Freelance Web Design Portfolio
If you are looking for somebody to create an elegant, usable website, please take a look at my portfolio of web design projects. I provide a friendly and professional service with your requirements as my first priority. I have extensive commercial experience in game design and user interface design. My websites are accessible, robust and work in all major browsers. And my prices are very reasonable.
Case Studies
Wychwood Russian Blue Cats
Client Brief
As a small pedigree cat breeder, the clients need a site which can be easily updated with kitten news and photos. They also want to extend the site over time with information about the Russian Blue breed, its history and care of the cats. As sufferers from dyspraxia and Irlen Syndrome, they are particularly concerned with visual accessibility.
The website was built in Joomla so that the clients can add content directly. The colour scheme was chosen to be easy to read (many people find black text on a white ground difficult). I wrote javascript 'kitten calculators' to help cat breeders calculate critical dates such as kitten due date.
Live website: http://www.wychwoodrussianbluecats.co.uk/
Guide Price: £500
Final Design
Cambridge CitiVillage
Client Brief
Cambridge CitiVillage is a local exchange trading scheme that needs a website with two main functions: a recruiting tool and to enable members to trade and communicate easily. The site must use the group's historic look and feel.
The site was built in Joomla using a custom template. I added third-party components to provide the site with a forum, photo gallery, calendar and document archives.
Live website: http://www.citivillage.net
Guide Price: £500
Final Design
Sketches
The King and Queen of Drachenwald
Client Brief
"Drachenwald" is part of an international historical re-enacment society. They needed a website to publicise the current "king and queen".
The pages were to be hosted by the society but to appear as a "mini website" with its own look and feel. Colours to be used: wine red, pale blue and black. Themes: chivalry, mediaeval renaissance/dance, sword combat. The website is written in PHP, XHTML and CSS.
Live website: http://www.drachenwald.sca.org/royal/
Guide Price: £250
Final Design
Sketches
Stellar Pioneers
Client Brief
Stellar Pioneers is a multiplayer online game currently in development. The client will add the server-side functionality but the interface must have spaces for play, donate, tutorial, in-game help, player forums and online merchandise sales. Existing in-game and concept art should be used, and the site must also be compatible with the game's web front end. The website is written in PHP, XHTML and CSS.
Live website: http://www.stellarpioneers.com
Guide Price: £250
Final Design
Greencroft Technical Services
Client Brief
GTS is a small company providing an unusual range of services. Website must use the company's colour of dark green, and provide an enhanced version of the company logo. The website is written in PHP, XHTML and CSS.
Live website: http://www.gts-ltd.co.uk
Guide Price: £250
Final Design
Other Web Designs
The Online Coffee Shop
Client Brief
Design for an online drinks ordering services to be used by office workers.
Guide Price: £250
Final Design
Presentation
Moss Family History
Project Summary
My mother has three documents of family history that I wanted to make available on my personal website. I designed and created a "book reader" interface.
Guide Price: £100
Live Website
"Bucket" Javascript Game
Project Summary
I wrote a casual online game as an exercise in learning javascript. The alpha version is a complete playable game with 20 levels.
Guide Price: £500
Play "Bucket"
Resisable Rounded Buttons
Project Summary
I designed four sets of rounded-corner buttons for use in websites. They support text resizing and all four use the same HTML so that you only need to change stylesheet to change the button style.
Guide Price: included with site design
Interactive Demo
Website Design Process
The first step of the process is to establish your requirements. We will discuss what the website needs to do, what sort of look and feel you want, and what content you want to show. The conversations may take place via email, on the phone or face to face depending on what is most convenient for us both.
Next I will produce sketches of possible layouts for you to comment on. I will rework these until we are both happy with the design of the site. This usually takes about 2 days.
Then I will construct the actual site and include all your content - which you will provide. This is likely to take between 3 days and a week for a small to medium sized website. Of course layout changes and tweaks can still be made at this point but if you want to change the layout completely, it will take longer and cost more!
I will put the working version online at a temporary location so you can review it, and I'll make whatever final changes are required. The last step of all is to put the content on the internet at your chosen URL (web address).
Technology
A basic website will be written in standards compliant XHTML and CSS. I will use PHP for the back end, and javascript if necessary on the front end, although I will not use javascript for essential functionality.
For more complex websites with interactive features such as forums and photo galleries, I use Joomla, an award-winning open-source CMS (Content Management System). This system allows you to edit and upload articles and pictures yourself, via a webpage interface. This is ideal for a community website or one which will need to be updated frequently.
The browsers I support are Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8, Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera.
Copyright © Shelagh Lewins 2009