The art in web design

...is not just about a pretty site with the latest trendy graphics. It lies in creating an intelligent information design and executing this design in beautiful code. I will ensure that your new web site or site redesign will be an example of both.

Beautiful code

...has the following qualities:

  • It validates.
  • It is accessible.
  • It renders the similarly across browsers.
  • Content and style are kept seperate.
  • It is written in semantic markup.
  • It is easy for another developer to read and edit.

Intelligent design

...consists of asking the most basic questions first.

  • What is the purpose for your website?
  • Who are your users?

By answering these questions and taking into consideration usability and information architecture issues from the beginning, I make sure that the final design will serve your needs and those of your site visitors without a lot of extra fluff.

Beauty is more than skin deep

What if you brought home a beautiful new Ferrari, only to pop the hood and find the engine put together with rubber bands and duct tape? Unfortunately, this is the way many web sites are built: slick and shiny on the outside and a tangled mess of code "under the hood".

And messy code is, in the long run, expensive.

  • It is expensive to maintain.
  • It is expensive to change.
  • It is expensive in terms of server resources.
  • It is expensive when it costs you customers as the web site or web application "breaks" and loses functionality.

What does all this mean when it comes to my websites? Well, I admit it. I code like a girl. This essentially means that I like my code to be neat, pretty, and as streamlined as possible. And no, it is not a quality that is restricted to the fair sex. Lots of guys are fussy about their code, too.

Value added hosting

Because I know that hosting and updating your own site can be a hassle, I am happy to announce that Meg Jackson offers a complete web hosting package at the low price of $35 a month. This includes the backup and maintenance of your website and any website databases as well as one hour of edits and updates monthly.

I also install and configure Open Source software scripts like phpBB, Drupal, Coppermine, WordPress, and other database-driven scripts for a low fee. I charge $75 for installation only; extra configuration and/or styling is only $45/hr. Thinking of starting your own blog or bulletin board? I can help you do just that! Contact me for more information about any of the above services.

If you prefer to handle your own hosting, I recommend Site5. Their cost-to-value ratio is excellent and their control panel, support, and overall server speed rocks! I will admit I am a very happy customer.

I'd Like to Thank the Academy

The Academy of Web Design, that is. All the really interesting stuff I've learned about web design, standards, content management and online communities started with taking part-time classes through their excellent program for the last 5 years. I highly recommend it as a starting place for solid web and graphic design education.

I also have a BA in painting from the College of Creative Studies at UCSB, where I had the good fortune to study under Hank Pitcher and Dan Connally. I miss the beach and painting en plein air very much.

Last But Not Least

I am a formerly left-leaning pagan hindu turned devout pro-life Catholic Christian. How I got there, and how much joy being there brings me is, if nothing else, an interesting story. I might tell it sometime at my personal apostolate site (under development).