This is the third instalment of a 3-part series which are reflections of a multimedia creator of the ten most memorable highlights over the past three decades.
2007 – Creating my First E-Commerce Website
I had created a variety of commercial HTML websites for German clients when I engaged with an electronic commerce website project for the first time. The development was for a goldsmith and friend of mine in Germany who produced unique guitar picks which were cased in sterling silver. To reach a large customer base, an online shop was created based on OsCommerce which at the time was the most suitable option facilitating PHP and MySQL database coding standards. Customising the visual appearance of the shop to seamlessly fit in with the existing website worked well as customers were presented with consistent branding.
2012 – Creating my First Responsive Content Manageable Website
Many years had gone by after starting my own web design company in Coffs Harbour in 2007. My company’s client base grew steadily, and in 2010 I also started working under the banner of a local IT company – taking care of their customers’ website projects and managing online presences through service agreements. I had created countless static HTML websites, rich media Flash websites, responsive static websites, dynamic e-commerce sites and content management system (CMS) based sites. Over the years many design trends and technology itself changed, some developments did not last, others became industry standards. The natural progression for me as a web designer was following the strongest developments which meant combining the strengths of CMS sites and catering for all the various devices that made their way into our daily lives such tablets and smart phones. The IT company’s website which was a static HTML website with Flash elements was the perfect candidate for a responsive WordPress make-over. Replacing Flash content with lightweight and far more compatible JavaScript & CSS 3 proofed to be a good choice and maintained the interactive appeal of the site. The results were very rewarding, and excellent search engine rankings as well as making the most of the available screen real estate on all devices made the new online presence a success.
Conclusion to my Reflections
As a conclusion to my reflections, I can say that working in the multimedia industry and having a creative outlet is fantastic. If you are similarly inclined, I recommend making use of all the great educational resources that are out there, to remain curious and to let your interests guide you. I consider myself very lucky being able to turn my passion into a profession.
