SDAC Inc. provided:
- Custom Web Design
- Custom Graphic Design
- XHTML/CSS programming
- WordPress theme creation
- Custom PHP programming
- Custom jQuery programming
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, WordPress, PHP, jQuery
front end:
The client wanted something very simple and clean which allowed them to easily add new content both in a slideshow on the home page and throughout the other pages as well. The client also wanted a custom logo – which we provided.
back end:
There is a custom admin panel to control the home page slideshow as well as the home page audio file. Other than that – this was a very simple site. They wanted to easily include Topspin widgets on their sites we I made sure they could use WordPress widgets in order to easily place everything with a simple drag and drop.
lessons learned/random thoughts:
I wish I lived closer to these guys. I would love to spend a day with all that equipment!
SDAC Inc. provided:
- XHTML/CSS/JS programming
- Custom graphic design
- Custom web design
- WordPress theme customization
- Custom AJAX functionality
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, JS, WordPress , PHP, jQuery
front end:
When creating a web site for my own company – I wanted to make sure the color palette was consistent with the previous designs for brand recognition. I also wanted to make the design as clean as possible and easy to navigate so prospective clients could easily find information and see what we value for layout and web design since those are services we offer as a company.
back end:
Just about every content area within the site is editable by the WordPress admin. I wanted to make something easy to keep up to date and not have to edit any template files when updating text or other content.
lessons learned/random thoughts:
Designing your company web site – which specializes in web development is tricky. It took me a long time to figure out how I wanted to present content, what worked, what would be a lasting design, and what would be something I could live with for some time since I am extremely picky. I also used the grid pattern for a background which was based on the unreleased theme for Mac OS 8.5 which I always admired.
SDAC Inc. provided:
- XHTML/CSS programming
- Custom web design
- WordPress theme customization
- Custom WordPress plugins
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, WordPress , PHP
front end:
The client approached me wanting a very simple interface that would allow people to focus on her content. She wanted something that would be dynamic and easy to maintain so all content areas of the site are editable by using the WordPress admin.
back end:
The client also wanted an easy way to combine different posts to create a “master” post (the show) so her viewers could see a lot of content without taking up a lot of room on the page. Because of this – I used AJAX to show/hide content with an accordion in the “shows” section. I then created a custom plugin to tie in multiple posts in the “show” section.
lessons learned/random thoughts:
The shows and recipes are great and I look forward to the cookbook!
SDAC Inc. provided:
- Custom web design
- XHTML/CSS programming
- WordPress theme
- WordPress plugins
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, WordPress, PHP
front end:
The client wanted to create something that tied into his web site (boldcareer.com, but also make the blog distinguishably different so that it stood out. The client found a header image he liked (the fish) and I used that in combination with the newsletter signup and the master site navigation (left side nav) to create a blog theme that worked for this site. Other than the custom header, the client knew exactly what he wanted and it was just a matter of me implementing it for him.
back end:
This theme uses WordPress widgets so that the client can easily add more and change the existing sidebar content. There is not too much fancy about the backend. The client had a list of plugins he wanted installed for added functionality so most of the client ’s needs were taken care of by existing plugins.
lessons learned/random thoughts:
It is always nice to work with someone who knows what they want, and what is available to them. This is a great blog!
SDAC Inc. provided:
- Custom Web Design
- XHTML/CSS programming
- WordPress theme
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, WordPress, PHP
front end:
I was given the name of the software and free reign to come up with whatever I could. I decided to go with a leopard skin header and then base the rest of the colors off of the header image. The developer I made this for wanted something simple and easy to work with that went with.
back end:
The theme is very simple yet is based on one of my standard themes (which uses a lot of sandbox theme functionality). There are several functions that make this site easy to maintain (sidebar widget, dynamically generated navigation/menu bar, etc).
lessons learned/random thoughts:
This was a fun and quick project and I look forward to seeing what others think about WildCache. This is my second time working on a WordPress VIP project – and I really enjoy working with the Automattic staff.
SDAC Inc. provided:
- Original web design
- XHTML/CSS programming
- WordPress theme
- WordPress CMS configuration
- Custom PHP programming
- Ajax programming
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, WordPress, PHP
front end:
The site owner wanted something bright, simple, and easy to use. The colors were chosen by the site owner and I used one of the existing pieces of artwork and created the entire header from it which pulled the whole site together.
back end:
This site is built using WordPress. The main sections are all WordPress pages with the exception of the “Gallery of Work” which uses WordPress’s blogging capabilities. The site owner wanted something easy to maintain after coming from a static site, so now when she creates a new piece, she can simply create a blog post with 2 images uploads and it will be available for everyone to see. The forms are done using a WordPress plugin so if she needs to change or add any fields, she can do that without any technical expertise.
lessons learned/random thoughts:
It is always a pleasure creating dynamic web sites for people who do not think they can fully manage their own site without knowing HTML – and it makes me very happy to put the control in her hands. I also cannot wait until my son can draw – I will definitely get a shirt made!
SDAC Inc. provided:
- Original web design
- Original graphic design
- XHTML/CSS programming
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, WordPress
user interface:
Sidebar: I was asked to re-do the sidebar so that it would flow better with the rest of the site. They liked the sidebars used on this web site so I went with a simple, rounded corner solution that incorporated their logo for increased site branding. Advertisement: The site owner wanted something that they could use for an “Advertise Here” banner. I decided to use the site colors along with the site logo to produce something that was branded while still having a minimal look.
lessons learned:
When working with clients that need graphic design, it is best to give multiple options for the client to pick from. Developers and designers may like something a certain way, but the client will not necessarily have the same opinions, so multiple options help all involved.
random thoughts:
This web site is a great resource – be sure and check it out.
SDAC Inc. provided:
- Original web design
- XHTML/CSS programming
- WordPress theme
- WordPress CMS configuration
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, WordPress, PHP
user interface:
I wanted to create something that was very easy to use for both Amy’s students and their parents. The added icons make the site a little more fun for the students and the tabbed navigation is common and proven to be easy to use. Amy wanted to use greens as well as some brighter colors for her science class site.
lessons learned:
After now completing a number of WordPress content management systems, I have learned to make almost everything easy to customize and edit for the site owners. Amy wanted a web site that was easy to maintain and edit so that she could easily share classroom news, expectations, and homework with her students and their parents. The homework section of the site has an RSS feed so that parents (or students) can subscribe and make sure all assignments were known to anyone that wanted to stay on top of things. This is also very useful for students that miss a day or two of school, but want to stay on top of their homework.
random thoughts:
Giving users the power to easily edit their web site content never gets old.
SDAC Inc. provided:
- Web design tweak
- XHTML/CSS programming
- Drupal theme
- Drupal setup/configuation
- Custom Google Map
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, Drupal, PHP, Google Maps API
user interface:
This client had a prior web site design and layout that was implemented in Cold Fusion. I took what they had, created the purple, blue, white color scheme and basic framework, and they did the rest (font colors, images, layout within the framework I created). I had very little input on this user interface as the client knew what they wanted when I took over this project.
lessons learned:
Drupal is a very powerful and robust CMS and I really enjoyed working with it. The ability to turn over a site to someone who never had the ability to control as much as they can in a CMS is a great experience.
random thoughts:
This site has a lot of potential and I wish them a lot of luck.
SDAC Inc. provided:
- Original web design
- XHTML/CSS programming
- WordPress theme
- Logo design
technologies used:
XHTML, CSS, WordPress, PHP
user interface:
I wanted to create something that was professional, simple, and easy to use. I went with a “french blue” that complimented the “RSS orange” since I knew this site would use RSS heavily. I am very happy with this design because of ease of use and it is very readable.
lessons learned:
Subtle background patterns can really dress up a design.
random thoughts:
It is never bad to create the theme and logo for the very site people are going to post jobs for work my company does.
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