Website Development Portfolio, Website Design, Flash Animation & Programming
Design & Layout
Using Photoshop, I design the graphical look & layout of the website.
I slice up the layout, develop the html & CSS, apply any necessary scripting, and put it all together to make a fully functional website.
If there is a Content Management System that drives the website, this is generally step #2 in the development process. I integrate the development code with existing programming: most of the time having to adding/changing/modifying some of the programming.
Flash Design, Concept, & Animation
Authoring Flash from scratch, I conceptualize the animation sequence to see how elements will animate before I go ahead and make it happen. After I've sketched or formed a mental visual of how things are going to move around on the scene, I go ahead & create the sequence.
It was a project I took on to see if I could pull it off. I came in to the office on the weekend, walked around with a tripod & my trusted PowerShot G5, took over 100 photos, stitched together the different areas to form the 360 panoramic shots, and used Flash to put the entire interactive thing together. I was definitely an army of one on this one.
Using Photoshop, I design the graphical look & layout of the website.
OriginalPhotoshop Splice & Website Development
From scratch, it is my own work. Contrast to what I may note as "Very Client-Specific," the majority (if not all) of the design is something I would agree with.
Overhauled Template
It's "overhauled" because I manipulated the design (and clean it up) so much so that the original template barely resembles the new layout and visa versa.
Why use a template? Sometimes development cost along with turnaround time are a concern for the client, and as such, an existing design template allows developers to complete a site in half the time (and cost) while still being able to deliver a professional & competitive website.
Very Client-Specific
I make a note of this if the client has a very specific or strict design & layout preference in mind, which may potentially look unappealing to others (including myself). I also tend to start off with what I think would look best, but the end result is what it is regardless of my original design & professional advice to do otherwise. Sometimes there is middle ground but in the end, if the client is pleased, that's what matters.
I slice up the layout, develop the html & CSS, apply any necessary scripting, and put it all together to make a fully functional website.
CSS OnlyCMS Integration & PHP Programming
No tables are used in the development of the site. Cross-browser issues become more sensitive but overall, the development is much more flexible.
SEO/SEM CSS Optimization
Using CSS, I do a number of fun things. Code hierarchy is just one example. I change up the source code location. For example, if you have a DIV full of content & you need it to sit higher in the source code over something like a bunch of navigation images, that's what I mean by code hierarchy.
W3C XHTML Compliance
I develop just about all of my sites to w3c guidelines. If you parse the page via the w3c html or CSS validation engine, the website will validate. If I'm including a note about CMS interference, this means that the WYSIWYG editor that is built in to the CSM does not generate valid code, and thus, any pages that are "dynamic" and pulls content edited/generated by the editor, will not validate.
Web 2.0
Some people wrap a definition around this & some think of it as just an idea. To me it's just a term that defines a set of simple guidelines for the graphical design. Most common are concepts like rounding things off, using reflections, glass-like elements & gradients, and large or spacious content. Basically it's lots of eye-candy that's not too over the top.
Tables
This means that the project was developed using tables (and is probably old). Tables have been around forever and are generally much easier to work with.
If there is a Content Management System that drives the website, this is generally step #2 in the development process. I integrate the development code with existing programming: most of the time having to adding/changing/modifying some of the programming.
Flash Design, Concept, & Animation
Authoring Flash from scratch, I conceptualize the animation sequence to see how elements will animate before I go ahead and make it happen. After I've sketched or formed a mental visual of how things are going to move around on the scene, I go ahead & create the sequence.
Programming with Action ScriptFlash Office Tour: Photography, Design, Animation & Programming
I use Action Script in my Flash to achieve things that either require its use, or to just make sure the animation itself is scripted efficiently (as opposed to frame-based animation).
Flash Detection & Alternative Content
Now a day this is typically common sense but if I have it explicitly specified, it indicates an older project when doing so was either a pain or simply overlooked by developers. There is a check in place to detect if a user has Flash, and if they do not, then they not only get some sort of a message indication to install Flash (or enable JavaScript), but the alternative content ensures that the design and layout of the site is not just missing or broken. Flash Object lets you set things up to where you can seamlessly have either Flash or no Flash and the visitor just viewing at the site may not notice any difference.
It was a project I took on to see if I could pull it off. I came in to the office on the weekend, walked around with a tripod & my trusted PowerShot G5, took over 100 photos, stitched together the different areas to form the 360 panoramic shots, and used Flash to put the entire interactive thing together. I was definitely an army of one on this one.
Graphics & Photography Copyright © 2008 by Chris Gerikh.
Do not distribute for promotional use without my consent.
Do not distribute for promotional use without my consent.