Hampshire freelance web developer – Joomla and wordpress

Work

Here is a small selection of sites I have created. Please get in touch using the contact details below and I’ll be happy to show you my full portfolio.

AlphaPlus consultancy

Design and development of this website for an international education consultancy. Built on Joomla!, I created a template to reflect the company branding and to incorporate the content types. I also designed and produced the visuals in the rotator on the home page.
Visit AlphaPlus site
QIA Gold dust resource site

For this knowledge sharing site, I created pages to hold a range of content, including interactive tools, video and documents. Built to comply with the QIA’s style guidelines, the site provided a content-rich but easily used resource for teachers and other education professionals.
Network Publishing

I worked with CTAD to build this Joomla site for Network Publishing. The site is a catalogue for their vast range of publications to support qualifications and courses in the UK. I created templates and CSS to fully reflect the design provided by the Network Publishing designer.
Visit Network Publishing site
Mindfizz website

The site for my company is built on WordPress. I designed a WordPress template to create a one page website containing all the key information for clients looking for presentation designers. I also developed the look and feel of the site and created the CSS.
Visit Mindfizz site
Jo Storie Handknits

Built for Jo Storie using Magento, an open source e commerce solution, this site allows users to buy downloadable knitting patterns.
Visit Jo Storie site

Approach

Having a good working relationship with my clients is important. I work closely with you, keeping you informed of progress and providing clear and informative advice about how best to achieve what you want from your site. I don’t operate a ‘one size fits all’ approach and I’m happy to work collaboratively to produce a top notch site.
I generally develop using Open Source content management systems which allows you to update your own content on your site if you wish.

I’m aware of the need to provide value for money and my approach enables me to do just that.

Open Source

Using open source solutions which have been developed and tested over many years enables me to deploy a highly functional platform without the need for lengthy (and costly) development, coding and testing. There’s a huge variety of ways to extend the site, so if you want an online shop or directory for example, this can be set up.

The open source solutions I use are accessible and user-friendly, allowing non-technical people to quickly familiarize themselves with the interface and to easily publish content and resources to their site. For those who prefer not to do this, I’m happy to take this on as part of my ‘after care’ service.

Ongoing support

The launch of your website does not necessarily mean the end of my role. I’ve had long-standing relationships with many clients who ask me to review and update their sites on a regular basis, or to help them extend their site or train their staff in the use of content management systems.

Using content management systems means that you don’t need to rely on a web developer to make changes to your site, and you don’t need to pay for this. If you’d rather not make changes yourself, I’m always happy to arrange a support package with you and I’ll do the work.

Services

I can help you at all stages of your project, from initial ideas to training, ongoing management and support for your completed site.

My combination of design and development skills will result in a site with a strong visual identity, whilst remaining easily usable by your customers.

My management skills ensure delivery of a high quality product on time and within budget. Your project is safe in my hands.

Web design

In addition to my track record in website development, I also have a strong background in graphics and design and I’m able to customize your site to make it fit in with your existing corporate ID, or to create a fresh style and design from scratch.

I know what works on the web and can advise on the best approach regarding colours, fonts and logo.

Web development

I’m happy to register a website address for you and organise a hosting package on your behalf. I’ll make sure you retain ownership of your website address.

I do all the work to set up your site, based on a design agreed with you. I’ll add in content and fully test the site before it goes live.

If you want additional functionality – for example an online shop, event calendar, directory or blog I can add these to your site.

For those who already have a website, I can review and revise it for you.

Web support

Support can be provided when your website is developed, including easy to follow instructions on how to update content on your site, training for you and your colleagues, or ongoing management of your site where I update it regularly for you.

I also provide wider support in the form of consultancy for companies who want help writing a specification for a website. If your organisation is bidding for work which entails an online presence / website, I have extensive experience of contributing to bids and can work with your business development team.

Experience

I have over 15 years experience in website development, with the majority of my work focused on open source applications.

James Dowland MSc.

In addition to freelance work, I also run my own company – Mindfizz – and have successfully delivered projects ranging from a couple of days on a freelance basis, to large-scale, high budget websites, working for a broad range of clients in the public and private sectors.

I have an MSc in Interactive Multimedia Production and an HND in Photography, Film and Television.