Beach Web Design portfolio - web design and web development, Exmouth, Devon

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Beach Web Design, Exmouth, Devon
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9th May, 2008
Tel: 0788 661 8080

Featured Site:

Rupert W Brooks, Portrait & Figure Painter

'No Network'

This online gallery showcases work by a talented Devon artist.

Click here to see more

Portfolio

Welcome to my interactive portfolio of web design and web development

This portfolio demonstrate usable designs based on human factors, accessibility, and built-in search engine friendliness. The websites are designed using CSS and structured using HTML or XHTML. Design and programming methods are checked carefully against the WAI's published accessibility guidelines and code is validated in accordance with web standards to improve its reliability with different computers and browsers. I am happy to add extra interactive features using client and server side programming with Javascript, PHP, ColdFusion, ASP / VBScript, Java applets and MySQL databases. I have also worked on websites developed using Actinic, osCommerce, Dreamweaver and FrontPage.

This interactive portfolio uses PHP, Javascript and MySQL database functions so that visitors can search, select and reorder information as required.

Click here to contact Beach Web Design now

Endorsements

"Before you worked on our site we had very few visitors, now we have loads more and that is the bottom line for us. "

D. Russell, Chikara UK

(Click here for a reference)

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The Baronial Wedding
Features
- Gallery program
- Extensions for: allowing user registration, creating user albums, displaying random images, allowing multiple file uploads, collecting photos in a shopping cart, and downloading zip files
- WordPress blog for help pages and news updates
- Launch Site
New Website, April, 2008

This members-only wedding photo gallery features members' albums, a random photo display, comments, slideshows, e-cards, help pages, a shopping cart for choosing and collecting photos and the ability to download collected photos in zip files.

This website was created using the Gallery and WordPress web applications, with themes from My Green Corner and NZ Digital Images. Although there is a plugin to integrate the two applications, this level of integration was not required, so graphics and colourschemes are used to provide a visual connection between the two parts of the website.
Screenshot of the single image view
Screenshot of the shopping cart
Screenshot of the album view

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I Dream in Chocolate
Features
- Web content authoring
- Joomla! content management system
- Custom Joomla! template development
- Fireboard Forum
- Member-submitted content options
- E-Cards
- Amazon affiliate book section
- Random poetry cards
- Launch Site
New Website, February, 2008

This chocolate themed website grew out of a web content authoring project: I wrote 'Making a Chocolate Mocha Wedding Cake' for an Open University course, 'Start Writing for the Internet'.

As a genuine chocolate fan, I was keen to develop the chocolate website further, and used this as an excuse to do some chocolate themed custom Joomla! template development.

This template has been developed to meet W3C standards validation for XHTML and CSS, and to provide at least a minimum of level 'A' accessibility. Original graphics for the website were created using Photoshop Elements, and the template uses CSS and Javascript to switch between two fixed width designs, depending on the size of the browser window.

Members' forums and content submission options were integrated into the website using Fireboard and JA_Submit.

E-Cards and an Amazon affiliate book catalogue use customised versions of RWCards and jBook. I adapted a custom developed Javascript program from my web design site to create random romantic poetry cards as a fun interactive feature.

To provide some advertising revenue, Google AdSense was integrated into the site using mod_html, and I may add a SOBI 2 directory later.

This website also provides support for fair trade, charities and chocolate related social and political activist groups.

Custom developed Javascript for random poetry cards
Original Web content writing project: Making a Chocolate Mocha Wedding Cake
Forum / Message Boards

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The Home Pack Centre
Features
- Joomla! content management system
- SOBI2 business directory
- YOOtheme template
- PayPal payment gateway
- XHTML standards validation
- PHP, CSS, XHTML and Javascript customisation
- Launch Site
New Website, December, 2007

This paid listings directory advertises professionals available to work on producing the new Home Information Packs.

The website was created using the Joomla! content management system, SOBI2 directory, a YOOtheme template, and integration with the PayPal payment gateway. The Joomla! content management system allows most pages and news items to be edited on the page by a non-technical administrator.

Skills employed on this project included knowledge of Joomla! and Joomla! component organisation, PHP programming, MySQL databases, phpMyAdmin, XHTML, CSS and Javascript. Custom PHP/MySQL programming was employed to add discounted pricing schemes to the business directory, and to extend the PayPal integration to include VAT invoicing.

Work was also undertaken to improve web standards validation, and to provide an accessible alternative non-Javascript form, thereby improving the website's robustness and compliance with accessibility legislation.

Screenshot of the home page
Screenshot showing directory categories
Screenshot showing search form

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Carberry Lodge Bed and Breakfast
Features
- Accessible, standards-compliant XHTML and CSS
- Written content authoring
- Google Maps
- Mailing list
- Use of .htaccess for redirects and prevention of hotlinking
- Search engine friendly design, Google text sitemap and robots.txt
- Image file optimisation
- Javascript to adapt page width
- Launch Site
New Website, October, 2007

This simply presented three page website features a clean design, with image files optimised for clearer onscreen display and faster downloading. Javascript is used to adapt the page width for smaller window sizes and lower screen resolutions.

The website coding features accessible, standards-compliant XHTML and CSS, and use of the .htaccess file for domain and canonical redirects and prevention of hotlinking.

The written content combines recommendations for usability, copywriting and search engine optimisation. Other search engine friendly design features include a Google text sitemap and robots.txt optimisation.

Additional features of this website include use of Google maps and a mailing list.
Screenshot showing Google map

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Stairway to Devon Web Directory
Features
- Joomla! content management system
- PayPal
- Business Directory
- Book catalogue
- E-Cards
- Download management
- Member profiles
- Banner ad management
- Google maps
- Events calendar
- W3C and accessibility standards compliance
- Launch Site
New Website, August, 2007

This local web directory was built using the Joomla! content management system, and paid features were implemented using PayPal.

Extra components and plugins were installed, configured and customised using XHTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and MySQL.

Installed components included SOBI 2 directory with the Gallery plugin, RWCards e-cards, jBook book catalogue, JoomlaStats, perForms, JCalPro events calendar, download management, Google maps, Adsense, affiliate banners, Amazon widgets and affiliate data feeds.

Special features were designed for local arts and environmental groups.

I set myself a personal goal of meeting W3C web standards for the construction and accessibility of this website, and have now achieved standards compliance for XHTML 1.0, CSS3 and WCAG 1.0 for all on-page code (ie not including the Adsense etc which unfortunately I can't do anything about).

Meeting W3C compliance for this site has been an excellent learning experience, requiring persistent trawling through Joomla! core and component PHP files over a period of about 3 months. Having spent the time on this, I now have a far better idea of where to look for anything in a Joomla! website.

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Black Dog Studios, Online Catalogue
Features
- New brochure pages
- Customisation of Actinic Ecommerce templates and settings to match the brochure style
- Accessibility improvements to the catalogue templates
- Accessible and search engine friendly alternatives for pop-up windows
- Launch Site
Website Rebuild, July, 2007

Black Dog Studios have been redesigning their website with a new look, and their Actinic e-commerce catalogue needed a new style to match. I developed brochure pages, updated the product listings and customised the Actinic templates and settings to fit in with the rest of their website. While working on the Actinic e-commerce site I also added features to improve its accessibility and search engine friendliness. While full web standards validation was not possible with this version of Actinic Ecommerce, I made improvements to fix validation errors wherever possible.
New look (screenshot)
Original look (screenshot)

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Chikara UK Mini Site
Features
- UK online presence
- Small brochure website
- Design adapted from osCommerce website
- Blends in with online catalogue
- Launch Site
Search Engine Optimisation, June, 2007

Chikara UK have a great online clubwear and jewellery catalogue. With their original combination of US based web hosting and a '.com' domain name that doesn't specify a country, their website wasn't appearing at all in Google's search results for the UK. We developed this mini UK based and UK specific website to publicise their new shop in Exeter and give them a more UK-specific internet presence linking in to their e-commerce shop. The design is adapted from the osCommerce design used in their catalogue, to blend in with the look of their main e-commerce website.
Screenshot
Main Chikara UK catalogue

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Robin Brooks, Marine Painter
Features
- Valid HTML and CSS
- WCAG Level 2 Accessibility
- Free E-Cards
- PHP, MySQL and Javascript programming
- Image file optimisation for the Web
- Improved security for email forms
- Website Search
- Use of Apache .htaccess file for 301 redirection, and prevention of hotlinking
- Deactivation of Internet Explorer image copying toolbar, and use of Javascript to discourage copying
- Search engine friendly design
- Website marketing after the launch
- Launch Site
New Website, May, 2007

This new website for the marine painter Robin Brooks was launched at the end of May, 2007. With so many paintings, and specialist historical subjects, navigation systems were designed to be both menu based, thumbnail based and sequential, eg the Captain Cook section features all of these navigation options.

The website is constructed using valid HTML and CSS, PHP, MySQL and Javascript, and has been tested to conform to WCAG Level 2 Accessibility Guidelines. Image files were optimised for Web use using Photoshop Elements, and some images are available to send as free E-Cards. A Javascript 'right-click on images' script has been used to discourage copying, along with deactivation of the Internet Explorer image copying toolbar.

PHP, MySQL and Javascript were used to develop a full screen viewing window with zoom buttons, which is used to display custom framing options. This technical design was chosen so that it could easily be extended to other images on the website as required. Security measures have been taken to protect the database and the email contact forms used. Apache .htaccess files have been used for '301' (permanent) redirection, and prevention of hotlinking.

The website was designed to be search engine friendly throughout, and web traffic monitoring and internet marketing have continued during and after the launch.
Zoom / enlargement feature to view custom framing options
Marine paintings of Captain Cook's 2nd voyage
Free E-Cards of Marine Paintings

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Robin Brooks: Holding Page
Features
- Establishes an online presence
- Announces the forthcoming arrival of the website
- Uses XHTML and CSS for horizontal and vertical centring
- Launch Site
New Website, May, 2007

This holding page was installed for Robin Brooks' domain while work on his website was being completed.

The style chosen was intended to be simple but elegant, using horizontal and vertical centring to focus attention on the painting.
View Screenshot

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TT381: Open Source Development Tools (Open University Project)
Features
- PHP programming
- MySQL database development and querying
- Entity relationships and normalisation
- Documentation
- Report on Open Source business models, version control systems and licensing
- Launch Site
Added Features, April, 2007

'Open Source Development Tools' covered technical skills in MySQL and PHP programming, while continuing the relational database theory from the previous course and also introducing open source version control systems, open source business models and open source licensing.

The project for this course was to use PHP and MySQL to develop database based e-commerce shopping cart functions, including updating transaction records and stock control tables.

Two reports also covered program documentation and open source related development issues such as licensing options and version control.
Shopping cart screenshot
Stock table screenshot
Home page screenshot

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Web Design Templates: a 'Turnkey' Affiliate Shop
Features
- Customised 'turnkey' affiliate shop
- Offers economy / DIY web design options
- I am happy to assist with the customisation of most of these templates, but please contact me to discuss this first.
- Launch Site
Added Features, March, 2007

I wanted to set up an economy web design option based around the use of web design templates.

I tried the free templates provided with my hosting account, but did not think they looked very impressive. I also tried the 'Web Builder' program provided with my web hosting, but although the results looked better, it took me a very long time to fix all the code that wasn't accessible or standards compliant.

Next, I discovered the affiliate program offered by Template Monster, which would allow me to set up an instant shop selling their range of templates. This seemed like a good option to me as I felt that their templates were far better visually, and the selection of templates provided is wide ranging and constantly being updated. I can't vouch for the code in these templates being accessible or standards compliant, but I am happy to work on customising sites created with them so that they will be.

I also discuss the steps involved in setting up this shop in my blog posting, 'I open a ‘Turnkey’ Affiliate Shop'.
View Corporate Identity packages
View osCommerce e-commerce templates
View a sample screenshot

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WordPress Blog: Is there any money left?
Features
- WordPress blog
- Customisation
- RSS Feed
- Google Adsense
- Affiliate ads
- Akismet spam blocking
- Launch Site
Added Features, February, 2007

In the wake of the dot com bubble, this beginner level blog investigates some of the money making schemes (and scams) available on the internet, as well as various methods for promoting websites.

From a technical point of view, it is built using the popular WordPress blogging application, and I wanted to have a WordPress blog to practise on as I am offering them to my customers.

I'm very impressed with WordPress from my experiences with it so far, and I'd like to do more along the lines of WordPress theme development in future.
Featured post: Revenue-sharing adsense ads on community websites
Bad data validation: How many digits make a bank account number?
WordPress blog themes are available in our Template Shop

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Beach Web Design
Features
- Valid XHTML and CSS
- Interactive programming and database functions
- CGI script integration
- Stylesheets for printers, screenreaders, mobile phone and PDA access
- Image processing
- Loading sequence optimisation
- Conformance to accessibility standards
- Search engine friendly
- Launch Site
New Website, January, 2007

As my own website, this gets worked on in between the others, but it is also a testing ground for many of the extra features provided with my web hosting service. Currently, it is demonstrating 'Bookmark Us', 'Tell a Friend', 'Form to Email', 'Random Image Displayer', 'Website Search' and 'Domain Checker'. I am also using it to continue the affiliate marketing that began with advertising on my holding page. The website is built using standards compliant XHTML and CSS, with interactive client side programming in Javascript, interactive server side programming in PHP and database functions provided by MySQL. This website is hand constructed in Notepad, with Photoshop Elements for digital image processing and optimisation for photos and other graphics. Conformance to website accessibility standards is tested repeatedly as the website develops.

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