Yellow Button Portfolio
This is my place to brag about some of the great projects I have taken on for some really great clients. This is just a sampling, but it should give you a nice overview. I hope you like what you see.
Click on one of the links at the right.
Plone Websites
Plone is an open source content management system. CMSes make it possible for non-technical people to edit and administer the content of their own website. As a Plone developer, I create the visual design, lay out the structure, configure the settings, build custom features, establish the security and workflow, and train the client. The client can then add, edit, and delete content, and manage the website without much need for ongoing help.
CMS based websites take a little more planning and effort to establish, but once they are built, they are easier and less expensive to maintain than traditional web sites, and they are also more powerful.
Click a button above to see more details.
Communities in Schools Washington
CISWA wanted a site with lots of cool features. They also wanted the same look and feel and all those cool features to be available to each of their twelve local sub-organization sites. I built a Plone 3 site that could do it all.
Project details:
- Implemented CSS/XHTML templates based on third party Photoshop design
- Coded custom portlets and content types
- Wrote custom javascript / jQuery for custom portlets and features
- Integrated blog headlines from external site using Google AJAX feed API
- Coded and customized to allow all local sites to be housed in the same Plone instance and share features but with their own logos and content
- Conducted training and provided documentation
Work performed as a sub-contractor for NPower Seattle.
Rosehedge
Rosehedge had a website that didn't reflect the warmth of their organization and couldn't be edited by their staff. I implemented a Plone site so that their staff can make updates on their own.
Project details:
- Designed the look and feel of the site.
- Built site structure and initial page content
- Created XHTML templates and CSS
- Configured and customized
- Conducted training and provided documentation
Work performed as a sub-contractor for NPower Seattle.
Atlantic Street Center
Atlantic Street center had a website that didn't meet their needs. The red white and blue theme was cold and unwelcoming. The table-based layout required HTML expertise to edit and would fall apart if the text content of a page got too long. I implemented a Plone site that is more inviting and easier to maintain.
Project details:
- Designed the look and feel of the site.
- Implemented Flash slideshow on the homepage
- Built site structure and initial page content
- Created XHTML templates and CSS
- Configured and customized
- Conducted training and provided documentation
Work performed as a sub-contractor for NPower Seattle.
St. Joseph’s Baby Corner
St. Joseph's Baby Corner was growing, but their website was outdated and difficult to edit. They needed a site that would explain their cause and encourage support. They had a beautifully simple design sketch in hand. I implemented a Plone site that made it easy for staff and volunteers to administer their site.
Project details:
- Polished the look and feel of the site: baby block icons.
- Designed a custom method for including configurable Flash slideshow in the content area of pages
- Built site structure and initial page content
- Created XHTML templates and CSS
- Configured and customized
- Conducted training and provided documentation
Work performed as a sub-contractor for NPower Seattle.
Web Projects
These are just a few of the websites I've built or fixed up. These sites use content management systems other than Plone, or traditional static web pages.
Click a button above to see more details.
Athena Water
Initially, Athena Partners needed some help with an HTML template for an email newsletter. When that project was complete, they asked me to help with their website. They were happy with the structure of their website but the coding and design were out of date, so I gave it a refresh.
- Updated the homepage design including gradient boxes on front page
- Re-coded all pages on the site from a table-based design to XHTML/CSS
- Coded pages to be compatible with Adobe Contribute to allow client to edit
- Replaced static homepage image with a Flash slideshow
- Coded and installed a custom PHP-based solution for aggregating and populating "news headlines" box with content from RSS headline providers
Work performed as a sub-contractor for NPower Seattle.
Before Design Refresh
Vacation at Lake Chelan
This is a website to promote a home for rent in Manson, a little town on Lake Chelan in Washington. Previously, the owner had no web site and was constantly fielding calls asking for information. Now he can point people to the website.
Site features:
- Semi-transparent overlays allow space for text and navigation while also allowing extra room for photos
- Google map tie-in using My Maps
- Web to email contact form
- Adobe Contribute compatible pages so that the client can make edits
Recovery Café
Prior to working with me, Recovery Café had no website. Now their website informs people about their mission and drives online donations.
Technical features:
- Built on the Mambo (now Joomla) content management system.
- Main navigation and headlines shown in their logo's font using sIFR
- Custom built "Recovery Cafe Today" module delivers schedule information in the sidebar
- Custom built "Recovery Stories" module delivers randomly selected story in the sidebar
Work performed as a sub-contractor for NPower Seattle.
Why Foster?
The Why Foster project consisted of two parts. The public-facing website is designed to encourage people who are just starting to consider foster parenting to make contact to find out more information. The site was kept very simple so as not to be overwhelming. There was also a private database for foster parent recruiters to share lead information and log activities.
Public site features:
- Prominent Flash slideshow on the home page to make use of their compelling photo library.
- Pages coded to be compatible with Adobe Contribute so that the client can make edits
- Contact form emails an administrator, sends additional information to the potential foster parent, and creates a new lead record in the lead tracking database.
Private lead tracking database features:
- Custom built in PHP/MySQL
- Duplicate checking as lead is entered using AJAX
- Management screens for three user levels
- Reporting and tracking
Work performed as a sub-contractor for NPower Seattle.
Flash Projects
Flash is a technology that can be used to add motion, sound, and video to a website. Flash can be used for simple animations or for complex database driven applications. Here are just a few examples of my Flash work.
Click a button above to see more details.
Zero Down Team: Banner Ads
I worked with Zero Down Team on a few projects to help improve their brand. The first step was a logo design. They wanted a purple logo to stand out from all of the red and blue logos in the real estate business. Based on conversations with the company leadership, I recommend a superhero theme for their marketing and designed a logo that fit the theme. They loved those ideas.
A short time later, they came back to me for a couple of Flash banner ads to draw clicks on a real estate listing website. I came up with the storyboards, and developed a horizontal banner ad and a vertical skyscraperad that fit the exacting specifications of the site. They liked the final product so much that they used the ads again for several other sites.
Click an image to view the Flash ad.
DeMolay International: Front Page Feature
This Flash feature box was at the top of the homepage of DeMolay.org from 2001 through 2008. The feature box was built to be versatile so that new content could be swapped into place for special promotions.
The Flash movie begins with an interactive logo animation while the first content item is loaded in the background. Viewers on fast connections only see the logo for one animation cycle.
The default content was an animation based on a promotional brochure for the organization (which I also designed). It features the pages of the brochure sliding into place. As the animation progresses, the viewer can use the slider bar to rewind or move forward. Hovering over the flashing triangle at the right exposes a menu that allows the viewer to page through the brochure.
Overlaid in the lower left is a "Features" menu button. Hover over it, and links to other content animations are revealed. Try moving your mouse and clicking on the various buttons.
Click the image above to reveal the Flash animation.
Work performed as an employee of DeMolay International.
Other Projects
This is a smattering of print and other projects.
Click a button above to see more details.
DeMolay International Logo
DeMolay is a youth organization for boys ages 12 -21. The old DeMolay International logo was looking a bit dated, so one of my first projects when I went to work for D.I. was to redesign the official logo.
The logo I designed has been in use since 1999. It, and the many derivative local DeMolay logos have been used on countless websites, stationery, and promotional materials.
During my time at D.I. I supervised branding, including creating local and promotional logos, developing usage guidelines, and monitoring compliance.
Work performed as an employee of DeMolay International.
DeMolay: Success, Chapter One Brochure
The goal of the "Success, Chapter One" brochure was to give an overview of DeMolay to parents of potential members, and other potential supporters. The layout is intended to be versatile for use in varied situations. When folded, the brochure can be placed in a brochure rack. The reverse features the same image and message oriented horizontally, so as to be laid out on an information table. When unfolded, either side can serve as a poster.
Project details:
- Created the concept and layout
- Wrote the copy
- Selected the pictures
- Performed photo color correction and graphic design work
- Supervised printing
Work performed as an employee of DeMolay International.
