Frequently Unanswered Questions
How long have you been doing this?
How ever many years its been since 1985. I started working on web sites in 1997.
How much will a web site cost me?
Depends how many pages and how much interactivity you want and how much you have ready to go before I start working on it. They tend to start around $700 and go up from there. See "getting started" in the web portfolio.
Is it FAQ's or FAQs?
An apostrophe NEVER denotes plural. Frequently Answered Question's? It is supposed to be okay to use one after an abbreviation.
What software do you use?
BBEdit, a text editor, Photoshop, and Flash. InDesign for print docs, Illustrator for line art.
My web site needs completion and some fixing. Do you do that?
I'm all about the fixer-upper.
Who most inspires you?
I like the written works of Douglas Coupland for contemporary writing; Frank Lloyd Wright for buildings; the Bible for ancient writing; Jay Ferrar and Jim James for poetry/music; nature for art.
Where did you learn web design?
I'm self-taught for writing html, learning on the job and by a lot of experimenting. The first program I used to help get started was HomePage. I was a print designer for over ten years before web.
How do I get good search engine ranking?
Get a job at Google. (Only half joking there...) Get linked from a lot of other web sites. Don't use graphics as links. Also, promote your site without relying on search engine results.
What is your design philosophy?
See the about section, and here's a little more: In 1994 I took a class at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calilfornia. This class helped shaped some of my views, and it was an all-discipline class taught by a man who had designed album covers for the Beatles. One thing that has stayed with me was his approach to solving problems with materials that were readily available. Need a low quantity publication? How about using that stack of bindings that was bought for another project, but never utilized? Sometimes we get so focused on what we think we need, we miss the obvious that is in front of our nose. I also like to be inspired by architectural features, especially ones built long before modern technology.
How much does a web site cost?
Hosting plans start around $5/month, domain names about $10/year. For me to build out your web site really depends on what you want, I'd budget at least $500 for something really basic. If you email me what you're after I can get back to you with a more accurate estimate.
A friend's business spent $6,000 on their web site. Why does it cost so much?
Depends all what they wanted. For an online brochure, that's way too much. But for something with huge database and shopping cababilities, programmers do charge a lot for their expertise.
How long have you been working on this web site?
That's like asking how long it took to remodel your house. It's never really done.
How long does it usually take?
I converted Doug Coomb's brochure into a web site in 10 hours, as all the preliminary work of gathering images and text was done. Most take at least 40 hours.
You don't get out much, do you?
Well actually... I enjoy surfing and backcountry snowboarding.
How did you come up with "megabite"?
It was 1997. I wanted a domain. Megabyte was taken.
Can I buy this domain name from you?
Ten grand and its yours.
