Colin Calnan.com » Portfolio - Web Designer and Developer in Vancouver Canada

Portfolio

Colin has over 7 years experience in designing, building and deploying web sites, web media and web applications

The following is an overview of some design and development work. For a more comprehensive summary please contact Colin.

Eva Lee & Associates Recruitment

Full branding project for Legal Support Staff recruitment firm. Logo and brand creation. Web site redesign and redevelopment using Coldfusion. Business card design. Poster and print ad design. Promotional material sourcing and design. Newsletter design

Needs Analysis

New branding required to reflect company position within the marketplace and to reflect the Legal connections while also appearing current and appealing to a more vibrant marketplace. Website to provide a comprehensive job search while also being an initial important first point of contact with company. Determined development and design in Coldfusion and SQL and HTML. Top priority is for candidates to find jobs

Job Search

Client required a site which would have an easily accessible job search with the ability to submit/attach resume to specific job, or submit resume without applying for job. Each posting a submit resume button attached to it. Most recent jobs displayed on homepage to enable quick job search access.

Employer Contact Section

I suggested that client added the capability that companies seeking qualified candidates had a quick access area, an alternative to calling up, a place where they can enter their details and be contacted as soon as possible afterwards. No long forms needed, just a quick form with necessary details.

Search Engine Optimization

Extensive website optimization including meta tag and content suitability. Submission to search engines, addition to Google Maps, as well as extensive linking.

Usability Engineering

This site was constructed taking into account all aspects of usability including cross-browser compatibility

HTML Emails

HTML emails were also required as part of the new branding. These are designed and sent frequently to all candidates in the database.

Vancouver Film School

www.vfs.com

In my role as Webmaster for top film School in North America I was responsible for all aspects of marketing web presence for the school such as maintenance, design & development of template driven website for 14 entertainment arts programs with over 2,000 pages that get approximately 2,500 visits/day.

Intranet

Initial project involved research, development, and management of corporate intranet project. Project would consolidate almost a dozen existing online systems under on umbrella, enabling staff to access sites through one portal. All development in PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS and JavaScript

Requirements gathering
Analysis of existing systems
Wireframe design
Mockups
Development of SMTP login authentication system
Shared/constant login across multiple systems
Frequently used documents area
Staff search - including photo
Company Cafe Menu
Webcam of vancouver skyline for offices with no windows

Resulted in streamlining of work processes for almost 200 faculty/staff and the site celebrated over 110 simultaneous logins (from 200 staff) within the first 3 weeks of operation.

Blog

Design and development of school blog using Wordpress. Addition of tools such as Video Player, Lightbox, Audio player plugin, YouTube plugin, Category specific news feeds. Implementation of news stories within existing framework of www.vfs.com.

Site Design/Development

Design and development of marketing microsites to match print campaigns. Update and maintenance to academic program sections, admissions requirements pages, job boards, room mates, scholarship information. Development of custom CMS system.

Search Engine Optimization

Top rankings are essential for such a large prestigious organization. To ensure such rankings requires contact reviewing of search engine placement. To ensure to placement the following tasks have to be carried out

Extensive rewrite of all page titles
Keyword rich copy implemented on each page
Creating of XML sitemap and submission to major search engines - Google, MSN, Yahoo
Addition to Google Maps
Inclusion in online directories
Link building with existing high ranking sites
Constant analysis of logfiles using tools such as Clicktracks and Google Analytics
Monitoring all current internet traffic about the school using Google Alerts and Technorati

iCompose - Scottish Chamber Orchestra

www.icompose.org

A web based learning tool, teaching compositional to Scottish high-school children. Comprising of usability engineering, full design and development.

Student registration area (PHP | MySQL backend)

Students can register, edit and remove their details.
Form validation, existing user checking.
Students can upload compositions in .mp3 or .sib format.
Implemented file size and file type filtering.
Students can edit and remove compositions.

Administration area (PHP | MySQL backend)

Secure login for administrators.
Admin. receives email on each registration or upload of composition.
Admin. must approve before user or composition is accessible on website.
Full preview capability allows Acceptance/Rejection of user or composition.

Flash Navigation System

>Smart navigation system moves to appropriate section on section change, using PHP within Flash. Navigation design in Photoshop.

Flash Lessons

Composition lessons created dynamically. All graphics drawn in Flash.

Usability Engineering

This site was constructed taking into account all aspects of usability including cross-browser compatibility

Rebecca Faulding Portfolio

www.rebeccafaulding.com

Portfolio site for successful Scottish painter. Database driven portfolio system with custom CMS to allow ease of updating. Contact and Feedback form as well as flash animations incorporating artist work.

Needs Analysis

Determined development and design in Flash and HTML. Use of Flash throughout site to show off artist work. Each section is represented by a piece of art that describes the section appropriately. Flash intro used to present artists' works in a dynamic & original format.

Works Section

Client required a works portfolio that would be easily updated as sales are regularly made and new works are frequently added. The dynamic works section allows visitors to browse through database driven works portfolio. Required extensive scanning and editing of existing works photographs.

Exhibitions Section

Again the client required an exhibitions section that would be easily updated. The solution was to create a Flash object that loaded an external text file containing all dates, location etc. The text file could then be edited by the client.

Search Engine Optimization

Extensive website optimization including meta tag and content suitability. Submission to search engines as well as extensive linking.

Usability Engineering

This site was constructed taking into account all aspects of usability including cross-browser compatibility

becca thumb

SOLOFX - Currency Trading Website

www.solofx.com - No longer functional

Development of multilanguage, database driven currency website.

Needs Analysis:

Determined development and design in Flash using existing interface design. Entire interface developed as flash vector graphics. Multilanguage option currently disabled, client gathering content. Use of new Flash MX 2004 Professional tween transition classes to reduce movement of playhead.

Multilanguage:

On the fly language conversion. MySQL database stores all language content, this is then retrieved from database when different language selected. Allows for on the fly language conversion. Developed using PHP remoting in Flash with Actionscript 2.0.

Content Management System (CMS) :

Secure custom content management system required by client to edit text for each site area, in all languages. Uses unique HTMLArea for editing content. MySQL database driven with PHP as backend.

Customer Portfolio Management System (CPMS) :

Secure customer portfolio management system required by client to edit and add funds information for currency trading clients. MySQL database driven with PHP as backend.

XML RSS News Feed:

Implementation and parsing of RSS news feed from http://www.moreover.com

PHP | XML | Actionscript | MySQL | Flash | Photoshop | CSS

Playing Card Design

As part of my Masters in Design and Digital Media, I was required to take a game piece created by a fellow student and create a set of cards to represent the game. In these cards, the original model in on the bottom right. Each card shows a progression through this model (white boxes) and the number of rings represent the increase in difficulty of each level.

Cinema 4D | Photoshop

Interactive Elements - Flash and Director

Installation cd-rom logbook

As part of a multimedia installation during the MSc in Design and Digital Media, I was required to compile a log book detailing my contribution to the installation. I chose to develop a Flash presentation for CD-ROM to show this. I developed it around the idea of my personal contribution as well as taking excerpts from the class message board using Coldfusion remoting through Actionscripting.

Flash MX | Photoshop

Rain

I created this flash movie as an interactive element on the theme of weather (the theme of the installation). The rain falls in the direction of the mouse movement and changes in intensity.

Interactive Game Element

Using Maya and Director I created an interactive demonstration of a fragment of a game based on the project mentioned in the playing cards section above.

Director | Maya | Photoshop