Consulting Projects: Web Designer - Austin, TX
1997-Present
Wide range of freelance web and graphic design projects. Designed
and redesigned websites for: ease of use, improved accessibility, and
standards-compliance. Optimized text for search engines (SEO). Converted
sites to Joomla CMS. Added video in Windows Media, QuickTime, and iPod
formats. Created marketing collateral. Designed logos and tee shirts.
Proactively educated clients where appropriate. Wrote and edited copy.
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board - Contract: 03/2010-07/2010
Redesigned and restructured T.H.E.C.B.'s Higher Education Data website to refocus on needs of data consumers. Analyzed site statistics and focus group discussions and surveys to determine actual usage patterns of website. Improved ADA and Section 508 accessibility and compliance. »
- League of Women Voters of Texas - 03/2008-03/2010
Redesigned and restructured the LWV-TX website. Reduced download time of homepage over 75%. Removed "fragile" code and standardized site architecture. Improved ADA accessibility and compliance. »
- Texas Education Agency: "LONESTAR" - Contract: 02/2008-07/2008
Responsible for Web & User Interface Development of new education website created to provide overview-level information to legislators and parents. Interacted with focus groups, generated mock data, created rules, and designed data structures to facilitate understanding of complex information by the general public. »
- Texas Education Agency: "TPEIR" - Contract: 08/2007
Complete visual redesign and user interface redesign for Texas PK-16 Public Education Information Resource (TPEIR) website. Reorganized site structure to focus on end-user tasks. Design "enthusiastically approved" by Governor's Office. »
- League of Women Voters - Austin Area:
Redesigned website to improve consistency with national site. »
- Angelo State University:
Worked to transition website from Texas State to Texas Tech system. Monitored Section 508 Accessibility compliance. Created interactive CSS-based map of the campus. »
- Pet Savers Shreveport:
Designed PHP/MySQL-driven site for animal rescue agency that allows employees to perform updates. Trained users in making updates. »
- NiceGuys.Org and NiceGirls.Org:
Responsible for virtually all content and design of dating sites for "Nice Guys" and "Nice Girls." Subject of an interview on a nationally syndicated radio program. »
- 1202CastleHill.com:
Designed site which sold a million-dollar home while maintaining realtor's brand.
- Austin Slam Baseball:
Designed and maintained primary information source for parents and players. »
- Various Dance Organizations:
Developed PHP/MySQL registration system for events. Multiple designs and redesigns. Added forums, user-modifiable calendar, custom editable pages, and other tools ("Portland Fusion Exchange," "Austin Uptown Dance," and "Austin Swing Syndicate" among many others).
Career Consultants - Austin, TX
Contractor: March 2007-May 2007
Web Developer
Created PHP web forms for email and MySQL database updates. Created marketing collateral using InDesign.
- Enhanced security by assigning separate logins/passwords to all social workers and regional officers.
- Managed intranet and two external Drupal-based sites as well as over a dozen custom PHP/MySQL-based apps without existing documentation.
- Coordinated installation of Family Builder software and integration into existing systems.
Handcrafted Metal - Austin, TX
2005-2007
Webmaster / Web Designer
Worked with graphic designer and outside developer to convert current site into database-driven site. Managed, maintained, and updated website.
- Worked with ASP developer to integrate sales front-end with Costco.com.
- Integrated 3D-Publisher into new website allowing customers to view 3-D models of products.
- Modified eBay template to display products in format of current website.
Fairbanks Capital Corp - Austin, TX
2001-2002
Senior Web Designer
Designed, managed, and maintained two websites: intranet site "Notes
& Deeds" and internet site OlympusServicing.com, as well as other
internal web applications and company newsletter for $10 billion company.
Branded all Olympus Servicing media. Active member of Employee Activities
Committee.
- Eliminated over 90% of company-wide email, saving estimated five
thousand man-hours annually through implementation of new intranet
site.
- Preserved company reputation by conceiving "Olympus Servicing" name.
- Reduced hold time and call volume over 30% and saved over $1,200,000
annually by designing Borrower Web Interface allowing borrowers to
access and pay their loans on-line.
- Improved communication and reduced duplication of effort by centralizing
control of forms and company information with intranet.
- Trained apprentice in use of Homesite, Photoshop, Illustrator, and
other applications.
Caresoft - Sunnyvale, CA
1999-2000
Senior Web Designer/Developer
Designed mockups and prototypes for major health website. Created and
implemented HTML newsletter. Set coding standards and monitored compliance.
Trained team members in use of graphics programs and web formats. Created
new graphics and worked closely with graphic designers, editors, and other
team-members.
- Reduced page download time over 20% by enforcing standards and removing
extraneous code.
- Created prototypes from graphic designers' Photoshop mockups.
- Provided DOM compliance by sectioning code for conversion into JHTML
to dynamically generate pages using ATG Dynamo server.
- Enhanced document usage by copy-editing pages for consistency and use
of American-standard English.
Sun Microsystems - Cupertino, CA
1998-1999
Web Developer/Contractor
Performed front-end development of Java Developer Connection site. Formatted
articles, tutorials, and other content by hand. Created templates for common
documents. Advised editorial team on front-end web-related issues. Performed
first-level edits to transcripts and externally generated materials.
- Increased ease-of-use of Java Developer Connection website by simplifying
and reorganizing directory structure.
- Improved corporate image by eliminating broken links through implementation
of scheduled link-checking.
- Co-authored style guide defining standards for both HTML and web page
layout.
Adobe Systems - San Jose, CA
1996-1998
Software QA Engineer/Contractor
Conducted quality assurance on Adobe PageMill 3.0 for Macintosh
(English/French/German versions) and black box testing on Adobe Illustrator 7.0.
Performed planned and ad-hoc testing with Windows 95. Created needed test-files
on own initiative.
- Enhanced program's compliance with W3C's HTML 3.2 standard by
partnering with developers.
- Initiated and delivered localized spell-check icons.
- Stimulated creative thinking of Illustrator as web design product
by coordinating brainstorming meeting with developers and marketing
personnel.
- Created design for prototype web-functions palette.
Orcon Corporation - Union City, CA
1997
Web Designer/Contractor
Redesigned corporate website for carpet installation equipment company
- Built modern browser-generalized website used for over eight years
with only minimal updates.
- Improved navigation by reorganizing hierarchical structure of site.
- Due to quality of work was requested by name for subsequent projects
and later hired as de facto Webmaster through Zwolf.
GTE Directories - Long Beach, CA
1995-1996
Graphic Artist/Contractor
Designed and generated advertisement graphics for yellow page directories using
MultiAd Creator, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Streamline on Macintosh.
