My Portfolio
My work is split into four different but related sections…
The Internet
I am a self-taught web designer and builder. This section is split into sites that I designed and sites that I maintain(ed).
Click here for examples of my web work.
Design
Vague, huh? I design everything from simple print ads to business cards to Excel spreadsheets. I enjoy playing around with layout and aesthetics to make things work properly and look good.
Click here for examples of my design work.
Writing
I’ve been writing furiously since I first learned how but I’m only going to share the pertinent stuff. There are more examples available, if needed.
Click here for examples of my writing.
>>> The Internet
gtmcbride.com
Greg McBride is a family and marriage counselor in Bellevue, Washington. I put together a simple, easy-to-use design with the idea that the primary user on this site would not be very web-savvy.
gtmcbride.com/blog
This blog site was built as a vehicle to help Greg promote his book and keep writing for his clients. Again, simplicity was the key but I put together something a bit more dynamic using a free Wordpress template.
In progress: posetwo.com
I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with a prolific and very talented graffiti artist originally hailing from East Coast, Pose2 aka Mr Max Moses. We started with a Wordpress blog to contain updates from his travels and are now working towards remodeling the entire site to present the same look.
alchemy.sdsu.edu
This is the site for my current research group at San Diego State University. It is designed to hold research, publication, and group information and is fully liquid. It is currently in process so no direct link is offered. This site will be live in September at the URL above.
joshcanhelp.com
This site recently went through a major overhaul. Please read about the first step of the design process here and the second step here. Things are still being polished up but, for the most part it’s complete!
formerly joshcanhelp.com
This was my original homepage and was really an experiment in design. The colors were weird and the design was wacky but it got the point across and won me a couple of clients. In the end, I decided that my blog put a better face forward and this site was retired.
Currently maintaining: Both of Greg’s websites above.
Currently maintaining: The blog site that you are on. The theme (overall look and feel) was built by someone else but I customized it for my needs and filled it with content. It’s been through several versions of Wordpress, a directory move, and a major permissions fiasco. All header images are my own.
Currently maintaining: www.artnsoul-online.com is the website of a local photographic artist named Norma Brown Hill. I make periodic updates, clean out garbage code, optimize for search engines, and direct some content. Norma is looking to build her web presence little-by-little while keeping up with the classes and workshops she teaches.
Currently maintaining: EMASU.com is a proprietary site for the customers of Education Systems. This site runs on the DotNetNuke architecture which requires a slightly different skill set that regular HTML web coding. I designed the interface, maintain the information, create documentation, moderate forums, and create training course… none of which you are able to see because it requires a login. Sorry, you’ll just have to trust me on this one.
>>> Design
Print and cover design for the book Finding Your Integrity by Greg McBride (for sale at Lulu.com)
Print ads for Elise Nicole Kirkpatrick surf artist
Hand-out card to market Greg McBride’s blog and book projects
My own business card, printed on a letterpress (read about the design process)
Black and white print ad for Education Systems
Linked and easily update-able merchandise inventory spreadsheet in Excel (click the image for a PDF example)
>>> Writing
This blog is meant to be my big “writing sample” on the web. I keep it informal but avoid slang, jargon, and typographic errors (for the most part). I enjoy writing, especially when I’m explaining difficult concepts in a way that people can understand. On this site you’ll find technical documentation mixed with free-flowing thought and easy-to-access instructional guides. I cover a lot of bases.
Two articles now posted on my blog: 6 Steps to Easy Typography in Any Document & Blogging 101: How to write a great blog post from a reader’s perspective
The self-published book, Just Stay Busy for sale at Blurb.com. This book is all my best posts from my previous blog, joshisjosh.blogspot.com. I wrote about sustainable transportation for a while when I was trying to stay really passionate about the subject. Nowadays, I’m still very passionate about the cause but I let other people write about it. For the record, that price on Blurb for my book does NOT include royalties to me… it just is THAT expensive for one-offs.
I’ve been writing documentation for 6 years but have very little I’m able to show because of confidentiality agreements. I did write a guide on how to resize your pictures, located here, that will give you an idea of my style. If you’re interested in more examples, I may be able to drum up (and censor) a few more.
At Education Systems, I am in charge of marketing copy and press releases. Most of the writing I do there goes through a committee and, by the end, can’t rightfully be claimed as my own. There are a few, however, that represent what I’m capable with this style and are exclusively my voice, like this press release for a new product and this one for a new client.
Last but not least, I compiled my previous blog, one about sustainable transportation, into a book for purchase. It ends up costing people $37 to buy this book, myself included. I made the book to keep my favorite posts handy and, for that, it did a great job.
All written material is protected by Creative Commons
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