Since 1999 I have worked on a variety of projects and have gained experience working as a Web Editor, Front End Web Designer, Flash Designer/Developer, Front End Web Developer (HTML, XHTML, CSS, AJAX) and as a Back End Developer (PHP, MySQL, and Javascript).

I first started out in the field of Graphic / Web Design and Hosting around the time of the dot com bubble and used tools such as NetObjects Fusion, to get started. I gained experience working mainly on a freelance basis creating websites and also working with print based media including designing and printing flyers for promoters and small businesses using tools such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Quark and InDesign.

Gaining experience in these areas gave me the confidence to expand my skills as a Web Designer and Developer and by 2001 I had familarised myself with more professional tools such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Fireworks which were my tools of choice when working on a web project. At the time I became proficient using image slicing techniques to produce outstanding looking websites based on a design often created using more creative graphic design software. Macromedia Flash was also a very exciting technology that enabled designers and devleopers to push the envelope. At the time most people in the UK were still accessing the internet on their dialup connection at home so the ability to create streaming media that was optimised for quick download was exciting.

By the end of 2005, Macromedia had been acquired by Adobe and the AJAX term had been coined. AJAX was used to describe a broad group of web technologies that can be used to implement a web application that communicates with a server in the background, without interfering with the current state of the page. On April 5, 2006 the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) released the first draft specification for the object in an attempt to create an official web standard. Certainly there was a move away from Flash driven websites to more standard compliant that also met with accessible standards. This was reinforced with the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act's of 1995 and 2005.

"The courts will also no doubt take guidance from the outcome of an Australian case in 2000, when a blind man successfully sued the Sydney Olympics' organising committee over their inaccessible website. (The Australian Disability Discrimination Act quite closely resembles that of the UK's.) UK courts may also take into account the New York case against Ramada.com and Priceline.com, who were also successfully sued over the accessibility of their websites.

It's widely believed that if, or perhaps more appropriately when, a case makes it to court that the W3C accessibility guidelines will be used to assess a website's accessibility and ultimately decide the outcome of the case. The W3C is the Internet governing body and its web accessibility guidelines can be found on its website." Trenton Moss, www.webcredible.co.uk

Today, things have moved on and organisations have become alot more interested in web accessibility standards (WAI) which has meant a move away from Flash driven sites. In 2007/8 I gained experience working as a Web Developer at the British Association of Occupational Theapists whose site was audited by the RNIB and had implemented practices to ensure that there site was accessible as possible.

Much of what could be done using proprietary technologies can also be achieved using open standards and technologies such as php, mysql, XHTML, CSS, XML and Javascript. Today, organisations are more interested in which Framework you are familiar with or what Content Management System you have experience with rather than what software you use. I also have experience of producing bespoke Content Management Systems that can integrate into your existing systems or processes.

Albert Einstein is quoted as having said that if he had one hour to save the world he would spend fifty-five minutes defining the problem and only five minutes finding the solution.

One key to the success of a new website project might be to define clearly in the projects brief, what is it that makes a website or project unique or distunguishes it from the competition. My expertise is in transforming your brief or idea into a fully working user friendly and accessible website that meets with or excel's you or your customer's expectations. To give you an idea of my skills and experience to date, although not comprehensive, I have listed some examples of my work in the pages below.