Hello, I'm Rafael!

Born and raised in Portugal, I was always very interested in computers and how they work behind the scenes, the idea of being able to turn my ideas into reality using software sparked my curiosity intensely, so I began to explore the endless world of tech.

At the moment I am enrolled as a student in a computer science and engineering programme while currently planning to become a full-time software builder. In the past years I've cultivated a strong programming foundation based on problem solving and adaptability, parallelly developing a very acute interest in developing side-projects, where I can not only put my knowledge to practice but also explore new ideas and endeavours whilst trying to have as much fun as possible.

My interests and knowledge include a very broad set of topics, most notably: front-end/full-stack web development, computer networks, distributed systems and blockchain technologies. Recently I've been more keen on developing web applications and explore all the potential in technologies related to such projects, including ReactJS, Tailwind and many more.

If you're interested in collaborating, scheduling a meeting, or discussing any other topic where I might lend a hand, please don't hesitate to reach out via email or DM through my social media channels.

Projects

rbtavares.com

My portfolio website. Here you can find all the relevant information about me and the things I work on. If any questions remain, feel free to head to the Contact section and reach out to me.

Noise Gradients

A simple web app to generate noise filters and preview grainy gradients.

ThreeJS Car

An on-browser drivable car. Out of boredom, on the new year's eve of 2024 I built a simple drivable car in a 3D environment with lighting using the three.js library.

During ETHGlobal® Lisbon 2023 I have integrated a team of 5 to build a social-graph based application which linked TalentLayer and Lens to provide an on-chain marketplace for influencer post monetization. At the end of the competition, our project was awarded "Lens Protocol - Best Use" and "The Graph - Pool Prize".

A web application to lookup Pokémon data with a search functionality focused on using the PokéAPI. This project encompassed not only the development of a simple web app that queries an API, but also javascript unit testing features within the development environment.

Education

Master's in Computer Science & Engineering

Mar 2025 - present (on hold), Portugal

As the integrated masters programme came to an end, I transitioned to a standalone MSc program. I then decided to put these studies on hold to explore and work on technology areas I am passionate about.

Integrated Master's in Computer Science & Engineering

Sep 2020 - Feb 2025 (4y 5mo), Portugal

Started in an integrated master's program in Computer Science & Engineering, completing the bachelor's portion with strong foundations in software development, algorithms and computer systems through coursework and hands-on projects. During this time, I also completed some master's level courses, and ended up switching to a standalone MSc program due to the end of the integrated program.

High School Graduate

Sep 2017 - Jun 2020 (2y 9mo), Portugal

I studied and graduated from the traditional portuguese high school in the field of Science and Technology, as this was the field which represented me the best.

Experience

Software Developer Intern @ t_insight

Oct 2024 - Feb 2025 (4mo) / Parque das Nações, Lisboa, Portugal

During this internship, I was responsible for enhancing a React Native mobile application, with primary focus on frontend development and UI/UX improvements. Additionally, I contributed to optimizing the backend infrastructure, improving database performance, and maintaining comprehensive documentation to ensure smooth development workflows. This role allowed me to gain hands-on experience with full-stack mobile development while working in a professional environment.

ETHGlobal Lisbon 2023 Hacker

May 12 - 14, 2023 / Beato, Lisboa, Portugal

After attending a few events on the Web3 space it was time to start building, therefore, in May 2023 I joined 4 amazing folks to make the perfect team at ETHGlobal Lisbon. During the hackathon we brought an idea to life with our project "InfluLENSer", which you can read more about in the Projects section.

ETH Porto 2023 Conference

March 2023 / Porto, Portugal

After applying for a grant, Subvisual kindly brought me to ETH Porto, an annual Web3 focused conference and hackathon. During the ETH Porto weekend I was able to meet new people in the environment, participate in workshops and got to know many interesting ideas, visions and projects.

Project Manager, Board Member @ n.inf

Mar 2022 - present (3y 1mo) / Lisboa, Portugal

In march 2022 I became a member of my college's Computer Science club. Besides expanding my knowledge in some areas of IT development, here, I'm also part of the Projects Team which allows me to develop my teamwork abilities. In june 2024 I became part of the club management board as head of treasury and coordinator of the projects team.

Certificates

Figma UI UX Design Essentials

July 25, 2023 / Udemy

An introductory online course for designing interfaces in Figma where I was able to understand better how the application works as well as some UI/UX design concepts that were new to me but surely valuable for use in future projects.

certificate

Software

Development Tools

Cursor

Ghostty

git

GitHub

npm

Foundry Book

Utility

Figma

Notion

Claude

Linear

Frameworks, Languages & Libraries

ReactJS

NextJS

Tailwind

shadcn/ui

React Native

HTML

Javascript

Typescript

Java

Python

CSS

Solidity

Avatar

Rafael Tavares

Software Developer

computer science, web dev, front-end

© rbtavares.com