HTML & CSS See more

It sounds simple, and it is. I take great care to write clear, organized, streamlined HTML markup. I build websites in HTML5, utilizing the new spec’s additions and improvements. But I also understand the limitations to HTML5 currently imposed by older browsers. A forward-looking HTML5 website may feel different to Chome and Safari users than it would to IE users.

My CSS follows an “object-oriented” approach, a method not often associated with front-end markup. But at the core of object-oriented programming lies the idea of “reduce and reuse,” or modularity. CSS can be modular and reusable too. Structuring my styles into reusable classes allows for lightweight, streamlined stylesheets, easily understood and extended by any other developer in the future.

WordPress See more

I love WordPress. I’ve designed dozens of original, custom themes and released one for public use. I am very comfortable building new themes, updating existing ones, debugging WP errors, and configuring the whole system. WordPress is a great CMS option for most businesses and groups. It’s free, it’s extendable, and it’s VERY easy to use.

Of course, WordPress is not without its drawbacks. Its codebase is poorly organized and too many plugins can slow the system down. But in my 5+ years of working with WordPress, I have mastered the art of fine-tuning a WP install to run quickly and efficiently.

Photoshop & Design See more

Designers have a love/hate relationship with Photoshop and its counterparts. I use Photoshop every day of the week, and I venture into Illustrator and Fireworks on a fairly regular basis when projects require it. I have become an expert in designing full-featured, multi-layered PSD mockups of web pages, apps, icons, and elements.

I subscribe to the “make your mockup in markup” idea, suggesting designers build HTML prototypes, rather than flat Photoshop documents. Building HTML wireframes is a much more realistic approach than using an art program. However, the artistic side of web design can’t be accomplished in a browser alone. For that, I make full use of Photoshop and other Creative Suite applications.

SEO & Social Media See more

The real challenge for SEO is content and relevance. I wrote a series of blog posts on content and relevance and I make it my business to study, learn, and improve ways to be relevant and popular with my clients’ content. Facebook, Twitter, et al. are a much better indicator for popularity and relevance than search engine rankings. They’re organic and human. The trouble is, they’re cluttered and disorganized. Building an audience is a daunting task.

It starts with offering valuable content, but it goes beyond that into a human connection. People are social beings. We don’t respond to the image of a faceless corporation. But a name, a face, and a personality will instantly put your brand on a user’s level. I monitor these social media outlets and their trends to learn how to be successful on their platforms.