Client: Watertown Community Development
Deliverables: Website - design, programming, maintenance; Branding - logo
Status: LIVE
Watertown Community Housing is the nonprofit community development corporation in Watertown, Massachusetts. Started in 1991, the CDC has been helping to secure and create affordable housing within the community. As part of its 20th anniversary, the organization decided it was time to expand its services to also include community building and economic development. The expansion came with it the need for a new name, branding and website.
I offered pro-bono services to the CDC to redevelop their website. This included the designing, programming, and training of the staff. During the development of the website, WCH (now Watertown Community Development - WCD) requested that I also come up with a new logo.
The website was developed to use the WordPress platform to make updating of the site as easy as possible. The former site (created in the 1990s) required hand editing of the HTML which the staff did not prefer. WordPress would allow them to easily update, add and remove content as they needed. The new website provides the organization with static pages as well as a news item update feature and online forum for landlords in the area to discuss current topics and issues.
The logo that was developed plays off the fact that the city is urban due to its proximity to Boston but also natural with numerous parks. The built structure of the city is a low profile with buildings less than five stories. The city’s name derives from the fact that its southern border is the Charles River. Each of these pieces were pulled into the logo and bright colors were used in connection with softer greys.
Client: Amanda Hoar
Deliverables: Website - design, programming, maintenance
Status: LIVE
Amanda Hoar has been building her photography skills over the past few years. With a growing portfolio and a number of local showings booked, Mrs. Hoar wanted a website to help profile her work and promote her services.
I took on the project to provide her a very simple way to update her portfolio and keep people informed of events she would be at. The website was built to utilize the Tumblr platform. I programmed the site in HTML5 and CSS3. The main focus is the images with the ability to open hi-res versions of the photos.
Client: New Ecology, Inc.
Deliverables: Website - design, programming, maintenance
Status: LAUNCHED
As part of my internship at New Ecology, Inc. (NEI), I was tasked to develop a new wiki catered to owners and managers of affordable housing. The wiki is a resource of the various methods that can be used to green and make existing buildings more energy and water efficient as well as healthier for the residents.
NEI had put together an initial website design and some content development. This development was done through Wikispaces. This initial phase however was meant for new construction projects. When I came on board, we refocused the intent which led to developing a completely new design. Since all content would be developed by use (rather than the users of the site), I wanted the site to look less like a wiki and more like a typical website. This phase took about a month.
The content development and architecture were then developed over the course of a number of months with feedback from many, many professionals in the field. The content was broken down into topics consistent with standard building development practices. All content was written and focused for existing buildings on a non-profit level (financial limitations).
We also went through two test phases with select user groups. These two phases helped us to refine the homepage look as well as content. The discussion portion of the content pages turned out to be popular and effective.
With the launch of the website, I also launched Facebook, Google+, and Twitter accounts to help tie in additional marketing methods and grow the audience.
Client: Planners Network Boston Chapter
Deliverables: Website - design, programming, maintenance
Status: LAUNCHED
Planners Network Boston Chapter (PNboston) was first established in 2008 as the local effort for the national progressive planning organization. Over its first two years, the chapter built its membership and developed a number of regular events. Its expanded efforts required additional communication methods. To build upon its current efforts via a Facebook page and Google listserv, the group undertook putting together a website.
The initial website that I developed was a simple Google Site. The leadership team liked the ability to provide all of the group’s information in one location and decided after a couple of months with the Google Site to move forward with a more customized website. In order to keep costs minimal (read $0), I turned to Tumblr. The design I created utilized a similar design one creative shop had considered for Tumblr but never programmed. The concept is that of a daily newspaper. All the important news and information flows through the homepage (and RSS feed) with additional information (like the group’s Google Calendar) on separate pages.
Client: Mark Runnals
Deliverables: Website - design, programming, maintenance
Status: LAUNCHED
Originally built in 2004, this website is still going strong. It was built to showcase pottery artist, Mark Runnals, who lives in the art community of Village of the Arts in Bradenton, FL.
The first site was inspired by an earlier version of Apple.com. It was coded from hand and used straight HTML.
The latest incarnation, version 2, includes a complete rewrite of the website. It is now run through Tumblr and uses HTML5 and CSS 3. Along with updating the design and framework, the website was also renamed “The Village Potter.”
