Portfolio
I provide a friendly and professional web design 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.
Website Design Process
First, 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.
Then I will construct the actual site and include all your content.
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 to provide additional functionality.
For more complex websites with interactive features such as forums and photo galleries, I currently recommend Wordpress, a free 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 8 - 11, Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera.
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.
Sketches
Final Design
Stellar Pioneers
Client Brief
Stellar Pioneers was a prototype for a multiplayer online game. The website was written in PHP, XHTML and CSS.
Final Design
Greencroft Technical Services
Client Brief
GTS is a small company providing an unusual range of services. The website had to use the company's colour of dark green, and an enhanced version of the company logo. The website is written in PHP, XHTML and CSS.
Final Design
Wychwood Russian Blue Cats
Client Brief
The clients, a pedigree cat breeder, needed a site which could easily be updated with kitten news and photos. They also wanted 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 were particularly concerned with visual accessibility.
The website was built in Joomla so that the clients could add content directly. The colour scheme was chosen to be easy to read - many people find black text on a white ground hard on the eyes.
As a feature on the website, I wrote javascript 'kitten calculators' to help cat breeders calculate critical dates such as kitten due date.
Final Design
Cambridge CitiVillage
Client Brief
Cambridge CitiVillage was a local exchange trading scheme that needed a website with two main functions: a recruiting tool and to enable members to trade and communicate easily. The client wanted the site to 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.
Sketches
Final Design
