Portfolio
http://www.xshadyside.com
Web Site: xshadyside.com
Project: Web Site Redesign, Add Business Functionality
Summary: X Shadyside wanted to match the look of their web site with their circus themed ad campaign, as well as include new functionality that would allow them to better serve potential members who sign up for a trial pass on-line.
Rob Larson who was the digital specialist employed by Rieder Photography, the commercial photography studio responsible for the ad campaign, designed the web site and spent additional days at the gym to take pictures for the site. The graphics for the ad campaign are incorporated in the web site to successfully create a sense of unity between the gym’s print and electronic presence.
The web site utilizes WordPress as a content management system to allow the gym to edit it’s own content and instructors may edit the classes on the calendar. A custom plugin was developed to handle the trial passes. The plugin stores the information potential member input when requesting the pass and prints a unique identification on the pass. When this pass is presented at the front desk the attendant enters the identification number into an administrative page and views all the visitor’s answers to the questions asked when they signed up for the pass. This allows to attendant to direct the potential member to a class, area or particular machine they may be interested in and address any questions or other comments they had, better serving the potential member and hopefully making him more inclined to join the gym.
Less Information
http://www.enginehouse25.com
Web Site: enginehouse25.com
Project: Web Site Redesign, Content and Photo Overhaul
Summary: Enginehouse 25 is a totally unique venue that needed to better advertise its space and services via the web site. The existing site was not a good advertisement for the space because it lacked basic information and only sepia tone photos were used.
The first step in re-creating the site was to write new content for the homepage to better explain the space and its potential uses. Not only did this help optimize the site for search engines it gave visitor unfamiliar with the venue an overview of the what Enginehouse 25 could offer their event.
Next, four full color photo galleries were added to show off the variety of spaces and the different types of events and activities that could be offered in each space. The color photography accurately depicts the spaces, leaving less to the imagination than sepia tone photos, which is incredibly important when trying to interest someone who has yet to visit the space.
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http://www.ahs.org/meadow
Client: American Horticultural Society
Web Site: ahs.org/meadow
Project: Create New Web Site
Summary: As the River Farms Horticulturalist, James Gagliardi is primarily responsible for the care of the grounds, including the meadow. James called and asked for my help developing an interactive web site for the meadow to promote it, involve the community, and garner support for an initiative to redevelop the entire AHS web site. James didn’t have a budget for this project and the AHS did not have the proper web hosting package to support it. I partnered with my employer who offered to provide the AHS with web hosting and allowed me to donate work hours to the project.
I built the site using WordPress as a content management system because it offers a solution the AHS can reuse and build upon when redeveloping their site.
To help James create the plant list for the Meadow Plants page more easily, I built a Plant Manager plugin which gives him a wizard to use. To add interactivity, we included a Flickr slide show so visitors may upload their own pictures to a Meadow Wildlife page where visitors may leave comments about the wildlife they spot in the meadow. Both interactive pages allow individual nature lovers to share their experience and help promote the meadow’s purpose, showing that a meadow can be a beautiful, sustainable alternative to traditional lawns, supporting it’s own ecosystem. At the marco level this web site also helps the AHS to support their mission by relaying the educational message and beauty of the meadow to the 23,000 members of the AHS and the public as a whole.
If you have noticed Jame and I share a last name I’ll answer your question… yes we are related; he is my brother. Despite James’ penchant for procrastination and my disposition to work well ahead of deadlines we managed to successfully complete this project together. Our parents are so proud!
http://www.ahs.org/auction
Client: American Horticultural Society
Web Site: ahs.org/auction
Project: Create New Web Site
Summary: I built this auction web site in two weeks for the American Horticultural Society.
When I agreed to build the site it came with one stipulation, James at the AHS had to promise to be as available and responsive as possible to me. With such a short timeline I needed immediate answers to my questions because even a 24 hour delay could put the deadline at risk.
I built the site using WordPress as a content management system and extended it with a custom plugin to manage information about each experience. James did a great job filling in the database with information, sending me graphics when necessary and answering my calls at all hours of the night.
The whole AHS office had a great time helping during the testing the phase as they out bid each other. The real bidders found the auction as fun as the AHS office and even those were not participating in the auction could watch the action in the sidebar where the highest bid and the first name, city and state of the bidder are displayed.
The auction raised a significant amount of money for this non-profit organization and was considered a huge success. 2009 was the first time the auction was held and we hope to take the lessons learned about marketing and user experience to improve the site for the auction next year.
Read more about this project in a blog post I wrote soon after the site launched.
http://www.roblarsonphoto.com
Client: Rob Larson Photography
Web Site: roblarsonphoto.com
Project: Move Blog from Blogger to WordPress, Skin Web Site and Blog with New Design
Summary: Rob Larson is a professional commercial photographer who wanted a web site solution that integrated his web site and Blogger blog so there would be a consistent look between the two. Not only would that result in a more professional looking site but the blog is one of the most important parts of the site.
By nature photography portfolios contain pictures, not words. Without words on your web pages they are significantly less visible to search engines, and for a freelancer trying to attract business via the web this is a problem.
Blogging helps solve this problem by adding written content to your site, it’s a great way to show he is constantly working and it offers a venue for getting feedback on experimental photos he may not want to include in a portfolio.
The solution was to build a web site using WordPress which would serve as a content management system for the web site and a blogging tool for the blog.
After WordPress was installed, site was built and themed, and all the posts from Blogger were migrated to the new site. Now, Rob only has to log into one place to update the site and the blog encouraging him to keep both fresh, visually the two are related and he is reaping the rewards of increased traffic to his web site.
http://www.davidcooperphoto.com
Client: David Cooper Photo
Web Site: davidcooperphoto.com
Project: Web Site Redesign
Summary: David Cooper is a professional photographer who wanted an easy to update site, optimized for search engines. David designed his own site, though I advised him on usability concerns as well as how element of his design could help or hinder the optimization of the site.
For this site we chose to use Airtight Interactive’s SimpleViewer because it allowed David to quickly and easily create the photo galleries with Photoshop, a program he is very comfortable using. A text replacement tool, sIFR, is also utilized on the site because David has always used an uncommon font for his business, and without sIFR he ran the risk that the site would not look right to people who did not have this font installed on their own computer. Using text replacement methods, rather than simply putting all text in a Flash object benefited David because he is still able to edit the text himself using a web site editor, and the text is still available for search engines to index.
http://www.raiseyourspirits.net
Client: Raise Your Spirits
Web Site: raiseyourspirits.net
Project: Splash Page
Summary: Raise Your Spirits, a newer company offering luxury experiences, was looking for a splash page to help introduce their brand while the rest of the web site was built.
Other Projects
tastesbeyondborders.com
Alchemy Food – This was the first web site build for Tzveti Gintcheva’s catering venture, Alchemy Foods. Alchemy focuses on the use of the fresh and exotic ingredients to create delightful culinary experiences. Photos of fresh vegetables and Tzveti’s unique dishes were incorporated in the simple layout to incorporate and convey her culinary philosophy. Designer and Photographer: Rob Larson
riederphotography.com
Rieder Photography – Rieder Photography is a commercial photography studio and their web site is a collection of portfolios. A custom Flash photo viewer displays the photos on a simple page meant not distract the viewer from the work. The work is constantly being updated and changed to keep viewers returning. Designer: Rob Larson