Background
I was hired as an independent web designer by Children's Dentistry (a pediatric dentistry in El Cerrito) to modernize their website. You can check out their current website here.
I designed several pages using HTML/CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery. However, the most helpful thing was the Foundation framework, which I first used during a brief summer internship with SyncFab. I have since taught the staff how to do basic web design, thus they may have made occasional changes to the new site. Nevertheless, you may see the more current website in-progress here.
Sample Pages (Before and After)
Landing Page
Dull color palette, outdated, made via Wordpress template.
Warmer color palette, tropical design, displays hours and contact information from the get-go.
Doctor Info
More dull colors, smaller text, feels like a pamphlet.
Warm gradient background, layered colors, responsive text transitions.
Patient Forms
Simple online form. Doesn't offer PDF links to other necessary forms.
Accordion UI, includes links to multiple forms, while maintaining a bright yet minimalist design.
Takeaways
- Communication is key: If I had planned out a better roadmap from the beginning, we would have been more efficient. For example, I originally had white text on a blue background, but the information-heavy nature of the website can cause a strain on the viewer's eye. Although it's easy to change, this design concept influenced many of the other design aspects of the original website iteration.
- Deadlines: Neither of us set firm deadlines for certain pages, which caused me to digress and design several new pages. These ended up being unneccesary and too cluttered for the new website.
- EMPATHY: Although I assumed I understood empathy, you can always be more empathetic to the audience AND the client. What I think is best isn't necessarily what the CLIENT wants, and it is important to realize this, in order to make better design decisions in the future. For example, I didn't want two navbars, but the client felt it was most effective to display all contact information at once.
Dr. Nicholas Ching and his staff were amicable and understanding clients. Working with them has taught me important principles for the future. If I have children one day, perhaps I'll bring them here!
