Work Experience:


Principal Software Engineer >> Avid Technology

Notable Projects

Notable shipped features that I began as innovative skunkworks projects.
  1. Custom Keyboard Shortcuts for Pro Tools
    • Developed a customizable keyboard shortcut system for Pro Tools, enabling user-defined key bindings for over 1,000 commands.
    • Overcame technical challenges deemed insurmountable by the most senior Avid engineers, delivering a highly desirable feature.
  2. Dark Theme for Pro Tools
    • Directed and executed a complete redesign of the Pro Tools user interface, to introduce a modern, neon-themed appearance with extensive customization capabilities.
    • Created a shader based image management system for over 5,000 images and 500 colors to enable rapid modifications by the artistic team.
  3. Pro Tools Tutorial Engine
    • Designed and implemented an internal tutorial editor within Pro Tools to allow quick creation and deployment of user facing tutorials by designers and product managers.
    • Enhanced user learning experience, directly improving user engagement and satisfaction.
  4. Accessibility Enhancements
    • Worked with our visually impaired user group to identify and address over a dozen accessibility issues.
    • Developed a Pro Tools command launcher built specifically with accessibility in mind.
  5. Flex UI
    • Developed a system that allows quick much quicker and more flexible UI developement within Pro Tools
    • UI system automatically handled translations, font changes, and very rapid prototyping.
Color Editor
Dark Theme Color Editor
Image Editor
Dark Theme Image Editor
Key Bindings
Custom Key Bindings Editor
Dark Theme
Pro Tools Dark Theme

Notable Skills

  1. C++
    • Feature development and bug fixing in a massive C++ codebase (more than 10,000 code files)
    • Frequent code reviews, discussion of code quality, and efforts to improve quality across the Pro Tools team.
  2. Javascript / React / Node JS
    • Built a custom react / node js server component that I wove into our build pipeline
  3. Creative Leadership
    • Innovated new creative solutions to long standing problems that had plagued Pro Tools for years.
    • Created proposals, gave presentations, and built prototypes to show the value of my ideas.

Recognition

  1. Avid outstanding empoloyee
    • Recieved a commendation for my creativity, dedication and innovation on Pro Tools Dark Theme
  2. Industry Recognition
    • My work on Custom Keyboard Shortcuts has been called a "game changer" by top producers in the music industry
    • My work on the custom command launcher was also called out as game changer by leaders of the blind music community
  3. Pro Tools Visibility
    • Pro Tools with my dark theme visuals has been featured in many prominent places including Apple's WWDC and a Meta Quest Pro advertisement by Meta
Work Experience
Personal Projects
Resume
Volunteer Work
Contact


Ben Gibbons
Creative Software Engineer
Artist
VR & AI Enthusiast