A new look for 2020 and beyond!

This year I decided to take on fewer client-based projects so that I could focus on my brand and digital presence. In conducting a review, it became apparent that my website needed to provide better engagement. I also felt it was a little cluttered and had become somewhat dated.

The first stage of this project involved refining my logo. I wanted to make it more minimal in appearance and versatile in application. Once satisfied, I turned my attention to the supplementary design elements. In particular, font styles. After weeks of deliberation, I decided to move forward with a combination of both serif and san-serif typefaces.

From a user experience viewpoint, the previous website planner was a bit of a catastrophe. It was arduous and extremely overwhelming. In acknowledging this issue I managed to successfully reduce the questionnaire from thirty text fields to just six. The new project planner spans over four progressive stages. It consists of integrated presets and sliders that provide better overall functionality and is far less time-consuming.

Aesthetically, my new site features an innovative fixed left side panel (desktop) that effectively replaces the header. It encompasses my logo and a menu icon which can be used to access the primary navigation.

On your initial visit, the main headline is typed onto the home page. Visual elements including images and content blocks transition onto the screen as you continue to explore. The footer section is masked so it only appears once you have scrolled beyond the body copy.

Teaching opportunities continue rolling in

In 2019 I was approached by Mark Woszczalski from TAFENSW to write a user interface (UI) design course that could be delivered online. This took more than a month for me to produce as it incorporated a series of video-based recordings. Subsequently, this course was successfully delivered to a cohort of students in China.

I continue to teach at General Assembly which I thoroughly enjoy. This year I presented at several off-campus coding events. These typically provide me with an extra challenge. Of particular note was the session I delivered to over 50 Westpac employees at the International Towers in Barangaroo.

“Absolutely LOVED the Coding 101 masterclass that General Assembly ran for our graduate cohort yesterday! Coding is an integral skill for the future and practicing with the support of trained professionals can improve problem-solving capabilities, resilience and boost creativity.”

Hannah Reid – Westpac

In October Marcus Aldred-Traynor from Sydney Community College reached out to see if I would be interested in delivering ongoing WordPress classes. These are scheduled to run at their Sydney based campus approximately four times a year. This was an opportunity that I grabbed with both hands.

2020 vision for the new year

In 2020 I will be switching my focus back to client-based work. First and foremost will be the completion and relaunch of the Slappas Thongs website. I also have another exciting project in the pipeline for Maccabi Tennis, a large tennis complex based in Paddington. They are rebranding and moving forward will be known as White City Tennis. I will be assisting them in designing a new website with an integrated booking system.

On that note, thanks again to all my dedicated clients and supporters! I hope you all enjoy a lovely Christmas and New Year shared with family and friends. I will be taking a short office break from Friday 20th December through to Monday 13th January. As always for any urgent matters please contact me via email on phillip@philbossdesign.com.au.