Jean-Michel Saulnier

Senior Frontend / Creative Developer

Jean-Michel Saulnier, Senior Frontend / Creative Developer. I build things that react to faces, phones, cars and spaces.

Interactive experiences, AI-powered products, real-time 3D and frontend, for agencies, brands and startups.

The Hunger Games View the project

Built for

  • Southwest Airlines
  • LG
  • McDonald's
  • PepsiCo
  • Paramount
  • Warner Bros.
  • Sony Honda Mobility
  • Lionsgate
  • Porsche
  • Kroger
  • Tempur Sealy

Selected projects

2013 to now

More projects

This is a selection of public work. Other projects are under NDA, so ask me about them.

About

I have spent more than fifteen years designing and building interactive experiences, AI-powered products and new kinds of interface.

I work where engineering, design and emerging technology meet, and turn complex ideas into products that are intuitive, engaging and ready for production.

My background covers creative technology, frontend engineering, real-time 3D and interactive development. I am hands-on from early exploration and rapid prototyping through architecture, development and production.

I have worked with global brands including LG, Porsche, Sony, McDonald's, Paramount and Warner Bros., on immersive brand experiences, interactive campaigns, experimental interfaces, AR and VR applications and AI-powered products.

How I work

  • I lead the build

    I lead creative development and frontend engineering on freelance projects, as I led development at Thinkingbox, and I stay hands-on throughout.

    On Into The Storm I was the link between the developers, the booth builders and the electricians.

    Into The Storm

  • A working prototype first

    I turn an ambitious idea into a working prototype, and then into a product that ships.

    The Porsche mirror and the Jupiter Ascending phone controller both began as my prototypes.

    PorscheJupiter Ascending

  • The whole experience

    I look at the whole experience, its usability and its purpose, not only the technology that runs it.

    The AFEELA kiosk app goes back to its start when nobody is there, keeps working if the connection drops, and lets the team change its content without touching code.

    AFEELA

  • New technology, short deadlines

    I am comfortable with unfamiliar technology, and with a schedule that is already running.

    I joined Southwest's Notification Vacation six days before launch. For LG, the site turned a visitor's message into an AI-generated song.

    Southwest Notification VacationLG Radio Optimism

Expertise
Product engineering and creative development
Frontend architecture and modern web technologies
WebGL, Three.js and real-time 3D
Interactive and immersive experiences
AI-powered applications and generative AI
Rapid prototyping and emerging-technology R&D
End-to-end development, from concept to production
Toolkit
React / Next.js / SvelteKit
WebGL / Three.js / GSAP
Unity / Unreal / WebAR
OpenAI / AWS / Azure
Recognition
FWA Awarded
ATOMIC Award winner
Visuelt
IAC Award
Exploring now
AI-native applications, generative AI and new forms of human–AI interaction
Products that connect software, physical environments and emerging technologies
Open to
Senior engineering, freelance and consulting work
Creative technology and product collaborations
Startups, new products and emerging-technology ventures

Experience

  1. Jul 2017 to Present

    Senior Frontend / Creative Developer

    Freelance, Faro, Portugal

    • Lead creative development and frontend engineering for interactive brand experiences, digital products and experimental interfaces.
    • Take work from concept to prototype to production across WebGL, motion, AI, content systems and modern frontend architecture.
    • Work with startups as well as agencies and brands, on products from first prototype to launch.

  2. Sept 2013 to Jun 2017

    Creative Technologist

    Thinkingbox, Vancouver, Canada

    • Led development for large-scale interactive productions combining real-time technology, physical installations and immersive storytelling.

  3. Sept 2010 to Jun 2013

    Interactive Developer

    SQLI, Lyon, France

    • Delivered cross-platform applications, offline-capable enterprise tools, Salesforce integrations and frontend interfaces for Roche, Becton Dickinson, Philip Morris International, Interpol, Sanofi, Desjoyaux and Apicil.

  4. Nov 2009 to May 2010

    Interactive Developer

    Bleed Designstudio, Oslo, Norway

    • Interactive installations, experimental interface prototypes and Symfony full-stack features.

Education

  1. 2007 to 2009

    Gobelins

    Concepteur Réalisateur Multimédia en Alternance

    Equivalent to an MSc in Multimedia Design and Production

  2. 2005 to 2007

    IUT Services et Réseaux de Communication

    Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie

    Equivalent to a Higher National Certificate

Tell me what you're making.

I take on interactive builds, prototypes and frontend work, on my own or inside a team. Write a few lines about the project and I will reply by email.