Website and Blog Design

I am a web designer, helping small businesses and independent professionals work out a web design and website structure that suits their needs.

• Do you have an idea for a new business that needs a website?
• Do you want a site for your existing company?
• Would you like to turn your blog into a full featured website?
• Or would you like to add a blog to your existing site?
• Maybe you have an old site that needs updating?
• Or you want to incorporate new technology to make your site look great on phones and tablets.

Let Polymath Solution help you build your website.

In addition to showing you my services, the pages in this section of my website are an example of a typical site for a small business or independent professional. Of course, there’s no such thing as a typical business, and there’s no such thing as a typical site. You can look at these pages by using the secondary menu just below the slide show at the top of this page.

Some of the pages on this site are pages you might want on your site. Others are there to show off some special features that might work for your site. Take a good look, note down anything you really like, and let me know what you like.

From time to time, I add new things to this sample website, changing the design  style, adding new pictures, etc.

My Web Design Philosophy

I believe in creating clean designs that express the mission of my client.

The site user is the most important person I design for. I use UI/UX (user interaction/user experience) principles to make sure every user can find what they want, get the information they need, and leave the site wanting to come back.

Web technology is always changing. I stay current on the technology to make sure users can experience the site with any tools they have. Every site I build takes advantage of “responsive design” — the ability to look good and work well on screens of all sizes, from small phones through tablets to large desk-top monitors.

I work closely with my clients, helping them convert their design ideas into attractive, functional websites. I train many of my clients to make content changes themselves, saving them the expense and hassle of having me do everything.

What I Will Do

I will talk to you until I understand your vision and needs for your web design, and will carry out your vision.

I will assume you are an expert in your field, and know what your customers/clients will want to see.

I will work within your budget, and work with you on compromises if your dreams are bigger than your wallet. If you are willing to do some of the work, we can get you a site for very little money.

I can train you to add content and pages to your site. I can teach you to maintain the site yourself, or I can do it for you.

I can help with non-website parts of your internet package — email newsletters and marketing campaigns, Facebook profile pages, etc. I will design print materials to match your web design, giving you a coordinated “brand image”.

Finally, I will happily learn new techniques to meet your web design needs. I love new challenges, and learn from every client.

What I Won’t Do

I won’t build flashy websites. No fancy animations, nothing geeky or edgy (unless your business needs that).  I don’t use tools like Flash just to show off that I know how. [Besides, much of this technology, including Flash, does not work on phones and tablets, and can interfere with a good user experience.]

I don’t do “geek-speak.” I am not a computer programmer, and I don’t talk like one. I will explain technical concepts in terms you understand.

I won’t get “artistic”, or try to push my vision of what you need. I’m a designer, not an artist. My goal is to turn your vision into reality with a “professionally designed website.”

I won’t assume you know a lot about the internet, building websites, or writing code. I won’t talk to you about CMS, CSS, php hooks, meta data  … unless you talk about them first. I also won’t assume you aren’t intelligent — you are, you just don’t have the time or interest to develop your own site.

I won’t charge a lot. I know smaller companies and independent professionals can’t afford to spend thousands on their web design. I won’t charge what the high school kid down the street does, either — I’m a professional designer, and you’ll get professional service.

WordPress? Frameworks?

Most of the sites I build with Wordpress and a framework. My site currently uses WordPress and the PageLines  framework. (though I occasionally use my site as a “sandbox” to experiment with other frameworks)

Many people know WordPress as a blogging engine, but it can be used to make traditional websites as well. There are many advantages to using WordPress to build sites; I’ll talk about them more on other pages.

A framework is a set of code that adds style and function to the basic WordPress layout. There are many different frameworks. After we discuss your needs, I’ll choose the best framework for your site.

Because I use WordPress and the right framework, I spend less time writing code, and more time making sure your site works the way you want. And less time translates into less expense for you.

I can write code, and will do so when that’s the best solution. See my web site portfolio for examples of what I have done for others.

 

I have always loved helping people use their computers more effectively. In the 1980s and early 90s, whatever job I held, my favorite part of the job was helping the office staff solve their computer problems. They would come to me instead of using the computer department: “You understand us, Liz.” “When you explain, it makes sense.”

I now use my skills to help people design and develop websites. I know most people can learn to build a website, but may not have the interest — or the time. I can take your ideas and make exactly the web site you need.

I live and work in Lexington, Massachusetts, but have clients located world-wide, using online video conferencing and e-mail.