Design the online presence for an established writer with a huge, dedicated fanbase. Built the entire site from the ground up. Customized visual design and UI for the writer's unique content and style. Customizations include photo and historical research, using that research to build unique collages for section, as well as my first successful blog-coding.

Objectives & Considerations

• Create a visual design that is pleasing, entertaining and consistently executed.
• Visual design to be enabled for globally modification "on the fly", without harming content or touching individual pages one at a time
• Format the HTML files for easy content modfication
• Comply to Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) standards for the visually- or motor-impaired, as well as users of PDAs, text browsers or web-enabled telephone
• The User Interface needs to be improved, made more logical, easy-to-navigate and transparent

Solutions

• Modernized coding and usability by writing in XHTML
• Centralized visual elements (fonts, colors, images, page layout, image rollovers) in CSS
• Tagged content in ID and CLASS selectors
• Rendered the main navigation as a horizontal bar, creating easy reading and efficient use of space
• Color choices based on screen legibility, clarity
• Added a sidebar for secondary content

Result

After an extensive testing period, content population and client feedback, the site went live in October 2004. The client is pleased with the final product, as well as the process of working with Marshall Art Studio