Services and insight for building
effective, user-oriented web sites.
Web Creation Services
I have created hundreds of web sites since 1994. Each has been unique with its own challenges, its own audience, and its own goals. And each one has taught me how to build better.
User experience design
Designing a web site is not just about hiring a graphic designer and Flash animator. It isn't like creating a magazine, a TV commercial, or even a piece of software.
Web design means communicating the whole user experience and message in a unique medium filled with unique challenges.
Do you have a vision of how your visitors will be affected or changed when they visit your site? Do you have a strategy and the tactical means to carry it through?
- Find out more about user experience design.
- User experience is the key to great web sites. Web tip from February 2003.
- My site creation/redesign methodology.
Web programming
Connect to databases, manage your web copy and images, and offer more value to your web audience with innovative and effective web programming.
I provide the following services:
- Database design and integration using MySQL, MS SQL, MS Access, and others.
- Scripting and programming including PHP, ASP.Net, ColdFusion, JSP, Perl, Java, JavaScript and XML.
- Valid, accessible markup including XHTML 1 & 1.1, CSS1 & 2. I have been trained in web site accessibility and have developed accessible web sites.
Rule of thumb: Never start a programming project without the commitment to test the project frequently with live human beings.
The (technical) standards we embrace
When we build or revise sites, we prefer to build sites that match up to web standards. Specifically, we like XHTML, CSS 1 & 2, and as a general principle, sites we build go a long way towards being accessible for people with disabilities.
Benefits of building with standards include often a lower cost of development, lower costs for later upgrades, sites that simply work better, and pages that are viewable not only on standard web browsers, but also on text-only browsers and on cell-phones and PDAs.