I’m a web designer and developer. I’ve been coding websites by hand since 1995. I’ve been doing it as a full-time professional for about 27 months now. I’m a very experienced user of CSS and haven’t built a table-based site since 2002.

This is my perfect job. I’ve been into computers since junior high, and I am a designer to the core. I think about design everywhere I go, all the time. It never stops.

I have a dive slate hanging in my shower so I don’t miss any ideas. The shower has turned out to be an excellent think tank (no pun intended).

Good web design is invisible. That is, when someone first sees it, they might think ‘that’s beautiful,’ but when they use it, it should be invisible. Nothing should come between the visitor and the goals you’ve set for them based upon your client’s needs - not confusing navigation, or text that’s hard to read, unexpected distractions, or colors that clash. Bad web design often makes me cringe, but good web design effortlessly walks the fine line between form and function.

My company, Red Kite Creative, builds websites for small and medium businesses including real estate agents, artists, retailers and wholesalers, physicians, financial professionals, non-profits, consultants, photographers, and professional organizations. Red Kite supports its clients with SEO services, e-commerce, hosting plans, maintenance, our two client newsletters and other marketing tools.

My mantra is ‘clean design,’ in all the ways that can be taken, and my goal is an empowered client. I want my clients to take ownership of their websites and use them to support and build their client base, just like I do, because (1) it can actually be fun and (2) it’s most likely the single best business tool they’re going to ever have.

Think about signing up for one of my free newsletters. The quarterly HTML email features news and information that clients can really use, focusing on using and marketing your website more effectively. The monthly text email is short and sweet, focusing on just one topic.

Please feel free to get in touch with me at any time.

Debbie