Background

Margaret Farron

Front-End Engineering Lead

I’m a front-end engineering lead who bridges design and development to create accessible, scalable, and human-centered web applications. My foundation in UX design gives me an eye for clarity and interaction nuance, while my engineering work focuses on architecture, performance, and maintainability. I thrive in cross-disciplinary environments, building trust between design, product, and engineering, and bring a holistic understanding of the entire product cycle, from concept and prototyping through implementation and refinement. Most recently, I’ve co-led the front-end for an agentic AI platform, shaping schema-driven interfaces that connect people and intelligent systems.

Selected Work

Agentic AI Platform Front End Architecture and Team Leadership

I joined the Agentic AI Platform project as a UI Developer, helping evolve an early proof of concept into a production-ready product. The platform was a low-code / no-code agentic AI tool designed for a wide range of users, featuring a visual interface with drag-and-drop organization, an integrated code editor, and complex cross-component state management with real-time updates.

In a fast-moving and ambiguous environment, I focused on bringing structure and clarity to the front end: establishing code standards, identifying and closing process gaps, and leading implementation of high-impact features and refactors. I also built strong, collaborative relationships with backend, product, and design partners, helping foster a respectful and cohesive team culture.

Over time, I was promoted to Front-End Co-Lead, where I leaned into lead-level responsibilities: improving architecture and code quality, mentoring developers, driving technical refinement and planning sessions, and ensuring the front end could scale with the platform’s growing ambitions in agentic AI.

Specialty Insurance Internal LLM Chat Interface Secure Angular Modernization

I joined this project to improve and extend an Angular-based “jump-starter” application used as a foundation for secure, LLM-enabled internal tools. The chatbot allowed users to upload and query documents, generating summaries and answers through an integrated LLM, making data security and access control critical design priorities.

The app relied on MSAL for authentication within Azure, but suffered from an unoptimized login flow, redundant token refreshes, and a loosely structured codebase. With no dedicated DevOps support and limited documentation, I took ownership of the full authentication and deployment flow — learning MSAL, Angular routing, and route guards on the fly, managing Azure app registrations, and reworking the login and token logic for a smoother, faster, and more secure experience.

I also collaborated closely with the backend engineer responsible for file storage and retrieval, ensuring a seamless and safe user experience. In addition, I improved maintainability through light re-architecture, modernized the UI for brand consistency, and introduced Karma and initial unit tests to establish a baseline for quality.

Military Health Insurance Portals Accessible UI Systems in a Regulated Environment

I joined the Military Health Portals project as a Power Platform developer, initially focused on creating a mobile version of a consumer portal. The site was built in Power Pages but used unconventionally — functioning as a makeshift CMS with custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript rather than relying on Dataverse. Because the government couldn’t store sensitive data there, we had to retrofit Power Pages to communicate securely with custom APIs.

After my first sprint, I shifted to the main consumer desktop portal, where I quickly became a trusted senior developer — taking on complex features, mentoring teammates, and contributing to architectural decisions. I also led the project’s accessibility effort, introducing Section 508 compliance standards, defining testing processes, and training the QA and development teams in best practices.

Later, I was invited to join the internal portal team, where I built reusable table components and simplified developer workflows. By the end of my year on the project, I was acting as backup lead for both portals, regularly handling leadership responsibilities during coverage periods.

Investment Management Company Reporting Tool UX-to-Front End Integration

I was hired as a UX designer for a large, data-heavy financial platform — a highly regulated environment with strong stakeholder opinions and strict compliance requirements. The design challenge focused on clarity, accessibility, and interaction consistency across complex data views.

When the initial front-end implementation diverged from the intended design, I advocated for improvements and was invited to contribute directly to the UI layer. Leveraging the trust I’d built with both developers and client stakeholders, I transitioned into a hybrid design/development role.

I quickly ramped up in Angular and became the project’s table specialist, building complex, responsive data tables and interaction patterns that brought the intended UX to life. For the remainder of the engagement, I bridged design and development — ensuring fidelity, performance, and accessibility across the product.

Skills

Front-End Development
React, Next.js, TypeScript, JavaScript (ES6+), Angular, HTML5, CSS/SCSS, Tailwind CSS, ShadCN/UI, Bootstrap, jQuery
Architecture & Engineering
Node.js, Zod Validation, REST APIs, schema-driven UI, MSAL (Azure Auth), real-time systems, cross-component state management
Design & Accessibility
UX/UI Design Foundations, Design Systems (Fluent & custom), Accessibility (WCAG / Section 508), Responsive Design
AI & Emerging Tech
Agentic AI Interfaces, LLM Integrations, Copilot Ecosystem, Low-code / No-code Platforms, Prompt Engineering
Collaboration & Leadership
Cross-disciplinary Team Leadership, Technical Refinement & Planning, Mentorship, Code Review Practices