Work

Some of the more note-worthy projects I've worked on.

2009-2010: heart.co.uk

Keywords: Python, Django, HTML, CSS, CMS, jQuery

A website for the Heart-branded commercial network. I worked on the team at Global Radio developing this site and the CMS behind. Most of the magic is in the CMS - with extensive and powerful functionality for the handling of shared and localised content. The site serves 20 different radio stations but is managed by only a handful of content editors.

2009: BigTop40.com

Keywords: Python, Django, HTML, CSS, CMS, jQuery

A new chart, a new radio show and a new site to accompany it. I worked as the sole developer on the initial stages of the project, the team expanding to three as the project gathered impetus. Delivered to a tight deadline and an ever-changing brief.

2009: Capitalfm.com relaunch

Keywords: Python, Django, CMS

The Capital Radio site was relaunched on a re-worked version of Global Radio's CMS. This release wasn't so much a re-design as a reworking of the underlying CMS. Extensive changes were made to the architecture and to the admin user flows.

2009-Present: iTunesCharts.net

Keywords: Design, UED, IA, SEO, Python, Django, CMS, HTML, CSS, jQuery, Google Charts API Design, UED, Development, SysAdmin

Personal Project: A site powered by RSS feeds from apple.com. The site archives download charts and allows analysis of chart performance over time. Written in Python and on the Django framework. I conceived, designed and built the site.

2008-2009: ClassicFM.co.uk

Keywords: Python, Django, HTML, CSS, CMS, jQuery

A re-design and re-build of the Classic FM site. The project included the development of several new CMS features for fine-grained editorial control of increasingly complex page layouts. The site is also integrated with several external systems for podcast, now playing and schedule content.

2008: "This Is Global"

Keywords: Python, Django, HTML, CSS, CMS, jQuery Corporate Site launch. Was delivered to a tight deadline and to an ever-changing brief as the Global family of companies acquired GCap Media. Admin is based on a heavily customised version of the base Django admin.

2008: Xfm Relaunch

Keywords: Project-management, HTML, CSS, Creative-direction, UED, IA, SEO Client-side Development, Project Management, Creative Direction

I worked on the team re-launching Xfm.co.uk contributing to the initial requirements gathering and UED specification as well as creative direction to the design team and technical specifications to a US-based development team. I managed the client-side build in-house.

2007-2008: XfmSouthWales.co.uk

Keywords: Project-management, HTML, CSS, Creative-direction

A website to accompany the launch of a new radio station in South Wales. The site featured newsfeeds, photo galleries, complex competition mechanics, integrated twitter feeds and advanced webcam functionality. The site is no longer live as the station was sold and re-branded in May 2008.

2007: Mi-Xfm

Keywords: UED, Visual design

I designed the interface for GCap Media's web-based personalised radio software. Users could opt to listen to one of three different Xfm channels, rating music as they listened - ratings which would, in turn, influence the songs they heard. A ClassicFM version of the player, using the same interface and user experience, was shortlisted for a Sony Radio Academy Award in the "Multi-platform Radio Award" category.

2006-2007: GardenersWorld.com

Keywords: Project-management, HTML, CSS, Creative-direction, X-SLT templating, IA

I was involved with the extensive planning and design process and user testing. The site was designed by POKE London, all development was produced in-house at BBC Worldwide. I managed the entire development process including custom database and admin and the integration of an e-commerce partnership with plant suppliers, crocus.co.uk.

2007: RadioTimes.com Relaunch

Keywords: Project-management, HTML, CSS, testing, product-cycle-management

The re-launch was designed to retain and enhance popular existing user flows whilst introducing new styles of content to encourage deeper interactions with the site. Advances in digital television, added to the widespread use of in-built EPG functionality threatened to erode the USP of the site, but the re-design increased page views per visit statistics and revenue accordingly.

2006: BBCGoodFood.com

Keywords: Project-management, HTML, CSS Project Management, client-side build, XSL-T templates, custom admin interfaces, Adobe Flash audio widget.

Major new website launch involved the build and population of a new recipe database and an extensive and varied supporting website.

2007: Land Rover Owner Site Re-launch

Keywords: HTML, CSS

Client-side build of all site templates for a site re-launch. The re-launch work was scheduled against a tight deadline and completed with a week!

2007: MaxPower.com Relaunch

Keywords: HTML, CSS, Adobe-Flash, Actionscript

Client-side build of all site templates and support for PHP development. Some content-managed flash components and javascript widgets.

2006: GirlTalk Magazine Website

Keywords: Project Management, Creative-direction, HTML, CSS, javascript, XSL-T, CMS

New website launch to support BBC Magazine's popular weekly title aimed at 'tweenage' girls. The project included a password-protected club, integration with a third-party online subscription mechanic and a heavily customised admin interface.

2006: TopGear.com

Keywords: HTML, XSL-T, CSS, SEO, CMS

Detailed site analysis and recommendations followed by development work including pagination improvements, non-javascript functionality, implementation of an RSS strategy and changes to site and URL structure.

2005: Capital Radio Re-brand

Keywords: Visual-design, Creative-direction

A re-brand and re-launch of the Capital Radio brand, re-positioning the station at the heart of London and at the heart of an edgier r'n'b-flavoured sound. My involvement included creative direction, brainstorming and presentation of the design process to stakeholders. I've blogged extensively about this extensively.

2005: Xfm Rock Trumps

Keywords: UED, Adobe-flash, Actionscript

A "rock!" version of the popular card game - built to promote Christian O'Connell's Breakfast Show. Complex game mechanic with AI opponents of varying skill levels. Data was loaded in via external XML sources. The game was popular with an actual, physical version of the game being produced to promote the Xfm brand at festivals. The game mechanic was also re-skinned multiple times for different radio brands.

2005: Xfm "On Tour" Game

Keywords: UED, Adobe-flash, Actionscript

Flash game to promote Xfm as a national brand. Coincided with the launch of Xfm Scotland and Xfm Manchester. The game was based on an "Buzz Wire Game" mechanic. Users were required to move two points around a wire the shape of the British Isles. The points were moved using a combination of mouse (for position) and two keys in order to control the rotation of the game pointer. This was aimed to at media buyers, advertising executives and internal sales staff. Prizes were given to the highest scores. The game proved addictive with stats showing that some visitors playing the game over 100 times!

2004: Egg Hamster Quiz

Keywords: UED, Adobe-flash, Actionscript

Flash-based quiz mechanic with extensive flash animation and high scoreboard. Delivered as part of a high-profile marketing campaign. The quiz engine was re-skinned and used in countless other contexts.

2004: Spider-Man2 Game

Keywords: UED, Adobe-flash, Actionscript

An arcade style game to promote the launch of the movie. Developed to rigorous QA and brand guidelines from

2004: Richard Bacon's Celebrity Sudoku

Keywords: UED, Adobe-flash, Actionscript, CMS

Complex flash game, based on celebrity headshots rather than numbers. The internal logic was written from scratch and had to determine the feasibility of a user's attempt. The game proved popular and was promoted on air with a weekly puzzle. Times were submitted to a database with winners given prizes. The development work also involved a simple admin interface to allow editors to upload new pics and puzzles on a weekly basis.

2003-2004: £1K Runaway / £1k Fugitive

Keywords: UED, Adobe-flash, Actionscript

Flash game mechanic based on MB Games' "Guess Who?" to accompany a radio-based competition of the same name. A browser-based prototype was built in javascript as a proof-of-concept before an illustrator was employed to provide the faces. The mechanic was developed into a more involved mechanic for the subsequent year when a similar promotion was run on-air.

2002-2006: Online Radio Players

Keywords: HTML, CSS, Javascript, JScript, Windows-Media-Player

I designed and developed online radio and medIA players for the various brands in the Capital Radio Group family. This involved in-depth use of Microsoft's JScript API wrapper around Windows Media Player as well as graceful handling of the non-Microsoft browser plug-ins. Later versions of the player were fed content via RSS from a third-party CMS system which allowed playback of archive clips as well as tuning in to live streams.

2003: Beat The Intro Quiz Game

Keywords: UED, Adobe-Flash

An online version of a simple game. This was produced to accompany an on-air radio quiz which, in turn, was designed to promote the Christmas release of a DVD game. This audio quiz engine was re-skinned many times and the main engine is a component that is still in use today.

2001-2007: The Broken Family Band Official Site

Keywords: Visual-Design, HTML, CSS

I designed, built and maintained a simple site to promote The Broken Family Band. The site consisted of simple photo galleries, streamed and downloadable audio and a nifty disocgraphy interface. The six years saw three re-designs (to tie in with album releases) and countless content updates.

Colleagues

I've been fortunate to collaborate with some smart people. Here's a (by no means exhaustive) list of all those who may or moay not have contributed to the projects listed here.