CSS-based layout

These sites are listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent at the top.

Case studies in this category

Reno Man Construction

Website: renomanconstruction.co.nz
Client: Chris Routhan
Dates: May 2023, with ongoing support afterwards
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Chris Routhan is a friend of mine - we're in the same band - and he's a self-employed builder by trade. He had looked at a few other Wellington builders' websites and knew that he wanted a very simple site - probably just a WordPress one-pager - to showcase what he does and the services he provides, and to give potential clients an easy way to get in touch with him.

I changed various aspects of our selected WordPress theme design and then built, content-loaded, proof-read and tested the website, selecting and optimising the photographic imagery from Chris's own collection, and organised webhosting. I also wrote most of the content myself. I now provide Chris with ongoing support and updates as required. Find out more about the Reno Man Construction project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, Small sites

MPI - PBI

Website: piersearch.mpi.govt.nz/plants-biosecurity-index
Client: Ministry for Primary Industries
Dates: July - October 2022 launch date. Post-launch upgrades October 2022 - January 2024
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at MPI

I designed and built a series of web-based applications and tools within the biosecurity sphere for the Ministry for Primary Industries, under the umbrella of the PIER (Product Import and Export Requirements) project.

At the last minute we were asked to redesign and rebuild the Plants Biosecurity Index (PBI) and integrate it into SilverStripe, to be launched at the same time as the updated ONZPR and new PIER Search tools. The PBI is a searchable database of over 30,000 plant species that provides information on whether each species can be imported into New Zealand as seeds or nursery stock.

I was responsible for the UX consultation and design, content design, responsive web design, front-end development, browser and device testing, e-government compliance and accessibility, proofreading, post-integration testing and QA. I also wrote the microcopy, introductory text, and help text across all pages and templates, and produced a "naming conventions" document, in which I reviewed and standardised various text elements common to all pages across all four new tools in the PIER family. Find out more about the MPI - PBI project

Categories: IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Government websites, Large sites

MPI - ONZPR in SilverStripe

Website: onzpr.mpi.govt.nz
Client: Ministry for Primary Industries
Dates: April - October 2022 launch date. Post-launch upgrades October 2022 - January 2024
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at MPI

I designed and built a series of web-based applications and tools within the biosecurity sphere for the Ministry for Primary Industries, under the umbrella of the PIER (Product Import and Export Requirements) project.

In June 2020 we had launched our first application - the Official New Zealand Pest Register or ONZPR. In 2022 we updated the ONZPR and integrated it into the SilverStripe CMS to join PIER Search, which was being designed and built at the time. The ONZPR is a searchable database of almost 25,000 pests and pathogens relevant to New Zealand.

I was responsible for the UX design, content design, responsive web design, front-end development, cross-browser and mobile device testing, e-government compliance and accessibility, and post-integration testing and QA. I was also responsible for writing the microcopy, introductory text, and help text across all pages and templates. Find out more about the MPI - ONZPR in SilverStripe project

MPI - PIER Search

Website: piersearch.mpi.govt.nz
Client: Ministry for Primary Industries
Dates: January 2020 - October 2022 launch date. Post-launch upgrades October 2022 - January 2024
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at MPI

I designed and built a series of web-based applications and tools within the biosecurity sphere for the Ministry for Primary Industries, under the umbrella of the PIER (Product Import and Export Requirements) project.

The core product in Phase 1 of the PIER project is PIER Search. This online search tool enables users to find NZ import and export requirements for a range of commodities and countries.

I was responsible for the UX design, content design, responsive web design, front-end development, cross-browser and mobile device testing, e-government compliance and accessibility, some content-loading and CMS training, and post-integration testing and QA. I was also responsible for writing the microcopy, introductory text, and help text across all pages and templates. Find out more about the MPI - PIER Search project

Categories: IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Government websites, Large sites

MPI - ONZPR

Website: onzpr.mpi.govt.nz (site updated in 2022)
Client: Ministry for Primary Industries
Dates: September 2019 - June 2020
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at MPI

I designed and built a series of web-based applications and tools within the biosecurity sphere for the Ministry for Primary Industries, under the umbrella of the PIER (Product Import and Export Requirements) project.

Our first application was the Official New Zealand Pest Register or ONZPR. The ONZPR is a searchable database of almost 25,000 pests and pathogens relevant to New Zealand, and includes general information about each pest, as well as specific details for researchers, importers, exporters and the general public.

I was responsible for the UX design, content design, responsive web design, front-end development, cross-browser and mobile device testing, e-government compliance and accessibility, and post-integration testing and QA. I also wrote the microcopy, introductory text, and help text across all pages and templates. Find out more about the MPI - ONZPR project

MPI - DBMS

Website: internal MPI access only
Client: Ministry for Primary Industries
Dates: June 2019 - October 2022 (intermittently)
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at MPI

I designed and built a series of web-based applications and tools within the biosecurity sphere for the Ministry for Primary Industries, under the umbrella of the PIER (Product Import and Export Requirements) project.

My first task for PIER was to design and build a series of database management (DBMS) screens. These would allow our database team to input and edit the thousands of commodities, pests, import and export requirements that make up PIER Search and related applications.

I was responsible for the UX design, content design, visual web design, front-end development, and post-integration testing and QA. Find out more about the MPI - DBMS project

Categories: IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, ASP or ASP.NET, Government websites, Large sites

NZNO - Kai Tiaki

Website: kaitiaki.org.nz (site has since been modified)
Client: New Zealand Nurses Organisation
Dates: June 2016 - June 2019 and December 2019 - March 2022
My professional status: web consultant with The Hive Creative

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation is a workers' union representing more than 55,000 nurses and health workers, and is the leading professional body of nurses in Aotearoa New Zealand. They first approached The Hive Creative in 2016, asking for advice on how best to convert their monthly printed journal, Kai Tiaki, into an online PDF for members.

In December 2019 we were invited to design, build and content-load an issue-based WordPress site that mirrored the print version of the journal. The latest issue would be uploaded to the site and published each month at the same time as the print version came out. The website would be accessible via login to members, with the news articles accessible to everyone. Member organisations would have an IP address-based login system for their employees.

I was responsible for the selection and re-styling of the WordPress theme and associated plugins, CSS3, some PHP wrangling, building the site, site hosting management, browser and device testing, content design - writing help pages and technical documentation, QA and client support; and content-loading, web editing and proof-reading for the first year of publication.

We produced an absolutely beautiful and pixel-perfect online journal every month for the first year of publication, getting everything done exactly right, following my very comprehensive style guide for the editing team, and making sure every macron was in place, every t crossed and i dotted. We published the online issue just a day or so after the print edition went out to members each month. Find out more about the NZNO - Kai Tiaki project

Categories: Content designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, e-govt/WCAG compliance, WordPress, Large sites

MacDiarmid Institute

Website: macdiarmid.ac.nz
Client: The MacDiarmid Institute
Dates: January - March 2017 and August 2018 - July 2019 with ongoing support after launch
Government status: Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE)
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology is one of New Zealand's oldest Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs). It brings together almost 100 research investigators along with graduate and PhD students from seven institutions across Aotearoa. Their research focus is materials science and new technology, especially the unexplored territory where chemistry, physics, biology and engineering meet.

Their existing website was old, messy, out-of-date and hard to maintain. The navigation architecture wasn't well organised and it had become difficult for visitors to find the information they were looking for. It was time for a new website with a new logical architecture and a much stronger focus on the institute's researchers, with the majority of the pages being re-written prior to launch. We also wanted to migrate and incorporate news articles and magazine items from the old site, as much of this content was valuable as an ongoing archive of the Institution's research projects and progress.

I was responsible for the initial proposal and quote, client liaison, project management, information architecture and UX design, content design, responsive design development and front-end development, browser and device testing, content-loading, post-integration testing, QA, proof-reading, web editor training and ongoing support. I loaded all 800 pages of new content with the help of my developer, and reformatted over 500 news articles migrated from the old site. Find out more about the MacDiarmid Institute project

Categories: Showcase sites, Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Government websites, Large sites

Bee Dawson

Website: beedawson.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Bee Dawson
Dates: February - April 2018, with ongoing webmaster support until 2023
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Bee Dawson is a New Zealand author, columnist, public speaker, and a social and oral historian. She writes books and articles about a wide range of New Zealand subjects, from Lady Painters to the history of High Country sheep stations, as well as all things historical and NZRAF-related.

She had had a small themed WordPress website built for her a few years earlier, which had become a bit messy. It needed a tidy-up and for some of the pages to be redesigned and rebuilt so that they looked nicer and were more user-friendly.

Bee also needed help recovering some missing website emails and accessing the control panel of the website's hosting company. Access info had been lost when Bee's previous webmaster moved on to other projects. Find out more about the Bee Dawson project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, Small sites

Bloomsbury Associates (2018)

Website: bloomsbury.co.nz
Client: Bloomsbury Associates
Dates: February - July 2018, with ongoing webmaster support after delivery
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Bloomsbury Associates is an independent financial advisory practice established to provide investment services to clients in New Zealand. In 2010 I designed and built their first website, and have been taking care of it ever since. An office relocation in 2018 combined with a redesign of their logo and branding was the perfect opportunity to create a new, responsive website for them.

All the content was new, written especially for the website by Matai Partners. I liaised with them and together we worked on creating the perfect marriage of website design and content for the new site, taking inspiration from the new logo, typeface and branding colours from Scratch Design.

I was responsible for the initial quote, client liaison, project management, scoping, information architecture, responsive design and front-end development, building the completed website, content-loading, editing, testing, proof-reading, QA and ongoing support. There's no CMS - we don't need one - instead, I code all the content by hand.

I am the webmaster for the site, providing updates as required and have also redesigned and developed new HTML emails using Campaign Monitor, which are sent out quarterly to the company's clients. Find out more about the Bloomsbury Associates (2018) project

TradeMe

Website: trademe.co.nz
Client: TradeMe
Dates: October 2017 - March 2018
My professional status: contractor at TradeMe

TradeMe has spent the last couple of years working on a new responsive website to replace their current arrangement of separate mobile and desktop sites, with the design teams working on a redesign of the look and feel of the website at the same time.

The new site was initially available to the public as a Preview version, and the TradeMe team actively solicited feedback from their users, so that they could make improvements to the new site on an ongoing basis. The new site is built in AngularJS by the back-end dev team, with the front-end devs working on templated elements within pages that contain a combination of Angular and HTML5.

TradeMe wanted some help getting their latest set of updates to a point where they could be added to the live Preview site, and took on myself and two other contractors for six months to help them get there.

I was responsible for HTML5 and CSS3 coding, as well as peer reviews, accessibility compliance, browser and device testing, and bug-fixing. I began as a member of the Tangram Squad, responsible for building individual elements that could be re-used on multiple pages within the site. After two months I switched to the Design Vision team, where we worked on whole example pages, tweaking and improving on the design and functionality of individual elements in situ. Find out more about the TradeMe project

Categories: Showcase sites, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, E-commerce, Large sites

Wild Workouts

Website: wildworkouts.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Karen at Wild Workouts
Dates: October 2017 - January 2018, with ongoing webmaster support until 2020
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Wild Workouts is an outdoor health and fitness company run by Duck Patten and Karen van Rensburg. They take fitness outside and make it fun. They have been providing training in Wellington’s wild weather since the start of 2010, and are located out and around Wellington as a mobile training outfit.

They had an existing responsive themed WordPress website built for them a few years ago, which had become a bit messy. It needed a tidy-up and for some of the pages to be redesigned and rebuilt so that they looked nicer and were more user-friendly. They also needed some out-of-date content to be updated and changed.

They asked me if I'd be willing to maintain and develop their website - migrating the site to my web host and then taking over as webmaster. Find out more about the Wild Workouts project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, Small sites

NZ Association of Economists

Website: nzae.org.nz
Client: Anthony Byett at NZAE
Dates: September 2017 - January 2018, with ongoing webmaster support after delivery
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The New Zealand Association of Economists was founded in 1959 and promotes collaboration and discussion among professional economists in New Zealand. The organisation encourages and publishes research and disseminates information on research projects. It promotes the profession of economics in New Zealand and fosters interest in and understanding of New Zealand's economic problems.

They had an existing responsive themed WordPress website built for them a few years ago, which had become a bit messy. It needed a tidy-up and for some of the pages to be redesigned and rebuilt so that they looked nicer and were more user-friendly. There was also some missing content which needed locating and restoring, and some new plugins and widgets to be added.

They asked me if I'd be willing to work with their editor to maintain and develop their website - migrating the site to my web host and then taking over as webmaster. Initially Anthony requested a number of improvements and alterations to the site, and since then we have continued to work together on whatever updates and additions are required. Find out more about the NZ Association of Economists project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, Large sites

New Zealand Kindergartens

Website: nzkindergarten.org.nz
Client: New Zealand Kindergartens
Dates: June 2017 – March 2018
My professional status: web consultant with The Hive Creative

New Zealand Kindergartens is a not-for-profit Incorporated Society and registered charity, governed by a board made up of elected and appointed members. NZK currently represents 14 local Kindergarten Associations. Collectively their members educate and care for more than 7,000 children who participate at 161 kindergartens and six centres, supported by 169 head teachers, 22 senior teachers, and more than 835 class teachers.

In 2017 Hive Creative (formerly Insight Consultants Ltd) designed a beautiful Annual Report for New Zealand Kindergartens. They decided it was time for a new website, and asked that it be designed along the same lines as the Annual Report. Hive asked me to join the project as their web consultant.

I was responsible for the selection and re-styling of the WordPress theme and associated plugins, some PHP wrangling, building the site, site hosting management, browser and device testing, member and board member login system, content-loading, QA, proof-reading and client support, and CMS training. I trained Jo Newth at NZK how to use the WordPress CMS and then worked with her to content-load the whole website before launch, which I also proof-read.

Initially the website was designed and built with a two-tiered member login system, allowing access to the members-only section for members, and also to the board members' section for board members. Find out more about the New Zealand Kindergartens project

Categories: Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, Medium sites

Marlborough Vintners

Website: no longer online
Client: Acumen Republic
Dates: April - July 2017, with ongoing webmaster support until 2022
My professional status: contractor at Acumen Republic

The Marlborough Vintners Hotel (MVH) was a Heritage Collection luxury boutique hotel located amongst the vineyards near Blenheim in the heart of Marlborough wine country. The hotel consisted of 16 one-bedroom suites overlooking vineyards and gardens, together with the on-site Vintners Room Restaurant. Marlborough Vintners Hotel hosted conferences and weddings as well as providing luxury guest accommodation. Their brand management company was Wellington-based firm Acumen Republic.

Acumen asked me to build a responsive WordPress website for MVH, based on an existing WordPress theme in order to save time and keep the costs down. Acumen selected the theme based on MVH's requirements, and I built, content-loaded and tested the website, optimised the photographic imagery supplied by MVH, changed various aspects of the design, and organised webhosting. I also provided Acumen and, later, MVH staff with WordPress training and ongoing webmaster support and website updates. Find out more about the Marlborough Vintners project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, Small sites

TEAM Asparona

Website: no longer online
Client: James Fowler
Dates: January - April 2017, with ongoing support until 2020
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

TEAM Asparona was a cloud-based Enterprise Information Management (EIM) company. Their main product was an EIM ecosystem called ContentWorX.

TEAM Asparona's in-house IT staff had begun the build of a new responsive themed WordPress website, and they wanted help to get it finished and launched as quickly as possible. Their GM James Fowler contacted me to see if I could help, and between us we came up with a list of tasks to complete within a fixed-price budget and tight timeline.

I was responsible for reviewing the site, migrating it to my WP hosting platform, tidying up the homepage, populating some pages and reformatting others, adding some new sections to the site - and generally preparing it for launch. After the successful launch I sorted out an SSL Certificate for the site so that we could transfer to an https URL. On a day-to-day level James managed the site, but I was always available to help with anything tricky, as required. Find out more about the TEAM Asparona project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, Small sites

Vision Wallcoverings

Website: no longer online
Client: Vision Wallcoverings
Dates: December 2016 - June 2020
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Having become the webmaster for New Zealand wallpaper company Aspiring Walls nine months earlier, in December 2016 I was invited to look after the website of their sister company in Australia, on which the Aspiring Walls website is based. Vision Wallcoverings had been supplying wallpaper products to the Australian market for over 40 years and had one of Australia’s largest ranges of wallpapers and murals designed for both domestic and commercial settings.

The Australian dev company that originally built both sites would remain responsible for any dev work that needed doing, while I would take over as webmaster, responsible for the day-to-day care of the website including all of the e-commerce product updates. Being responsible for updates across both sites meant that I could re-use elements such as product images, saving both companies time and money. Find out more about the Vision Wallcoverings project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Content-loader, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, E-commerce, Large sites

The Play Press

Website: playpress.co.nz (no longer online)
Client: Jean Betts
Dates: August 2016 - September 2020
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Play Press is a small independent New Zealand publisher of plays, and specialises in publishing and promoting new New Zealand plays in New Zealand and overseas; to preserve a range of quality scripts and to make texts more accessible for rehearsal and study; and to help generate productions.

The Play Press grew out of The Women's Play Press collective, launched in 1994, initially to publish plays performed in 1993 in a festival celebrating the centenary of women's suffrage in NZ. In 2001, at a time when no one else was publishing any plays, and feeling that there were still too many good scripts (by both men and women) languishing unpublished that needed to be made available, Jean Betts established The Play Press as well.

The Play Press website was built in Joomla! a few years ago and managed by a developer who was no longer able to continue as webmaster due to other commitments. I was asked to take over as webmaster, and to look after the site - updating website content, improving the website styling and doing CMS version updates as required. Find out more about the The Play Press project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, Joomla!, Small sites

Transpower GOL

Website: internal Transpower access only
Client: Transpower
Dates: June 2016 - March 2017
Government status: State-Owned Enterprise
My professional status: contractor at Transpower

Transpower’s Grid Operators who manage the National Grid were using an old application that had been co-opted from another team and wasn’t entirely fit for purpose in its new environment. They wanted a new custom-made application – based on the original but reinvented to match exactly what they needed. They felt it would be useful to have a UX designer on the team, to help them figure out how to turn their requirements into reality. Several processes had to be integrated with other Transpower applications, sharing and updating information/data between apps, which added another layer of complexity to the project.

I was responsible for information architecture, UX consultation and design, content design, wireframes and schematics (keeping these updated on an ongoing basis), responsive application design, and front-end development of the application screens. I collaborated and consulted closely with the developer, working on the integrated application within Visual Studio once she had built the app, then did post-integration testing and QA. I also helped the BA to maintain and update the requirements.

The project was carried out within an Agile work environment. The process was highly consultative, with expert opinions being sought daily from our two SMEs (Grid Operators from Auckland and Christchurch) and also from the rest of the team, particularly our BA, our chief tester, our developer, and our system integration and security specialist. Find out more about the Transpower GOL project

Categories: IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, ASP or ASP.NET, Government websites, Small sites

Major Consulting

Website: majorconsulting.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Shelley Major
Dates: April - December 2016, with ongoing support until December 2018
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Major Consulting Group (MCG) is a Wellington-based health and safety consultancy working with clients across New Zealand and in Australia in a variety of sectors, making a difference to health, safety and organisational performance. They provide a range of assurance and safety culture audits as well as practical assistance, tailoring enduring health and safety business processes for their clients.

They asked me to quote for a responsive WordPress website, based on an existing theme in order to save time and keep the costs down. Their director and I selected the theme together, based on their requirements, and I built, content-loaded and tested the website, selected all the photographic imagery from iStock, changed various aspects of the design, and organised webhosting. I also provided MCG staff with WordPress training and ongoing support. Find out more about the Major Consulting project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, Small sites

Education New Zealand

Website: enz.govt.nz (site design has been updated)
Client: Education New Zealand
Dates: April - June 2016
Government status: Crown Entity
My professional status: contractor at Touchcast

Education New Zealand wanted their existing website to be migrated to the SilverStripe CMS, together with a design refresh at the same time.

Touchcast were invited to design and develop the new responsive website, and I was asked to join the team for a few weeks to carry out the front-end development for the site, working alongside the SilverStripe developer.

I was responsible for building the HTML and CSS for the new designs, using SASS (SCSS) as my pre-processor and Bootstrap as my framework. I was also responsible for preparing the page elements as re-usable twigs which we set up to auto-create the HTML templates, ready for the developer to integrate into SilverStripe. Find out more about the Education New Zealand project

Categories: Front-end developer, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Government websites, Medium sites

Aspiring Walls

Website: aspiringwalls.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Aspiring Walls
Dates: March 2016, with ongoing webmaster support until August 2024
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Wellington-based company Aspiring Walls has been supplying wallpaper products to the New Zealand market for over 40 years.They have one of New Zealand’s largest ranges of wallpapers and murals designed for both domestic and commercial settings, sourced from producers worldwide and supplying an extensive network of retail stockists nationally.

They were just about to launch a new responsive WordPress website that was based on one done for a sister company in Australia by an Australian dev company. They were looking for a New Zealand-based webmaster to take care of the website and asked if I'd be interested, based on my extensive WordPress and e-commerce experience. I am responsible for arranging and managing hosting; adding and removing product ranges; and improving design, layout, functionality and formatting as required. Find out more about the Aspiring Walls project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Content-loader, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, E-commerce, Large sites

OFLC (2016)

Website: classificationoffice.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Office of Film & Literature Classification
Dates: September 2015 - April 2016, with ongoing support until December 2021
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

I built a new version of the Information for Students site in 2015 for the Office of Film & Literature Classification, which left their main website looking a little tired and outdated. The next project was therefore to design and build a new responsive version of the main site.

I was responsible for client liaison, project proposal and quote, project management, scoping, information architecture, wireframes and schematics, responsive design and front-end development, HTML5, CSS3, LESS, jQuery, e-govt accessibility compliance, QA, client training and ongoing support, content coding, formatting and loading, some content writing and editing (Dreamweaver templates). Find out more about the OFLC (2016) project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Dreamweaver templates, Government websites, Medium sites

Grosvenor KiwiSaver

Website: in-house online forms, not available to the public
Client: Grosvenor KiwiSaver
Dates: October - November 2015
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Grosvenor Investment Management Limited is one of the Government's official KiwiSaver providers, with a dedicated KiwiSaver website to cater for their 94,000 members. They wanted to prototype a complete online joining/transfer process, which would initially be used by their KiwiSaver advisers, and which could be rolled out to all users on the website at a later date.

They asked me if I could help them to wireframe and design the various pages and screens that would be required (responsive design), including content design, and then to build these ready for integration by their in-house developers. I ended up working alongside the developer as we restyled his .asp forms together. Find out more about the Grosvenor KiwiSaver project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, ASP or ASP.NET, E-commerce, Small sites

Beer Belly Jellies

Website: no longer online
Client: Lindy MacLennan
Dates: September - October 2015, with ongoing support until December 2017
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Beer Belly Jellies was a small business creating craft beer jellies, handmade with New Zealand craft beer. They had had a responsive themed WordPress website built for them a couple of years earlier, which had become a bit messy. It needed a tidy-up and for some of the pages to be redesigned and rebuilt so that they looked nicer and were more user-friendly.

They asked me if I'd be willing to help by identifying some "quick wins" that would improve the look and functionality of the site within a limited number of hours of work. I was responsible for improving the design, layout and formatting of the website. Find out more about the Beer Belly Jellies project

BookerMartin Comms

Website: no longer online
Client: Frances Martin and Mike Booker
Dates: August - November 2015
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

I met Frances Martin through the webmaster work I did for the Zero Harm website. Frances and her business partner Mike Booker needed a website for their communications company, BookerMartin Communications. They do communications work for both business and government, and wanted a very simple, minimal, responsive website that they could update themselves.

They asked me to quote for a single-page website, based on an existing WordPress theme in order to save time and keep the costs down. Mike and I selected the theme together, based on their requirements, and I built and tested the website, improved various aspects of the design and organised webhosting. Find out more about the BookerMartin Comms project

PS Network

Website: psnetwork.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Public Sector Network of Communicators Committee
Dates: July - September 2015
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Network of Public Sector Communicators is a professional network, leading knowledge sharing and professional development to drive excellence in public sector communications. They run affordable events, conferences and social events. Their professional development programme, practical resources and programme of activities covers the full range of communications disciplines.

They needed someone who understood SilverStripe websites to update their website in a big hurry, as their Annual Conference was fast approaching. They got in touch with me following a personal recommendation from one of my bandmates who was working as their Coordinator.

I was responsible for updating the website, adding a new Conference section containing information about the event, including the timetable, speaker bios, sponsor details, workshops and masterclasses. I also updated the News and Events sections and figured out how to link the conference pages to their online membership portal where members could register for the conference and associated workshops and masterclasses. Find out more about the PS Network project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, SilverStripe, Small sites

Education Council

Website: no longer online
Client: Education Council
Dates: May-July 2015, November 2015
Government status: Independent statutory body
My professional status: Web consultant with Insight Consultants Ltd

In 2015 the New Zealand Teachers Council was re-structured, re-named and re-branded and became the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand. Insight Consultants has been working with the NZ Teachers Council for many years, and designed the new branding and identity for the Education Council. They also provided a new design for the existing website, and were asked to oversee the website re-skinning process that was carried out by another web design/dev company.

I was asked by Chris Payne, Insight's Director, to work alongside his team as their resident web consultant. Initially they asked me to sort through the 800+ PDF and image files on the website, updating some of these with the new logo/branding. I also provided advice on meta-tagging in relation to internal search engine optimisation, reviewed the progress of the web design company that was re-skinning the website, created a master sitemap and advised them on best practice for the FAQs section. Find out more about the Education Council project

Categories: Client liaison, IA & UX, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, Drupal, Government websites, Large sites

Off The Tracks

Website: offthetracks.co.nz (no longer online)
Client: Simon Sweetman
Dates: April 2015 - July 2023
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Simon Sweetman is a freelance music writer. He is the music critic for the Dominion Post and for eight years was writer of Blog on the Tracks, daily music musings for Stuff.co.nz. His work has also appeared in the New Zealand Listener, North & South, Rip It Up, Sunday Star-Times, Herald on Sunday, Salient and The Package. He has provided comment for Radio New Zealand National, RadioLIVE, Newstalk ZB, Radio Active and TVNZ's Good Morning. He's also written a book.

He's also an incredibly prolific blogger, publishing multiple music-related posts per day on his own WordPress blog, Off The Tracks. We met because he needed help with the blog, which was forever crashing or going offline and being 404'd.

I was initially responsible for figuring out what the problem was, and solving it. I now manage webhosting for Off The Tracks and help Simon with any technical updates he might need. The blog runs on WordPress. Find out more about the Off The Tracks project

Categories: Client liaison, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, Large sites

Zero Harm

Website: zeroharm.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Business Leaders’ Health & Safety Forum
Dates: February 2015 - November 2020
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum is a coalition of business and government leaders committed to improving the performance of workplace health and safety in New Zealand. Their vision is all business leaders passionately committed to achieving Zero Harm Workplaces. They needed a new webmaster to take care of their website, and approached me after a personal recommendation from one of my other clients.

I am responsible for regularly updating their responsive website, creating and removing pages, content-loading, making graphics, and editing/proofreading content. I am also responsible for doing a full content audit of the website and, to review the website IA with a view to updating and improving it. I will also be doing a similar review of the homepage to see if that can be improved, and re-designing and re-building it if necessary. I'm also responsible for social media consultation, helping the organisation to decide what social media to use and how to use it. Find out more about the Zero Harm project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, SilverStripe, Medium sites

OFLC - info for students

Website: no longer online
Client: Office of Film & Literature Classification
Dates: October 2014 - March 2015 and June-July 2015, with ongoing support after delivery
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The OFLC had contracted a young designer to redesign their information for students website which I had originally designed and built for them back in 2010. Following completion of the design, the OFLC team decided that they needed to have a responsive website rather than a static one. I was invited to make the design responsive and then build the new Dreamweaver templates.

I was responsible for client liaison, project proposal and quote, project management, scoping, information architecture, wireframes and schematics, design development, responsive design and development, HTML5, CSS3, LESS, jQuery, e-govt accessibility compliance, QA, client training and ongoing support, content coding, formatting and loading, some content writing and editing (Dreamweaver templates). Find out more about the OFLC - info for students project

BNZ Community

Website: no longer online
Client: Bank of New Zealand
Dates: September - December 2014
My professional status: contractor at the Bank of New Zealand

The Bank of New Zealand was nearing completion with their Community web project - an interactive community/forum for BNZ customers, hosted within the main BNZ website. They needed someone to finish it off, tidy it up, and get it over the line.

I was originally asked to join the in-house web team for four weeks to carry out the front-end development, and my contract was eventually extended to 12 weeks so that I could continue to tidy and improve the site after it went online. I was responsible for the HTML5 and CSS3 (SASS) coding, as well as browser and device testing. The project was managed using informal Agile methodology and the website was set within the Lithium CMS framework. Find out more about the BNZ Community project

Categories: Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, Lithium, Medium sites

OFLC homepage (2014)

Website: classificationoffice.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Office of Film & Literature Classification
Dates: August - September 2014
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Office of Film and Literature Classification wanted to improve their website homepage - both in terms of its design and also the content that was displayed there. They wanted a number of new elements on the homepage, including a carousel highlighting their videos and a link to their Facebook posts, as well as rearranging the existing content on the page.

I was responsible for putting together a quote for the work, wireframing the homepage, redesigning and rebuilding it, accessibility and browser testing. Find out more about the OFLC homepage (2014) project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Dreamweaver templates, Government websites, Medium sites

Integrated Foods intranet

Website: intranet
Client: Mangatu Blocks Incorporation
Dates: January 2014
My professional status: contractor at inov8

inov8 had been invited by the PSA to build their intranet in Sharepoint. They asked me to do the front-end development of the templates. I was responsible for front-end development (HTML5, CSS3, jQuery), and browser testing. Find out more about the Integrated Foods intranet project

Categories: Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, Sharepoint, Small sites

Govt.nz

Website: govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Department of Internal Affairs
Dates: December 2013 - June 2014
Government status: Government Department
My professional status: contractor at DIA

Govt.nz is a ground-breaking project run by the Department of Internal Affairs, that seeks to improve the way that government communicates with citizens online. Govt.nz aims to enable visitors to find the government information they are seeking, quickly and easily. It is based on the UK all-of-government website, gov.uk, and both sites are user-focused, with user testing as their foundation.

I was taken on to replace the original designer/front-end developer halfway through the Beta phase. I was responsible for UX research, UX proposal-writing and UX design, content design, responsive web design, responsive front-end development within an instance of the Government's Common Web Platform (CWP), browser and device testing, government web standards accessibility compliance and testing to the very highest level, post-integration testing and QA, attending regular team meetings and doing regular "show and tell" updates for the major stakeholders within DIA.

The project was run using Agile methods, with daily standups and two-week sprints, the team being managed by experienced scrum masters. This Agile methodology was completely new to DIA. The website was on-line and available to the public throughout the Beta phase, and we welcomed feedback and comments from visitors, all of which we investigated further and acted upon as necessary. Find out more about the Govt.nz project

Categories: Showcase sites, Client liaison, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Government websites, Medium sites

Hearts n Roses

Website: no longer online
Client: Deborah Harris
Dates: November 2013 - April 2015
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Deborah Harris made and sold handmade heart pendants and felt the time was right to branch out and put her artwork online. The website needed to be a fully-functioning e-commerce site where she could display and sell the individual heart pendants. She also wanted a weddings section where she could showcase her custom-made bespoke hearts that were made to order to match the flowers and colours chosen by the wedding and bridal party.

I was responsible for client liaison, project management, hosting and Domain name management, scoping, information architecture, site schematics, content design, selection and re-styling of the WordPress e-commerce theme, HTML5, CSS3, LESS, some PHP wrangling, building the skeleton site, testing, CMS training, QA and ongoing support, some content production management, writing and editing, creating product and portfolio graphics. Find out more about the Hearts n Roses project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, WordPress, E-commerce, Small sites

PSA intranet

Website: intranet
Client: Public Service Association
Dates: October - November 2013
My professional status: contractor at inov8

Categories: Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, Sharepoint, Small sites

Aquavilla

Website: aquavilla.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Jeremy Brown, on behalf of his mum
Dates: August 2013
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Aquavilla is a boutique accomodation cottage in Plimmerton, north of Wellington. The owners had had some problems with the responsive WordPress theme that their website was built in, and needed someone to tidy it up, restyle it a bit, and make it work properly. They also wanted a new photo gallery and a contact us form. Find out more about the Aquavilla project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, jQuery/JavaScript, WordPress, Small sites

WebWeaver Productions

Website: webweaver.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: me
Dates: August 2013 - April 2015 onwards until September 2024
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Commissioned, designed, architecture-d, developed, built, written, edited and project-managed by me. The site is designed to be fully accessible, is written in valid HTML5 and CSS3, and has been fully tested and displays consistently across a wide range of operating systems, browsers and devices.

The latest iteration of the site is responsive, designed for ease of reading in whatever device it's being viewed, and fully tested across a range of devices and platforms. It runs on the SilverStripe Content Management System, built and integrated by my WebWeaver colleague, Tom St George. Find out more about the WebWeaver Productions project

Categories: Showcase sites, Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Large sites

OTNZ

Website: nzaot.com (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Occupational Therapy New Zealand
Dates: July 2013 - March 2015, with ongoing support after delivery
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

An occupational therapist is a registered health provider who uses the theory of occupation to improve well-being and quality of life. Occupational Therapy New Zealand Whakaora Ngangahau Aotearoa is the national association representing occupational therapy professionals in New Zealand.

I was responsible for the initial quote, information architecture, site schematics, ongoing project management and client liaison, design, HTML5 and CSS, testing, accessibility and e-govt compliance, SilverStripe CMS training, QA and ongoing support. Find out more about the OTNZ project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Large sites

EWRB

Website: ewrb.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Electrical Workers Registration Board and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Dates: July - December 2013
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: Web consultant with Insight Consultants Ltd

The Electrical Workers Registration Board ensures the competence of electrical and electronic workers. Its work is overseen by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Their old website was very old and out of date, and Insight Consultants Ltd was invited to design a new site, which was to be built using an instance of the Government's new Common Web Platform (CWP) in SilverStripe as a starting-point.

I was responsible for helping with the initial pitch/quote, wireframing including responsive UX design, and advising the designers how best to design the website within the framework of the CWP. I then developed the design across a range of breakpoints, and built the templates in HTML5 and CSS3 (designing the responsivity in-browser as I built). I was responsible for browser and device testing and was also asked to do a thorough proof-read and QA of the site prior to launch. Find out more about the EWRB project

Toyota NZ

Website: toyota.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Toyota New Zealand
Dates: May - June 2013
My professional status: contractor at Proximity

The Toyota New Zealand website was in need of a major upgrade and Proximity was invited by Toyota to design and build it for them, as the companies already had a very good working relationship. I was asked to join the small web team for six weeks to carry out the front-end development for the site. I was responsible for the HTML5 and CSS3/SASS coding for the new designs, as well as accessibility and browser testing. Find out more about the Toyota NZ project

Categories: Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, Other CMS, Large sites

Co-operative Bank

Website: co-operativebank.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Co-operative Bank
Dates: October - December 2012
My professional status: contractor at the Co-operative Bank

The Co-operative Bank was established in 1928 and is the only bank in New Zealand to share its profits with its customers. As a co-operative its main purpose is to create prosperity for its customers, not to create profit for anyone else. The bank has 34 branches throughout the country and around 128,000 customers from all over New Zealand.

The bank's existing website was in need of an update which would tide them over for a few months until they were in a position to carry out a complete overhaul. I was responsible for the HTML, CSS and jQuery and design development for the new design, focusing on the content-driven parts of the website, and partnering with David Harrison from Triptech who was responsible for the online banking pages. Find out more about the Co-operative Bank project

Categories: Client liaison, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, ASP or ASP.NET, Medium sites

Radio New Zealand

Website: radionz.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Radio New Zealand
Dates: October 2012 and February/May 2013
Government status: Crown Entity
My professional status: contractor at Radio New Zealand

Radio New Zealand is a Crown Entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It provides listeners with independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter. I had first met Richard Hulse, RadioNZ's webmaster, when we were both up for the same ONYA awards in 2010. The Radio New Zealand website had won both awards, and now that it was in need of an update, Richard decided to ask me to build the templates for him. I was honoured!

I was responsible for the HTML (HTML5), CSS (including CSS3 and LESS) and jQuery for the new design, incorporating a very high level of accessibility compliance into the build. I also did some design development, plus testing and QA of the completed templates, and a couple of days of additional templating once the web team had begun to integrate their existing content into the new templates. Find out more about the Radio New Zealand project

Categories: Showcase sites, Client liaison, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Government websites, Large sites

Kirkaldie & Stains

Website: no longer online
Client: Kirkaldie & Stains
Dates: August - October 2012
My professional status: contractor at Heyday

Kirkcaldie & Stains is an icon of the New Zealand retail industry with a singularly distinctive character, and is renowned for its consistent standards of excellence. The existing website was in need of refurbishment - and the company felt it was time to develop part of the website into an e-commerce Online Store, as well as re-designing their brochure and news content.

Heyday were invited to design and develop the new website, and I was asked to join the team for a few weeks to carry out the front-end development. I was responsible for the HTML (HTML5), CSS (CSS3 and LESS) and some of the jQuery, and also for integrating my new code into SilverStripe, building the CMS's layout and include files which were then programmed by Heyday's Glenn Bautista. Find out more about the Kirkaldie & Stains project

Categories: Showcase sites, Scoping/pitching/quoting, Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, CSS3, HTML5, jQuery/JavaScript, SilverStripe, E-commerce, Large sites

Pacific Island Affairs

Website: mpia.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
Dates: July - December 2012, with ongoing support and updates after delivery
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs is Government's premier adviser on policies and interventions to promote the social, economic and cultural development of Pacific peoples in New Zealand. A recent survey had indicated that visitors found the website confusing and difficult to navigate, and the Ministry also felt that they were unable to feature and highlight the most important areas of the site on their existing homepage; so wanted to remedy both these issues with a website upgrade.

I was responsible for producing five initial quote options, client liaison, project management, information architecture, schematics, partial site re-design, XHTML, pure CSS, jQuery, testing, site proofing and re-styling within the existing SilverStripe CMS. Find out more about the Pacific Island Affairs project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, CSS3, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Government websites, Large sites

Te Rito Wellington

Website: teritowellington.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Te Rito Wellington Family Violence Network
Dates: May - August 2012, with ongoing support until March 2017
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Te Rito Wellington Family Violence Network is a diverse group of 25 government and non-government organisations working in family violence prevention and service provision. The website uses an existing WordPress theme, re-designed to match the Network's branding.

I was responsible for designing their logo, writing the initial quote, information architecture, site schematics, ongoing project management and client liaison, selection and re-styling of the WordPress theme, CSS, jQuery, some PHP wrangling, webhosting management, building the skeleton site, testing, CMS training, QA and ongoing support - as well as some content production management, writing and editing. Find out more about the Te Rito Wellington project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, CSS3, jQuery/JavaScript, WordPress, Small sites

NZ Netherlands Foundation

Website: netherlandsfoundation.org.nz (no longer online)
Client: New Zealand Netherlands Foundation
Dates: March - November 2012, with ongoing support and updates until December 2013
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Foundation has a wide-ranging brief to foster pride in the Dutch contribution to New Zealand. Its goals are to promote links between the Netherlands and New Zealand, to encourage the Dutch in New Zealand to keep their heritage alive through cultural and educational exchanges, and to celebrate the contribution the Dutch have made and continue to make to New Zealand's economic and social fabric.

I was responsible for the initial quote, information architecture, site schematics, ongoing project management and client liaison, design, XHTML and CSS, testing, accessibility compliance, CMS training, QA (including some writing and editing of content) and ongoing support. Find out more about the NZ Netherlands Foundation project

NZ Artificial Limb Service

Website: nzals.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: New Zealand Artificial Limb Service
Dates: February - June 2012, with ongoing support until 2016
Government status: Crown Entity
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The NZALS is a Crown Entity that helps meet the rehabilitation needs of New Zealand amputees and is the national provider of artificial limbs in New Zealand. They had developed the concept of a 'health hub' to act as a first place to come for New Zealand amputees and needed a new website in order to achieve this.

I was responsible for the initial quote, information architecture, site schematics, ongoing project management and client liaison, design, XHTML and CSS, testing, accessibility and e-govt compliance (including the production of an e-govt test report), CMS training, QA and ongoing support - as well as content production management and some writing and editing. Find out more about the NZ Artificial Limb Service project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, CSS3, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Government websites, Medium sites

Essential Mums

Website: no longer online
Client: Fairfax Media
Dates: January - March 2012
My professional status: contractor at Fairfax Digital

Fairfax Media is the largest integrated metropolitan, rural and regional, magazine and digital media company in Australasia, with publications and websites in every State and the ACT in Australia, and throughout New Zealand.

Essential Mums is an online addition to the Fairfax Media portfolio, and aims to provide expert information, helpful tools, and a community of other mums to help mothers on their parenting journey. I was responsible for information architecture and design development throughout the website. Find out more about the Essential Mums project

Categories: Client liaison, IA & UX, Website designer, CSS-based layout, Other CMS, Large sites

MetService Annual Report

Website: no longer online
Client: Meteorological Service of New Zealand
Dates: September-October 2011
Government status: State-Owned Enterprise
My professional status: contractor at Designworks

Designworks had put together the print version of MetService's Annual Report, and needed a digital version to add to the website. They asked me to build a full set of linked web pages which would then be inserted into the standard MetService page template. I was responsible for project management and timelining, design development, HTML/CSS, and e-govt accessibility compliance. Find out more about the MetService Annual Report project

Categories: Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Government websites, Small sites

Sorted

Website: sorted.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Commission for Financial Literacy and Retirement Income (formerly the Retirement Commission)
Dates: August 2011 - January 2012
Government status: Government-funded (independent) organisation
My professional status: contractor at Chrometoaster

The Sorted website provides money planning and savings information for Kiwis, with advice and help in managing money, getting out of debt and planning for retirement, and includes a range of interactive calculators as well as written content.

Chrometoaster invited me to help with a complete re-design and rebuild of the site, as one of a team of three front-end developers. I was responsible for XHTML/CSS (including some CSS3), jQuery, e-govt and accessibility compliance, browser testing and QA for: 30+ new page templates; 16 popup modal screens; and page structure, header, and nav tabs for 10 calculator pages. Find out more about the Sorted project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, CSS3, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Drupal, Government websites, Large sites

Wellington Batucada

Website: batucada.org.nz
Client: Wellington Batucada
Dates: July - December 2011 (site build) and ongoing work as the site's webmaster and writer
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

I'm a very proud member of Wellington Batucada, Wellington's community-based street samba band. The band's Director, Tim Cooke - who's also a web designer - provided me with a completely new design for the website, and it was my job to translate that into a standalone WordPress website - and to populate all the pages, editing existing stuff and writing new stuff as necessary.

I was responsible for webhost management, design development, HTML/CSS (including some CSS3), jQuery, photo and video archiving, testing, QA, content design, writing and editing. I am the website's webmaster, writing most of the blog posts and gig reviews and sorting out our huge and ever-growing collection of photos and videos. In Phase Two I added a members' only section to the website. Find out more about the Wellington Batucada project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, Responsive web design/dev, CSS-based layout, CSS3, jQuery/JavaScript, WordPress, Large sites

Genesis Energy bonds

Website: no longer online
Client: Genesis Energy
Dates: April 2011
My professional status: contractor at Designworks

Genesis Energy is a New Zealand-owned energy company with a diverse electricity generation portfolio. The company wanted to add a new page to their website to publicise their upcoming Capital Bonds offer, which had been designed by Designworks. I was asked by Designworks to build the new page for them and was responsible for client liaison, project management, HTML and CSS, accessibility compliance, testing and QA. Find out more about the Genesis Energy bonds project

Categories: Project manager, Front-end developer, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, No CMS, Small sites

HealthEd

Website: healthed.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Health
Dates: January - June 2011, with the bulk of the work being carried out in May and June
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at Learning Media

The Ministry of Health wanted a complete restructure, redesign, and rebuild of their existing HeathEd website. The new site had been designed by DNA and was being built in Drupal 7 by Catalyst. Learning Media was in charge of the content, and it was my job as web editor and content designer to ensure that all 600 resources were titled and described consistently and with Seach Engine Optimisation (SEO) in mind; that the 200+ resources with HTML versions were formatted correctly; and that Catalyst's build matched DNA's design pixel-perfectly.

Resources on the HealthEd website were available in Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Cambodian-Khmer, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Cook Islands Māori, English, Fijian, Gujarati, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Māori, Niuean, Persian (Farsi), Pushto Afghani, Sāmoan, Somali, Thai, Tokelauan, Tongan, Tuvaluan and Vietnamese. Find out more about the HealthEd project

Categories: Content designer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Drupal, E-commerce, Government websites, Large sites

Snapper

Website: snapper.co.nz
Client: Snapper
Dates: December 2010 - March 2011
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Snapper is New Zealand's leading contactless payment system and can be used for a wide range of transactions including shopping, taxis and public transport. Registered Snapper users have online access to their Snapper transaction history and current balance.

The Snapper team wanted to upgrade the functionality of the transaction history page, and asked me to design and build a new version with enhanced functionality and ease of use. I was responsible for client liaison, project management, reviewing and refining the information architecture, content design, visual design, XHTML and CSS, jQuery, testing, QA and ongoing support. Find out more about the Snapper project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, Other CMS, E-commerce, Small sites

Ann Jasper

Website: no longer online
Client: Ann Jasper
Dates: November 2010, with ongoing support after delivery
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Ann Jasper was a friend of mine, and an artist who produced beautiful paintings for sale. Her husband Shelley is a graphic/website designer with whom I collaborate on WebWeaver Projects from time to time. Shelley had designed a simple and stylish website for Annie, and it was my job to build the site, content-load it, and find an appealing way to display Annie's paintings in interactive galleries within the site.

I was responsible for client liaison, project management, scoping, extending the information architecture, design development, HTML and CSS, jQuery, building the completed website, content-loading, testing, proof-reading, QA and ongoing support. Find out more about the Ann Jasper project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, No CMS, Small sites

Going Digital

Website: no longer online
Client: Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Dates: November 2010
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at Designworks

Designworks was asked by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to create a website providing Kiwis with all the info they would need to be able to watch TV after the switch to digital. Designworks asked me to do an e-government accessibility assessment of the website.

I was responsible for testing pages and templates for e-govt accessibility guidelines (AA-level) compliance, producing a comprehensive report that listed each of the 43 WCAG 2.0 guidelines, showing success criteria for each, together with a review of the 198 sufficient techniques that can be used to achieve a pass for the various criteria, and a technical summary of what needed to be done in order to pass all criteria. Find out more about the Going Digital project

Categories: Project manager, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Government websites, Small sites

APN share offer

Website: no longer online
Client: APN
Dates: November 2010
My professional status: contractor at Designworks

APN is New Zealand's largest multi-media group, owning a wide range of newspapers, radio stations and magazines. The company wanted a small wesbite to publicise their upcoming stock offer, which had been designed by Designworks. I was asked by Designworks to build the site for them and was responsible for client liaison, project management, HTML and CSS, accessibility compliance, testing and QA. Find out more about the APN share offer project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, No CMS, Small sites

Bloomsbury Associates (2010)

Website: bloomsbury.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Bloomsbury Associates
Dates: October - December 2010, with ongoing support until 2018
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Bloomsbury Associates is an independent financial advisory practice established to provide investment services to clients in New Zealand. They wanted a website that would provide general information about their services and their philosophy, together with case studies and testimonials from existing clients.

I was responsible for the initial quote, client liaison, project management, scoping, information architecture, web design, HTML and CSS, jQuery, building the completed website, content-loading, testing, proof-reading, QA and ongoing support. I am the webmaster for the site, providing updates as required and have also designed and developed HTML emails using Campaign Monitor, which are sent out quarterly to the company's clients. Find out more about the Bloomsbury Associates (2010) project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, HTML email, No CMS, Small sites

Museums Wellington

Website: museumswellington.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Museums Wellington
Dates: July - December 2010, with ongoing support after delivery
Government status: funded by Wellington City Council
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Museums Wellington are responsible for three Wellington museums - the Museum of Wellington City & Sea, the Cable Car Museum and the Colonial Cottage Museum. Each museum had its own website, none of which matched each other or the new Museums Wellington branding. Their aim was to bring all three museums plus Plimmers Ark under the same umbrella website, and to use their new branding as the basis for the overall site design.

I was responsible for the initial quote, client liaison, project management, scoping, information architecture, design development, HTML and CSS, jQuery, accessibility and e-govt compliance, testing, putting together the skeleton site in SilverStripe, CMS training, QA, HTML emails and ongoing support. Find out more about the Museums Wellington project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, HTML email, SilverStripe, Government websites, Small sites

SPARC HPSD

Website: internal SPARC access only
Client: SPARC (now re-named Sport New Zealand)
Dates: June - October 2010
Government status: Crown Entity
My professional status: contractor at Datacraft

One of SPARC's roles is to support athletes and teams that can win at international level, and the coaches and organisations that are behind them - using their High Performance Sport Database (HPSDB) to administer this.

Datacraft had been asked to redesign and rebuild the HPSD, and I was responsible for doing the information architecture, content design, visual design and XHTML/CSS for a set of five templates, and then styling, restructuring and bug-fixing a large number of multi-functional screens within the app. Find out more about the SPARC HPSD project

Categories: Client liaison, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, ASP or ASP.NET, Government websites, Medium sites

Salters Cartage

Website: salters.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Salters Cartage
Dates: June - August 2010
My professional status: contractor at Plan A

I was asked by Plan A in Auckland to develop their homepage design into a set of design templates for the new Salters Cartage website, to build these templates and then to put together the finished website, using all-new content which Plan A had written.

I was responsible for the original project proposal and quote, client liaison, project management, scoping, information architecture, design development, HTML and CSS, jQuery, accessibility compliance, building the completed website, content-loading, testing, proof-reading, QA and ongoing support. Find out more about the Salters Cartage project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, No CMS, Small sites

Climate Change

Website: climatechange.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry for the Environment
Dates: May - June 2010, with ongoing support after delivery
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Ministry for the Environment's Climate Change website, originally designed as a portal site, was becoming difficult to navigate, and was lacking styles for pages with more detailed content at multiple levels. With the introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in June 2010, the Ministry needed to expand the capabilities of the website, while still retaining the existing header and footer and some of the original HTML structure.

I was responsible for the timeline, ongoing project management and client liaison, HTML and CSS, jQuery, e-government and accessibility compliance, testing, site delivery and ongoing support. Find out more about the Climate Change project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, Dreamweaver templates, Government websites, Medium sites

WellingtonNZ

Website: wellingtonnz.com (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Positively Wellington Tourism
Dates: April - June 2010
Government status: Council-Controlled Organisation
My professional status: contractor at Chrometoaster

A month after I created the Australia landing page I was invited to re-join the Chrometoaster team to help them with the complete re-skin/rebuild of the entire website. This was a massive job with over 60 templates, and a team of three front-end developers all working together on the new site.

I was responsible for developing the website's main page structure, including all the chrome, background layers, header, footers and navigation elements and then building a range of templates and modular elements in XHTML/CSS, incorporating existing jQuery effects and preparing these for integration into the existing CMS, as well as ensuring a very high level of e-government and accessibility compliance. Find out more about the WellingtonNZ project

Categories: Showcase sites, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Drupal, Government websites, Large sites

Bamford Medical

Website: no longer online
Client: WM Bamford & Co Ltd
Dates: May - July 2009 and March - May 2010 with ongoing support until 2015
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Following the successful launch of the Bamford website, we were asked to create a companion website, Bamford Medical, which would allow the company to sell a selection of their medical products online. The templates and CMS backend of the new site were based on the original Bamford site, with a completely different look and feel so that they were easily distinguishable from one another.

I was responsible for the initial quote, information architecture, ongoing project management and client liaison, web design, HTML and CSS, jQuery, testing, CMS and photoshop training, QA/proof-reading and ongoing support. Find out more about the Bamford Medical project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, ExpressionEngine, E-commerce, Medium sites

WellingtonNZ Australia

Website: wellingtonnz.com/australia (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Positively Wellington Tourism
Dates: February - March 2010
Government status: Council-Controlled Organisation
My professional status: contractor at Chrometoaster

Chrometoaster were asked to create a single new template for the Australia landing page of WellingtonNZ (the point of arrival for Australian visitors). The template would temporarily sit within the existing chrome of the website, but the content would follow the design that was being finalised for the new version of the site.

I was responsible for building the template in XHTML/CSS, incorporating existing jQuery effects and preparing it for integration into the existing Drupal CMS, as well as ensuring a very high level of e-government and accessibility compliance. Find out more about the WellingtonNZ Australia project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Drupal, Government websites, Large sites

Holmes Consulting Group

Website: holmesgroup.com (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Holmes Consulting Group
Dates: September 2009 - April 2010, with ongoing support until December 2013
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The international structural engineering firm Holmes Consulting Group asked for a completely new photography-centered design, new HTML/CSS templates, and a new CMS, which would be populated with all-new content.

I was responsible for the initial quote, information architecture, site schematics, ongoing project management and client liaison, web design, HTML and CSS, jQuery, testing, putting together the skeleton site in SilverStripe, training, QA and proof-reading, and ongoing support. Find out more about the Holmes Consulting Group project

Categories: Showcase sites, Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, SilverStripe, Medium sites

Save Radio New Zealand

Website: no longer online
Client: Save Radio New Zealand
Dates: February 2010 - September 2017
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Save Radio New Zealand website is a companion to the original Facebook group, which reached 20,000 members in a little over a month. It's built using an existing (subtly restyled) WordPress theme. I was responsible for the initial client liaison and project proposal when I first came up with the idea, then project management, scoping, information architecture, selection and restyling of the WordPress theme, webhost management, content-writing, research, content-loading and ongoing support as the website's webmaster. Find out more about the Save Radio New Zealand project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, WordPress, Small sites

CreditSights Marketing

Website: creditsights.com (site has since been redesigned)
Client: CreditSights
Dates: January - August 2010
My professional status: contractor at Optimation

Optimation were updating the main CreditSights website, and were asked to build a new Marketing site that provides an overview of the company's services for potential subscribers. A design was provided by the same US design company that did the main website, with the XHTML/CSS being built from scratch and integrated into asp.net.

I was responsible for developing the design across all templates, building the XHTML/CSS, bug-fixing and template tweaking. Once I had built the XHTML/CSS templates in Dreamweaver, these were integrated into the .net environment, and any subsequent tweaking was done from within VisualStudio. Find out more about the CreditSights Marketing project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, ASP or ASP.NET, Large sites

The Beck's List

Website: Facebook app, no longer online
Client: Lion Nathan
Dates: December 2009 - January 2010
My professional status: contractor at Shift

The Beck's List was a Facebook app linked to a 60-day viral campaign. Fans could request free gig tickets sent out as POCKETvoucher text messages, browse gig photos, tag their friends and vote for the best photos and gigs. The app also included a Twitter feed, an iPhone app and a website.

I was responsible for some design consultation at the start of the project, building the templates, some creation of new graphics near the end of the project, plus a small amount of jQuery. I worked closely with the programmer, Tom St George, as the app went through a series of iterations during integration which required many changes to the XHTML and the CSS. Find out more about the The Beck's List project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, Facebook, Small sites

CreditSights

Website: member-only access
Client: CreditSights
Dates: November 2009 - December 2011
My professional status: contractor at Optimation

CreditSights is an award-winning provider of independent investment research. Their website provides subscribers with coverage of over 750 of the most widely-traded names in the US and European markets. They produce over 300 research reports a month and their archives contain over 100,000 articles.

Optimation was asked to extend the site's functionality at the same time as re-skinning the site - and I was responsible for developing and extending the new design, rebuilding some of the XHTML/CSS, bug-fixing and template tweaking, streamlining some of the backend CMS elements, and re-designing & re-styling various widgets and other elements. The site is built in asp.net, so all of my work was done in VisualStudio within the .net environment, working on already-integrated templates. Find out more about the CreditSights project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, ASP or ASP.NET, Large sites

OFLC - info for students (2010)

Website: censor.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Office of Film & Literature Classification
Dates: August 2009 - January 2010, with ongoing support after delivery
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The OFLC wanted a new website aimed at students doing projects on censorship in New Zealand. The website needed to be accessible, e-govt compliant, and the design had to appeal to young people.

I was responsible for the initial quote, information architecture, site schematics, ongoing project management and client liaison, web design, HTML and CSS, jQuery, e-govt accessibility compliance, testing, building the skeleton site using Dreamweaver templates, training, QA and proof-reading, and ongoing support. Find out more about the OFLC - info for students (2010) project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Dreamweaver templates, Government websites, Medium sites

EPA

Website: epa.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry for the Environment
Dates: July - September 2009, with ongoing support after delivery
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Following our successful redesign of the Ministry for the Environment website, we were asked to design and build a website for the new Environmental Protection Authority. The HTML would be based on the MfE Dreamweaver templates within a completely different design, and we were also asked to build and content-code the initial 77-page website. The HTML/CSS needed to be best-practice e-government compliant and the site was to be tested for accessibility once it was built.

I was responsible for the initial quote, information architecture, site schematics, ongoing project management and client liaison, HTML and CSS, jQuery, e-government and accessibility compliance, site build and content-coding, testing, site delivery and ongoing support. Find out more about the EPA project

Categories: Showcase sites, Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Dreamweaver templates, Government websites, Medium sites

Northern Gateway Toll Road

Website: tollroad.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: NZ Transport Agency
Dates: June - July 2009
Government status: Crown Entity
My professional status: contractor at Shift

The Northern Gateway Toll Road website provides detailed information about the new Toll Road and how to use it, and allows regular users of the road to open and manage an online account through which they can pay their tolls. It also enables drivers to buy individual or multiple trips online, or pay a toll notice or infringement, as well as keeping visitors up-to-date with road conditions.

I was responsible for building the templates in HTML/CSS and preparing them for integration into the CMS, as well as overseeing e-government and accessibility compliance. Find out more about the Northern Gateway Toll Road project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Small sites

Optimation

Website: optimation.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Optimation
Dates: May - November 2009, with ongoing support after delivery
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Optimation's existing website was looking old and tired, and no longer represented the company as well as it could. In contrast to the old website, which was largely passive and not well integrated with Optimation's other marketing activities, the new site needed to work much more actively as well as being an interactive space between the company and its clients - and it had to be designed to enable busy clients to get what they need in the minimum time possible.

I was responsible for the initial quote, information architecture, site schematics, ongoing project management and client liaison, HTML and CSS, jQuery, accessibility compliance, testing, QA and proof-reading, CMS training and ongoing support. Find out more about the Optimation project

Categories: Showcase sites, Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, SilverStripe, Medium sites

Master Plumbers

Website: masterplumbers.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Inc
Dates: April - October 2009, with regular ongoing support until March 2016
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Master Plumbers had an old website that needed redesigning and integrating within a more user-friendly CMS. We identified three main sections of the site - Public, Trade and Members - which led to a four-colourway design solution.

I was responsible for the initial quote, information architecture, site schematics, content design, ongoing project management and client liaison, web design, HTML and CSS, jQuery, accessibility compliance, testing, content-loading, CMS training and ongoing support. Find out more about the Master Plumbers project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, SilverStripe, Large sites

Ministry for the Environment

Website: mfe.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry for the Environment
Dates: April - June 2009, with ongoing support after delivery
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The 13,000-page Ministry for the Environment website was looking old and tired, and the Ministry wanted a medium-term website redesign solution that would allow them to keep their old legacy content, while bringing the look & feel up to date. The Ministry web team needed to be able to transfer their entire website into our new design and set of best-practice e-government compliant Dreamweaver templates as painlessly as possible, and the CSS also had to include matching styles for all their old content code.

I was responsible for the initial quote, some information architecture, site schematics, ongoing project management and client liaison, HTML and CSS, jQuery and JavaScript, e-government and accessibility compliance, testing, site delivery and ongoing support. Find out more about the Ministry for the Environment project

Categories: Showcase sites, Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Dreamweaver templates, Government websites, Large sites

Telecom Global Roaming

Website: telecomroaming.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Telecom
Dates: April 2009
My professional status: contractor at Shift

The Telecom Global Roaming website allowed users on the new XT Mobile Network to find out if their phone could roam, which countries were covered, and how much it would cost. The application had to work with a whole lot of different variables - but the user interface was designed to be simple and intuitive to use, while being capable of displaying a wide variety of content types in response to selections made by the user. I was responsible for building the templates in HTML/CSS and jQuery and preparing them for integration into the CMS. Find out more about the Telecom Global Roaming project

Categories: Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, Other CMS, Small sites

MedSys

Website: internal MCNZ access only
Client: Medical Council of New Zealand
Dates: January - July 2009
Government status: appointed by the Ministry of Health
My professional status: contractor at Optimation

MedSys is MCNZ's core system for handling doctor registration and on-going certification, which Optimation spent three years designing, developing and implementing. I was responsible for a number of tasks, including a rebuild of the application's chrome, a review and streamlining of the template design to save space and fit in more content, and an overview and rebuild of the HTML/CSS in many of the templates in order to improve cross-browser compatibility and increase consistency throughout the application. The site is built in asp.net, so virtually all of my work was within the .net environment, working on already-integrated templates using VisualStudio. Find out more about the MedSys project

Categories: IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, ASP or ASP.NET, Government websites, Large sites

Round Peg

Website: roundpeg.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Linda Ashton, Director, Round Peg
Dates: January - February 2009
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Round Peg was a new recruitment agency concept developed by Linda Ashton that works in-house alongside employers, managing the recruitment process on their behalf. The initial aims of the site were to establish a web presence for the company and to explain exactly what Round Peg can offer to both employers and employees. I built a fully-working site from the original five-page designs, coded up all the content for the site and ensured that Search Engine Optimisation was achieved. Find out more about the Round Peg project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, Front-end developer, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, No CMS, Small sites

Cavalier Bremworth

Website: cavbrem.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Cavalier Bremworth
Dates: January - February 2009
My professional status: contractor at DNA

This website represented the first roll-out of the new Cavalier Bremworth branding by DNA. My responsibility was to build a large set of template pages within a very tight timeframe and budget, and prepare them for integration into a custom-built .net CMS.

The new site incorporated a very high level of interactivity for visitors considering purchasing a new carpet from the company, and therefore included a large amount of jQuery and Shadowbox programming, for which I was also responsible. It was the most technical site I had ever built, with an extremely steep learning curve when it came to extending my jQuery skills, which I really enjoyed. Find out more about the Cavalier Bremworth project

Categories: Showcase sites, Scoping/pitching/quoting, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, ASP or ASP.NET, E-commerce, Large sites

Tourism Exchange

Website: no longer online
Client: Tourism Exchange
Dates: January 2009
My professional status: contractor at Origin Design

Tourism Exchange was a real-time marketplace for selling and distributing tourism products and services, and the site provided information for buyers and sellers. My responsibility was to build 6 templates in HTML/CSS and liaise with the CMS integrator in order that they could be easily integrated into the SilverStripe CMS. We also developed the design in areas where additional functionality was required after the design had been completed. Find out more about the Tourism Exchange project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, SilverStripe, Small sites

WM Bamford & Co Ltd

Website: bamford.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: WM Bamford & Co Ltd
Dates: November - December 2008 with ongoing additions until 2015
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

WM Bamford & Co Ltd is one of New Zealand's leading independent medical supply companies, and needed a new website which would reflect and complement their new print brochure - and which would allow potential customers access to their substantial product listings as well as providing information about Bamford's supply agencies and partners.

I designed and built the site and also worked on project management, information architecture and site schematics, as well as creating dynamic functionality via jQuery and facilitating CMS integration. Find out more about the WM Bamford & Co Ltd project

Toops

Website: toops.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Limited
Dates: November - December 2008
My professional status: employee at Shift

Foodstuffs (Wellington) brand Toops needed a new website to promote their business-to-business food supply services. I built them a fully-working site from the original six template designs, and coded up all the content for the site. Find out more about the Toops project

Categories: Front-end developer, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, No CMS, Small sites

HPT forms

Website: historicplaces.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Historic Places Trust
Dates: July - October 2008
Government status: Crown Entity
My professional status: employee at Shift

The Historic Places Trust needed a set of 7 membership, subscription, and donation forms for their corporate website. The IA and design originally called for a large master form containing all the elements for the individual forms, controlled by a JavaScript file.

It was my responsibility to build the master form in XHTML and CSS. However, as the JavaScript became more and more complex I decided to split it into the 7 separate forms in order to achieve the functionality required, and I rewrote the JavaScript file to accommodate the new requirements. The programming and integration of the forms was carried out by Datacom using the Sitecore CMS. Find out more about the HPT forms project

Categories: Showcase sites, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Sitecore, Government websites, Small sites

Historic Places Trust

The Historic Places Trust wanted a new website which focused on their properties around the country that are open to visitors. The site included detailed information about the Trust's places to visit, venue hire, events, exhibitions and tours, and included an online store.

I built 22 templates for the site in XHTML and pure CSS, and liaised closely with the team at Datacom who integrated the templates into the Sitecore CMS. I also wrote a comprehensive handover document for Datacom to facilitate integration of my templates and provided ongoing support to them during the integration process. Find out more about the Historic Places Trust project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Sitecore, E-commerce, Government websites, Large sites

NIWA

Website: niwa.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: NIWA
Dates: June - July and October 2008
Government status: New Zealand Crown Research Institute
My professional status: employee at Shift

The National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research wanted a completely new look to their website, which acted as a repository for their very large collection of research documents, photographic images and publications - as well as information about NIWA itself. The design was complex and multi-layered and required a range of dynamic graphical elements.

I was responsible for building 28 templates for the site in XHTML and CSS, and liaising closely with the integration team at Squiz. I used jQuery to create the dynamic elements and also wrote a comprehensive handover document for Squiz to facilitate integration of my templates into MySource Matrix CMS. Find out more about the NIWA project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Squiz/MySource Matrix, Government websites, Large sites

Salvation Army

Website: salvationarmy.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Salvation Army
Dates: May - September 2008
My professional status: employee at Shift

The Salvation Army (New Zealand, Fiji & Tonga Territory) wanted a new content-manageable website which would promote the organisation, provide information for people who either needed its help or wanted to join, and also provided homepages for all the Army corps around the country.

During the handover phase from my HTML/CSS to his CMS integration, the programmer and I re-assessed the site and identified additional templates that were required, which I then wireframed, designed and built following the existing site design. Find out more about the Salvation Army project

Categories: IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, ExpressionEngine, Large sites

NZWood (resources)

Website: nzwood.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: NZWood
Dates: April - June and August - September 2008
My professional status: employee at Shift

The NZWood resources site is is the largest in a series of websites for the organisation, and its main focus. It provides wood-related resources, tools, research and case studies for a range of industries that use wood, and could be encouraged to use more.

During the handover phase from my HTML/CSS to his CMS integration, the programmer and I re-assessed the site and identified additional templates that were required, which I then wireframed, designed and built following the existing site design. Find out more about the NZWood (resources) project

Categories: IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, ExpressionEngine, Large sites

Weta Digital

Website: wetafx.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Weta Digital
Dates: March - May 2008
My professional status: employee at Shift

Weta Digital wanted a new website that would act as a showcase for their film and commercial graphics and animation work, as well as a recruitment tool for potential employees. The success of Lord of the Rings meant that their old site was getting many thousands of hits a week from fans and job-hunters alike, and they urgently needed an updated look, and somewhere to showcase their high-quality Flash showreels. My responsibility was to build a set of HTML/CSS templates, which were integrated into ExpressionEngine by Tom St George, my colleague at Shift. Find out more about the Weta Digital project

Categories: Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, ExpressionEngine, Small sites

Discovery Bay School

Website: dbis.edu.hk (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Discovery Bay International School
Dates: March 2008
My professional status: employee at Shift

Hong Kong-based Discovery Bay International School wanted a new website which would become a central part of school life, showcasing class work and keeping parents and students up-to-date on school news and events. They also wanted the site to inform and encourage parents of potential students to choose Discovery Bay. My job was to build a set of 12 templates and prepare them for integration by my Shift colleague Tom St George into the ExpressionEngine CMS. Find out more about the Discovery Bay School project

Categories: Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, ExpressionEngine, Medium sites

Clean Edge

Website: not online
Client: Clean Edge
Dates: December 2007
My professional status: employee at Shift

Clean Edge was planned as a new online business, showcasing the work of New Zealand artists and allowing visitors to buy their paintings online. My job was to build a set of 23 templates which were then incorporated into the ExpressionEngine CMS by Tom St George, my colleague at Shift. The site design was very graphic-rich and incorporated a number of dynamic visual effects which I created using the script.aculo.us JavaScript library, which I taught myself to use. Find out more about the Clean Edge project

Categories: Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, ExpressionEngine, E-commerce, Medium sites

New Zealand String Quartet

Website: nzsq.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: New Zealand String Quartet
Dates: Phase 1: November 2007 - January 2008. Phase 2: July - September 2008. Phase 3: February 2011 - August 2014.
My professional status: employee at Shift (phases 1 & 2), and then independent web designer/developer (phase 3)

The New Zealand String Quartet website was designed by one of Shift's designers who subsequently left to go on his OE. In phase 2 of the project I added a range of new sections and widgets, and was responsible for designing the new pages, templates and widgets myself, as well as integration and WordPress PHP modification. 2½ years later in phase 3 I facilitated another site restructure and then took over ongoing site maintenance and support from Shift. Find out more about the New Zealand String Quartet project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, WordPress, Medium sites

OFLC (2007)

Website: censorship.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Office of Film & Literature Classification
Dates: October - November 2007 and August - September 2008
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: employee at Shift

The Office of Film & Literature Classification needed a new website which they could edit and update themselves. They decided that a templated Dreamweaver site would suit their needs well. The OFLC is a government department, so this information-rich site had to be fully accessible and e-government compliant.

My job was to build them a full set of Dreamweaver templates, create a basic site from these and train the OFLC staff how to edit text and add new pages to the site. Later on I provided client support, making larger-scale changes to the live site and working alongside their web editor to show them the best ways to develop their website in the future. Find out more about the OFLC (2007) project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Dreamweaver templates, Government websites, Medium sites

NZ Business Assessment

Website: no longer online
Client: Business Capability Partnership/Optimation
Dates: September - October 2007 with ongoing additions after go-live
Government status: funded through the Ministry for Economic Development
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Business Capability Partnership wanted a website for their New Zealand Business Assessment initiative, which was designed to enable business owners to assess their business's current capabilities and assist in identifying opportunities to improve business performance.

I designed and built 17 template pages for the site, which was developed by Optimation within an ASP.NET environment. Once phase 1 of the site went live, Optimation worked with the BCP to develop and extend the site's capabilities, and from time to time I worked alongside the Optimation developer to provide CSS for new elements. Find out more about the NZ Business Assessment project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, ASP or ASP.NET, Government websites, Small sites

NZWood (campaign)

Website: no longer online
Client: NZWood
Dates: August 2007
My professional status: employee at Shift

The NZWood campaign website was part of a series of sites for the organisation. The campaign site was designed to be highly interactive and included campaign videos and copies of print ads, as well as online discussions about many aspects of the campaign message. My job was to build 4 modular templates for the site in HTML and CSS, and to create a non-Flash version of the main navigation so that users without Flash could still navigate through the site. Find out more about the NZWood (campaign) project

Categories: Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, ExpressionEngine, Small sites

SmartMovez

Website: smartmovez.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: NZ Transport Agency
Dates: July - September 2007
Government status: Crown Entity
My professional status: employee at Shift

The NZ Transport Agency wanted a website that would act as as a one-stop-shop for partners and organisations that work with them. I was responsible for building 13 highly accessible and e-govt compliant templates for the site in HTML and CSS, and to liaise closely with the CMS development team at Squiz to ensure that the incorporation of my templates into the CMS was as easy as possible for them. Find out more about the SmartMovez project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Squiz/MySource Matrix, Government websites, Medium sites

NZWood (corporate)

Website: no longer online
Client: NZWood
Dates: June - July 2007
My professional status: employee at Shift

NZWood wanted a corporate website which would be the first in a series of sites, and deals mainly with information, news, and media releases about NZWood - an industry-wide programme designed to encourage the use of wood in New Zealand. My job was to build 19 templates for the site in HTML and CSS, and to liaise closely with Tom St George, our ExpressionEngine CMS developer to ensure that the incorporation of my templates into the CMS ran smoothly. Find out more about the NZWood (corporate) project

Categories: Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, ExpressionEngine, Medium sites

New Zealand Educated

Website: newzealandeducated.com (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Education New Zealand
Dates: May - September 2007
Government status: Crown Entity
My professional status: employee at Shift

New Zealand Educated wanted a fun, compelling and informative website that would encourage overseas students to study in New Zealand. I built a set of 36 complex templates for the site in HTML and CSS, which were tested across a wide range of browsers and platforms and which achieved a high level of compliance with e-government accessibility guidelines. Education New Zealand is a Crown Entity funded by the New Zealand Government. Find out more about the New Zealand Educated project

Categories: Showcase sites, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, ExpressionEngine, Government websites, Large sites

NZ Cricket Membership App

Website: internal NZC access only
Client: New Zealand Cricket
Dates: May - June 2007
My professional status: employee at Shift

In 2006 Shift developed an online database application for New Zealand Cricket to collect data online and use it effectively. Phase Two of the project involved expanding the application to include player stats, public access to data, and club websites. My job was to create new HTML pages based on those created in Phase One, interpreting the Phase Two schematics to incorporate the application's new functionalities. I also extended the page design across all the new templates. Find out more about the NZ Cricket Membership App project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, Large sites

Māori Media Network

Website: maorimedia.co.nz
Client: Māori Media Network
Dates: April - August 2007
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Māori Media Network wanted a new website which would promote their skills and services online. I designed and built the site and also worked on project management, information architecture and site schematics, as well as planning for JavaScript and CMS integration. Find out more about the Māori Media Network project

KiwiSaver

Website: kiwisaver.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Inland Revenue
Dates: March - June 2007
Government status: Government Department
My professional status: employee at Shift

Shift designed and built the KiwiSaver website in 2006, and the second phase, which was when I joined the project, was to enable online transactions. My job, together with my colleague Ross Howard, was to style a full set of interactive KiwiSaver portlets with IRD styling and to tweak and bug-fix portlets which had already been integrated into the system. The job entailed working alongside the development team, working directly on the servers at IRD. In addition I built two new static HTML pages, and designed and built a third page. Find out more about the KiwiSaver project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Government websites, Medium sites

Tourism NZ intranet

Website: intranet
Client: Tourism New Zealand
Dates: February - June 2007
Government status: part of the Ministry of Tourism
My professional status: employee at Shift

Shift had an ongoing relationship with Tourism New Zealand, which resulted in four Webby nominations and two Webby awards in four years. In addition to the TNZ website, Shift also provided the TNZ team with an intranet, run on the Shado CMS. TNZ wanted a new look and feel for their intranet in four different colourways, while retaining the existing HTML and CMS as far as possible. My job was to re-skin a number of the master templates, by changing the CSS, rebuilding the header and footer HTML, and building an entirely new homepage. Find out more about the Tourism NZ intranet project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Shado, Medium sites

Drilling for Diamonds

Website: no longer online
Client: The Mills Group
Dates: February 2007 - March 2012
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

The Mills Group wanted a website which would both promote their Drilling for Diamonds online coaching products and act as a secure portal through which D4D coaches could train staff. The secure login included an admin section through which The Mills Group staff could add new clients and coaches, give them access to the online coaching materials, and create collections of personalised coaching materials for specific groups within the coaching scheme.

I designed and built the site and also worked on project management, information architecture and site schematics. I continued as the site's webmaster once the site went live. Find out more about the Drilling for Diamonds project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, Other CMS, Small sites

Legal Services Agency

Website: no longer online
Client: Legal Services Agency
Dates: January 2007
Government status: Government-funded Agency
My professional status: employee at Shift

The Legal Services Agency was responsible for helping people access justice, by funding legal aid, initial criminal legal services and community law centres, providing direct representation through the in-house service, the Public Defence Service, and producing law-related education and information. I was responsible for building a set of 17 templates (using three colourways for different sections of the site) for the website, which was then handed over to their existing CMS team for integration into a content management system. Find out more about the Legal Services Agency project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Government websites, Medium sites

Buy Kiwi Made

Website: buykiwimade.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Economic Development
Dates: December 2006 - February 2007
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: employee at Shift

The Ministry of Economic Development wanted a set of template pages for the new Buy Kiwi Made website, using existing HTML pages from the MED website. My job was to assess the existing HTML/CSS in order to provide guidelines for our designer, re-skin the HTML pages by changing the CSS to create the Buy Kiwi Made site, and build a number of new templates using the existing HTML as a starting-point. The templates were then handed back to the MED in-house CMS team for re-integration into their content management system. Find out more about the Buy Kiwi Made project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Government websites, Medium sites

New Zealand Police

Website: police.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: New Zealand Police
Dates: December 2006
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: employee at Shift

The New Zealand Police wanted to re-vamp their website without having to change much of the existing HTML. My job was to re-skin the site, as far as possible altering the CSS only. I also built a new homepage based on the existing HTML and navigation elements in the rest of the site, and advised the designer on which visual elements could be changed using CSS only. Find out more about the New Zealand Police project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Government websites, Large sites

The Gathering Archives

Website: thegathering.co.nz
Client: me
Dates: October 2006 - present
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

In October 2006 I began creating, designing, building and writing The Gathering Archives website and accompanying WordPress blog, with the aim of becoming the authoritative source of information on the history and background of iconic New Zealand dance party, The Gathering. The site is divided into different sections for each of the six Gatherings, and includes facts & figures, media coverage, Gathering artwork, photos, video and film footage, Gatherer stories and maps of the venue for each party. The design for each section is based on the official Gathering artwork from that year. Find out more about the The Gathering Archives project

Categories: Showcase sites, Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, WordPress, No CMS, Large sites

WWF-NZ

Website: wwf.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: WWF-New Zealand
Dates: October - November 2006 and July - August 2007
My professional status: employee at Shift

Shift donated some time to the Worldwide Fund for Nature New Zealand (WWF-NZ) in order that we could build them a better website than they could afford. I built a set of 17 templates for the site in HTML and pure CSS, and felt that the design could do with livening up and beautifying somewhat. I modified and improved the original design and introduced some photographic elements, including the Flash header. Find out more about the WWF-NZ project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, Flash, ExpressionEngine, Large sites

Shift

Website: no longer online
Client: Shift
Dates: October - November 2006
My professional status: employee at Shift

Shift's new-look website was a long time coming, mainly because Shifties were always working on somebody else's website! I was part of the team that finally got the chance to complete it and get it online. My job was to project-manage the team and complete the HTML/CSS build of the 10 templates used in the site, using best practice techniques and ensuring that the site met or exceeded e-government accessibility guidelines. I was also responsible for design development of some pages, based on designs already created for other templates. Find out more about the Shift project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, ExpressionEngine, Medium sites

myVictoria

Website: my.vuw.ac.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Victoria University
Dates: October 2006
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: employee at Shift

Victoria University wanted a redesign for their existing portal, used by students and staff. Shift created two different designs, which could be alternated as the University required. My job was to re-skin the portal by changing the stylesheets for the channels and iFrames which made up the elements within the portal. I could not change any of the HTML, as this was generated automatically by the system. Find out more about the myVictoria project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, Other CMS, Government websites, Medium sites

Open Cloud

Website: opencloud.com (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Open Cloud
Dates: August 2006
My professional status: employee at Shift

Open Cloud needed an editable website without the expense of a full CMS. The company had commissioned a design for the site, and wanted Shift to build it. I built the site using Dreamweaver templates, so that the client (who had some knowledge of basic HTML and CSS) would be able to edit the site in the future. I partially content-loaded the site and handed it over to the client to finish, providing technical support throughout this process. Find out more about the Open Cloud project

Categories: Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, Dreamweaver templates, Medium sites

National Library

Website: natlib.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: National Library of New Zealand
Dates: July - October 2006
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: employee at Shift

The National Library of New Zealand needed a new website to replace their old and outdated one. It was to be fully editable by the National Library's web team, and was to be integrated into the Plone CMS by 3months.com. My role was to build a full set of templates for the site in HTML and pure CSS. The site was a liquid layout with min-and max-width, needed to be absolutely consistent across a wide range of browsers and platforms, and had to achieve a high level of compliance with e-government accessibility guidelines. Find out more about the National Library project

Categories: Client liaison, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Plone, Government websites, Large sites

Resultex & INOV8

Website: resultex.co.nz and inov8.co.nz (both sites have since been redesigned)
Client: Resultex and INOV8
Dates: May - October 2006
My professional status: employee at Shift

The Resultex and INOV8 teams wanted a pair of matching CSS websites that they could edit themselves. I built the websites using Dreamweaver's template functionality. Shift fully content-loaded the Resultex site for the client before it went live, and handed over the INOV8 site for the client to complete. Find out more about the Resultex & INOV8 project

Categories: Client liaison, Front-end developer, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Dreamweaver templates, Small sites

WebWeaver's World

Website: webweaversworld.blogspot.co.nz
Client: me
Dates: May 2006 - present
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

A blog about my passions. May include some or all of the following: geek stuff (web design & development, CSS, accessibility, usability), environmental activism, my adopted home of New Zealand, international & green politics, gardening, cats, literature, rugby, and much more. Find out more about the WebWeaver's World project

Categories: Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, Blogger, Large sites

VOCO

Website: voco.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: VOCO
Dates: May 2006
My professional status: employee at Base Two

VOCO (formerly i-solutions) was re-branding and needed a new website to go with the new name. They contracted two companies to work on the project - a design company (inexperienced in web design) and Base Two (to do the build and incorporation into the CMS). My role was to build the site in HTML and pure CSS and, after it was incorporated into the CMS, to complete last-minute changes and oversee go-live. I also project-managed the final phase and mentored my colleague who was learning HTML/CSS. Find out more about the VOCO project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Front-end developer, CSS-based layout, Other CMS, Medium sites

Ministry of Transport (2006)

Website: transport.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Transport
Dates: April - June 2006
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: employee at Base Two

Base Two had carried out a complete redesign of the very large MOT site, and placed it within the SilverStripe CMS. My job, at the end of the project, was to complete the website and prepare it for go-live. This included bug-fixing of the HTML, CSS, CMS and JavaScript. It also included extensive browser testing. Find out more about the Ministry of Transport (2006) project

Categories: Project manager, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Government websites, Large sites

NZHistory

Website: nzhistory.net.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Culture and Heritage
Dates: September - October 2005
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at Shift

The existing large information-rich NZHistory website needed a complete resdesign, which was carried out by Shift. My job was to translate the complex design into a CSS website, which would then be incorporated into a Content Management System. As part of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the site exhibited a high level of accessibility, was built in valid XHTML and CSS, and passed accessibility tests levels 1 and 2 (and 3 where possible). It was supposed to be pixel-perfect in 7 different browsers on Mac and PC. I raised that to 13. Find out more about the NZHistory project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Government websites, Large sites

LTNZ

Website: no longer online
Client: Land Transport New Zealand
Dates: September - October 2005
Government status: part of NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), a Crown Entity
My professional status: contractor at Shift

The LTNZ website (formerly Land Transport Safety Authority) had been through a number of different "looks" and had ended up with three different designs appearing across the site. In order to streamline and improve both the look and the information architecture, Shift redesigned the site, and passed it on to me to re-skin. This means changing the existing CSS, but not the HTML, if possible. As a government website, it conformed to e-government guidelines, utilised validated HTML 4.01 Transitional and CSS, and maintained a consistent appearance across a range of browsers on Mac and PC. Find out more about the LTNZ project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, Government websites, Large sites

Timeframes

Website: timeframes.natlib.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: National Library of New Zealand
Dates: July - August 2005
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: contractor at Shift

The National Library of New Zealand wanted to update the huge Alexander Turnbull image database available online, so that users could more easily search the database, save and order images. I built a CSS website front-end, which was then integrated into the database. The site had a liquid layout with min-width, followed e-government guidelines with a very high level of accessibility, and was built in XHTML 1.0 Transitional and CSS. It was consistent across a total of 12 browsers in Mac and PC. Find out more about the Timeframes project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Other CMS, E-commerce, Government websites, Large sites

MED ISU

Website: no longer online
Client: Ministry of Economic Development
Dates: February - March 2005
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at Origin Design

The design for the new main MED site had been done by Shift, who had also supplied a set of design standards, and had mocked-up a version of a sub-site content page. Origin were asked to extend the design to show how it would be applied to a range of pages in the ISU sub-site. They provided me with a series of wireframes, and I developed the design from that point, and drew up a Photoshop visualisation for each of the page templates. Find out more about the MED ISU project

Categories: Project manager, Website designer, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, Government websites, Small sites

Ans Westra

Website: no longer online
Client: Ministry of Education
Dates: January 2005
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

The Ministry of Education wanted to add a new sub-site to an existing Arts collection within the Te Kite Ipurangi portal website. I designed the site, which was developed as a CSS site within the existing TKI template. Find out more about the Ans Westra project

Categories: Website designer, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, eZ Publish, Government websites, Small sites

Learning Languages

Website: tki.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Education
Dates: January 2005
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

The Ministry of Education wanted a new design for the Learning Languages series. There were 5 sub-sites in all, which needed to match each other while still retaining some individuality. A homepage was also needed to introduce all of the sub-sites. I designed the site, which was developed as a CSS site within the existing TKI template. Find out more about the Learning Languages project

Categories: Website designer, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, eZ Publish, Government websites, Small sites

asTTle

Website: no longer online
Client: Ministry of Education and University of Auckland
Dates: November 2004
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

The Ministry of Education wanted a new design for the updated asTTle site as part of CWA's Te Kete Ipurangi portal website. I used existing printwork of the new asTTle branding as my initial inspiration and created a look and feel which was sympathetic with that branding while adding unique elements of its own. Find out more about the asTTle project

Categories: Website designer, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, eZ Publish, Government websites, Small sites

Exemplars - Social Studies

Website: tki.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Education
Dates: November 2004
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

The Social Studies Exemplars website required PDF versions of each exemplar. I made these by transferring the content of each exemplar into a Freehand file and laying out the content in the most efficient way possible, and then exporting the files as PDFs. An important part of the process was extensive proof-reading to ensure that each XHTML page was exactly replicated in the Freehand file. Find out more about the Exemplars - Social Studies project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, eZ Publish, Government websites, Medium sites

Exemplars - Health & PE

Website: tki.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Education
Dates: October - November 2004
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

The Health & PE Exemplars website required PDF versions of each exemplar. I made these by transferring the content of each exemplar into a Freehand file and laying out the content in the most efficient way possible, and then exporting the files as PDFs. An important part of the process was extensive proof-reading to ensure that each XHTML page was exactly replicated in the Freehand file. Find out more about the Exemplars - Health & PE project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, CSS-based layout, eZ Publish, Government websites, Medium sites

Gifted & Talented Students

Website: tki.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Education
Dates: September and November 2004
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

This site needed a major update and overhaul, with the addition of an online version of the Minstry of Education handbook Gifted and talented students: Meeting their needs in New Zealand schools, and related online reading material. I designed the site as part of CWA's Te Kete Ipurangi portal website, which was built in XHTML/XML and CSS. I also did some of the development of the new site. Find out more about the Gifted & Talented Students project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, eZ Publish, Government websites, Medium sites

Living Heritage

Website: no longer online
Client: Living Heritage/2020 Communications Trust
Dates: September - October 2004
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

The projects on this site were added by schools using a template. Over time the site had become quite inconsistent, so I did an audit of the online and offline versions and ensured that these were exactly the same. I also tidied up various projects and updated the index pages. Find out more about the Living Heritage project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, eZ Publish, Large sites

Ngā Toi Online

Website: tki.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Education
Dates: September 2004
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

This large, constantly updated, bilingual site had reached a stage where the two halves were no longer a mirror of each other. Guided by an extensive paper edit I made alterations in XHTML to the content of virtually every page, most of which were in te reo. Find out more about the Ngā Toi Online project

Categories: Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, eZ Publish, Government websites, Large sites

Claremont Estate

Website: claremont-estate.com (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Claremont Estate
Dates: July - August 2004
My professional status: contractor at Oryx Technologies

The existing website required a complete overhaul, redesign and redevelopment to reduce and refine the large amount of text on each page. I rebuilt the site and streamlined the CSS styles and includes sitewide. I also made a sub-site based on the client's PowerPoint presentation and added a Flash header to each page. Find out more about the Claremont Estate project

Categories: Front-end developer, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, Flash, Dreamweaver templates, Medium sites

Gifted & Talented Support

Website: tki.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Education
Dates: June 2004
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

This Key Collection within the Te Kete Ipurangi website portal was aimed at parents and whānau of gifted and talented kids, and was based on the existing printwork from the Ministry of Education. I designed the website, which was developed as a fully CSS site within the existing TKI template. Find out more about the Gifted & Talented Support project

Categories: Website designer, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, eZ Publish, Government websites, Small sites

Three Rs of Diversity

Website: no longer online
Client: Ministry of Education
Dates: May - August 2004
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

This site was built in XHTML/XML within Te Kete Ipurangi's CSS-only template. I made extensive client alterations to the code by hand and validated the site for XHTML 1.0 Transitional. Find out more about the Three Rs of Diversity project

Categories: IA & UX, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Content-loader, CSS-based layout, e-govt/WCAG compliance, eZ Publish, Government websites, Medium sites

WebWeaver Productions (2000-2015)

Website: webweaver.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: me
Dates: September 2000 - April 2015
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Commissioned, designed, architecture-d, developed, built, written, edited and project-managed by me. In July 2005 I rebuilt the original tables-based site in pure CSS. It was designed to be fully accessible, displayed a liquid layout with min-width, was written in valid HTML 4.01 Transitional and CSS, and was fully accessibility-tested and displayed consistently across 13 browsers in Mac and PC. I built it using templates and Dreamweaver library items so that I could easily update it and make alterations. Find out more about the WebWeaver Productions (2000-2015) project

Categories: Project manager, IA & UX, Content designer, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, CSS-based layout, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, No CMS, Large sites