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- About Me
- General Stuff
- Tech Stuff
- Work History
- Current Interests
- Tools
Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design;
Secondary Major in Bible; Minor in Intercultural Studies
Northwestern College, St. Paul, MN; May 2004
I am a web and graphic designer originally from Minnesota. I studied in St. Paul at a small liberal arts college. The focus of my major was on print design, but after graduation, I made it my full pursuit to work in web design. After years of freelancing, I moved to Wake Forest, NC, with my family in 2007 to pursue a seminary degree. At this time, I began working at Kenosis Designs, a small design and marketing firm where I found my passion for Open Source CMS systems. I have a significant interest for user-friendly Content Management System integration in every web project I undertake. I believe the tools available are invaluable to the growth of businesses, and the power it grants to those whom are not technically inclined is phenomenal.
Personal Skills
- Quick to Learn: Picks up new skills and new software with ease and ambition
- Solid Computer Skills: Extensive use of a variety of computer software in both Windows and Mac environments
- Responsible and Reliable: Strong work ethic with motivation for excellence
- Interpersonal Skills: Works well with others, good communication skills
- Business Experience: Years of experience in small business
- Corporate Experience: Internship at Northwestern College Public Relations Department
Ambition & Versatility
- Inspired to start two small businesses in design-related fields
- Quick to learn new programs and adapt to new methods
Interpersonal Communication
- Intercultural Relations Internship: Significant time spent in eight foreign countries adapting to numerous cultures and peoples
- Student Development: Multiple jobs that required strong teamwork and camraderie between fellow staff members, as
well as promoting staff unity through a leadership position - Teen Mania Ministries Internship: Classes taken focusing on teamwork, character and integrity development, in addition to
promoting strong work ethics and diligence
Adobe Creative Suite
An artist needs his tools... I have expertise in the use of many tools in the Adobe Creative Suite:
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
- InDesign
- Dreamweaver
- Flash
- Fireworks
- Acrobat
- Flex
Web Technologies
As a web developer, I am constantly working to master a variety of technologies to meet different needs of clients. The following list is made up of some of the technologies I deal with regularly.
- HTML
- CSS
- PHP
- Smarty
- XML
- Javascript
- Actionscript
- Google Analytics Certified**
Server Management
In order to be an effective web developer, it is essential to master tools for managing a server. I am comfortable working on the command
line and with other server management software:
- Command Line/Terminal
- WHM
- Cpanel
Kenosis Designs:
Front End Developer, website production, project management, client training (’08-’10)Associate Designer, website design, cms theme, client training (’07-’08)
Safety Center, Inc.:
Executive Assistant, maintenance for company website, data management (’06-’07)Screw-Ups for God:
Website design and maintenance, print and multimedia design (’06-’07)Ben & Vee Design:
Co-owner of a small business geared toward design contracting and freelancing (’04-’07)Northwestern College Public Relations:
Design intern who co-developed all published material for the college (’04)SillyBugs:
Creator and manager of a small business that designed and produced a line of lawn ornaments (’00-’03)I am an artist first. Then a developer.
Wanting to find a way to use my artistic talent to serve people, I pursued Graphic Design. It is what I earned my B.S. in. However, I have found that to be a good web designer, one really needs to also be a good programmer. Having an excellent programming team helps, but there are always cases when you really wish you could just do it yourself! Form and function always intermingle. I have now set out to grow significantly in my programming knowledge--particularly for the purpose of dynamic, database-driven websites. Sometimes you can’t settle for just making things look good.
I am currently studying:
-
PHP and mySQL
The classic open-source server-side package. -
Javascript
YUI, jQuery and Spry frameworks -
Ruby on Rails
One of the most popular development frameworks
But I am also interested in these fantastic topics
- Accessibility
WAI-ARIA, Internal Linking, and other tools to allow people with disabilities to engave with the web. - Analytics
Google Analytics is a killer tool. Everyone should learn to use it. - Search Engine Optimization
Why have a cool website if no one can find it?
SEO is likely the most critical... and most neglected aspect of web development.
Quality Technologies
I have spent considerable time among the following e-commerce and content management systems:
- KCMS (Kenosis Content Management System)
- Exponent Content Management System
- Drupal Content Management System
- WordPress Publishing Platform
- E-Commerce Templates
- Love Mac, Windows works in a bind
Proponent of Open Source
I believe in open source, and I am passionate about content management systems - Specifically, good ones. I have used and tested many, and while more crop up each day, I believe the best CMS available is Exponent. Therefore I am a recent addition to the Exponent CMS Development Team. My focus currently is documentation, to help get the word out about this incredible tool.
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