the process | about | faq | questions for you
I suggest you begin here where you'll learn what services I offer and why it is I only work on web projects hosted by Squarespace. Take a look at a handful of samples, then read more about Squarespace at the end of this page.
Please note that although I designed the sites seen below, my clients are now handling many of the updates themselves. I've shared these examples to showcase the overview of the designs and layout rather than the content itself. (Can't guarantee pace of maintenance once I've "turned over" the upkeep to others!)
The Legal Scoop is maintained by law student Scott Felsenthal. In early '07, he and three other law students began blogging as a way to explore an array of legal topics. When he decided it was time to rework the site, Scott contacted me and asked me to help him redesign The Legal Scoop using a standard Squarespace template. After seeing several custom banner drafts, he selected the one that most reflected his vision, and we worked together to make the new site exactly what he was looking for. Updated frequently, you'll find lots to explore there, if you're interested in the law.
Carolyn Beard Whitlow is a poet with words as well as with textiles. Designing one-of-a-kind, colorful quilts in the African American tradition, she chose Squarespace as an obvious platform on which to present her work. Visitors to her site find not only an array of photos in several online galleries, but they're also able to read from Whitlow's arresting poetry. This site is one of my recent projects; initial feedback for colorquiltsbycarolyn.com has been filled with high praise.
Another example of the way Squarespace allowed me to transfer existing, outdated, online material into a more impressive online offering, is seen at lsalsi.com. Lynn Salsi is an author, historian, teacher and storyteller, among other things! We developed her site with the intention of expanding as her projects evolve. And we kept the design personal and approachable by incorporating the original watercolor art her illustrationist painted for the inside cover of one of her books.
Forza Renea Editions is a small press that features books specific to North Carolina. This new site has, since going online in recent months, already been expanded a bit and more updates are in the works. Again, I'm working with the company's administrators to ensure an accurate reflection of their mission and goals, while easily providing their site's visitors with efficient access to what they're seeking.
The Seattle-based real estate appraisor who developed fraudproblem.com was impressed with the speed and efficiency with which we were able to turn his existing, outdated site into an expansive, professional online presence. Using Squarespace allowed us to view that existing content using several different templates so that we could see a range of design options almost immediately, and choose the one that best presented this serious material. The client has recently begun using the journal/blog capabilities for frequent updates that allows him to stay connected with those within the industry.
Seriously Speaking is a website created by Stevii Mills and hosted under the domain steviispeaks.com. Her business was developed with the goal of helping teens with some of the challenges universal to many in that age group. Her tagline "Equipping teens with tools to succeed" sums up the purpose and this website offers a substantial overview of the workshops Ms. Mills offers to teens as well as their parents. We had the exciting challenge of creating a site that would appeal to a range of visitors from a variety of age groups.
The standards-compliant sites developed using this content management system are created using a range of free templates, which I customize to reflect clients’ design preferences. I also offer custom design work, often creating banners and backgrounds to further personalize the ultimate site. Among the many reasons for using Squarespace is the ability to make ongoing updates without the need for complicated web-development software. In many cases clients learn to maintain their own sites without my help. With photo galleries, Amazon links, a journal / blogging component - just to name a few - standard with each package, you'll be amazed at the kind of site you can create using Squarespace. And with a 14 Day Free option, where's the downside?
Once you've reviewed samples of my work and learned a bit about my working style, please feel free to contact me. It will be my pleasure to discuss the possibility of working with you to develop the direction of your new online project.