Services - Web Site Design and Development
Experience
I have been coding web sites in HTML since 1993 (before most people even knew the web existed). Since then I have developed sites with diverse looks and purposes. Descriptions, screen captures, and links to some of my recent development projects are available below. These include: NursesWithHeart.net, SCAFS.org, SCFWA.org, Cario Bands, High Bred Farms, SC Governor's Cup Billfishing, and Snoots.NET. Feel free to contact any of my clients directly as references for my work.
Goals
My web development goals are to always to create sites with the following features:
- Expertly hand coded (for quality, efficient, and fast-loading code)
- Standards-based coding that follows modern best-practices
- Accessible coding (for visitors with disabilities)
- Semantic coding (for optimal search engine rankings)
- Attractive and professional appearance
- Consistent navigation and structure
- Cross-browser compatibility (consistent display in any standards-compliant browser)
- Separation of content (XHTML), presentation (CSS), and logic (PHP, JavaScript)
- Progressive enhancement and graceful degradation of client-side scripting (JavaScript)
- Print-ready pages
Methods
My development method has always been to hand code all HTML, CSS, and PHP code using nothing but the text editor BBEdit. Hand coding sites is a dying art in these days where every novice thinks that they are a "web designer" because they can use "point-and-click" web software to produce a "cheesy" site. Hand coding produces code of exceptional quality, reliability, efficiency, and standards compliance. All my code is highly semantic, complies with the W3C's (X)HTML standards, formatting and layout is through CSS, and all code is created with web accessibility in mind.
I prefer server-side scripting using LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) web development technologies for dynamic content delivery. Where client-side scripting is required (e.g., JavaScript), I strongly believe in the concept of "progressive enhancement" thereby adding features available to modern browsers while assuring "graceful degradation" of the site for less-capable or outdated browsers. My sites are typically tested on Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer web browsers on Mac, PC, and Linux platforms to assure a consistent experience for all visitors. See About this Site page for more information.
Guidance
In addition to actually developing web sites I am also glad to provide research and technical consulting on all aspects of a new or redeveloped site. I can also provide assistance with many of the highly technical and daunting tasks associated with setting up your web and email presence (e.g., domain name registration, web server "hosting" plan selection, site development and maintenance, domain name (DNS) records configuration, and email configuration).
Have you already established your web site through someone else, yet think you may be paying too much for it? I'll be glad to review it and suggest if you are getting a fair deal or being taken advantage of. Also, do you have your own web site and domain name but use an email address with a different domain name? We can fix that as well.
Examples of Our Work
Nurses With Heart, LLC
A 2008 project for a new company Nurses With Heart, LLC that specializes in providing on-site training for CPR, First Aid, and AED's (Automated External Defibrillators). The site is hand coded, uses modern web coding standards, and meets accessibility guidelines.
South Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
In 2006 I volunteered to take over and redevelop an aging web site of the SC Chapter of the AFS. The site now is hand coded, uses modern web coding standards, meets accessibility guidelines, and is driven by my PHP template system for visual consistency and easy content updates using Adobe Contribute. This site also has two MySQL database-driven pages to keep track of and display upcoming events and news items. I am the current Webmaster of the site.
Cario Bands
Abandoning their existing site in 2005, I developed a new site for this organization resulting in a very important communication tool for their program. This site is fully compliant with modern web coding and accessibility standards. During the redevelopment process we also moved their site to a more appropriate web hosting provider. As a result, this non-profit school group is paying less than $10/month to host their site. I developed this site code in a manner that allows this organization to easily edit their own site content using Adobe Contribute.
High Bred Farms, Inc.
High Bred Farms is working horse farm on Johns Island, SC. After consulting with them in 2004 about their existing site, they choose to transfer their existing domain name to a new registrar, establish a new hosting plan, and redevelop the site from scratch while salvaging only the content from the existing site. We worked closely to develop a new elegant and consistent look for the site. High Bred Farms is now paying less than $10 a month to host their site. This site uses my own PHP template system for visual consistency and easy content updates.
SC Fisheries Workers Association
A new site in 2008 for the South Carolina Fisheries Workers Association. The site is hand coded, uses modern web coding standards, meets accessibility guidelines, and is driven by my PHP template system for visual consistency and easy content updates using Adobe Contribute.
SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series
In 2000 I was tasked in my regular job with the SCDNR's Marine Resources Division to take over an ailing web site and redevelop it as a useful information resource for the participants and followers of South Carolina's annual Governor's Cup Billfishing tournament Series. At that time I took the existing crudely designed site, abandoned it, and designed and coded a new site with easy navigation, brand identity, a consistent appearance. The site now uses my own PHP template system, and complies with modern web coding standards and accessibility guidelines. I am the current Webmaster of the site and it is actively used by thousands of visitors.
Snoots.NET
Snoots.NET is my personal web site. This site has a simple design with the intended audience being my family and friends. The site is used to allow family and friends to view our photo galleries as well as a place that I share collections of the links that I find useful on a daily basis (e.g., Tim's Fishing Bookmarks, and Tim's Tech Links pages). Snoots.NET uses modern web coding standards, meets accessibility guidelines, and is driven my own PHP template system for visual consistency and easy content updates.
FishWatch
In 2004 I was asked in my job with SCDNR/MRD to develop a dynamic query building form as a database front-end allowing researchers and the public to search and view thousands of underwater videos. The web form allows users to build fairly complex queries on multiple attributes of thousands of video clips taken from an automated underwater camera on an offshore tower. To accomplish this project I used the LAMP (Linux/Apache/PHP/MySQL) development platform. PHP is used to parse user-submitted queries, then execute SQL queries on the back-end MySQL database, then return an HTML result set of videos that can be viewed.
SCDNR/MRD Intranet
[Internal-Only Site]
In 2005 redeveloped the SCDNR/MRD's entire Intranet by designing a flexible PHP template system. The template system was designed in a manner that allows non-technical users to edit content directly using Adobe Contribute while completely protecting the structure and appearance of pages. This site's coding is valid HTML 4.01 Strict and all layout is through CSS including alternative styles for print vs. screen media. I also manage it's hosting using Apache running on Mac OS X server. I have also developed several dynamic, data driven pages for this site using PHP/MySQL and VBA/Microsoft Access.