Web site Developer, Graphic Designer, Computer Nerd

My real name is Joseph LaBonte, and I am a full fledged computer nerd. I have developed hundreds of web sites, launched just as many internet marketing campaigns and designed a wide variety of unique print media. I can also take apart and rebuild a computer in a way that would make a NASCAR pit crew jealous. I don't claim to be good at everything, but I know technology the way Einstein knew science.

What makes you so good?
I've spent my whole life behind a computer screen, giving me a both a horrible tan, and an affinity for technology that borders on obsessive. There's no simple way to explain why everyone calls me BrainStorm, so I'll give you an example.

Back in high school, while my classmates were learning computer science, I ended up teaching the class; even correcting the instructor's mistakes. By my Junior year, my teachers decided that I was too advanced for regular assignments. Instead, they asked me to me design and develop web sites for all of the local grade schools and libraries. I was actually allowed to leave school and drive around the city, meeting with principals and administrators, instead of doing school work.

The attention this received had not only earned me multiple scholarships, it also caught the attention of ProProducts Web Design, a design firm located here in Rhode Island. While still a high school junior, I managed beat out degree-holding applicants to become their Senior Web Developer, (a position I subsequently held for the next five years).
What were you doing your Junior year?

What about higher education?
I was accepted to MIT, but their tuition was higher than the value of my home, so that was not going to happen. Instead, I used my scholarships to attend the New England Institute of Technology, majoring in internet development. Because I had already been designing web sites professionally for a few years, the professor made me an offer; if I could pass the final exams, I would receive full college credit without ever having to sit through class. Not only did I pass, I made the Dean's list with a 4.0 GPA. My entire college experience was over in less than one semester.

So, are you some kind of super-nerd?
At the request of a friend, I took test administered by MENSA and discovered that I could technically call myself a "genius". As cool as that may sound, I will tell you up front that it is over-rated. Contrary to popular belief, the ability to do long division in your head does not make you the coolest or most popular person. Go figure.

As time went on, I continued to improve my education on my own. I taught myself so many different programming languages and design techniques, that by the time I turned 21, I had a skill set that would normally require over ten years of college.

I believe that this is what separates me from other designers. Unlike normal design firms, which require a team of designers, programmers, etc., a company would only have to hire me. Not only was I able to produce higher quality work than my competitors, I was able to do it cheaper. The firms that were capable of competing with the quality of my work, had to employ so many people, that they could not compete with my prices.

I have not only designed more web sites than anyone in Rhode Island, but most of my projects have been out-sourced to me from other local design firms. In a way, that means I am my own competition.

Aren't you a little full of yourself?
I have been called the "House, M.D." of Web Design. But, in my experience, most business owners don't want to 'feel good' about their web site, they want it to produce results. Personally, if I ever end up laying on an operating table, I don't want the 'nice' surgeon that barely passed med school. I want the jerk with the ego, who is so talented that he can do the job blind-folded.

My Personal Life
I was born in Rhode Island and I have been living here ever since. I'm happily married to my beautiful wife, Alyna, and together we have two children, Xavier and Lily. The life experience I've gained from raising children and being a father is more valuable to me than anything I've ever learned from a book. They are the main reason why I chose work for myself, instead of some big Silicon Valley firm. Running my own business allows me to spend more time with my family, which is more valuable than any amount of money.

Interests and Hobbies
In my spare time, I create simple computer games for my kids. Nothing beats the expression on a child's face, as he watches Barney the dinosaur turn a robot into a piece of General Tso's chicken. That was an actual game my son thought up when he was three, and I happily built it for him.

If you'd like to know more about me, or what I can do for you, I'm just a mouse-click away.