Shadow Song designs

While finishing up the Apex Nails website, I have started working on designs for Oakway Contracting Services.  They sent me their logo and explained they wanted to use blue and gray.  So I set myself to the task of getting a design to match their logo and give a modern clean design.  After working on a couple design ideas that were not working well with their logo I went in a different direction and sent them the design shown here. 

The deck was from a small picture they sent from a job they did.  For the final website I’ll see if I can get a larger image so when I shrink it for the header then it should look a bit more crisp.  The menu will have the simple rollover shown in the Home option.  The Testimonials and Past Projects area will take visitors to the actual page to see more.  It’s a nice idea to give little peeks at what’s on another page so they know what to expect and give them another way, other than the menu, to navigate a website.  The read more button is meant to add drama and a way to catch a visitor’s eye and prompt eye flow across the page. 

Jenn sent me an e-mail that they love the design, save for a few changes to the Home page layout and adding another menu option.  Again, I spent extra time working on a more complete design to show them as I got the sense they were not too sure what they wanted and I’ve found it’s normally best to show a more complete design, based off what images and instructions they give.  This way they can visually see a design and can say what they like, don’t like or if they don’t like the design at all.  I try to get a design that I believe someone will like based off what they give and I’m glad I succeeded here.

 The website should be up in the next week or two. 

Click the image or here to see it larger

The holidays and a sick week delayed my progress on the Apex Nails website.  The past few weeks I rushed ahead with the site and getting it online.  The site should be going live by next Monday Feb. 4th.  I took everything Tina and Liz were looking for in a design and sent them a pretty complete image file of the design idea, as seen in the thumbnail in this post.  I used some of there product images and categories they sent. 

The extra work was worth it and they loved the design and said that looking at other websites that sell similar items, this design is more visually pleasing and easier to navigate.  This is great to hear as I always try to get a design that fits what the people I work with want as well as looking professionally done and easy to navigate.  Simple is usually the best idea.  They wanted a modern, easy to navigate website design and style that incorporated their header image that they provided.

So The past few weeks were busy as I converted everything for the internet and started putting all the pages and items together.  Then I integrated the third party shopping cart system and will be meeting with them to show them how to use the system, their e-mail and web stats program.  There have been changes to the Categories and some other aspects, but basically the design remains the same.  All I have left are some tweaks and bug searches that are needed when dealing with a large website with many pages and items.  As items and pages are added and deleted one has to just make sure links and images remain correct.

Click on the thumbnail or here to see a larger, but compressed, image

I was contacted to work on a website to allow New York State nail professionals purchase the Nail Systems International product line.  Tina and Liz were looking for a unique website different than the crowded and ugly basic template website nail stores they saw.  It was great, this is why I started doing website design.  I love creating a more personal and customized look to a small business’ website.  They gave me some guidlines and the illustration here to help guide me.

As with most small businesses I work with that want to take a step into the internet, I recommended to start small with a nice website that is easy to navigate.  Build it around a business and marketing plan and if it relates to a physical store to incorporate the themes, colors and ideas into their website or vice versa.  If the website does well then it can grow and be developed to include a more robust system while still keeping the look of the original website. 

This week I have been working on several designs and have begun polishing up one that I think will work well for them.  I will then send them an image and we will start going over what they like or don’t like or if the design overall does not seem to fit.  The design can sometimes take awhile, but it is an important step.  For now, they wanted a placeholder page and you cane see that here or click on the image.

I will try to keep this blog posted as I progress through the development of the website to give you more of a peek into the development process.

Soy candles are a new hit among candle loving burners everywhere.  They are great this time of year and the fine folks at the Cozy Corner contacted me to design a small online store to let people buy their homemade creations at www.cozysoycandles.com.  They wanted a basic style, simple yet with classy elements and a clean style.  I also used a tea candle image they took in the header and added a personal touch of a butterfly rollover for them.  They are a family run store and I wanted to make a cozy personal website with warm colors for them. 

Taking small baby steps with your business online with a small store or informational website is easier than ever.  I’m glad I was able to give them a site design they wanted. 

Just click the image above to take a peek and send them an e-mail, tell them I sent ya 

For a few months now I’ve been busy with a fun blog that I personally customized and maintain with content, original photography, illustrations and designs.  It’s called the Buffalo GameBuffs blog.  It’s been alot of work to keep up to date with board game related news and other appropriate content but I wanted to do a blog centering around party and casual games.  There are tons of blogs about the high strategy and euro games, but I saw a lack in casual game blogs.  I try to set aside some time every day to comment with new friends, post or visit other related blogs.  I spoke with a local game company, Buffalo Games, and they wanted to help and let people know about their great new game club with weekly prizes and other great stuff and give me invites to behind the scenes info and material so people can learn more about how games are made and those who make them. 

Anyway, I alsways speak about how blogs are great to get notice, search link hits, and just build a strong community and I wanted to introduce you to a successful blog I am doing.  Well, other than this blog  :)   Blogs take time, but like anything worth while, they are worth it. 

Feel free to stop by the Buffalo GameBuffs blog and say hi.  I am also running a couple contests there.  One for some video games and another for some Buffalo Games products. 

As the short winter days fall upon me, I have taken the time to finally redesign the Shadow Song designs website.  One must balance the needs of the readers with the benefits of a new website design without throwing away the known style or graphic elements that have been established.  I still like the older design but I just wanted to update the site to make it easier for readers to find what they are looking for, combine the artwork type style of the original website design with that of a more streamlined web 2.0 style, allow me to update easier, and give me more flexibility to include more information.  Feel free to let me know what you like and what you do not like and why.  What information you’d like added etc.

To discuss the specifics a bit, and give you an inside peek into my thought and creation process I’ll start with the original design elements and style that I kept.  I wanted to keep the artwork style and some original website design elements in order to transition easier and also to show that I can actually do several design styles.  I prefer working with different people and styles and combine our efforts to create a unique website that involves our creativity. 

I found one of the hardest aspects of the new design to be combining the two main design styles.  The header sets the tone with the artwork style while it is streamlined and softened with the overall page design.  The colors I chose also lend themselves well to both styles. 

Those familiar with the original design will notice that I kept the leaf in the footer contact area.  I love the Fall season and I like reflecting some personality in web designs.  That’s why I like to chat with people I work with to get a sense of their personality.  I also have used art design elements from the original design in the About and Contact area.  I felt they fit there well as they were more of a personal page.   

As always, a website should have a set design and color theme so that people recognize it and are not thrown when they go from one page to another and not be shocked if one page, on the same website, looks totally different.  I used the light swish type buttons for the menu and introduce different pages of the site with small add type images that share the more modern web 2.0 swish designs.  All of the pictures are shaded to match the color tone I chose as well so they do not stand out too much.

 Those that know me also know I create comic books too, so I included the word balloon as well.  Another personal touch.  But ultimately a site works when the content and design and navigation flow well.  We all learn through the years while in our desired professions, so I look forward to your comments and suggestions. 

As I add Gallery pictures, that I was sent by Laura for her handmade card website, and finished up the Village Hobby website and showed Michelle how to update with new products, I then started sending out some more flyers and proposals.  One such proposal was to Miss Kitty’s Martini Bar. 

I first became aware of them when I ran across the person that was struggling with real life responsibilities and trying to update their website.  I gathered she was doing it in her free time as a favor for free.  She suggested I contact the bar owner and meet with her.  A friend of mine used to go there alot and said it was a nice place and looked forward to the chance of me working with them. 

So I looked at their current design and decided to send a quick design proposal that kept the open feel and color choices while giving room for lots of pictures and easy to update and a visitor could scroll down further as new content was added.  More tabs could also be added to the design.  You can see, and click for a little larger look, at my proposed design above.  I tried to get ahold of the owner on a few occassions via phone, email and traditional mail and never heard back.  I see their current website is being updated.  I offered a nice discount and would do updates for them for a low cost but maybe they are satisfied with the current updates, design and work. 

So onto other proposals.  One takes the good with the bad.  I normally don’t do a design proposal until it is more certain that I have the job, but I guess I got too excited about the bar prospect through my emails with the busy person that was doing the updates when she was able, but in my next post I will speak about a proposal I offered a company at the start of this year and I was given the greenlight to start the project.  And going out this week, flyers, flyers and more flyers. 

I have activated the new Shadow song designs feed service through Feedburner.  I will now be able to optimize the feed for all RSS reader types and better track it.  So for all of you that use an RSS feed reader program or read the feed in a browser, please resubscribe.  The new feed link is to the right, a direct link is http://feeds.feedburner.com/shadowsongdesigns. 

For many of you who read this blog via feeds, I want to just let you know that I will be joining with Feedburner to provide cleaner and prettier feeds and an easy way for me to keep track of all of my feed readers.  I am new to Feedburner, so you may have to come back to my actual blog address at shadowsongdesignsblog.com, in the next few days, to re-subscribe, as Feedburner may change the feed address.  I apologize if this is the case and for your inconvenience.  Again, I’m new to their service so this may not be needed.  Feel free to leave a comment if you are familiar with Feedburner and you have any tips and hints. 

Last week I worked on a website design for Laura, a friend of mine.  She wanted to place a website online to display her samples and previous handmade greeting cards, wedding invitations, etc.  She has a nice eye for handcrafted cards and paper but wanted me to help her with getting her site online and then show her how to maintain it.  The design came from Laura’s idea to have the website mimic one of her handcrafted cards.  She wanted an artwork type style that I’ve done on several other website designs. 

So… now you can see the online version of one of her cards.  Feel free to peek at her website for graewulf studio.  Images of her work will follow soon.  You can glimpse at a site in progress. 

As a side note, as I try to break away from my older artwork type website design style, people keep pulling me back in