Bill Stewart, Senior Software Architect
Mr. Stewart is a Senior Software Architect with 25 years experience with proven excellence in software architecture & design as well as the business of software and marketing. Over the years, he's designed and developed a wide array of software systems, utilities and games, including several award-winning world-class applications.

His results and experience speak to his value on any team. Among highlights, he's designed many award-winning applications, one of which was the world's best-selling software package. He designed two of the world's best Windows utilities, After Dark and Power Drawers. After Dark and it's flying toasters defined the screensaver genre and is one of the most popular utilities ever made and Power Drawers was the 2001 World Class Award winner as Best Utility in the world. He has also been a leader and architect on many important contracts for the world's largest technology companies including Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Netscape and AOL. Bill is a proven leader with successful mass-market and contract product development.
 
Mr. Stewart’s focus is always on the bottom line needs of the client and end-users, cutting through technical, visual & marketing issues to the essentials, how to best benefit users and advance the client’s long-term goals. He brings a unique clarity and elegance to every aspect of software and product design, translating clear and practical vision into superlative and profitable products.

Background Information
Mr. Stewart's background includes controls engineering, everything from machine-level to the highest level programming systems, graphic and package design, electronics, robotics, team management and presentation skills. Educated in Control Systems Engineering, he won various engineering awards including the 1987 SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers) Robot Competition. He has repeatedly shown a unique ability to design new products that are widely accepted, influential and extremely long-lived. Some of his products designed for Windows 2 and 3 are still sold and used to this day (16 years later). His original product designs have all been award-winning and received high critical and popular praise. With varied and deep work experiences, he brings his high bandwidth of technical and people skills to every new project.

Originally from London, Ontario, Bill has worked throughout North America and is currently a resident of Victoria, BC. Mr. Stewart also runs the Dynamic Defense Wing Chun Academy where he teaches Wing Chun Kung Fu when not engaged in more dangerous pursuits like playing and learning with his brilliant and creative daughters, scuba diving and hang gliding.

"Whether making software that affects millions of people or teaching kung fu to individuals face to face, it's all cut from the same cloth. It's about solving problems to affect people in a positive way. For example, After Dark was incredibly popular, #1 sales on the planet. It's nice that it was so popular, but the point for me is that it affected millions of users in a positive way, sometimes it was the only thing on their computers they really liked; I have fans, not users because my work is more than merely utilitarian. Windows Magazine called After Dark "The most over-engineered product ever made". I design the best possible products to my own taste and have been fortunate that my work resonates with so many around the world. With whatever I build, my design goal is to shape the ultimate user experience, the best possible product in its class. I design software to be loved, not merely used. That's my design credo. Anything less is a waste of time.

Teaching kung fu is just a more immediate outlet for creatively helping people. No matter how many enjoy my software out in the world, I also like being able to affect people personally and see the results first-hand.  Whether it's an engineering problem or a self defense situation, I like accomplishing interesting things and breaking down and de-risking difficult tasks until they are easy. A favorite quote from Einstein is "It's not that I'm smarter than other people. It's just that I'm more persistent." I'm a great believer in this philosophy.

Excellence is a product of vision, persistence and commitment, not talent. If my work is noteworthy, than I am proof of that. It can apply to anyone who puts in the time and holds themselves to high standards to achieve excellence. If you're not striving for excellence, you shouldn't be in the game."