Website Design

The visual design of your website is important. This is how you present yourself to the (internet) world. First and foremost, your site's design must communicate your message and support your functionality.

If you hire me to design your website, I will work with you much as a tailor would in fitting you with a custom suit. We'll start with an interview that will help me understand your tastes and your business goals. Then, I will take what I've learned about you and create several design comps for your review. If I've listened well, you'll hopefully find something you like. We will likely go through several iterations in order to refine the details. Only when you're satisfied will we move on to the development phase.

Design ends with production, a mechanical stage where finished art is chopped into pieces suitable for use with web code. This is sometimes done by the designer, sometimes by the developer, or sometimes even by a third team member. If you hire me to design and develop your site, naturally I'll do this as well.

Logo Design

Your logo is your most important piece of business identity. It is the solid core of your marketing, and yet, it may also be an empty vessel. It may be abstract or literal in its representation of your business, and yet it must still allow your business the freedom to grow and change. It must stand out in a crowded field.

The logo design process is surprisingly intensive. It begins with research: I'll study both you and your business to understand your personal preferences and your business's message; I'll consider the tone of your business's voice and the idiom of its actions; I'll look at other businesses in your field to learn the metaphor and iconography of your industry's visual language. And then I will try to distill it all into a representative icon that is distinctive and memorable. Along the way, I might create and discard tens or even hundreds of minor design variations.

In the end, I will present you with 3 - 5 concepts. If I've done my job, you'll hopefully see something you like. From there, we will likely go through several iterations to refine the details before finalizing your design. Once your design is finalized, I will deliver your logo in several high-resolution formats, complete with color values, ready for print or web.

Flash Animation

Flash is the tool of choice for the majority of animation that appears on the web. With over a decade of Flash experience, I can produce short cartoons, photo slideshows, product demos, animated greeting cards, screensavers - you name it. Flash is a very versatile tool, and there is no one particular type of Flash project, but if animation is something you want, I can provide it.

Animation is generally time consuming to create, and therefore relatively expensive. Because Flash projects vary so widely in scope, it's difficult to offer a general estimate. A good rule of thumb is that the more moving parts it has, the pricier it will be. A simple photo slideshow would be fairly inexpensive; a cartoon with multiple characters would be fairly pricey. If you have an idea for a project, I can work with you to spec it out and create an estimate.

Illustration

Though stock illustration is plentiful on the web, nothing leaps out at your viewers like custom illustration. I can bring your ideas to illustrated life, from single caricatures to full page comic strips.

Copywriting

As a capable writer, I can work with you to state your business's message in strong, clear, language. Since you're the best expert on your business, I approach copywriting in a collaborative way. We'll sit down together and discuss your business and your goals. Once I have a clear understanding, I will help you distill and refine your message, crafting it into a form that is best suited for web viewing.

Website Development

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the basic tools of any website. HTML is used to create the framework, CSS is used to set the visual style, and JavaScript is commonly used to add more advanced features like pull-down menus, photo slideshows, or financial calculators (these are just a few common examples). If you hire me to build your website - either working from my own designs, or as part of a team with another designer of your choice - I will use these tools to create a site that is W3C standards compliant and optimized for use in the top used web browsers.

Whether your site was developed by me or another developer, I can help you update and maintain it, either by hourly rate, or as part of a modest retainer plan.

Search Engine Optimization

SEO is the buzzword of the decade, and frankly, much of what you may've heard from people trying to sell their services is little more than snake oil and fear mongering. Truth is, the best SEO practices consist of common sense and good coding habits. Write good content and organize it well. Name your HTML and image files descriptively. Use descriptive alt tags for your images. Use relevant language in your meta keyword and description tags. Don't worry about search returns - just focus on making good content. It's like your mom's advice about dating: the best way to find love is to be the best person you can be.

If you hire me to develop your site, I will do all these things as a matter of course. If you already have a site and would like help optimizing it, I'd be happy to help. Please note, however, that I make no guarantees regarding increased search engine traffic.

Flash Development

What's the difference between Flash Animation and Flash Development? It's a very good question. Flash is a funny hybrid child of the internet. It was originally made as an animation tool for artists, but it has slowly evolved into a programming tool that does animation. Clever Flash developers can use Flash to build things like photo slideshows, interactive tutorials, custom video players, or fancy animated shopping catalogs.

This is a more complex technology than any of my other offerings, which I happen to specialize in. Flash development projects vary widely in scope, depending on the functionality that needs to be achieved. Costs can rise quickly as cutomized features are added, so it's difficult to offer general estimates. Some common items, such as photo slideshows and video players, can be inexpensively built from standard parts. In general, the more custom features you need, the higher the cost will be. If Flash development is something you require, I would be delighted to work with you to spec out your project and offer an estimate.

Web 2.0 Tools

Maybe you'd like to share your Flickr photosets; perhaps you'd like a low-cost way to insert video on your site; or, you'd like to share your Google maps, docs and calendars. Many Web 2.0 providers - including YouTube, Flickr, and Google - provide relatively easy ways to include their content on your website, and even customize it to look like the rest of your site. I can integrate these into your web design project, or add them to your existing site.

Domain Registration & Hosting

Domain registration and domain hosting are two different things, something that often confuses internet newcomers. Your domain is your address, ie: mycooldomain.com, and in order for you to use it, you first have to pay a domain registrar to list it for you. Then, your domain listing must point to a domain host, where your actual content will reside. It's like the difference between your listing in the yellow pages and your actual place of business, except that no one can find you until you're listed. Some registrars offer hosting, and some hosts offer registration, but these services do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.

Registration: There are numerous domain registrars, any of which will register your domain for under $10/year. Personally, I like DreamHost.com, because they are also a good domain host. If you need me to register your domain as part of a larger project, I'll throw in the domain registration at cost.

Hosting: Since I do not run my own webserver, I use DreamHost.com for domain hosting. I can get you set up with a domain host, complete with email accounts, ftp access, and all the usual tools. If you choose to have me manage your domain hosting account as part of a maintenance contract, you will still receive your own logins and have access to your own documents.