Government websites

This page lists those sites I've played a part in developing and/or designing that come under the umbrella of "Government" sites. This includes websites for New Zealand Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Crown Research Institutes, Crown Enterprises, State-Owned Enterprises and Crown Entities.

I aim to reach high accessibility standards with all the websites I build, and this is particularly important with government websites, as all Public Service departments and Non-Public Service departments in the State Services are directed to implement the New Zealand Web Accessibility Standard 1.1 and the Web Usability Standard 1.3.

Crown Entities, State-Owned Enterprises and Local Government are not mandated to adhere to these standards, but are strongly encouraged to do so - so I aim for the same level of e-government accessibility I would include in a Government Ministry website.

I aim to meet or exceed all e-government accessibility requirements at level AA (based on WCAG 2.1) for all government websites.

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

Case studies in this category

MacDiarmid Institute (2024)

Website: macdiarmid.ac.nz
Client: The MacDiarmid Institute
Dates: October 2023 - present
Government status: Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE)
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Categories: Client liaison, IA & UX, Content-loader, Responsive web design/dev, e-govt/WCAG compliance, SilverStripe, Government websites, Large 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

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

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

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

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

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

ACE Aotearoa

Website: aceaotearoa.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: ACE Aotearoa
Dates: March-April 2015
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Adult and Community Education (ACE) Aotearoa is the lead body for adult and community educators and a voice for adult learners. It is a membership organisation which represents both its members and the wider ACE sector. It provides advocacy and direction for policy development and its implementation. I was responsible for figure out how to update their website after their regular web editor left, creating and removing pages, content-loading, making graphics, and editing/proofreading content. The website runs on the Drupal CMS. Find out more about the ACE Aotearoa project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Drupal, Government websites, Large 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

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

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

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

Corrections

Website: corrections.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Department of Corrections
Dates: April - May 2013
Government status: Government Department
My professional status: contractor at the Department of Corrections

The Corrections website project consisted of a restructure, redesign, and rebuild of an existing website. The new website had been designed by Provoke, and was being built in Squiz Matrix by Optimation. Initially I was taken on by Corrections as a web content co-ordinator, with my main responsibility being to help their web team to transfer content from their old website to the new one, and to ensure that it was formatted correctly once it got there.

I ended up working alongside Steve Beckett, the Corrections project manager, with the aim of ensuring that the development and integration of the site matched the original design and that it would be easy to use for the ongoing web editors at Corrections. Find out more about the Corrections project

Categories: Client liaison, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Squiz/MySource Matrix, Government websites, Large sites

Licensed Building Practitioners

Website: lbp.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Building Practitioners Board and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Dates: April - May 2013
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: Web consultant with Insight Consultants Ltd

Insight Consultants Ltd was invited to design a new website for Licensed Building Practitioners, supported by MBIE. The website was to be part of the much larger business.govt.nz website, built in Plone, and the design was restricted by the requirements and capabilities of this larger site.

I was responsible for helping with the initial pitch and then working through user testing, sitemapping and wireframing with them. I also advised the Insight designers on how best to tackle the modular and restrictive nature of the Plone infrastructure while still bringing a level of BPB branding and styling to the design. Find out more about the Licensed Building Practitioners project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, IA & UX, Website designer, Plone, Government websites, 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LINZ

Website: linz.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Land Information New Zealand
Dates: November 2005 - March 2006, May 2006, June 2007
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

LINZ wanted to redevelop and add new content to the Mariner's section of the LINZ website, which was housed outside the main site, and was not part of the CMS.

After I completed this project, I was retained as an e-government expert to advise on the most effective way of converting PDFs to web pages - and how to create Word documents in the future which could more easily be converted to accessible web pages. I subsequently designed and developed 11 subsites which housed LINZ's most-requested key documents - including the LINZ Statement of Intent and the Annual Report. Find out more about the LINZ project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Old-school table layout, Other CMS, Government websites, Medium 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

Gambling Helpline

Website: no longer online
Client: Gambling Helpline New Zealand
Dates: February 2005
Government status: funded by the Ministry of Health
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

Gambling Helpline wanted to redesign the way that results were displayed within their online assessment (built in Flash). They felt that the existing method of display was unclear, and wanted a range of concepts from which they could select the final design. I came up with a number of concepts and refined the preferred design. Find out more about the Gambling Helpline project

Categories: Website designer, Flash, 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

wickED Eat Well

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

The wickED website was aimed at kids and showcased a new theme every month, with activities for the kids to do based on that theme. The artwork featured the three wickeED characters and had to fit in with the existing look and feel of the website. Each theme featured a homepage and two activities pages.

The homepage design for this theme had been developed by another CWA designer. I completed the design and then used it as a basis for the activities pages. Find out more about the wickED Eat Well project

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

wickED Christmas

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

The wickED website was aimed at kids and showcased a new theme every month, with activities for the kids to do based on that theme. I designed and illustrated the Christmas theme. Find out more about the wickED Christmas project

Categories: Website designer, Writing for the web, 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

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

Digital Stories

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

CWA required full and very detailed testing of all their websites by different members of the team. The sites had to be fully compliant with e-government guidelines, and be as accessible as possible over a wide range of browsers and platforms. I tested this site and provided a written report detailing my results and recommendations. Find out more about the Digital Stories project

Categories: Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, eZ Publish, Government websites, Small sites

ECE ICT

Website: offline PowerPoint presentation
Client: Ministry of Education - Early Childhood Education
Dates: June - July 2004
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

The Early Childhood Education team wanted a new logo based on a set of key words and phrases. From this would be developed templates for a Powerpoint presentation. I designed the logo using a matrix approach, and developed the five best ideas, from which they chose their favourite. I then designed the templates around this new logo. Find out more about the ECE ICT project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Government websites, Small 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

wickED Year of Rice

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

The wickED kids site was given a new theme each month, using the same characters each time with a completely new look and feel. I designed the International Year of Rice theme and created all-new graphics, style and page layout. Find out more about the wickED Year of Rice project

Categories: Website designer, eZ Publish, Government websites, Small sites

Kākāpō Recovery

Website: kakaporecovery.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Department of Conservation
Dates: December 2003 - March 2005
Government status: Government Department
My professional status: independent web designer/developer

This website needed regular updating over a number of years. I added new images and sections and made text changes as requested by the Department of Conservation. I also proof--read the site, made corrections to the text and improved the design. The site was later translated into Japanese, and I worked with the translator to get this online and linked to the English version of the site. Find out more about the Kākāpō Recovery project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, Old-school table layout, No CMS, Government websites, Small sites

CHR

Website: chranz.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Centre for Housing Research
Dates: November 2003
Government status: part of Housing New Zealand Corporation (a Government Agency)
My professional status: employee at Origin Design

The CHR website reflects the new branding and printwork designed by Origin, and presents information-rich pages in a straightforward and logical manner. I advised the designer on web design strategies and built the site. Find out more about the CHR project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Old-school table layout, No CMS, Government websites, Small sites

Transpower National Grid

Website: no longer online
Client: Transpower
Dates: September 2003
Government status: State-Owned Enterprise
My professional status: employee at Origin Design

Transpower wanted to show the long and detailed history of the development of the National Grid. This potentially dry subject matter required an innovative approach which would both tell the story and reflect the Transpower brand. I put together and animated a series of interactive Flash pages showing the development of the National Grid along a timeline from 1913-2003. Find out more about the Transpower National Grid project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Flash, Government websites, Small sites

Ao Kawe Kupu

Website: no longer online
Client: New Zealand Qualifications Authority
Dates: May - August 2002
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: contractor at Communication Arts

Following the online success of QA News, the client decided to put this bi-monthly printed newsletter onto the NZQA website. The newsletter was partly in English, partly in te reo. I developed the newsletter into a new website format, which I designed to complement the QA News design. Find out more about the Ao Kawe Kupu project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Writing for the web, Content-loader, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Old-school table layout, Government websites, Small sites

ProtectNZ

Website: no longer online
Client: Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries
Dates: August - September 2001. Redesign March 2002
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: employee at Origin Design

ProtectNZ wished to provide online Biosecurity information specifically targeted to different user groups. I built a series of templates for the new Biosecurity website, following a design by Origin. The templates were then used to create a fully dynamic website which could easily be updated by the Biosecurity team. Find out more about the ProtectNZ project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Old-school table layout, Database-driven (pre-CMS), Government websites, Medium sites

QA News

Website: no longer online
Client: New Zealand Qualifications Authority
Dates: June 2001 - February 2003
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: contractor at Communication Arts

QA News is the web version of a quarterly printed newsletter which was seamlessly integrated into the large NZQA website. I translated the newsletter into an existing website format, ensuring that each edition matched the print version exactly. Find out more about the QA News project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Old-school table layout, Government websites, Small sites

Ministry of Transport (2001)

Website: mot.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Transport
Dates: January - April 2001
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at Origin Design

The Ministry of Transport needed an accessible website which would house a large amount of information and which could disseminate that information easily. I built the site following an existing Origin design, and advised the team on the technicalities of designing for the web. I also sourced, integrated and programmed an effective search engine for the site. Find out more about the Ministry of Transport (2001) project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Govt web standards tester, Content-loader, jQuery/JavaScript, e-govt/WCAG compliance, Old-school table layout, No CMS, Government websites, Medium sites

VUW School of Business

Website: no longer online
Client: Victoria University Wellington
Dates: November 2000
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: contractor at Mission Hall

VUW wanted a fully integrated database-driven site, where each School would have a individual "look" based upon the same structure, architecture and coding. I built this website following the design created by Mission Hall, and including features introduced for the Graduate School site. Find out more about the VUW School of Business project

Categories: Front-end developer, Content-loader, jQuery/JavaScript, Old-school table layout, Database-driven (pre-CMS), Government websites, Small sites

VUW School of Economics

Website: no longer online
Client: Victoria University Wellington
Dates: November 2000
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: contractor at Mission Hall

The website was structured in exactly the same way as the one for the School of Business & Public Management (see above), so that the majority of each site could be converted to database-driven pages. Find out more about the VUW School of Economics project

Categories: Front-end developer, Content-loader, jQuery/JavaScript, Old-school table layout, Database-driven (pre-CMS), Government websites, Small sites

VUW Graduate School

Website: vuw.ac.nz/sog (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Victoria University Wellington
Dates: September - October 2000
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: contractor at Mission Hall

Victoria University had developed their very large website around a Visual Basic web-based publishing solution designed for use by VUW staff. I built a new subsite for the Graduate School, following the design created by Mission Hall. This involved creating highly robust templates for pages which became part of the publishing solution. Find out more about the VUW Graduate School project

Categories: Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, jQuery/JavaScript, Old-school table layout, Database-driven (pre-CMS), Government websites, Medium sites

TeachNZ

Website: teachnz.govt.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Ministry of Education and Ogilvy & Mather
Dates: May - August 2000
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at Base Two

The existing TeachNZ website needed to be completely rebuilt and restructured - with all-new content and with a double navigation structure utilising frames and popup navigation windows. I worked on the architecture and then built the site itself. Find out more about the TeachNZ project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Front-end developer, Content-loader, jQuery/JavaScript, Old-school table layout, Database-driven (pre-CMS), Government websites, Large sites

Lungfish

Website: lungfish.co.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Health Sponsorship Council - Smokefree
Dates: February - August 2000
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: contractor at Base Two

Lungfish is the youth brand of Smokefree New Zealand. We rebranded the Lungfish website, targeting its market directly with a very funky, experimental and fresh image and navigation/architecture design, which I built and project-managed with the Base Two team. Find out more about the Lungfish project

Categories: Project manager, IA & UX, Front-end developer, Content-loader, jQuery/JavaScript, Old-school table layout, Database-driven (pre-CMS), Government websites, Medium sites

Te Puna

Website: no longer online
Client: National Library of New Zealand
Dates: March - July 1999
Government status: Government Agency
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

The National Library wanted a user-friendly gateway into the Library's Te Puna search databases, which I co-designed and built, and which was used by librarians across the country. My job also included facilitating the information flow between all the parties involved in the project and ensuring that their different needs were met, as well as advising them on technical issues. Find out more about the Te Puna project

Categories: Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Old-school table layout, Database-driven (pre-CMS), Government websites, Small sites

Te Rauparaha

Website: tki.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: National Library of New Zealand, Ngati Toa, and Ministry of Education
Dates: March - July 1999
Government status: Government Agency and Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

The National Library wanted to develop their te reo online education resources, and chose the story of Te Rauparaha to begin. I designed the architecture and oversaw the development of this site, which used the taonga of the Turnbull Collection to illustrate the story. Find out more about the Te Rauparaha project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Writing for the web, Old-school table layout, eZ Publish, Government websites, Medium sites

Kiwi Recovery Programme

Website: kiwirecovery.org.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Department of Conservation, Bank of New Zealand (sponsors), and Forest & Bird
Dates: January 1998 - October 1999
Government status: Government Department
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media and then independent web designer/developer

This was a join initiative between DoC, the Bank of New Zealand (who sponsor the programme) and Forest & Bird. I built and maintained this multi-award-winning framed website, with considerable design freedom in deeper levels of the site. Later I suggested areas within the site that could be developed, all of which I then researched, wrote, designed and built. Find out more about the Kiwi Recovery Programme project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, jQuery/JavaScript, Old-school table layout, No CMS, Government websites, Large sites

Whitireia Polytechnic

Website: whitireia.ac.nz (site has since been redesigned)
Client: Whitireia Polytechnic
Dates: December 1997 - March 1998
Government status: Crown-Owned Tertiary Education Institution
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

Whitireia wanted to showcase the courses offered by the Polytechnic. I built this award-winning site once the design was complete. My work included development of the site into deeper information-rich levels, and development of the design within these levels. Find out more about the Whitireia Polytechnic project

Categories: Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Old-school table layout, No CMS, Government websites, Medium sites

ESOL

Website: no longer online
Client: Ministry of Education
Dates: October - November 1997
Government status: Government Ministry
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

ESOL was a sub-site which I designed and built within the Ministry of Education's own website. The client wanted a simple and easy to navigate site, following MoE colour and logo guidelines. Find out more about the ESOL project

Categories: Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Webmaster, Old-school table layout, No CMS, Government websites, Small sites

Healthy Lifestyles

Website: no longer online
Client: Wellington College of Education and the Cancer Society
Dates: August 1997 - September 1999
Government status: Crown-Owned Tertiary Education Institution
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

This Cancer Society-sponsored award-winning website promoted healthy lifestyles for kids. I worked closely with the content creator to design, illustrate, develop and build a series of online school projects within the site. Find out more about the Healthy Lifestyles project

Categories: Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Writing for the web, Content-loader, Webmaster, Old-school table layout, No CMS, Government websites, Large sites

Hillary Commission

Website: no longer online
Client: The Hillary Commission
Dates: April 1997 and March - October 1999
Government status: was part of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage
My professional status: contractor at CWA New Media

I designed and built the Kids Go 4 It and Push Play sections, and maintained and developed the main multi-award-winning site. In 1999 the Hillary Commission wanted a compete overhaul of the site, which I carried out - including design and architecture, budgeting and timelining. Find out more about the Hillary Commission project

Categories: Scoping/pitching/quoting, Client liaison, Project manager, IA & UX, Website designer, Front-end developer, Content-loader, Webmaster, Old-school table layout, No CMS, Government websites, Large sites