Every interaction works without a mouse, with visible focus.
Screen-reader tested
Semantic markup and labels, verified with assistive technology.
Motion-aware
Animation backs off for visitors who prefer reduced motion.
/ Kind words
“Exceptional talent — went above and beyond what I imagined.”
“Worked with our team quickly, effectively and affordably.”
“Maintained a high level of professionalism and innovation throughout.”
/ Start a project
Have a project, a platform, or a server that needs a steady hand? I take on a small number of engagements at a time so each one gets real attention.
GTA, Canada · Available for select projects — Summer 2026