Graphic Designer and Illustrator
Success is JOB ONE
Since 1994, delivering comprehensive design, development and deployment solutions that are easily-maintained, user-focused and cost-effective has been Job One.
The needs of each project can be vastly different, and the pressures faced in efficient and creative execution can be monumental! The track record of helping clients solve these problems through comprehensive design solutions can be seen in the following Case Studies. These Studies are a small sample of the wide range of successful and creative solutions available.
Web Site Design
To promote my freelance illustration and design business for clients such as Revell Monogram Plastic Hobby kits, Sportmart Sporting Goods Company, and O'Meara Publications Lakeland Boating Magazine, a website was developed for Lone Wolf Studio. Originally, the site offered Illustration and graphics services, plus HTML web authoring for a limited client group.
Prescription Benefits Management Portal Re-Design
PortalRx Development with Catamaran
This project was a massive effort to bring Catamaran brand-recognition parity with several of the PBM systems such as CVSHealth, OptumRx and BCBS.
Prescription Management Portal Redesign (2014)
Original CatamaranRx Landing Page - June 2013
UI/UX Development | myPortalRx UX Study & Redesign Proposal
A 2013 Presentation proposal for sweeping changes to the private portal and distributed portal applications for CatamaranRx Customers and client companies.
Creating an eCommerce machine @ OWC
Other World Computing (2004)Other World Computing is a reseller and OEM dealer of computing components specializing in Apple Computing acccessories and everything mobile. OWC had been a successful ecommerce-only reseller, growing their business quickly through 2003. In 2004 a new advertising effort was launched, which in turn necessitated the task of bringing their sprawling website up to date.
Creating the New Visual Standards
After joining the Graphics Team, the first mission was to upgrade the impact and advertising effectiveness of the national advertising campaign for Macintosh computer upgrades, which were the tent-pole product group for Other World Computing. By creating consistent identity, typography styles and more clear imagery, the products were presented across web banners, national print ads and packaging.
OWC Caption
Updating Visual Messages
To build on the success of the improved imagery and consistency of the design message from advertising, the next phase of the Macsales.com relaunch (as the project was retroactively named) was to add features and capabilities to the landing pages that served as headers for the product lists. Consistent with the web site being built to cross-platform compatibility, which was a major issue in 2005, HTML4 and XHTML standards were tested, with HTML4 being adopted with CSS2 stylesheets support. Also added was scripted front-end support to show minimum pricing levels in product landing pages.
MacSales.com Home Page (2002)
In 2002 the existing OWC Home Page was an image-map with sector links, barely qualified as a HTML-3 standard and very slow-loading. In spite of this poor design, MacSales.com and all advertising generated about $430,000 in sales per month.
MacWorld Holiday Specials (2004)
After 4 months of dedicated development and design, the first version was presented as an HTML4 standard Home page with a strong grid layout. Too busy by half, but still an improvement, it performed well in cross-browser testing for Mac and PC clients. Sales increased to around $600K per month with less print advertising.
MacSales Home Page with Categories Grid (2005)
After testing, the grid system with simplified and given more white space. Apple iPod Accessories and Musical instruments were major growth categories. Traffic increased by 60% and total sales peaked at $1.5M per month.
OWC Product Section Update (2004)
Multiple categories featured landing pages that went beyond simple header banners brought in elements such as "live pricing" and pop-up feature tabs. Click-through statistics soared for several of the main product types.
Methode.com Relaunch | Corporate Manufacturer Aims for Web 2.0 Upgrade
Original Methode.com Home page - 1996
Web Site Design
Fourteen divisions of Methode Electrtonics needed a new look and feel in anticipation of the growth of eCommerce in the era of "Web 2.0".
Web-site Steering Committee
First steps in the process included inclusion in a Steering Commitee, and creation of a mission statement. Selection of team leads and the setting of mission parameters were a "concensus" of the executive staff of the commitee.
Mission Statement
Seek the most efficient upgrade path to enabling Methode.com to be a sales tool for online product information, sales promotion and product advertising materials.
A web-store application was also proposed as a separate case study, and later dropped.
User Interface Development
Pilot projects for the most dynamic business units were started in 1997, with the Fiber Optic Products Division, Opto-electronics Group, dataMate Connectors Group, and the independent testing division participating.
Product Landing Pages
The Example shown is the Stratos Lightwave site upon it's joining the corporate group in 1997, and the update launched at the close of 1999.
Mobile Responsive Design
MacArthurPTA Web Site
MacArthur PTA Home Page - Site Admin and Content Manager - Jan 2013
Complete redesign for the PHP-based PTA site at MacArthur Elementary School in Hoffman Estates Illinois was a side-project for the academic years 2010 though 2013.
Mission and Goals
- Update content for main content pages
- Administrate User Accounts and access
- Development for a planned move to a mobile-capable or mobile-responsive site
- Choose a distributed framework for active-media content such as Wordpress or Drupal
Audience and User Profiles
- Not-for-Profit organization with self-governing stakeholder group with School District oversight and shared resources
- Two nominally equal User Groups; Parents and Teachers
- The Parents are usually the most active and are elected on an annual or bi-annual basis
- Content is driven by scheduling for school-related events, fund-raising efforts and student activities
- Initially required weekly and monthly updates with only minimum automation capabilities
Mobile-Responsive User Interface Design
The Design of the mobile-responsive site started with the UI design for mobile phone devices, because that was the greatest need. The content could easily be refactored into a Wordpress database, or more likely, a series of jQuery calls to secure lists.
