About
The person behind UpTime.
I'm Aron Lawrence, a designer, web developer, and animator based in Greeley, Colorado.
My story
Designing since 2009. Building websites since 2014.
I've made training animations for Raytheon, led the design team for animated web ads at The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press, and built websites and campaigns for marketing agencies.
I got my start in Michigan, but after an especially cold winter, I decided to chase the sunshine and I ended up in Greeley in 2015. Since then, I've been running my own design studio, Rad Rat Design, Inc.
A lot of my work has happened behind the scenes, with an agency's name on the finished product. I learned how good teams plan, design, and ship. I also saw how the high overhead at big agencies can push small companies to switch designers after launch.
UpTime Web Services is my answer to that. It's the local web studio of Rad Rat Design. You work directly with me from the first call through launch and after. The person who designs your site is the person who builds it, and the person you call when you need a new flyer next spring. And throughout my years in agencies, I've built up a network of skilled freelance partners for specialty tasks.
Experience
How I got here.
Print, animation, newsroom advertising, agency web work, and my own clients. Each role added something I now bring to local businesses.
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2009
Graphic Artist Aerotrain
Designed and built training modules for airplane mechanics and pilots about aerodynamics and flight physics.
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2010
Graphic Artist Raytheon
Created graphics and animation and built interactive quizzes for computer-based training used by British cadets.
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2012
Digital Design Lead The Detroit News & Detroit Free Press
Set the design process and led the design team producing animated web advertising for both newspapers' websites.
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2014
Interactive Designer Marketing agency
Websites, email marketing, and static and animated branding, built with an agency team. Ongoing.
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2015
Digital Design Strategist Rad Rat Design, Inc.
Started my own studio: custom websites, branding, data sheets, animated videos, and social media graphics for clients.
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2026
Founder UpTime Web Services
Launched UpTime as Rad Rat Design's local web studio, working directly with Greeley businesses.
The name
Why “UpTime”?
In web terms, uptime is the time a website is online and working. In hang gliding, it's lift. A glider stays up by finding rising air and using it well.
That's how I see my role. You're the pilot. I'm the lift underneath, keeping your business visible, credible, and up and running.
A direct line
You talk to the person doing the work. No account managers and no ticket queue.
Plain language
I explain options in normal words and give you straight answers about what's worth the money.
Built to last
Clean, organized builds that stay fast and are easy to update years from now.
Toolkit
What I work with.
WordPress is home base. I also work in the page builders and platforms your business may already use, and I design and animate in the Adobe tools I've used for years.
Web
- WordPress
- WPBakery
- Elementor
- Divi
- Webflow
- Wix
- Shopify
- HTML5 & CSS
- JavaScript
- PHP
Design & motion
- Photoshop
- After Effects
- Premiere Pro
- InDesign
- Illustrator
Off the clock
When I'm not building websites.
You'll usually find me with a novel, a comic book, or a movie in my home theater. I also collect coins, which is really just an excuse to study tiny, well-made designs up close. Except that they're old and silver.
Questions
Is a freelancer right for you?
How working with me compares to an agency, and who I work with.
Why choose a freelancer over an agency?
Agencies have multiple employees and overhead, and they suit businesses that want broader help, such as market research, brand positioning, press releases, product focus groups, and a website. Working with a freelancer keeps the project quick and focused, and you deal directly with the person doing the work.
What industries do you work with? Do you have experience in mine?
Probably. I have worked with recruiting companies, small businesses such as home cleaning companies and karate dojos, industrial and machining companies, automotive manufacturers, a woodworking store, nonprofits, and more. You bring the expertise in your industry, and I make it look great on screen.
Do you work with nonprofits? Do you offer nonprofit pricing?
Yes. If your work benefits the local Northern Colorado community, I'm happy to offer a discount.
Can I see work that's similar to my business?
Maybe. Contact me and tell me what you're looking for. Much of my work sits in the portfolios of branding agencies across the country, and I can't display it publicly as my own. If I have something that matches your business, I'm glad to send more samples.
Let's meet.
Coffee in Greeley or a quick call, whichever suits you. Tell me a little about your business to get started.
