Kyle Beard
Software Engineer
Greenville, SC, USA
About Me
In 2011, after completing a basic Java programming course in high school, I stumbled upon iOS development as a senior project. After a short amount of research, I cultivated a passion and was instantly fascinated by the design opportunities Apple had enabled for its developers. Welcome to iOS 4...

After many voluntary, repetitive nights up late learning the full scope of iOS SDK, I was proudly able to launch my first application worldwide in the App Store prior to graduation. The product? Sand Sketch. The purpose? A graphical sketching application to send picture messages which replicated finger drawing in the sand.

Nine years later, I continue to be the same ambitious and charismatic iOS developer. I gravitate towards new opportunities that allow me to bond with the product on a personal level. My philosophy is believing all applications should instill a joyful experience in the end user through functional and aesthetic layouts, trusted performance, simplistic navigation, and most importantly - a memorable solution!

For my career, I am currently employed by General Electric as a Software Engineer. My responsiblity includes designing, developing, and validating Java and Python-based applications for advanced controls power plant turbomachinery. Beyond my career, the extent of my practical iOS development has been a combination of freelancing, consulting, and personal endeavors.
8+
years experience with Native iOS SDK
5+
years experience with Objective-C
3+
years experience with Swift (UIKit & SwiftUI)
3+
years experience with Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS
2+
years experience with Firebase, Docker, Maven, CI/CD
2+
years experience with UI/UX Design and Wireframing
iOS Portfolio
As I'm always eagerly looking to create new applications to meet the needs of family, friends, and clients, the projects below highlight a more personal journey through some of my most unique projects, their purpose, architecture, and the passion and inspiration which brought them to life.
Scout (2020)

Purpose

Scout is an up-and-coming native iOS application that serves as a location-based food and drink forum. It openly collects data provided by users and/or private venues and businesses to deliver information about live and local specials, deals, and fun events to the local communities.

Want to get in on the ground floor and beta test? Use this link from your iPhone! TestFlight in the App Store

Architecture

This project utilizes Swift 5.0 with SwiftUI. User authentication and data are managed using Google Firebase (Cloud Firestore) and notifications are managed using the OneSignal API.

Inspiration

This app was purely inspired by that all-too-familiar moment of absent-minded silence which often follows when asking simple questions such as:

"What do we want to do today?"
"Where do we go for happy hour or dinner?"
"What fun events are happening around town?"

My vision for Scout is allowing a major user base to access free and accurate information for what is happening around them. Unlike Facebook and Yelp, Scout aims to dive into the nooks and crannies of what makes a business unique and special and highlight these qualities. During the Covid-19 outbreak, I found a deeper passion to accelerate development to help small businesses stay on their feet and bring the local communities together. Information is a powerful tool and nothing would make me happier than bringing joy to those who can discover something new, make a memory with friends and family, and maybe save a buck or two in the process.

Pace Chase (2019)

Purpose

Live worldwide in the App Store (for free), Pace Chase is a native iOS application which serves as a simple race pace and finish time calculator for runners of all levels.

Available in the App Store

Architecture

This project utilizes Swift 4.0 with UIKit and seamlessly integrates with watchOS. All user settings are managed using Core Data.

Inspiration

Two weeks leading up to a half marathon, I was searching the App Store for a minimal iOS + watchOS race pace application which provided flexible choices for viewing pacing per mile versus target time goals. When my search came up short, I took an impromptu shot at creating my own application. Three days later, it was complete, I was satisfied, and I submitted it to the App Store for others to enjoy. Since submission, it was been downloaded over 1,200 times with over 60,000 user impressions without any marketing campaign.

Blue Ink (2017-2018)

Purpose

Blue Ink is a native iOS application which serves as a minimal dashboard for managing shopping and to-do lists. Whether creating, editing, or sharing lists, Blue Ink allows users to simulatenously work together to complete lists across multiple devices in real time.

Architecture

This project utilized Swift 3.0 with UIKit. User authentication and data were managed using Google Firebase (Realtime Database) and notifications were managed using the OneSignal API.

Inspiration

We've all seen the Facebook groups about people claiming what they're going to bring to a party, yet we still have to scroll to ensure duplicates aren't brought and something isn't forgotten. We've also been in a grocery store with friends or family and really wished we could "divide and conquer" to complete the shopping on a tight time schedule. This continual situation soon sparked my inspiration for Blue Ink. Sadly, the project was indefinitely delayed to focus on my graduate schooling and career.
Other Endeavors

Floppy Tuna (2015)

Simple, fun, swipe-gestured iOS game detailing the journey of a tuna flopping avoiding foes along an infinite boardwalk.

Power Stats (2013-2014)

Sports analytic aimed towards allowing amateur or intramural athletes to track their data and tune their game through statistics.
© 2020 Kyle Garrison Beard. All Rights Reserved.