Forging The Web
Freelance web development by Max McClaskie — backed by a network of designers, strategists, and creators from the advertising world.
Years in advertising taught me one thing: great work comes from great people. I build modern web experiences and tap my network of builders when a project needs a bigger hearth
The Person
About Me
I'm Max McClaskie — a developer and creative technologist who cut his teeth in the advertising industry. After years of building digital experiences at agencies, I went independent and founded The Smithy to do what I love on my own terms.
My background in advertising means I don't just think about code — I think about the story, the user, and the outcome. When a project needs more than development, I tap into a trusted network of creators and builders that I've collaborated with throughout my career.
No layers. No account managers. Just direct communication, honest timelines, and work I'm proud to put my name on.
When I'm not in my text editor I work full time as a FF/AEMT here in New Hampshire and am currently attending Paramedic School. Public Safety is an area that is ripe for innovation and a lot of my passion projects are tools for First Responders to have access to data and other insights when seconds count and the right information can make all the difference for someone in need.
Services
How I Can Help
I handle the full build myself — and when a project calls for it, the hearth gets bigger and I tap my network to help fuel it.
Portfolio
Current Work
A mix of client work and personal ventures — each one crafted with care, sometimes solo, sometimes with the right people pulled in.
Fantasy Football Fans come alive every August as the NFL season draws near. FDC helps make their draft experience even more memorable with live commentary provided by hosts Finn and Blake, your always on AI powered hosts. Currently serving as CTO
MedVR is helping to lead the charge in VR / AR adoption in the world of medicine. Bringing together thought leadership and content in this realm helps developers, content experts and the providers themselve come together to ensure patients are getting the best care they can through technology.
Somehow training budgets are always the last item on the agencda in Public Safety, most often for Police Departments. C1P is a 501c3 that is helping underfunded Police Departments get critical training to ensure both the public's safety as well as their own.
The Lab
Passion Projects
Things I build on my own time — experiments and tools that keep me sharp and scratch a creative itch.
Proto EMS is a tool for managing and distributing EMS protocols. An easy to use dashboard allows Medical Directors and other stakeholders to easily create and update protocols for their respective EMS Agencies. Once published the agencies they support can access them in realtime via a native iOS or Android application. Complete with a easy to navigate UI and offline mode, providers can easily access the latest protocols when seconds count!
AutoChart
Ensuring accuracy and completeness when conducting a patient assessment is of upmost importance both for the provider to generate a field impression and for reporting after the fact when an EMS provider is writing their patient care report. AutoChart is an AI-Powered tool to augment EMS providers, generating accurate and detailed narratives based on their interview with the Patient through their time together.
Get in Touch
Ready to Craft Something Awesome?
Whether it's a solo build or something that needs a full creative team, I'd love to hear what you're working on. Drop me a line.