Websites & Blogs
For many businesses, a decent website is the difference between success and failure, as proven below. Understanding how users interact and navigate a site is paramount. I design sites that are easy on the eye, literally and figuratively, to ensure user's can find the information they need quickly and then read it without distraction.
Back in the 90's when the web was still a new toy, web designers went crazy for animations and special effects. Thankfully the novelty wore off and the content of a website became the focus. However, this meant that many businesses used coders to create their websites and that is why today the vast majority of websites are so square, so predictable and appear to be based on the same boring template.
And that's the difference between using a designer who can also code, rather than a coder who tries to design. The sites below will reinforce that difference.
After attending this French language & cooking school, it was obvious that they had fantastic facilities, wonderful staff - in fact, everything needed for success, except a decent website. With little online experience and to save costs, the director had been developing and maintaining the website himself. I decided to help and completely redesigned the site, focussing on producing an attractive, user-friendly and easily editable website. New languages were introduced, including Chinese.
It was important to maintain SEO so that the site did not lose its existing search engine rankings and most pages remained static HTML so that the client could update them himself. Form pages use SSL for security and are processed with PHP. Form data is stored in a MySQL database.
This new site has rejuvenated the business to the extent that additional permanent staff have been employed to cope with demand. In a highly competitive environment and with today's economic climate, that's a result !
CSSSecure encryptionPHP
MySQL
Site maintenanceFeatures several forms with SSL encryption.
Form data is stored in MySQL database.
Features 8 languages including Chinese:
After several years of having a static website, this client requested a BLOG facility. The first step was to check that she understood the ramifications - a successful blog is one that needs to be updated regularly, constantly reinforcing the subject matter as well as needing fresh material to retain interest.
In order to make use of WordPress (content management software for blogs) I redesigned the existing site to make it work on this new platform, retaining as much of the look and feel of the original. Improved accessibility and nagivation in the form of a new CSS menu ensure a seamless transition between website and blog.
The client's dedication to her blog in combination with the new structure of the site and revised search-engine-friendly text, has sky-rocketed her rankings, which in turn has seen her business expand beyond expectation.
CSSWordpressPHPJavascript
Site maintenance
Blog runs on Wordpress within privately hosted domain
Blog maintained by client
Website maintained by me
A new website was only part of the spec for this solicitors' partnership. They wanted a complete rebranding of their corporate identity. I designed a new logo, incorporating it into new letterheads, comp slips, corners and factsheet template designs and, of course, a brand new website.
The client had previously been advised to have a website with a Content Management System (CMS), which would give them the ability to edit the site themselves. This seemed inappropriate for a static site such as this and I felt, as with many companies, that their staff resources would be better spent doing their own work rather than trying to understand the intricacies of web editing. The client agreed and I created a simple, yet engaging, HTML site that is easy to edit and update thanks to the CSS menu. This website was also designed to conform to web disability access guidelines.
CSS
Logo redesign
Site maintenance
Complete corporate identity redesign at same time as new website design.
Having designed this client's logo a few years ago, I was pleased when she decided to have a website. She and I have often collaborated on projects in the past, so I knew she would want an unfussy, clear, yet modern and engaging, website.
As a marketing specialist with a keen eye for copy, the client provided the text which we then worked on together to improve SEO (search engine optimisation).
For navigation, I introduced a simple, clear menu and the body text layout was optimised for clarity. After colour-coding each page, I manipulated stock images to create harmony between tabular data and highlights of small elements within images.
