It was 1998. I was in my third year of Theatre Production at Ryerson University, and I was working part-time, four [...]]]>

A splash page for the 1999 version of the National Ballet of Canada's web site. I now discourage the use of splash screens, but this one was required, and quite pretty, I think.

This is more than just a client profile. This is the story of how I first became a webmaster, and then a web designer, and finally, an integrator (or front-end web developer).

It was 1998. I was in my third year of Theatre Production at Ryerson University, and I was working part-time, four or five evenings a week, selling ballet tickets over the phone. I loved the National Ballet of Canada. I loved its productions, I loved its dancers, I loved its building. I kind of even loved selling ballet tickets– for a while anyway. But I knew I couldn’t keep doing that forever. After all, I’d be graduating in two years (hey, I’m a plan-ahed-er, what can I say?) and I’d definitely want a change by then.

So I started looking around for something else I could do that would allow me to keep working there. I hung out in the costume room before shifts, sewing jewels and swan feathers. I went to open houses, and rehearsals, and as many shows as I could fit in. I did as much work on my 4th year (again with the way-ahead planning) research project in the ballet’s library as I could. I took on extra work in the telemarketing room, preparing info packages that we could use to help describe ballets to customers, and helping my boss out with paperwork. I even took ballet classes, just so I could understand the dance better. It would have been worthwhile even if that’s where the story ended. I can’t emphasize this enough: I loved the ballet.

One afternoon in the library, I overheard something critical: no one was updating the web site. The sales girl in me freaked out a little, because we were always referring customers to the web site, and this meant it was out of date, which meant it wouldn’t help them much.

So I offered to update the web site. They said they’d consider it, and asked me to come in for an interview. Over the long weekend, I went to a bookstore and bought a copy of Sam’s Teach Yourself HTML in 24 Hours. (Lucky me, I still had over 48 hours at my disposal. ) I spent the whole weekend peering into the ballet’s code, and trying to figure out if I could possibly learn enough to make the basic changes that would be needed– show details, dates, dancers’ names– that kind of thing.

I decided I could do it. Somehow I convinced the ballet I could handle it, too. They hired me to work freelance, keeping their web site up to date. They gave me an internal mailbox and filled it with media releases and other info I would pick up before my nightly ticket sales shifts.

I was updating everything manually. The only apps I used were TextPad, Photoshop and CuteFTP. So my understanding of HTML grew in leaps and bounds, as did my understanding of the company, of the rhythms of a performing arts marketing department, of ballet as an art form, of the requirements of good design, and of how the customers were interacting with the site itself. I was lucky– my experience was user-oriented and pure-code based right from the beginning. By sheer chance, I was given the exact right circumstances under which to develop good habits and a clean coding style.

By the end of the year, I had taken on so much extra work, I was spending more time working for the ballet than I was at school. And that suited me just fine.

I decided to suggest a site re-design that would use newer web technologies to better serve user needs. I designed the mock-ups in my spare time, and arranged a pitch meeting. I was almost nervous enough to faint at that meeting, but by some miracle, they went for it. And the web site I built stayed up for two years.

Screen shots of dancer bio pages

A logo, designed for use on the web site & in banner ads

I graduated from Ryerson Theatre School with almost two years of web experience behind me, and was able to leap right into full-time projects, with companies I’ll no doubt profile here soon.

I’d been out of school for about six months when my ballet fairytale finally came to its inevitable end. I was preoccupied with my full-time projects, e-commerce had become a necessity and Flash was in vogue. I ceded my place at the ballet to a large and experienced design and marketing firm I just couldn’t compete with all by myself.

But the ballet had already given me so much– not just a paycheque, but a completely open-ended chance to learn, try things out, and define for myself what my work and professional life could be. It showed me the power of pure will and passion, and cemented forever the confidence that I can make my own hopes come to fruition if I just work my butt off and read the right books.

And I still love the ballet.

(Still messing around with the Picture Show app on my iPhone, still loving it.)

Susan Mitchell is the illustrator of over 16 books for children, including Paula Deen’s popular cookbooks for kids. She also sells paper products like calendars and greeting cards, and makes soft toys and 3-d illustrations featuring a whole cast of needle-felted mice, moles and other adorable original characters.

Susan needed a [...]]]>

Susan Mitchell is the illustrator of over 16 books for children, including Paula Deen’s popular cookbooks for kids. She also sells paper products like calendars and greeting cards, and makes soft toys and 3-d illustrations featuring a whole cast of needle-felted mice, moles and other adorable original characters.

Susan needed a new web site that would allow her to easily update and showcase her portfolio of works to fans and potential clients. She hired Accomplice Media and Jill Murray to design and build her a WordPress site that would bring her blog (formerly on Blogger), portfolio (formerly on a hard-to-update flash site), and links to the many online shops where her art is for sale together under one umbrella that proudly displays her personal brand.

And what a distinct, cozy brand it is! Susan’s is probably the first web site I’ve created that makes me want to hug it.

Personal touches make this web site stand out! Look for Susan's hand-drawn social media icons, and her 3d illustrated background images.

I’ve made it safe and sound to Volcan. Yesterday I spent some time walking around Casco Viejo, in Panama City, where I snapped the photo above, of the newer city, across the bay. I’m still kinda sick, so today I tried to lie low and just concentrate on breathing through my nose.

This is [...]]]>

I’ve made it safe and sound to Volcan. Yesterday I spent some time walking around Casco Viejo, in Panama City, where I snapped the photo above, of the newer city, across the bay. I’m still kinda sick, so today I tried to lie low and just concentrate on breathing through my nose.

This is the special quarantine room they have me in at the hotel:

I kid, I kid. That’s a photo from the museum of Panama Canal History. I took it before I found out there are no photos allowed in the museum of Canal History.

Here’s a photo of some ships lining up to squeeze into the canal:

And here’s the view from my actual hotel room in Volcan:

That’s the volcano, Volcan Baru in the middle, and that cloud around it is permanent. The forest up there is cloud forest!

Finally, here’s how they serve coffee in Panama:

Yup, with a straw. Every single time. Never a spoon or a stir-stick; always a straw.

I’ll be posting all my photos from this trip in a Flickr Set dedicated to its cause, so by all means go check out the other photos if you like.

I woke up sick this morning, and have spent the whole day in bed, but I’m trying to see it as a good thing. For instance: I get to update my [...]]]> Hello, good people of the future! (That’s what 2010 is supposed to be, even if we have no robo-maid-toaster-flying-cars to show for it, right?)

I woke up sick this morning, and have spent the whole day in bed, but I’m trying to see it as a good thing. For instance: I get to update my blog!

In a few days I’m going away (so I *REALLY* hope I can sleep off the sick before then!) and when I get back I’m going to have quite a few amazing fun things to tell you about:

• An exciting update for everyone who’s asked me (and I think that’s most of you!) “when is Break On Through going to be a movie?”)
• Photos of Panamanian coffee farms– research for a future project
• Photos from my fall trip to Salem, MA, for yet another new project
• And super-fun awesome updates about the upcoming release of Rhythm & Blues, on February 9th. Egads, that’s just one month from tomorrow! Can you believe it?

Until I get back, I hope you have a happy, healthy January, to pave the way for an amazing 2010! And while we’re at it, get cracking on those robots, why don’t you?