JordanMakes
Software developer · builder · writer · Indiana

Jordan creates and likes to understand why things work.

jordanmakes.dev is the front door for my projects and writing. The work spans product engineering, civic tooling, AI systems, and hardware.

Featured workLatest writingContact
Approach

Clear systems, documented decisions, useful output.

The throughline is usually the same: build things that solve a real problem for somebody, and are easy to understand and maintain.

Full-stack engineeringSoftware & hardwareAICivicDocumentation everywhere
Selected work

Projects worth looking at

A few representative pieces, with enough detail to get you hooked.

Project 01 · Flagship

Footnote

TypeScript monorepo · AI product · open source · ongoing
Active

Footnote is an AI assistant built around provenance, traceability, and explicit constraints. Each answer is meant to show what shaped it instead of pretending certainty.

The backend is the single decision layer for both the web client and Discord surface. That keeps prompts, provenance rules, planner behavior, and risk controls from drifting apart.

One backend, multiple surfaces

The web app and Discord bot both execute backend decisions instead of owning separate AI flows. That keeps behavior aligned and makes the product easier to reason about.

Transport-neutral contracts

Request types describe why something happened rather than where it came from. That makes it easier to add new surfaces without redesigning the API.

Constraints as code

Risk tiers and response rules live in the system architecture instead of in docs alone. That turns policy into something the software can actually enforce.

TypeScriptNode.jsReactDiscord.jsOpenAI APIpnpmZodDockerFly.io
GitHubLive demo
Project 02 · Civic

Richmond Meetings

Council Data Project · searchable public records · ongoing
Active

A searchable portal for Richmond and Wayne County public meetings, built on Council Data Project infrastructure and adapted for local use.

The goal is simple: public records should be practically accessible, not just technically public. Video, transcripts, and search all need to work together.

Problem

Meeting records exist, but they are scattered, hard to search, and difficult for residents to use when they need a specific answer.

Approach

Ingestion, transcription, and indexing are automated so recordings become searchable instead of sitting as isolated uploads.

Next step

Position the project for real local adoption rather than stopping at “build and publish.”

PythonCouncil Data ProjectSpeech-to-textGitHub ActionsOpen civic data
GitHubLive site
Project 03 · Hardware

MediaBox

Portable offline server · Raspberry Pi 5 · work in progress
In progress

MediaBox is a portable server in a Pelican case: battery-backed, solar-aware, Wi-Fi enabled, and designed to deliver useful local tools without an internet connection.

The idea is to package offline reference material, media, educational tools, and local AI into something practical for classrooms, travel, and low-connectivity situations.

Hardware

Pi 5, NVMe storage, LiFePO4 battery, solar controller, UPS, switch panel, and modular internal wiring.

Software

Kiwix, Kolibri, Jellyfin, Kavita, ROMM, Dashy, and local AI services packaged for disconnected use.

Constraint

Serviceability matters. The enclosure and wiring are designed to be understandable, maintainable, and documented.

Raspberry PiDockerLinuxOllamaNetworkingSolar powerOffline-first design
Background

Skills & experience

A fuller snapshot of the tools, habits, and roles behind the current work.

The day-to-day stack is TypeScript-heavy, but the work spans several languages and problem domains.

TypeScript / JavaScript

92%

Primary language for web apps, product work, and current platform projects.

FootnoteJordanMakesRolyBot

React / Next.js

86%

Used for product surfaces, site architecture, and shared UI systems.

Footnote webJordanMakes

Python

73%

Used for civic data work, automation, and data-heavy workflows.

Richmond MeetingsCDP adaptation

Java

74%

Strong enough to teach, review, and support students in CS coursework.

IU instruction

C# / C++

62%

Used for earlier tools and desktop-side experimentation.

PhotomosaicDiscordChatAnalyzer
Writing

Rolling W/ IT

Short notes, project writeups, and the occasional post that starts with a bug and ends with an architecture decision.

MediaBox - Portable, Off-the-Grid Media Server & Homelab
December 5, 2024Jordan T.

MediaBox - Portable, Off-the-Grid Media Server & Homelab

Bring your entire library of music, movies, TV shows, e-books, educational tools, and even offline encyclopedias with you on the go. My DIY project MediaBox turns the tiny but powerful Raspberry Pi 5 computer chip into a fully functional portable media server. Equipped with a WiFi hotspot and housed in a waterproof gun case, it’s designed to go anywhere—whether you’re camping off-grid, teaching in remote locations, or preparing for the unexpected.

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Contact

Get in touch

Use the form if you want to talk through a project, role, collaboration, or interesting technical problem.