Getting Closer

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm in the midst of updating the design and backend of my Web site. Because of various commitments (work, etc), progress is slow. But there is progress, indeed!

I'm going to try to make a habit out of posting Web site redesign news to my blog as it occurs. Hence, this post.

I've overcome a pretty big hurdle. I've pretty much nailed down the design and I think I've definitely nailed down the general layout. I've started developing the design into a Web site and have most of the XHTML and CSS worked out. If you're interested, you can view my progress here. Right now it's pretty much just the layout. More design elements will be added in the coming days/weeks.

After the design aspect is done, I'll have to decide if I want to use a framework (like Zend) and/or a CMS (like Drupal, or maybe custom). Stay tuned.

Steady as She Goes

Slowly but surely, my Web site (www.nickrathert.com) is getting updated. The latest additions include résumé and contact info updates and new projects in the Web section of my portfolio (Inventions-Guide.com, Hair-Removal-Specialist-Guide.com and Alaska-Fishing-Lodges-Guide.com). I still have quite a bit of work to do in regards to shaping up my little corner of the Web. However, I think that work will be put into a less hastily designed brand new version of my Web site. Because I had to get this current version of my Web site "out the door" in less than two days, I've never been very happy with its design. It feels rushed to me and it's definitely not the best I can do. Therefore, time to start from scratch.

I'm still in the very early conceptual stages for my Web site redesign, but I'm definitely going to create a cleaner design with more white space. I'm also going to make the portfolio navigation much more user-friendly. I still plan to create a MySQL-driven back end for (at least) my blog and portfolio. I'll also probably add a few social networking features to my site as well. I'm still at the pencil and paper stage planning everything. Staying in this stage as long as possible will help creation and development go smoothly, but it should also keep me from wanting to redesign my site again in a year. I guess we'll see if that actually holds true...

Regarding the current portfolio updates, you'll notice that the live version of Hair-Removal-Specialist-Guide.com doesn't match the version I have in my portfolio. It's a long story, but a design decision was made by a non-designer person of authority and a juxtaposition of the two versions of the site will probably be all you need to see in order understand why the version in my portfolio does not match the live site.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the updates. Please feel free to comment on this blog or contact me.

New & Improved Website

It's finally happened. I've updated my website and online portfolio.

My website is pretty much done (all the important stuff is, anyway). I've implemented a new and much more attractive design. My portfolio is now pretty comprehensive and shows a wide sampling of my design abilities. My resume is updated and I've even included a "Skype Me" link on my Contact page.

I still have quite a few things to do, however. My Misc. Works page needs to be finished. I need to look through all of my past work that's not in my portfolio and see what I want to put up on that page. I will also update the aesthetic of this blog so it more closely matches the new design of my site. I should also add descriptions to all the images in my portfolio so viewers get an idea about each project. And regarding a more time-consuming effort, I will eventually PHP my site. My portfolio and Misc. Works page will be database-driven, and thus much easier to maintain. I also plan to make this blog internal to my site. So instead of having my blog hosted and viewed on Blogger.com, it will be wholly contained within my website. Should be an interesting undertaking...

Anyway, that's the rundown on my New & Improved website. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me or comment on this blog. Thanks for reading.