Annie Pennell

Annie Pennell is a Senior Design Systems Engineer at Gusto with a diverse background in software engineering and a passion for ethical web development.3 Here's an overview of her professional profile:

Career Background

Annie has been working as a software engineer since 2015, specializing in front-end web application development.3 She describes her expertise as "super full stack," encompassing various aspects of the development process from design and project management to backend work.3 However, her primary focus and passion lie in front-end development.3

Current Role

As of 2024, Annie joined Gusto's Design Systems team.2 In this role, she likely contributes to Gusto's Workbench, which helps internal teams improve front-end code quality and promote design cohesion.1

Professional Approach

Annie is known for:

• Being design- and product-oriented, excelling at bridging designs to production builds3
• Advocating strongly for accessibility (a11y) and sustainability in design and development3
• Demonstrating tenacity in navigating complex systems and solving difficult problems3

Educational Background

• BA in Photography, Writing, and the Human Experience from the University of Redlands (2007-2011)3
• Completed a Full Stack Web Development Immersive course at General Assembly in 20153
• Earned a Front End Web Developer Nanodegree from Udacity in 20203

Entrepreneurial Experience

Prior to joining Gusto, Annie established her own studio called Sparkbird Works, where she provided freelance engineering, consulting, and coaching services.2

Skills and Interests

Annie is proficient in various programming languages and frameworks, including JavaScript, Ruby, HTML, CSS, Node.js, ExpressJS, and Rails.3 She's also certified in Green Software for Practitioners by The Linux Foundation.3

Annie's unique blend of visual arts background and technical skills allows her to approach software engineering with a holistic perspective, focusing on creating accessible and sustainable web experiences.