Web Design
A brand’s website is its own customized space on the web. Websites provide a portable brand experience consumers can access any time from anywhere. This makes a brand’s website one of its most valuable promotional assets. I enjoy creating websites that showcase brands’ personalities and enable them to connect with viewers at just the right times and places.
Donohue & Associates
Website Redesign
Get to Know Donohue & Associates
Sheboygan Engineering Firm
Donohue is a Midwest-based engineering consulting firm that focuses on water/
wastewater projects.
The Website Redesign Process
A while back, I undertook a complete redesign of Donohue & Associate’s website. Originally, Donohue was paying a marketing agency for website management services, which resulted in little flexibility to make small changes or branding tweaks and came with a higher price tag than needed. Additionally, the site was run through a CMS that while robust, was less commonly used and better suited to sites that required intense backend customization.
To assist with these challenges, I redesigned Donohue’s website using WordPress – a widely-understood and user-friendly CMS that allowed most web-related tasks to be managed in-house and most designers/developers would be likely to have experience with should outside help be required.
I worked through the process from start to finish, first establishing hosting and a development URL. From there, I updated information hierarchy and created wireframes, then began building out each individual page. Once the site was live, I completed many redirects from old URLs that would no longer be valid to related, active links and set up Google Analytics tracking.
The end result is a refreshed brand presence, greater internal web control, and thousands saved in operating costs.
Arrosto Delicatessen
Website Redesign and Migration
Get to Know Arrosto Delicatessen
Sheboygan Restaurant
Arrosto Delicatessen is a New York-style deli in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Its owners, Amanda and Paul Weber, started the deli a year ago. Since then, it has developed a following of enthusiastic customers.
The Website Redesign and Migration Process
For a client class this spring, I completed a website redesign for Arrosto Delicatessen. The project was originally intended to be a quick refresh of the client’s original SquareSpace site. As I began working with the client, we quickly determined that a WordPress site would be better suited to Arrosto’s needs and the project turned into a full website redesign and migration.
I started by creating Arrosto’s new site as a subdirectory of my site. Pulling content and inspiration from the original SquareSpace site, I created a new look and site structure that fit the brand. To create a truly customized end product, I used Elementor page builder to craft each page.
Once the site had been created, I assisted Paul and Amanda Weber with purchasing hosting. I transferred all of the files from my account to the temporary domain the new web host had assigned them. I then updated their dns records in SquareSpace to point to the new site.
The end result? A customized website Arrosto Delicatessen’s customers can use to order the delicious food the deli produces.
The Experimental Shop
Website Creation
Get to Know The Experimental Shop
Manitowoc Workshop
The Experimental Shop is a workshop run by Jack Charles, an LTC instructor.
At The Experimental Shop, customers can use specialized equipment to make a variety of projects, including their own aircraft. They can also take classes offered by Jack to learn the skills needed to create the project of their dreams.
The Website Creation Process
The Experimental Shop is a new business Jack Charles is in the process of starting. He needed a website to share what he does with potential customers.
I worked with Jack Charles to secure a domain name and web hosting, then ran a fresh WordPress install. I worked with several other students to create a basic brand identity for the business, then created the website according to the brand guidelines that we had established. To include the customization the website needed, I used the Elementor page builder.
I included pages on the site for the educational programs Jack Charles offers, his equipment, and the tools and innovations he can connect customers to. The About page reinforces Jack’s expertise and the Contact page allows visitors to connect with him.
Crafted Coffee
Website Creation
Get to Know Crafted Coffee
Made Up Coffee Shop
Crafted Coffee caters specifically to the self-proclaimed coffee snob. Its target audience is coffee connoisseurs who view the perfect cup of coffee as an art form.
If it were a real coffee shop, Crafted Coffee would be located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Its brand identity is simple, straightforward, and modern to suit its target audience – hipsters whose main concern is the quality of the coffee they drink.
The Website Creation Process
Before creating Crafted Coffee’s website, I’d previously created its brand identity and print materials for another class. For a consistent look, I incorporated the dark brown and cream colors I’d previously used into the website’s design. I also used the same fonts, as well as wording that went with the tone I’d set in Crafted Coffee’s print materials.
For flexibility and customization beyond what is available with the typical WordPress theme, I used Elementor page builder. I also found a plugin that allowed me to create a calendar, through which customers could book a study room to get work done, as well. The plugin integrated well with Elementor. It also had some options I took advantage of to update the look of the calendar so that it matched the rest of the site, as well.
