Tan Dara

Full Stack Developer - AX engineer/designer - Creative Designer

Passionate about creating beautiful, functional digital experiences through code and design. Let's build something amazing together.

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About Me

Get to know me better - my journey, passions, and what drives me forward.

My Journey

I'm a passionate developer and creative designer with a love for crafting beautiful, functional digital experiences. My journey began with curiosity about how things work and evolved into a deep appreciation for clean code and thoughtful design.

What I Love

I'm driven by the intersection of technology and creativity. Whether it's building responsive web applications, creating stunning visual designs, or solving complex problems, I find joy in bringing ideas to life.

My Philosophy

"Great design is not just about making things look good - it's about making them work beautifully."

I believe in continuous learning, attention to detail, and the power of collaboration. Every project is an opportunity to grow and create something meaningful that makes a positive impact.

Education

My academic journey and the foundations that shaped my expertise.

Instructor Position

Korea Software HRD Center

2025 - Present

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Currently serving as an instructor, teaching software development and IT skills to students in the Korea Software HRD Center program.

Software Development Training

Korea Software HRD Center

2024 - 2025

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Intensive software development training program focusing on modern programming languages, web development, and software engineering practices.

Bachelor of Information Technology

Royal University of Phnom Penh

2020 - 2024

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Comprehensive IT education covering software development, database management, networking, and computer systems. Gained strong foundation in programming and technology.

High School Diploma

10 January 1979 High School

2019 - 2020

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Successfully completed secondary education with focus on science and mathematics, laying the foundation for further studies in technology.

Skills & Expertise

A comprehensive overview of my technical abilities and personal strengths.

Technical Skills

Programming

01 / 05

C#75%

Java85%

HTML/CSS90%

Python80%

React85%

Next.js85%

Tailwind CSS90%

Soft Skills

Flexibility

Adapting to new challenges

Time Management

Efficient task prioritization

Adaptability

Thriving in changing environments

Problem-Solving

Creative solution finding

Communication

Clear and effective interaction

Creativity

Innovative thinking approach

Focus

Sustained attention to detail

Confidence

Self-assured decision making

Soft Skills

Flexibility

Adapting to new challenges

Time Management

Efficient task prioritization

Adaptability

Thriving in changing environments

Problem-Solving

Creative solution finding

Communication

Clear and effective interaction

Creativity

Innovative thinking approach

Focus

Sustained attention to detail

Confidence

Self-assured decision making

AI Transformation (AX)

Beyond using AI tools — I engineer AI-native development environments, building Claude Code infrastructure that turns an AI assistant into a governed, project-aware engineering teammate.

Days

161

Commits

Subagents

Skills

Quality Hooks

monorepo & AI architecture01 / 03

full-stack-destination/

CLAUDE.md— defines the whole project structure & overview

deploy/— nginx reverse proxy

destination/— Next.js frontend

CLAUDE.md— frontend brief & conventions

.claude/— AI infrastructure

rules/×6

skills/×16

agents/×10

hooks/×5

src/

app/[locale]/CLAUDE.md— localized routing

features/×17

CLAUDE.md— feature conventions

*/CLAUDE.md×6— per-feature memory

components/ · ui/ · lib/CLAUDE.md ×3

locales/en · kh · kr

destination-api/— Spring Boot REST API

CLAUDE.md— API brief & domain rules

.claude/rules ×6 · skills ×9 · agents ×9 · hooks ×5— AI infrastructure

src/main/

java/…/feature/×14— auth · booking · payment · tour …

java/…/shared/— security · config · email

resources/db/migration/— Flyway SQL migrations

The monorepo at a glance

monorepo & AI architecture01 / 03

full-stack-destination/

CLAUDE.md— defines the whole project structure & overview

deploy/— nginx reverse proxy

destination/— Next.js frontend

CLAUDE.md— frontend brief & conventions

.claude/— AI infrastructure

rules/×6

skills/×16

agents/×10

hooks/×5

src/

app/[locale]/CLAUDE.md— localized routing

features/×17

CLAUDE.md— feature conventions

*/CLAUDE.md×6— per-feature memory

components/ · ui/ · lib/CLAUDE.md ×3

locales/en · kh · kr

destination-api/— Spring Boot REST API

CLAUDE.md— API brief & domain rules

.claude/rules ×6 · skills ×9 · agents ×9 · hooks ×5— AI infrastructure

src/main/

java/…/feature/×14— auth · booking · payment · tour …

java/…/shared/— security · config · email

resources/db/migration/— Flyway SQL migrations

Inside destination/ — the Next.js frontend

monorepo & AI architecture02 / 03

full-stack-destination/

CLAUDE.md— defines the whole project structure & overview

deploy/— nginx reverse proxy

destination/— Next.js frontend

CLAUDE.md— frontend brief & conventions

.claude/— AI infrastructure

rules/×6

skills/×16

agents/×10

hooks/×5

src/

app/[locale]/CLAUDE.md— localized routing

features/×17

CLAUDE.md— feature conventions

*/CLAUDE.md×6— per-feature memory

components/ · ui/ · lib/CLAUDE.md ×3

locales/en · kh · kr

destination-api/— Spring Boot REST API

CLAUDE.md— API brief & domain rules

.claude/rules ×6 · skills ×9 · agents ×9 · hooks ×5— AI infrastructure

src/main/

java/…/feature/×14— auth · booking · payment · tour …

java/…/shared/— security · config · email

resources/db/migration/— Flyway SQL migrations

Inside destination-api/ — the Spring Boot API

monorepo & AI architecture03 / 03

full-stack-destination/

CLAUDE.md— defines the whole project structure & overview

deploy/— nginx reverse proxy

destination/— Next.js frontend

CLAUDE.md— frontend brief & conventions

.claude/— AI infrastructure

rules/×6

skills/×16

agents/×10

hooks/×5

src/

app/[locale]/CLAUDE.md— localized routing

features/×17

CLAUDE.md— feature conventions

*/CLAUDE.md×6— per-feature memory

components/ · ui/ · lib/CLAUDE.md ×3

locales/en · kh · kr

destination-api/— Spring Boot REST API

CLAUDE.md— API brief & domain rules

.claude/rules ×6 · skills ×9 · agents ×9 · hooks ×5— AI infrastructure

src/main/

java/…/feature/×14— auth · booking · payment · tour …

java/…/shared/— security · config · email

resources/db/migration/— Flyway SQL migrations

A Full-Stack Platform in 5 Days

A complete travel-booking platform — payments, live chat, notifications included — shipped in a 5-day sprint. The secret is the architecture: conventions, skills, and quality gates were built first, so every AI-assisted change landed pre-checked.

Day 1

Infrastructure before features

Monorepo scaffold and role-based routing — plus the AI groundwork: CLAUDE.md briefs, convention rules, skills, subagents, and quality-gate hooks, all before feature code.

Day 2

Parallel feature sprint

Auth with MFA, landing page, agency and admin dashboards with a 3D map on the frontend — while tours, booking, and reviews APIs grew on the backend against the same conventions.

Day 3

Restructure & wire up

Refactored into feature folders, connected the frontend to live APIs, and built out calendars, activities, profiles, and booking requests.

Day 4

Realtime & notifications

Wired explore, profile, booking, and map flows end-to-end, then layered in Knock notifications and WebSocket realtime updates.

Day 5

Payments & launch

Bakong KHQR payments, Telegram live chat, ratings and reviews — then Docker Compose with nginx and deployment to Google Cloud.

Explore the source

The whole build is on GitHub — the monorepo, the .claude/ infrastructure, and all 161 commits of the 5-day sprint.

View on GitHub

UX/UI Design

Designing user-centered digital experiences for web applications including employee evaluation systems, deployment platforms, and task management tools

My Design Process

STEP 1

Featured Design Projects

completed

Assessify

Web Application

An employee evaluation system to streamline performance assessments with intuitive user experience

FigmaUX ResearchPrototyping

Performance Evaluation

Employee Dashboard

Progress Tracking

Reporting System

completed

PipeJet

Web Platform

A platform for automated deployment processes with focus on developer experience and workflow optimization

FigmaUser Journey MappingWireframing

Automated Deployment

Pipeline Management

Developer Dashboard

Status Monitoring

completed

ZenTrio

Task Management System

A comprehensive task management system designed for improved productivity and team collaboration

FigmaUX DesignInteraction Design

Task Organization

Team Collaboration

Progress Visualization

Productivity Analytics

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Experience

My professional journey and the projects that have shaped my career.

(Full-time)

Computer Teacher

Educational Institution

Aug 2022 - Mar 2024Cambodia

Served as a computer teacher, gaining valuable experience in my first professional role

Developed effective teaching methodologies to help students understand complex concepts

Learned how to explain technical concepts clearly and adapt to different learning styles

Built strong communication skills while managing classroom environments

Mentored students in computer literacy and basic programming concepts

Microsoft OfficeWindowsEducational SoftwareBasic Programming

(Contract)

Computer Repair Technician

Freelance

OngoingCambodia

Provided technical support and computer repair services to customers

Specialized in Windows setup, configuration, and troubleshooting

Diagnosed and resolved hardware and software issues for desktops and laptops

Delivered excellent customer service while explaining technical problems in simple terms

Gained hands-on experience with various computer hardware and software systems

Windows OSHardware TroubleshootingSoftware InstallationSystem Diagnostics

(Project-based)

Project Developer & Mentor

Korea Software HRD Center

2024 - PresentCambodia

Built Assessify as a student — an employee evaluation system streamlining performance assessments (ranked Top 2 of 8) — Figma, UX research, prototyping

Built PipeJet as a student — an automated deployment platform focused on developer workflow (ranked Top 3 of 6) — Figma, user journey mapping

Mentored the ZenTrio team — a task management system for team collaboration and productivity (ranked Top 1 of 8)

Mentored the EduTrace team — a connected learning platform for KSHRD with task tracking, meeting rooms, assessments, and AI-powered progress reports (ranked Top 1 of 6)

FigmaUX ResearchPrototypingUser Journey MappingFull-Stack Development

(Ongoing)

AX Engineer

AI-Assisted Development

2025 - PresentCambodia

Adopted Claude Code as a daily engineering teammate — from feature work and refactoring to code review and deployment

Engineered AI-native development environments with custom subagents, skills, and quality hooks that make the assistant project-aware and governed

Structured a Next.js + Spring Boot monorepo with CLAUDE.md project briefs and per-feature memory so AI agents follow team conventions

Use ChatGPT, Claude AI, and Cursor daily for design exploration, debugging, and documentation

Claude CodeClaude AIChatGPTCursorSubagents & SkillsQuality Hooks