I am a freelance front-end web designer in Washington, DC. Previously, I was an Art Director at an IT firm in DC where I managed designers on the creative team. Being raised in an entrepreneurial environment, I decided to try my hand at freelancing
full-time.
I am passionate about web standards, simplicity, usability, and user interface design. I have been doing web design for about 10 years now and a little over 4 years professionally.
I am a fan of A List Apart, Zeldman, Diggnation, the big noob, and a wide range of blogs. I am always trying to stay current with what technology is the latest and best for the task at hand.
I believe in over communicating. I will always be in touch via email or phone and will keep you posted.
Skills
I create my designs with a combination of Photoshop and Illustrator. I prefer to convert those comps into XHTML/CSS myself as I plan the coding as I make the design. This is also influenced by the CMS chosen for the design as well. And I always try to keep in mind what type of platform it will be used for. The reason being is that when this is taken care ahead of time it makes development MUCH easier.
I can basically theme anything. I have created themes for Drupal, Expression Engine, Wordpress, Farcry, Light CMS, and a few proprietary theming engines as well. I have a good understanding of PHP, mySQL databases, and programming in general. While, I specialize in front-end web design, I do have a good grasp of programming as well.
Scale
Also, I do love designing but I realize I can't do everything myself. I have put together a network of good friends / subcontractors that assist me on projects. Currently I have 7 developers and 3 designers. I can basically take on any project. My thought was to build the group based on a 37 signals style of doing business. We are all freelancers yet we work together on various projects. I will take a project and approach a few of my guys based on their skill-set to assist with projects as needed.
If I were to utilize this talent, I would be the point of contact and it would be virtually seamless for you. Although, I am very transparent about it and will definitely let you know who will be working on the project.
Organization
I am very big on project management, staying on deadlines, and taking good care of my projects. To help facilitate this I use 37 signals web app called Basecamp.
Basecamp is an online project management software. Its very easy to use, doesn't have a lot of fluff, and really gets the job done. If you haven't used it before I can give you a five minute walkthrough if you are interested.
I use Basecamp in conjunction with my invoicing software Cashboard to create estimates as well.
Estimates and Billing
I enjoy using online based solutions for my business as this allows me to work from anywhere. One web app that I have been pleased with is called Cashboard. It allows me to be able to create estimates, track my time, keep track of subcontractors, invoice my clients, and allows them to pay online as well.