Web Development

My Mission
Jack of all trades, master of none?
The Methods Used to Build a Website
Technologies Used

I started designing and developing websites at University in 1999. We were taught how to develop for the end-user using technologies and theories such as HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) and usability engineering. I remember getting into all sorts of problems when developing solely for Microsoft Internet Explorer. I wanted to use the newer technologies that Microsoft had incorporated but found that many other browsers did not support the technologies. So the trick was to develop a website that would be cross-browser friendly. Not an easy task to begin with but something that I mastered over time.

It is of course a web developers dream to be able to build a site in one browser and for it to work in all other browsers, but unfortunately this is not the case and never really has been. Each browser manufacturer understandably wants to bring out new technologies to attract new users. However, in recent years, browser manufacturers are adhering more to the universal W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) Recommendations:

In order for the Web to reach its full potential, the most fundamental Web technologies must be compatible with one another and allow any hardware and software used to access the Web to work together. W3C refers to this goal as "Web interoperability". By publishing open (non-proprietary) standards for Web languages and protocols, W3C seeks to avoid market fragmentation and thus Web fragmentation.

There are a school of developers that choose to develop solely in Flash thus (misleadingly) avoiding cross-browser problems. In my opinion, badly designed HTML sites can be really annoying but badly designed Flash sites are simply no go areas. Flash is a great technology and I have used it a lot in the last 10 years to enhance the user experience, but essentially a website should give the user relative information smoothly and efficiently without massive loading times, conflicting sound files and redundant animations. Well designed Flash sites are great but there is still the question of accessibility (which Adobe are constantly improving). Again, thoughtful design is the key; the user should be given a choice of which technologies to use.

My Mission

I like to develop websites for clients who care about their websites, not just as a monetary revenue, but as something they can feel proud of and that can perhaps become a labour of love. Attention to colour schemes, fonts, general layout, presentation, functionality and upgradeability are all important factors when developing a site.

My goal isn't to develop as many sites for as many high profile clients as possible, my goal is simply to enjoy and take a little time over a site and give the client a professional product that hasn't been pulled out of a common template hat. If I can innovate then I will.

Graphics should have a good resolution yet be small in file size and they should look good to the human eye. Graphical text should be used sparingly (if at all) and if it is used then it should be clear and visible for the reader. Headings should be ordered correctly for screen readers and text should be able to be enlarged without breaking the page. Tables should be used to display data only and advertisements should integrate seamlessly into the user interface.

When the site is complete, it should be a pleasure for the user to use. The user should be able to get to the content they require quickly and efficiently without long delays, redirections or unnecessary distractions.

In short, a website should look and feel as though it has been tailored for the end user and not necessarily the developer(s).

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Jack of all trades, master of none?

When I was at University studying Multimedia Technology, the above term was sometimes pointed my way because we studied so many technologies but not to the depth of a Computer Science student, for example, in my defence I have listed below some of the advantages of being a "jack of all trades", I hope they don't make me out to be too self indulgent, I have also had plenty of experience as a team player :)

• By learning many programming languages/technologies, you obtain experience that helps you learn new ones very quickly.
• Experience is gained of how to rapidly research and write/configure code to suit your own needs.
• You are able to work as a one man team (as I do sometimes) without having to rely on anybody else to get the job done.
• Less time is wasted through communications with colleagues/management.
• There are always friends who ARE gurus of their chosen subject that you can tap for information (and vice versa).
• There are so many forums and knowledge bases these days to retrieve relevant information when problems arise.
• You can develop from your own designs and so feel more comfortable with the final product.
• >You can liaise directly with the client.
• You can set time scales and budgets with more accuracy.

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The Methods Used to Build a Website

I employ the following project cycle when developing any website:

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Technologies Used

The following technologies/theories are used in the design and development processes:

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