Recent Work
Below is a sample of some of my most recent projects. What all these sites have in common is that they deliver the same message on any device. Take a look and see.
Greek Peak Mountain
Greek Peak is a family owned and run ski resort in the Finger Lakes that has been in operation for over 50 years.
visit: http://greekpeakmtnresort.com
objective: Greek Peak wanted to break apart there current site and just offer a website dedicated to their ski resort operation. The objective was to create a new look and feel along with some new added functionality.
solution: Since their target demographic were skiers and familys just looking for crucial information prior visiting, the focus of the website was to give visitors everything they wanted from the main page. Items such as ski conditions, events, blog entries, new and promotions are all present provide an App like experience. Aside to that all of their original content is in place to provide the information necessary to all of their visitors. Being mobile friendly was a huge asset as they receive a very large percent of traffic from mobile visitors.
Waterfalls Spa
Waterfalls Spa is a European inspired wellness spa tucked away in the lovely hills of the Fingerlakes. The facility is designed with a northwards decor and a focus on a unique relaxing spa experience.
visit: http://waterfalls-spa.com
objective: Waterfalls Spa was in need of a new, fresh website which would instill the feeling of relaxation. The primary objectives were to connect customers and establish brand awareness.
solution: Since this business is about service and environment, a highly visual website was necessary. Focus on the facilities and treatments help convey the sense of relaxation. To help strengthen the brand, strategic on page optimization was done to help quickly get the website into the local rankings. Being mobile friendly was another great asset for the company as none of their competitors has one and their parent company receives 20% of their traffic from mobile visitors.
Mathster Vakkas
Mathster Vakkas is an award winning, engaging learning tool for grades 2-5 covering a large span of math subjects and strategies. The videos are captivating and easy to understand using everyday life as the classroom and example that math is everywhere.
From a Happy Client
...Brian explained everything about my website to me (how to operate and run it, and even how to market it to my customers in the most effective and efficient way). He is brilliant, and takes his time to think about ideas and possibilities before he makes decisions--and it shows in his quality of work. His organization, knowledge, experience, skills, and uncanny eye for the site, its purpose, the audience, the layout, and his ultimate goal for you to succeed and be happy with your site, are what make Brian one of the best website designers in the market.
Tom Vakkas - founder/owner
visit: http://mathstervakkas.com
objective: Mathster Vakkas wanted use his math lesson videos to generate revenue via online membership subscriptions. Not having too much technical know how the CMS had to be bullet proof and designed to be easy to add new lessons. Mobile friendly for on the go learning and application.
solution: First step was to build a solid membership platform to help facilitate sales. Paypal integration was the most simple and safe method for him. Using Vimeo as a video host offered flexibility and manageability. On top of that I built in a ton of automated features which allows him to focus on the main goal of creating new videos. Also a user notification system was added so Tom could keep in touch with his users. Aside to the website design, Mathster Vakkas needed some video production to help sell what the product is about. A simple one minute promo video was produced to use on the main page as well as other media outlets.
results: Once Mathster Vakkas launched he quickly had over 50 members in the first week. He now has a solid learning database which he constantly updating and upgrading. One of my most happy customers to date.
Gambal Printing
Gambal Printing is a specialty offset printer in Northern Pennsylvania, selling more than just offset printing they have a large array of offerings from hard-goods to wedding invitations.
visit: http://gambalprinting.com/
objective: The existing Gambal Printing website had an existing design that had outgrown it's clothes and was quite cumbersome for the user to manage. While it had some relevant content it did not effectively evoke the brand, or the capabilities of the company.
The main objective was to increase sales through conversions and a stronger brand awareness. The website doubled as a sales unit for when their salesmen were on the road prospecting for new business.
solution: With a complete redesign and shift on the primary website focus. The new Gambal Printing website was no longer a dictionary of services and featured powerful visual call to actions. This was accomplished with rotating specials and case studies to help stimulate interest and turn website visitors to potential customers. To increase customer support and service; a file sharing application (FTP alternative) was developed to help transfer large print files to them with ease.
Greek Peak Rewards
Greek Peak Rewards is a rewards program for a ski resort in central new york. Reward programs have always been a fantastic way to encourage customer spending with rewards.
visit: http://greekpeakrewards.com
objective: Points base reward program with online management and offline redemption.
solution: Integrating a rewards system into their point of sale was a costly addition so using a custom built application which used middleware to tie in the online rewards program was a perfect fit. There are 2 methods of delivery of the reward either a QR code or a alpha-numeric code. Utilizing a qr code allowed mobile redemption and increased the appeal to their younger tech savvy customers. Since the website was built to be responsive the rewards member can keep track of their points on their home computer all the way down to their mobile device.
The Adventure Center
The Adventure Center is a new central New York facility that hosts numerous elements and rides for the thrill seeker such as zippiness, ropes courses and alpine coaster rides.
visit: http://theoutdooradventurecenter.com
objective: The Adventure Center was still in the construction process but, they wanted to have something to help with the launch of their new business. The main objectives were to increase awareness with social media and to connect them with their potential customers. The design need to reflect what you can expect to experience.
solution: The challenging part of the process was that the business was not operational during the design process. The approach taken was to create an outdoorsy adventurous feeling and showcase some stock photography until the opening. Once the opening took place new photo and video was incorporated. I was lucky enough to be tasked with video and many rides down the ziplines with my video camera and steady-cam to achieve the feeling of flying though the air.
results: The design presented a good baseline of what you can come to expect from the Adventure Center. The website now drives potential visitors to call and book their group business with out needed to step foot on the property for a site tour. Heavy photos and videos deliver the message and being mobile friendly the high amount of mobile visits equal a very low bounce rate.
From the beautiful city of Ithaca, NY I have 10 years of experience in design. During these years I have worked on numerous web design projects for a wide variety of fortune 1000 & small businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals. I continue to enjoy working with clients who are looking for attractive, clean, highly usable solutions to their creative needs.