Online History -------->
What follows is a critical history of my work on the web and in community technology since 1997. In it, I detail my various projects over the years, what I set out to accomplish with them, and how well I did, in light of what I know now. I was lucky enough to be on the web relatively early. I had a personal homepage way back in the dark ages, before Facebook and Twitter were even a glimmer in anyone's eye. I got in on the ground floor with blogging in 1999, and have been writing and designing and participating in and building online communities constantly ever since. This work eventually led me to attempt a career as a nonprofit social media consultant, and finally, it has taken me into the Library and Information Science world, and the specialization of Community Informatics, where I study how information and information technology interact with communities and social, economic, and civic life.
I've seen a lot of "next big things" come and go in my time on the net, and if I've learned anything it's that this medium is not about the technology du jour or the latest empty buzzwords; it's about the transformative effects that online relationships and communities can have on physical lives and place-based communities. I've seen this over and over again in my own life, in my friends' lives, and in the communities where I have lived. My life would be immeasurably poorer without the relationships, experiences, and knowledge I've gained from the web, and a principal aim of my work is to help others gain access to the same gifts I feel so fortunate to have stumbled upon.
Info
contact - jddunn at gmail dot com
resume - RTF
rates - negotiable, depending on the nature of the project and the means available
jareddunn.org
What follows is a critical history of my work on the web and in community technology since 1997. In it, I detail my various projects over the years, what I set out to accomplish with them, and how well I did, in light of what I know now. I was lucky enough to be on the web relatively early. I had a personal homepage way back in the dark ages, before Facebook and Twitter were even a glimmer in anyone's eye. I got in on the ground floor with blogging in 1999, and have been writing and designing and participating in and building online communities constantly ever since. This work eventually led me to attempt a career as a nonprofit social media consultant, and finally, it has taken me into the Library and Information Science world, and the specialization of Community Informatics, where I study how information and information technology interact with communities and social, economic, and civic life.
I've seen a lot of "next big things" come and go in my time on the net, and if I've learned anything it's that this medium is not about the technology du jour or the latest empty buzzwords; it's about the transformative effects that online relationships and communities can have on physical lives and place-based communities. I've seen this over and over again in my own life, in my friends' lives, and in the communities where I have lived. My life would be immeasurably poorer without the relationships, experiences, and knowledge I've gained from the web, and a principal aim of my work is to help others gain access to the same gifts I feel so fortunate to have stumbled upon.
Info
contact - jddunn at gmail dot com
resume - RTF
rates - negotiable, depending on the nature of the project and the means available
jareddunn.org
Design Philosophy
My basic design and work philosophy has evolved along the guiding principle of giving primacy to the user, the community, and the content. My work as a designer and a community technologist begins with identifying the problems a community or organization is setting out to solve or the goals they are trying to achieve. Then I do an inventory of the assets they can bring to bear on the issue, as well as the deficits that need to be overcome and needs that need to be met to achieve their goals. Finally, I work together with my partners to identify the the right tools for the job, put them in their hands, help them learn how to use them effectively, and in the end do my best to get out of the way and let them do their work.
Of course, such restrictions don't mean that a design must be bland or ugly or that the tools must be dumbed down; they simply mean that a well-executed site or project will be an equilibrium between content and presentation, functionality and ease-of-use, existing community capacities and future community needs, and tending towards the user and the community whenever there is conflict between their needs and the demands of technology or design.
Finally, whenever possible, I strive to document my work thoroughly and clearly, and to adhere to established web standards and accessibility guidelines.
The projects are reverse-chronologically ordered as you scroll from left to right. Each thumbnail image can be clicked to open up a full-size(1024X768) screenshot of the site as it was when I finished with it. If the project in question is still on the web, I have also linked to it in the text, so you can visit it and try it out.
My basic design and work philosophy has evolved along the guiding principle of giving primacy to the user, the community, and the content. My work as a designer and a community technologist begins with identifying the problems a community or organization is setting out to solve or the goals they are trying to achieve. Then I do an inventory of the assets they can bring to bear on the issue, as well as the deficits that need to be overcome and needs that need to be met to achieve their goals. Finally, I work together with my partners to identify the the right tools for the job, put them in their hands, help them learn how to use them effectively, and in the end do my best to get out of the way and let them do their work.
Of course, such restrictions don't mean that a design must be bland or ugly or that the tools must be dumbed down; they simply mean that a well-executed site or project will be an equilibrium between content and presentation, functionality and ease-of-use, existing community capacities and future community needs, and tending towards the user and the community whenever there is conflict between their needs and the demands of technology or design.
Finally, whenever possible, I strive to document my work thoroughly and clearly, and to adhere to established web standards and accessibility guidelines.
The projects are reverse-chronologically ordered as you scroll from left to right. Each thumbnail image can be clicked to open up a full-size(1024X768) screenshot of the site as it was when I finished with it. If the project in question is still on the web, I have also linked to it in the text, so you can visit it and try it out.
University of Illinois Libraries - Government Information | 2012
This was my primary project as the Government Information graduate assistant at University of Illinois Libraries. It was a basic redo of the layout, though rather strictly constrained by the design template of the larger library site and the restrictions imposed by the CMS.
The previous site had not been reworked for a number of years, so I decided to start from scratch. I looked at analytics for the previous two years, consulted other librarians and tech staff about their use of the site, and performed user tests and a paper prototyping exercise with the primary library users of the site. I used those results to rethink the layout and information architecture of the site, streamlining the layout to make better use of the available space, and re-casting the IA in terms of the primary audiences and use-cases identified in the testing phase.
I also added new features to integrate social media and other timely content with the site, and provided training and consultation on social media use and strategy, and updated the code and fixed dead links throughout the site. Finally, I created a condensed portal page of the most pertinent resources for the use of reference librarians on the desk in the answering of Government Information questions.
This was my primary project as the Government Information graduate assistant at University of Illinois Libraries. It was a basic redo of the layout, though rather strictly constrained by the design template of the larger library site and the restrictions imposed by the CMS.
The previous site had not been reworked for a number of years, so I decided to start from scratch. I looked at analytics for the previous two years, consulted other librarians and tech staff about their use of the site, and performed user tests and a paper prototyping exercise with the primary library users of the site. I used those results to rethink the layout and information architecture of the site, streamlining the layout to make better use of the available space, and re-casting the IA in terms of the primary audiences and use-cases identified in the testing phase.
I also added new features to integrate social media and other timely content with the site, and provided training and consultation on social media use and strategy, and updated the code and fixed dead links throughout the site. Finally, I created a condensed portal page of the most pertinent resources for the use of reference librarians on the desk in the answering of Government Information questions.
The Savvy Researcher - Personal Information Management | 2012
The meat of the workshop focuses on building strategies to manage, organize, and access digital documents and annotations across multiple technological platforms and physical locations. It also introduces tools to put those strategies into practice, such as Dropbox, EverNote, and Delicious. Finally, it introduces the rudiments of making those tools work together to get the most out of your research and resources. It's designed as a participatory workshop, and works best when there's significant exchange between participants about their own information management problems and solutions.
In addition to the Prezi presentation above, the lesson plans are also available, including a thorough list of links to supporting resources online.
I developed this workshop as part of my work as a graduate assistant with Reference, Research, and Scholarly Services at University of Illinois Libraries. It is part of the Savvy Researcher seminar series which teaches information skills for scholars and researchers. The workshop covers the rudiments of Personal Information Management in a scholarly context. It introduces the concept of PIM, and goes into some of the history of information overload and strategies and tools to deal with it. This is followed by a brief overview of the personal productivity community online, and other examples of PIM strategies and workflows in the wild.
The meat of the workshop focuses on building strategies to manage, organize, and access digital documents and annotations across multiple technological platforms and physical locations. It also introduces tools to put those strategies into practice, such as Dropbox, EverNote, and Delicious. Finally, it introduces the rudiments of making those tools work together to get the most out of your research and resources. It's designed as a participatory workshop, and works best when there's significant exchange between participants about their own information management problems and solutions.
In addition to the Prezi presentation above, the lesson plans are also available, including a thorough list of links to supporting resources online.
Urbana Free Library Tech Volunteers Online Dashboard | 2011-12
This was my Practicum project at the Graduate School of Library & Information Sciences at the University of Illinois. GSLIS students manage and staff a volunteer program with the Adult Services Department of the Urbana Free Library, called the Urbana Free Library Tech Volunteers. These volunteers staff a special station at the Reference Desk devoted to managing the public computer lab and providing technical help and digital literacy training to patrons. This program both removes a burden from the professional librarians, and provides students with valuable opportunities for library experience, patron interaction, and instruction.
Working as a tech volunteer, I recognized a need for a tool to coordinate volunteers, collect and manage transaction statistics, and provide an archive for organizational documentation and continuity. I proposed a project to create the Online Dashboard to the Adult Services librarians, and then built it with the open source Drupal content management system. In addition to the basic management functions, I also provided for a knowledge base of instructional materials, help desk ticketing functionality, and a collaborative space for volunteers and community members working on digital literacy instruction.
This platform will be managed by the UFL Tech Volunteers student organization, and is designed to be expandable over time to share resources with the wider community, and take in curriculum being developed for other Community Technology Centers in the area as the Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband project ramps up. My hope is that it will eventually serve as a platform to extend the work and knowledge of the Adult Services librarians, the Tech Volunteers, and GSLIS students out into the rest of the local community and the wider LIS professional world.
This project was also recognized with the Information Systems/Technologies Award at the 2012 GSLIS Convocation.
This was my Practicum project at the Graduate School of Library & Information Sciences at the University of Illinois. GSLIS students manage and staff a volunteer program with the Adult Services Department of the Urbana Free Library, called the Urbana Free Library Tech Volunteers. These volunteers staff a special station at the Reference Desk devoted to managing the public computer lab and providing technical help and digital literacy training to patrons. This program both removes a burden from the professional librarians, and provides students with valuable opportunities for library experience, patron interaction, and instruction.
Working as a tech volunteer, I recognized a need for a tool to coordinate volunteers, collect and manage transaction statistics, and provide an archive for organizational documentation and continuity. I proposed a project to create the Online Dashboard to the Adult Services librarians, and then built it with the open source Drupal content management system. In addition to the basic management functions, I also provided for a knowledge base of instructional materials, help desk ticketing functionality, and a collaborative space for volunteers and community members working on digital literacy instruction.
This platform will be managed by the UFL Tech Volunteers student organization, and is designed to be expandable over time to share resources with the wider community, and take in curriculum being developed for other Community Technology Centers in the area as the Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband project ramps up. My hope is that it will eventually serve as a platform to extend the work and knowledge of the Adult Services librarians, the Tech Volunteers, and GSLIS students out into the rest of the local community and the wider LIS professional world.
This project was also recognized with the Information Systems/Technologies Award at the 2012 GSLIS Convocation.
Evernote Usability Engineering Lifecycle Project | 2011
This project simulates portions of a full iterative design process as outlined in Jakob Nielsen's "Usability Engineering Lifecycle." It is divided into 3 stages: 1. A competitive analysis of multiple applications in the note-taking and organization space. 2. A user test of the application under consideration, with questions informed by what was learned from the competitive analsys. 3. An prototype redesign, which incorporates the feedback and knowledge gained in the first two exercises into an iterative redesign process.
For the project, I chose to test and redesign an application called Evernote. Evernote is a multi-platform application competing in the note-taking and information organization space. It implements a common core of note-taking, organizing, retrieval, and reading functionality, with strengths in cross-platform compatibility and portability, including seamless syncing between portable devices, the desktop, and the web.
This project simulates portions of a full iterative design process as outlined in Jakob Nielsen's "Usability Engineering Lifecycle." It is divided into 3 stages: 1. A competitive analysis of multiple applications in the note-taking and organization space. 2. A user test of the application under consideration, with questions informed by what was learned from the competitive analsys. 3. An prototype redesign, which incorporates the feedback and knowledge gained in the first two exercises into an iterative redesign process.
For the project, I chose to test and redesign an application called Evernote. Evernote is a multi-platform application competing in the note-taking and information organization space. It implements a common core of note-taking, organizing, retrieval, and reading functionality, with strengths in cross-platform compatibility and portability, including seamless syncing between portable devices, the desktop, and the web.
Online Engagement Plan for CUCitizenAccess | 2011
This project is an online community engagement analysis and plan for CU-Citizen-Access, and was was created as part of the Summer 2011 LIS490ST – Community Informatics Studio class at the GSLIS
The class was run on a studio pedagogy model, in collaboration with the Department of Journalism, CU-Citizen-Access, and a variety of community partners in Champaign-Urbana and East St. Louis, IL.
This project is an online community engagement analysis and plan for CU-Citizen-Access, and was was created as part of the Summer 2011 LIS490ST – Community Informatics Studio class at the GSLIS
The class was run on a studio pedagogy model, in collaboration with the Department of Journalism, CU-Citizen-Access, and a variety of community partners in Champaign-Urbana and East St. Louis, IL.
UC2B & The Economy Film | 2011
This video was the final project in my Community Engagement class, and amounted to a continuation of my work with Bristol Place Metanoia Centers and the UC2B project in Intro to Community Informatics in the Fall or 2010. I was part of a team of 3 students who were partnered with organizations working on economic issues. We were tasked to make a film that tells the story of the organizations, and then lays out a vision for how the organizations and the communities they serve can use the coming UC2B broadband network to promote economic empowerment and community strength.
I did all of the interviews for the Metanoia Centers parts of the film, and the vast majority of the audio/video editing in Adobe Premiere. It was an excellent opportunity to finally learn multitrack editing and multimedia storytelling in a throughgoing way, and the product will hopefully be of real and enduring use to both our partner organizations and the UC2B project. We also each produced a research report on our organization and its context, and these informed the making of the film throughout the process.
Information is Power: UC2B and the Economy from J. Dunn on Vimeo.
This video was the final project in my Community Engagement class, and amounted to a continuation of my work with Bristol Place Metanoia Centers and the UC2B project in Intro to Community Informatics in the Fall or 2010. I was part of a team of 3 students who were partnered with organizations working on economic issues. We were tasked to make a film that tells the story of the organizations, and then lays out a vision for how the organizations and the communities they serve can use the coming UC2B broadband network to promote economic empowerment and community strength.
I did all of the interviews for the Metanoia Centers parts of the film, and the vast majority of the audio/video editing in Adobe Premiere. It was an excellent opportunity to finally learn multitrack editing and multimedia storytelling in a throughgoing way, and the product will hopefully be of real and enduring use to both our partner organizations and the UC2B project. We also each produced a research report on our organization and its context, and these informed the making of the film throughout the process.
Information Literacy Curriculum | 2011
Info Literacy Curriculum #2 - Basic Search, and Info Literacy Curriculum #3 - Evaluating Online Information are multimedia instructional presentations I made for my LIS 504 - Reference and Information Services class.
They're the first pieces of a planned 8-10 part multimedia information and technology literacy curriculum that I hope to complete by the end of my time at GSLIS. These are first attempts at building curriculum, and as I revise them over time, I'd like to simplify them more, be more thoughtful and intentional about designing them for a particular level of learner aptitude and knowledge, and resolve some confusion I had in making them over what medium they're intended for.
I went in intending to build modules for in-person teaching, but I think the combination of using and testing them in an online-only environment and realizing I had to turn them in for my class as standalone objects without an accompanying presentation pushed me over time towards creating standalone online modules for independent learning.
As I learn more about teaching information literacy and building curriculum and instructional materials, I want to try to adapt these modules to in-person and other contextual uses over time, and to design future modules with said need for situational adaptation in mind.
Info Literacy Curriculum #2 - Basic Search, and Info Literacy Curriculum #3 - Evaluating Online Information are multimedia instructional presentations I made for my LIS 504 - Reference and Information Services class.
They're the first pieces of a planned 8-10 part multimedia information and technology literacy curriculum that I hope to complete by the end of my time at GSLIS. These are first attempts at building curriculum, and as I revise them over time, I'd like to simplify them more, be more thoughtful and intentional about designing them for a particular level of learner aptitude and knowledge, and resolve some confusion I had in making them over what medium they're intended for.
I went in intending to build modules for in-person teaching, but I think the combination of using and testing them in an online-only environment and realizing I had to turn them in for my class as standalone objects without an accompanying presentation pushed me over time towards creating standalone online modules for independent learning.
As I learn more about teaching information literacy and building curriculum and instructional materials, I want to try to adapt these modules to in-person and other contextual uses over time, and to design future modules with said need for situational adaptation in mind.
A Day in the Life of Illinois Libraries | 2011
This video was made by my LIS502 - Libraries, Information and Society class. Teams of students went out to 6 libraries in the Champaign-Urbana area and documented a full day's worth of events at each, coinciding with the statewide One Day in the Life of Illinois Libraries event.
This was done primarily through videography, but also through photography, observation, statistics, and collection of materials. We produced a brief report and turned in a copy of our research materials, but this video was the primary product. I did the interviews for the Rantoul Public Library portion of the video.
This video was made by my LIS502 - Libraries, Information and Society class. Teams of students went out to 6 libraries in the Champaign-Urbana area and documented a full day's worth of events at each, coinciding with the statewide One Day in the Life of Illinois Libraries event.
This was done primarily through videography, but also through photography, observation, statistics, and collection of materials. We produced a brief report and turned in a copy of our research materials, but this video was the primary product. I did the interviews for the Rantoul Public Library portion of the video.
Libraries and Public Computing Policy | 2011
Policy Paper: The Internet, Public Computing, and Public Libraries. This was my first really sustained dive into the library literature, and my first attempt at a real policy survey and critique. I looked into the current state of public computing in libraries and the policy and funding environments that surround it. I came to a conclusion that while libraries have responded heroically to the demand for public computing and computing instruction over the past two decades, the overall policy situation both within the profession and without is chaotic and uncoordinated, and the current funding and support model is unsustainable even in the medium term.
I recommended that libraries and librarianship decide what their long-term role is in the provision of public computing services, how to prioritize this in relation to their other longstanding commitments, and how to formulate a positive and consistent policy. They should then use this policy to lobby governments at the state, local, and federal levels for the resources necessary to meet these needs on a sustainable basis.
This was more of a survey than a polished professional product, as it was done for an introductory Libraries, Information, and Society class, but it gave me a good base command of the issue and of the current policy landscape around public computing and community technology in the U.S.
Policy Paper: The Internet, Public Computing, and Public Libraries. This was my first really sustained dive into the library literature, and my first attempt at a real policy survey and critique. I looked into the current state of public computing in libraries and the policy and funding environments that surround it. I came to a conclusion that while libraries have responded heroically to the demand for public computing and computing instruction over the past two decades, the overall policy situation both within the profession and without is chaotic and uncoordinated, and the current funding and support model is unsustainable even in the medium term.
I recommended that libraries and librarianship decide what their long-term role is in the provision of public computing services, how to prioritize this in relation to their other longstanding commitments, and how to formulate a positive and consistent policy. They should then use this policy to lobby governments at the state, local, and federal levels for the resources necessary to meet these needs on a sustainable basis.
This was more of a survey than a polished professional product, as it was done for an introductory Libraries, Information, and Society class, but it gave me a good base command of the issue and of the current policy landscape around public computing and community technology in the U.S.
Alternative Spring Break - Tuscola Public Library | 2011
As part of Alternative Spring Break, I had the opportunity to spend a week at the Tuscola Public Library, shadowing the head librarian and volunteering. As someone who is interested in rural libraries as vehicles for economic and civic revitalization, this was a great opportunity, as it gave me the chance to learn about all aspects of running such a library, from the administrative to the practical to the political, and gave me a concrete sense of what is possible in such a setting.
For my volunteer work, I helped with a reshelving and weeding of the nonfiction section, and also with day-to-day circulation and computer support tasks. I also helped to formulate a public computing plan and budget in advance of a grant application for a new computer lab, which included devising several technology solutions at different price points and then obtaining pricing and quotes for those options. The results are not posted here for confidentiality reasons.
As part of Alternative Spring Break, I had the opportunity to spend a week at the Tuscola Public Library, shadowing the head librarian and volunteering. As someone who is interested in rural libraries as vehicles for economic and civic revitalization, this was a great opportunity, as it gave me the chance to learn about all aspects of running such a library, from the administrative to the practical to the political, and gave me a concrete sense of what is possible in such a setting.
For my volunteer work, I helped with a reshelving and weeding of the nonfiction section, and also with day-to-day circulation and computer support tasks. I also helped to formulate a public computing plan and budget in advance of a grant application for a new computer lab, which included devising several technology solutions at different price points and then obtaining pricing and quotes for those options. The results are not posted here for confidentiality reasons.
Prairienet.org | 2011
I got involved with Prairienet because I was interested in information problems around community engagement in our department. We partner with commmunity organizations in many of our classes, but the semester schedule and the transience of the student body means that such work is difficult to make sustainable or to build upon over time, and even moreso when we don't document it in a systematic way.
Prairienet is a collaborative digital platform to facilitate, document, and archive community engagement projects both at GSLIS and at UIUC in general, and it is hoped it will be part of a larger solution for those information problems with community engagement work.
I've done mostly backend work on it, especially in terms of streamlining and structuring the default Wordpress posting interface so that we get consistent data on each project. I also figured out how to enable geocoding for each project, and create Google Maps mashups to visualize our community work spatially. This Summer I'll be doing design work on the forward-facing part of the site, to present that data in a concise and usable form, as well as in different formats for different platforms and uses. Finally, I've helped create marketing and outreach materials for the site, including a poster and a one-sheet flier.
I got involved with Prairienet because I was interested in information problems around community engagement in our department. We partner with commmunity organizations in many of our classes, but the semester schedule and the transience of the student body means that such work is difficult to make sustainable or to build upon over time, and even moreso when we don't document it in a systematic way.
Prairienet is a collaborative digital platform to facilitate, document, and archive community engagement projects both at GSLIS and at UIUC in general, and it is hoped it will be part of a larger solution for those information problems with community engagement work.
I've done mostly backend work on it, especially in terms of streamlining and structuring the default Wordpress posting interface so that we get consistent data on each project. I also figured out how to enable geocoding for each project, and create Google Maps mashups to visualize our community work spatially. This Summer I'll be doing design work on the forward-facing part of the site, to present that data in a concise and usable form, as well as in different formats for different platforms and uses. Finally, I've helped create marketing and outreach materials for the site, including a poster and a one-sheet flier.
Community Informatics Club | 2010-11
In my time at GSLIS, I've been heavily involved with a variety of projects through the Community Informatics Club. The CI Club is a student service organization that aims to take what we learn in the classroom as CI specialists out into the wider department and community. This video provides a good short summary of our mission and work.
Through the CI club, I've worked on projects such as updating and fixing the public computers at Tuscola Public Library, cataloging the IMC Zine library, fulfilling book requests at Books 2 Prisoners, teaching digital storytelling to community organizations in East St. Louis, and teaching technology with the Urbana Free Library Tech Volunteers and at eBlackCU Campus-Community Technology events.
I'm a member of the planning committee that decides what projects and activities we take on as a group. I've also been the organization's web editor. Finally, I have helped to form a spinoff from the CI Club called the GSLIS Action Group, a student-led reading and discussion group focusing on professional development, digital and multimedia tools, current events, practical applications of theory, and any other knowledge and experience we need to engage innovatively and critically with our department, curriculum, and profession.
In my time at GSLIS, I've been heavily involved with a variety of projects through the Community Informatics Club. The CI Club is a student service organization that aims to take what we learn in the classroom as CI specialists out into the wider department and community. This video provides a good short summary of our mission and work.
Through the CI club, I've worked on projects such as updating and fixing the public computers at Tuscola Public Library, cataloging the IMC Zine library, fulfilling book requests at Books 2 Prisoners, teaching digital storytelling to community organizations in East St. Louis, and teaching technology with the Urbana Free Library Tech Volunteers and at eBlackCU Campus-Community Technology events.
I'm a member of the planning committee that decides what projects and activities we take on as a group. I've also been the organization's web editor. Finally, I have helped to form a spinoff from the CI Club called the GSLIS Action Group, a student-led reading and discussion group focusing on professional development, digital and multimedia tools, current events, practical applications of theory, and any other knowledge and experience we need to engage innovatively and critically with our department, curriculum, and profession.
Public Computing Labs in ESL | 2010
For our LIS 451 - Intro to Network Systems class we designed and built two public computing labs in East St. Louis, IL, one at Pirtle's Variety, and the other at The Word Cafe and Christian Bookstore.
This was an immersive, from-the-ground-up process wherein we surveyed our partners and their patrons to determine their technologcal and social needs, devised solutions to those needs within the contraints of budget and the donated computers and software available, and implemented those solutions, both in our staging lab and at the site itself.
For sustainability purposes, we also provided training materials and thorough documentation for all of the hardware and software solutions implemented. Close attention was also paid to the design of the physical space, with a view towards carefully integrating technology into the existing lifeways of the community.
The course concluded with a public presentation, in which we explained our project, the needs of the community, and how the technology and design choices we made could meet them.
For our LIS 451 - Intro to Network Systems class we designed and built two public computing labs in East St. Louis, IL, one at Pirtle's Variety, and the other at The Word Cafe and Christian Bookstore.
This was an immersive, from-the-ground-up process wherein we surveyed our partners and their patrons to determine their technologcal and social needs, devised solutions to those needs within the contraints of budget and the donated computers and software available, and implemented those solutions, both in our staging lab and at the site itself.
For sustainability purposes, we also provided training materials and thorough documentation for all of the hardware and software solutions implemented. Close attention was also paid to the design of the physical space, with a view towards carefully integrating technology into the existing lifeways of the community.
The course concluded with a public presentation, in which we explained our project, the needs of the community, and how the technology and design choices we made could meet them.
Reverse Engineering LibraryThing | 2010
This was the final project for my Information Organization and Access class. After spending the semester learning about how information is organized, structured, and transmitted and what the implications of that conceptual and actual infrastructure are for users and institutions, we then used the popular library social media site LibraryThing as a case study to explore these concepts in action.
We broke into groups of 5-6 people, and each group came up with their own model of how the database behind LibraryThing might be structured and organized, based on what we had learned in class and what we could glean from the information presented on the site and its structure. This project resulted in both an in-class presentation which laid out our findings, and a final report which documented our process. I did the E-R diagram and the bulk of the slides that built off of that, and as the person in the group with the most experience of both databases and LibraryThing, I had an integral role in shaping our concept for the project as a whole.
We had quite a bit of fun with this one, even going so far as to write and perform a song about databases to close our presentation, but I think the fun was always in service of communicating our ideas more effectively, and that it worked to keep our classmates more engaged with what could otherwise be a fairly dry topic.
This was the final project for my Information Organization and Access class. After spending the semester learning about how information is organized, structured, and transmitted and what the implications of that conceptual and actual infrastructure are for users and institutions, we then used the popular library social media site LibraryThing as a case study to explore these concepts in action.
We broke into groups of 5-6 people, and each group came up with their own model of how the database behind LibraryThing might be structured and organized, based on what we had learned in class and what we could glean from the information presented on the site and its structure. This project resulted in both an in-class presentation which laid out our findings, and a final report which documented our process. I did the E-R diagram and the bulk of the slides that built off of that, and as the person in the group with the most experience of both databases and LibraryThing, I had an integral role in shaping our concept for the project as a whole.
We had quite a bit of fun with this one, even going so far as to write and perform a song about databases to close our presentation, but I think the fun was always in service of communicating our ideas more effectively, and that it worked to keep our classmates more engaged with what could otherwise be a fairly dry topic.
Metanoia Centers Broadband Plan | 2010
This was the final project for my Intro to Community Informatics class. We were partnered with a community organization for the entire semester, and were asked to volunteer, observe, and learn as much as we could about the operations and context of our organization. We also spent considerable time in the course learning about and engaging with the UC2B project, a citywide broadband network being built under the NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
Our final project brought these threads together, along with our coursework about community, digital literacy, social capital, and the digital divide. In this project, we formulated a strategic plan for our organization to take advantage of the coming UC2B network, both to enhance their own operations and to help their community overcome the digital divide.
In my case, I worked with a neighborhood community center, the Bristol Place Metanoia Centers, and helped them plan to revive their previous public computing efforts and enhance their advocacy, organizing and outreach capacities. The engagement with the UC2B project also led to me taking a position on the UC2B Marketing and Outreach Subcommittee.
This was the final project for my Intro to Community Informatics class. We were partnered with a community organization for the entire semester, and were asked to volunteer, observe, and learn as much as we could about the operations and context of our organization. We also spent considerable time in the course learning about and engaging with the UC2B project, a citywide broadband network being built under the NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
Our final project brought these threads together, along with our coursework about community, digital literacy, social capital, and the digital divide. In this project, we formulated a strategic plan for our organization to take advantage of the coming UC2B network, both to enhance their own operations and to help their community overcome the digital divide.
In my case, I worked with a neighborhood community center, the Bristol Place Metanoia Centers, and helped them plan to revive their previous public computing efforts and enhance their advocacy, organizing and outreach capacities. The engagement with the UC2B project also led to me taking a position on the UC2B Marketing and Outreach Subcommittee.
Davis Square Webliography | 2010
This was an assignment done for my Intro to Community Informatics class. We were to create a webliography that would select, organize, and annotate the representative web presence of a physically rooted community or community of interest. I chose my former neighborhood Davis Square, in Somerville, MA, because I knew from personal experience that it was an excellent example of a community where online social and civic life mirror and reinforce the pre-existing offline components.
Davis Square is a privileged and unique community in many ways, and digital divides do still exist there, but the innovative and robust applications of online/offline community found there are worthy of attention and adaptation to other contexts.
This project was a good introduction to thinking systemically and contextually about the intersection of online and offline community, and about the deficits and opportunities that currently exist in these areas.
This was an assignment done for my Intro to Community Informatics class. We were to create a webliography that would select, organize, and annotate the representative web presence of a physically rooted community or community of interest. I chose my former neighborhood Davis Square, in Somerville, MA, because I knew from personal experience that it was an excellent example of a community where online social and civic life mirror and reinforce the pre-existing offline components.
Davis Square is a privileged and unique community in many ways, and digital divides do still exist there, but the innovative and robust applications of online/offline community found there are worthy of attention and adaptation to other contexts.
This project was a good introduction to thinking systemically and contextually about the intersection of online and offline community, and about the deficits and opportunities that currently exist in these areas.
Girlhacker.com | 2010
My work on Girlhacker.com was a fairly straightforward Blogger ---> Wordpress site transition job I did for a friend who is a longtime blogger. It involved exporting over 10 years' worth of archives from Blogger, and the importing them into a new Wordpress install in such a way as to preserve permalinks and post metadata.
I also did a re-theme of the site, based on an initial template theme that my client picked out. Mostly this was an opportunity to get under the hood of Wordpress and figure out how it works, how it structures data and handles importing and exporting, and how templates and styling are done.
My work on Girlhacker.com was a fairly straightforward Blogger ---> Wordpress site transition job I did for a friend who is a longtime blogger. It involved exporting over 10 years' worth of archives from Blogger, and the importing them into a new Wordpress install in such a way as to preserve permalinks and post metadata.
I also did a re-theme of the site, based on an initial template theme that my client picked out. Mostly this was an opportunity to get under the hood of Wordpress and figure out how it works, how it structures data and handles importing and exporting, and how templates and styling are done.
goodWORKSconnect.org | 2009
goodWORKSconnect.org has been my largest project to date. It's a regional social networking site and knowledge base designed to foster collaboration and exchange within the nonprofit community in downstate Illinois. I was on the design committee organized by the Lumpkin Foundation, and was integral to shaping the site in terms of functionality, interface, and user experience.
My primary duty was as a liason or translator between the nonprofit community stakeholders on the committee and the web development firm we hired to build the project. I identified the needs expressed by the committee and translated those into the tools, technologies, and design elements that we requested from the developers.
I also did extensive cross-browser compatibility and usability testing on the site prior to launch, and learned a lot about the strengths and limitations of Joomla, the tool we eventually selected for the site backend. I will have an ongoing role in the community as a site moderator and topic guide specializing in nonprofits and technology, and as a consultant specializing in building and nurturing online communities.
goodWORKSconnect.org has been my largest project to date. It's a regional social networking site and knowledge base designed to foster collaboration and exchange within the nonprofit community in downstate Illinois. I was on the design committee organized by the Lumpkin Foundation, and was integral to shaping the site in terms of functionality, interface, and user experience.
My primary duty was as a liason or translator between the nonprofit community stakeholders on the committee and the web development firm we hired to build the project. I identified the needs expressed by the committee and translated those into the tools, technologies, and design elements that we requested from the developers.
I also did extensive cross-browser compatibility and usability testing on the site prior to launch, and learned a lot about the strengths and limitations of Joomla, the tool we eventually selected for the site backend. I will have an ongoing role in the community as a site moderator and topic guide specializing in nonprofits and technology, and as a consultant specializing in building and nurturing online communities.
Sullivan Area Arts Council | 2009
This was a prototype for a project that eventully fizzled out. It was to be a Wordpress-based regional portal for the arts in central Illinois, including an area-wide events calendar, galleries to display artwork associated with the group, artist profiles, a blog, and lots of other social features to help bring together and publicize the arts community in the area surrounding Sullivan, IL.
It could be revived someday, depending on the resources and interest of the partners involved, but for now it remains on the drawing board.
This was a prototype for a project that eventully fizzled out. It was to be a Wordpress-based regional portal for the arts in central Illinois, including an area-wide events calendar, galleries to display artwork associated with the group, artist profiles, a blog, and lots of other social features to help bring together and publicize the arts community in the area surrounding Sullivan, IL.
It could be revived someday, depending on the resources and interest of the partners involved, but for now it remains on the drawing board.
Mattoon Area P.A.D.S. | 2009
This is a still in-progress site for the local homeless shelter in my hometown. It will be a basic informational site with maybe some light interactive tools like a blog, mailing lists, and online donations.
We've been slow to get the site completed and online because of time and resource constraints, so I've primarily concentrated on working with them on their office computing setup and on upgrading and securing the public workstations that they offer for the use of their clients.
This is a still in-progress site for the local homeless shelter in my hometown. It will be a basic informational site with maybe some light interactive tools like a blog, mailing lists, and online donations.
We've been slow to get the site completed and online because of time and resource constraints, so I've primarily concentrated on working with them on their office computing setup and on upgrading and securing the public workstations that they offer for the use of their clients.
Mid-Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters | 2008-09
I didn't build this site, though I will be in charge of maintaining and modifying it going forward, and have plans to change quite a few things to make it more participatory and interactive. My main work with BBBS so far has been in helping them develop a strategy for using Facebook to engage the student community at Eastern Illinois University, getting them set up with a Facebook fan page and group, and so on.
I've also worked with them on office computing issues like dealing with malware, networking and backup solutions, and making sure their software and hardware are up to date.
I didn't build this site, though I will be in charge of maintaining and modifying it going forward, and have plans to change quite a few things to make it more participatory and interactive. My main work with BBBS so far has been in helping them develop a strategy for using Facebook to engage the student community at Eastern Illinois University, getting them set up with a Facebook fan page and group, and so on.
I've also worked with them on office computing issues like dealing with malware, networking and backup solutions, and making sure their software and hardware are up to date.
Local Progress | 2008
Local Progress was an abortive attempt at a nonprofit. I intended to turn this site into a meeting ground where people who have web/tech skills and local civic and community groups who wanted to get on the web cheaply could be matched up with one another and work together, as well as a basic informational resource for groups trying to get onto the web and use it effectively to grow and organize. The idea was to take what the Obama campaign did nationally in terms of online organization, messaging, and fundraising, and put those tools and techniques into the hands of thousands of grassroots groups and individuals at a very local level.
Unfortunately, the economy imploded right as I was about to try launching this, and that deprived me of funding sources, and more importantly, of partners, so I decided to shelve it in favor of other projects and wait for a better environment.
I'll likely be repurposing this domain as a home for the nonprofit consulting and community technology work documented here at some point in the near future.
Local Progress was an abortive attempt at a nonprofit. I intended to turn this site into a meeting ground where people who have web/tech skills and local civic and community groups who wanted to get on the web cheaply could be matched up with one another and work together, as well as a basic informational resource for groups trying to get onto the web and use it effectively to grow and organize. The idea was to take what the Obama campaign did nationally in terms of online organization, messaging, and fundraising, and put those tools and techniques into the hands of thousands of grassroots groups and individuals at a very local level.
Unfortunately, the economy imploded right as I was about to try launching this, and that deprived me of funding sources, and more importantly, of partners, so I decided to shelve it in favor of other projects and wait for a better environment.
I'll likely be repurposing this domain as a home for the nonprofit consulting and community technology work documented here at some point in the near future.
Berkman Center Blog Group | 2004-2008
The Blog Group at the Berkman Center was sort of a social media users' group. Berkman fellows and employees, along with a rotating cast of people in the Boston area who were early adopters of blogging, podcasting, and emerging social media met every Thursday to compare notes and talk about what we were working on and what the emerging trends in our field were.
Over time, we began to move more in the direction of community outreach and education. We publicized our meetings around campus and the local community, and many individuals and organizations came to ask for advice on how to use specific tools, as well as how to use social media and the web in general to accomplish their goals. We also fielded media queries, partnered with other local tech-focused groups like Wikimedia Boston, and even began to build curriculum around common tools and best practices.
Because of its informal nature and rapid turnover, the group was ultimately a better vehicle for talking shop and finding partners for collaboration than for large, long-term projects or tangible outputs. Still, the Berkman Blog Group was the catalyst that got me seriously thinking about community technology and the real-world implications of social media, and in many ways it put me on the path I'm still traveling today.
The Blog Group at the Berkman Center was sort of a social media users' group. Berkman fellows and employees, along with a rotating cast of people in the Boston area who were early adopters of blogging, podcasting, and emerging social media met every Thursday to compare notes and talk about what we were working on and what the emerging trends in our field were.
Over time, we began to move more in the direction of community outreach and education. We publicized our meetings around campus and the local community, and many individuals and organizations came to ask for advice on how to use specific tools, as well as how to use social media and the web in general to accomplish their goals. We also fielded media queries, partnered with other local tech-focused groups like Wikimedia Boston, and even began to build curriculum around common tools and best practices.
Because of its informal nature and rapid turnover, the group was ultimately a better vehicle for talking shop and finding partners for collaboration than for large, long-term projects or tangible outputs. Still, the Berkman Blog Group was the catalyst that got me seriously thinking about community technology and the real-world implications of social media, and in many ways it put me on the path I'm still traveling today.
The Aleph | 2006
TheAleph.org was supposed to replace Suspension of Disbelief as the main focus of my written output. I wanted to make a sort of semantic, associative brain-map out of it, but MediaWiki turned out to be too frustrating to modify and work with, and over time more and more of my writing moved either into social mediums like Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Del.icio or private spaces like message boards and email.
Devonthink on my Mac ended up taking on the semantic brain-map function I was looking for. I'll probably go back to having a regular weblog sooner or later for the occasional thing I want to publish for a general audience, but this experiment is fairly well over.
TheAleph.org was supposed to replace Suspension of Disbelief as the main focus of my written output. I wanted to make a sort of semantic, associative brain-map out of it, but MediaWiki turned out to be too frustrating to modify and work with, and over time more and more of my writing moved either into social mediums like Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Del.icio or private spaces like message boards and email.
Devonthink on my Mac ended up taking on the semantic brain-map function I was looking for. I'll probably go back to having a regular weblog sooner or later for the occasional thing I want to publish for a general audience, but this experiment is fairly well over.
Keith Taylor for County Clerk | 2006
A local campaign site for a friend of mine back home who was running in his first election, for County Clerk. The layout and graphics aren't mine. I did mostly backend on this, along with some CSS and browser testing.
A local campaign site for a friend of mine back home who was running in his first election, for County Clerk. The layout and graphics aren't mine. I did mostly backend on this, along with some CSS and browser testing.
MHS Class of 1997 | 2005
I put MHS97.org together as an experiment to learn how to use Drupal, and also as a tool to facilitate planning our 10 year class reunion. It's pretty much a fully-fledged social networking site, with user profiles, internal messaging, message boards, chat, and many other features. It worked well for its purpose at the time, but it has largely been made obsolete by Facebook by now.
I put MHS97.org together as an experiment to learn how to use Drupal, and also as a tool to facilitate planning our 10 year class reunion. It's pretty much a fully-fledged social networking site, with user profiles, internal messaging, message boards, chat, and many other features. It worked well for its purpose at the time, but it has largely been made obsolete by Facebook by now.
EIU College Dems | 2005
A quick, basic informational page for a student organization, done in conjunction with the Coles Dems site. Now defunct.
A quick, basic informational page for a student organization, done in conjunction with the Coles Dems site. Now defunct.
Coles County Dems | 2004
In the months leading up to the 2004 Election, I was approached by friends from back home about setting up a web presence for the county Democrats. This was the first result of those efforts. It was centered around a blog, but also had a mailing list manager, a calendar, and other tools for organizing on the web.
They had a decent amount of initial success with it in terms of building a mailing list and the beginnings of a community around the site, but the people who had initiated and pushed for the website moved on and the new leadership didn't pick up the ball, so this site is defunct now.
In the months leading up to the 2004 Election, I was approached by friends from back home about setting up a web presence for the county Democrats. This was the first result of those efforts. It was centered around a blog, but also had a mailing list manager, a calendar, and other tools for organizing on the web.
They had a decent amount of initial success with it in terms of building a mailing list and the beginnings of a community around the site, but the people who had initiated and pushed for the website moved on and the new leadership didn't pick up the ball, so this site is defunct now.
Kuleshop | 2004
Kuleshop was one of my first freelance gigs, and I'm afraid it ended up being sort of a mess. I was referred by a friend, and it turned out after the fact that my skillset didn't quite match what they needed(Flash, for example) Plus, I was working remotely, and also had to work with their previous web firm, who still ran the backend, but didn't have time to re-do the frontend stuff on time. That ended up being difficult because I never really had a live dev site to work with, just graphics that I had to kind of put together in my head and hope they turned out the same when they were run through the backend.
This was mostly just grind-it-out Photoshopping... changing color schemes on nav graphics, getting product photos filtered and cropped into shape, and so on. I made quite a few original graphics in the same sort of theme as their existing ones, which was kind of challenging, often working without the original psd files or fonts. The only layout I did was for the Favorites section, but it was kind of different than what is pictured, which I've reconstructed because I was dumb and didn't get a screenshot before they changed it again. The main difference is that the top menu was graphical rollovers instead of text links.
I hope I did right by it at least minimally, and I definitely learned a lot about how to conduct yourself professionally as a freelancer. It was a lot harder than I thought, and I worked way more hours than I estimated / billed. But, hey, at least it paid for my iBook, and it was a valuable if stressul experience in learning to be a grownup businessperson.
Kuleshop was one of my first freelance gigs, and I'm afraid it ended up being sort of a mess. I was referred by a friend, and it turned out after the fact that my skillset didn't quite match what they needed(Flash, for example) Plus, I was working remotely, and also had to work with their previous web firm, who still ran the backend, but didn't have time to re-do the frontend stuff on time. That ended up being difficult because I never really had a live dev site to work with, just graphics that I had to kind of put together in my head and hope they turned out the same when they were run through the backend.
This was mostly just grind-it-out Photoshopping... changing color schemes on nav graphics, getting product photos filtered and cropped into shape, and so on. I made quite a few original graphics in the same sort of theme as their existing ones, which was kind of challenging, often working without the original psd files or fonts. The only layout I did was for the Favorites section, but it was kind of different than what is pictured, which I've reconstructed because I was dumb and didn't get a screenshot before they changed it again. The main difference is that the top menu was graphical rollovers instead of text links.
I hope I did right by it at least minimally, and I definitely learned a lot about how to conduct yourself professionally as a freelancer. It was a lot harder than I thought, and I worked way more hours than I estimated / billed. But, hey, at least it paid for my iBook, and it was a valuable if stressul experience in learning to be a grownup businessperson.
The Wilson Lab | 2003-2008
Somehow I never got around the re-designing the website for the lab I managed for 5 years. I'm not sure how that happened, other than that my daily duties were fairly extensive and I never really found the sustained free time and momentum necessary to get it done.
I am responsbile for some of the content on this site, most notably the publications section, which involved quite a bit of research to track down online versions of all the lab's publications going back two decades. I also cleaned up the code on the pages I updated.
I did do a lot of web and IT work as part of my duties for the lab, but most of it was on the internal network. I helped set up an internal wiki that the lab used for documentation, meeting planning, safety training, ordering supplies and lots of other daily business. I also collected and organized all of the lab's software, publications, and whitepapers on the intranet, and set up a spreadsheet-based internal ordering records and inventory system.
Somehow I never got around the re-designing the website for the lab I managed for 5 years. I'm not sure how that happened, other than that my daily duties were fairly extensive and I never really found the sustained free time and momentum necessary to get it done.
I am responsbile for some of the content on this site, most notably the publications section, which involved quite a bit of research to track down online versions of all the lab's publications going back two decades. I also cleaned up the code on the pages I updated.
I did do a lot of web and IT work as part of my duties for the lab, but most of it was on the internal network. I helped set up an internal wiki that the lab used for documentation, meeting planning, safety training, ordering supplies and lots of other daily business. I also collected and organized all of the lab's software, publications, and whitepapers on the intranet, and set up a spreadsheet-based internal ordering records and inventory system.
Jared Dunn Dot Org | 2003-Present
The front page of JaredDunn.org is an ongoing experiment in life data aggregation. I've got MagpieRSS sitting under the hood and pulling in and parsing feeds from various social networking content sites that I frequent. I update my info on those sites(or in some cases, it's collected automatically), and then it automagically shows up here as fairly complete picture of what I'm doing, seeing, reading, photographing, and so on at any given time.
The front page of JaredDunn.org is an ongoing experiment in life data aggregation. I've got MagpieRSS sitting under the hood and pulling in and parsing feeds from various social networking content sites that I frequent. I update my info on those sites(or in some cases, it's collected automatically), and then it automagically shows up here as fairly complete picture of what I'm doing, seeing, reading, photographing, and so on at any given time.
Suspension of Disbelief | 2003-2005
This was the last design for the front page of, Suspension of Disbelief. Much like the last Entropy design, it was an update of the older version to conform with new web standards and browser capabilities. The layout was in box-model CSS(with the exception of one table-based hack. I just couldn't get it to work totally the same after the changeover, in a typical example of the compromise often required between design standards and design practicalities.)
It mostly adhered to principles of accessibility, useability, cross-browser compatibility, and web standards(some small liberties were taken that wouldn't be elsewhere, as it's a personal site.) I think it was a good, solid layout, far away enough from minimalism to catch the eye, but fairly well-organized considering the amount of elements I tried to cram in there.
This was the last design for the front page of, Suspension of Disbelief. Much like the last Entropy design, it was an update of the older version to conform with new web standards and browser capabilities. The layout was in box-model CSS(with the exception of one table-based hack. I just couldn't get it to work totally the same after the changeover, in a typical example of the compromise often required between design standards and design practicalities.)
It mostly adhered to principles of accessibility, useability, cross-browser compatibility, and web standards(some small liberties were taken that wouldn't be elsewhere, as it's a personal site.) I think it was a good, solid layout, far away enough from minimalism to catch the eye, but fairly well-organized considering the amount of elements I tried to cram in there.
Entropy | 2002-2004
This was the final design for my weblog, Entropy, and the single design with which I am most satisfied to date. It managed to present a large and varied amount of information and functionality in a readable and somewhat unique format, while also incorporating an unusual amount of color and texture compared to many of my more minimalist efforts. It was also the first layout that I did entirely from scratch in CSS and with accessibility, usability, and validation strongly in mind.
This was the final design for my weblog, Entropy, and the single design with which I am most satisfied to date. It managed to present a large and varied amount of information and functionality in a readable and somewhat unique format, while also incorporating an unusual amount of color and texture compared to many of my more minimalist efforts. It was also the first layout that I did entirely from scratch in CSS and with accessibility, usability, and validation strongly in mind.
Suspension of Disbelief | 2001-2003
This was the previous design for the front page of my domain, suspensionofdisbelief.org. Again, there was a lot of varied information to deal with in this case, and I think I did a fairly good job of presenting it all without becoming overly confused or cluttered. This design was around for nearly two years, and the new version is mostly faithful to it, excepting minor layout changes, updates of legacy code and lots of other improvements under the hood.
This was the previous design for the front page of my domain, suspensionofdisbelief.org. Again, there was a lot of varied information to deal with in this case, and I think I did a fairly good job of presenting it all without becoming overly confused or cluttered. This design was around for nearly two years, and the new version is mostly faithful to it, excepting minor layout changes, updates of legacy code and lots of other improvements under the hood.
Eurotrash | 2002-Present
This is a one-off page I did to chronicle my trip to europe in the summer of 2002. It was my second experiment(and first of any appreciable scale) with using CSS for layout as well as text formatting, was done rather hastily in the days leading up to the trip, and thus doesn't have the usual sort of quality control that I tend to put into more permanent sites. Still, I think it's kind of cool looking, and it served its purpose quite well at the time, allowing me to have a record of my travels, and my friends and family to have a way in which to follow and talk about my progress.
This is a one-off page I did to chronicle my trip to europe in the summer of 2002. It was my second experiment(and first of any appreciable scale) with using CSS for layout as well as text formatting, was done rather hastily in the days leading up to the trip, and thus doesn't have the usual sort of quality control that I tend to put into more permanent sites. Still, I think it's kind of cool looking, and it served its purpose quite well at the time, allowing me to have a record of my travels, and my friends and family to have a way in which to follow and talk about my progress.
Informed Dissent | 2001-02
Informed Dissent was a site I put together in the weeks after September 11th, 2001. It was intended to be a social and political discussion between friends regarding the changed world we found ourselves in, and how we should deal with it.
Sadly, it never really came to fruition due to school and work commitments that prevented us from being able to devote the necesary time to it. The design and the few months' worth of discussion we did generate will probably get put back online somewhere eventually, but it's not a big priority right now.
Informed Dissent was a site I put together in the weeks after September 11th, 2001. It was intended to be a social and political discussion between friends regarding the changed world we found ourselves in, and how we should deal with it.
Sadly, it never really came to fruition due to school and work commitments that prevented us from being able to devote the necesary time to it. The design and the few months' worth of discussion we did generate will probably get put back online somewhere eventually, but it's not a big priority right now.
The Shadow | 2001-2003
The Shadow was another one-off site I did, this time in order to document and analyze a rather difficult period in my life. The writing portion never really got to an endpoint I was satisfied with, but the design was simple and complete. This was the first time I used CSS for much of anything at all, and it turned out not too badly in retrospect.
I'm normally not fond of white text on black backgrounds, for eyestrain reasons, but it was thematically approporiate enough in this case to flout one of my self-imposed rules. I'm not sure if this will ever come back or not, since I'm out in the adult world now and some of the content is pretty sensitive stuff that I'm not sure I want floating around in the Google permanent record.
The Shadow was another one-off site I did, this time in order to document and analyze a rather difficult period in my life. The writing portion never really got to an endpoint I was satisfied with, but the design was simple and complete. This was the first time I used CSS for much of anything at all, and it turned out not too badly in retrospect.
I'm normally not fond of white text on black backgrounds, for eyestrain reasons, but it was thematically approporiate enough in this case to flout one of my self-imposed rules. I'm not sure if this will ever come back or not, since I'm out in the adult world now and some of the content is pretty sensitive stuff that I'm not sure I want floating around in the Google permanent record.
SXSW 01 | 2001-Present
This was yet another one-off design I put together in order to document an experience, this time my trip to Austin, TX for SXSW Interactive Conference 2001. Also, it was yet another case where I flouted my self-imposed rules, this time against heavy usage of frames in a design. These rules are very general, and breakable for good reason, in that they are mostly dependent upon the content being presented. Usually, frames are bad, as they make linking to content difficult, and search engine ranking almost impossible.
However, the content being presented here was mostly pictorial, and the framed layout proved to be the most efficient and aesthetically pleasing way of presenting it in this case, so I went with it. I'll get this back online here at jareddunn.org eventually, as part of a future project to get all of my photo archives back online.
This was yet another one-off design I put together in order to document an experience, this time my trip to Austin, TX for SXSW Interactive Conference 2001. Also, it was yet another case where I flouted my self-imposed rules, this time against heavy usage of frames in a design. These rules are very general, and breakable for good reason, in that they are mostly dependent upon the content being presented. Usually, frames are bad, as they make linking to content difficult, and search engine ranking almost impossible.
However, the content being presented here was mostly pictorial, and the framed layout proved to be the most efficient and aesthetically pleasing way of presenting it in this case, so I went with it. I'll get this back online here at jareddunn.org eventually, as part of a future project to get all of my photo archives back online.
Entropy | 2001-2002
Here we begin to enter the pre-modern era of sorts in terms of design. The rest of these were made before the days of the 5.0 browsers that supported CSS well, and before the days when web standards and accessibility were really on the radar for designers.
They were fine for the time they were made, but wouldn't really pass muster by the standards of today's somewhat less chaotic web. Many of them are also no longer extant online, or if they are, they're no longer under my control. The first is the previous incarnation of the design for Entropy, before I reworked it entirely, brought it up to "code" as it were, and removed a lot of the clutter on the sidebar.
Here we begin to enter the pre-modern era of sorts in terms of design. The rest of these were made before the days of the 5.0 browsers that supported CSS well, and before the days when web standards and accessibility were really on the radar for designers.
They were fine for the time they were made, but wouldn't really pass muster by the standards of today's somewhat less chaotic web. Many of them are also no longer extant online, or if they are, they're no longer under my control. The first is the previous incarnation of the design for Entropy, before I reworked it entirely, brought it up to "code" as it were, and removed a lot of the clutter on the sidebar.
CPSC 199 Course Page | 2000
CPSC 199 Section WC was site I did for a class taught by a professor for whom I was working at UIUC. This was a very basic design, appropriate to the amount and type of content being presented. It was a small site of around ten pages, and included all of the standard information that a basic course page should have... syllabus, schedule, supplementary reading, instructor bio and contact info, and so on. The image-based menu at the top followed the user through the whole site, for ease of navigation.
In retrospect, it should also have had text-based alternative navigation for text-only browsers and screenreaders, but at the time this sort of thing wasn't really on the radar yet. Other than that, a pretty standard course webpage, and probably aesthetically better than most I've run across in my time. It's no longer on the web.
CPSC 199 Section WC was site I did for a class taught by a professor for whom I was working at UIUC. This was a very basic design, appropriate to the amount and type of content being presented. It was a small site of around ten pages, and included all of the standard information that a basic course page should have... syllabus, schedule, supplementary reading, instructor bio and contact info, and so on. The image-based menu at the top followed the user through the whole site, for ease of navigation.
In retrospect, it should also have had text-based alternative navigation for text-only browsers and screenreaders, but at the time this sort of thing wasn't really on the radar yet. Other than that, a pretty standard course webpage, and probably aesthetically better than most I've run across in my time. It's no longer on the web.
Entropy | 2000
This was the first design of any consequence for my weblog, Entropy, undertaken around the time that I upgraded from my student web account to a domain and paid hosting. Before this, it was basically just plain text on a colored background divided up by a couple of tables. Here, I finally tried to apply some actual design skills and principles to it.
This was a very minimalist design, reflecting my lack of confidence at the time when it came to dealing with a lot of elements in any one design. I had tried much more ambitious layouts, and never really been satisfied with them, so I stripped it all the way down, started over, and evolved upward in complexity from there. This was a good instinct, and prefigured my emphasis on the content over the visual elements in most of my designs to come. This was a solid first effort at a weblog design, but nothing spectacular in retrospect.
This was the first design of any consequence for my weblog, Entropy, undertaken around the time that I upgraded from my student web account to a domain and paid hosting. Before this, it was basically just plain text on a colored background divided up by a couple of tables. Here, I finally tried to apply some actual design skills and principles to it.
This was a very minimalist design, reflecting my lack of confidence at the time when it came to dealing with a lot of elements in any one design. I had tried much more ambitious layouts, and never really been satisfied with them, so I stripped it all the way down, started over, and evolved upward in complexity from there. This was a good instinct, and prefigured my emphasis on the content over the visual elements in most of my designs to come. This was a solid first effort at a weblog design, but nothing spectacular in retrospect.
Govindjee Web | 1999-2000
This is the first external web project I did, and it was a rather extensive one. The Govindjee Web(the site is still extant, but I haven't had control over it for years) was a site for a plant biology research lab, and also a chronicle of the career and output of Dr. Govindjee, an esteemed researcher into the mechanisms of photosynthesis. I started out with a rather disorganized mass of several hundred pages' worth of data, and by the time I was done, the site was easily navigable, searchable, and usable.
This was more of an information architecture project than a visual design one, as the client had firm ideas as to how the site should look and didn't leave me much latitude on that. Still, I left the thing a lot better off and more efficiently organized and coded than it was when I began, and that's the really important thing in my book.
This is the first external web project I did, and it was a rather extensive one. The Govindjee Web(the site is still extant, but I haven't had control over it for years) was a site for a plant biology research lab, and also a chronicle of the career and output of Dr. Govindjee, an esteemed researcher into the mechanisms of photosynthesis. I started out with a rather disorganized mass of several hundred pages' worth of data, and by the time I was done, the site was easily navigable, searchable, and usable.
This was more of an information architecture project than a visual design one, as the client had firm ideas as to how the site should look and didn't leave me much latitude on that. Still, I left the thing a lot better off and more efficiently organized and coded than it was when I began, and that's the really important thing in my book.
Think for Yourself | 1999
This was the last design for my student site. I still have a bit of a soft spot for it aesthetically, because it's probably the most unique and boundary-pushing thing I've done, but it was a nightmare in terms of usability, searchability, cross-platform performance, and so on, reflecting my complete ignorance of such issues at the time.
This was back in the era when web design was still kind of conceptual and had more crossover with visual art and multimedia/interactive elements. The imagemap at the top was for navigation, and used javascript rollovers to simultaneously display the various section buttons and change the image at top-left when you clicked on various parts of the galaxy image. This was before I knew that frames weren't a good idea for texty content as well, though this implementation isn't totally egregious or anything, for a personal site.
Surprisingly, I was smart enough to provide alternative text-based navigation at the bottom, which mitigated some of the confusingness, but ultimately failed to save it in terms of being an effective way to present the large amounts of textual content I had.
This was my first good visual design, but knowlege in terms of information architecture and usability was still a ways down the road.
This was the last design for my student site. I still have a bit of a soft spot for it aesthetically, because it's probably the most unique and boundary-pushing thing I've done, but it was a nightmare in terms of usability, searchability, cross-platform performance, and so on, reflecting my complete ignorance of such issues at the time.
This was back in the era when web design was still kind of conceptual and had more crossover with visual art and multimedia/interactive elements. The imagemap at the top was for navigation, and used javascript rollovers to simultaneously display the various section buttons and change the image at top-left when you clicked on various parts of the galaxy image. This was before I knew that frames weren't a good idea for texty content as well, though this implementation isn't totally egregious or anything, for a personal site.
Surprisingly, I was smart enough to provide alternative text-based navigation at the bottom, which mitigated some of the confusingness, but ultimately failed to save it in terms of being an effective way to present the large amounts of textual content I had.
This was my first good visual design, but knowlege in terms of information architecture and usability was still a ways down the road.
Think for Yourself | 1998
This student site from 1998 was my first design that comes close to deserving the name. Really not at all bad, except for the navigation being stylistically obscured. It may have looked cool, but it was probably fairly difficult for people unfamiliar with the site to get around.
Again, this was way before I really thought about any of these things, design-wise. The first dabblings of an amateur getting the feel for a new medium. This is the site that taught me how to code, more or less. Not too bad, for a second effort, especially when you look at the first one, just to the right.
This student site from 1998 was my first design that comes close to deserving the name. Really not at all bad, except for the navigation being stylistically obscured. It may have looked cool, but it was probably fairly difficult for people unfamiliar with the site to get around.
Again, this was way before I really thought about any of these things, design-wise. The first dabblings of an amateur getting the feel for a new medium. This is the site that taught me how to code, more or less. Not too bad, for a second effort, especially when you look at the first one, just to the right.
Think for Yourself | 1997
This was my first webpage of any kind, from early 1997. It was laughably horrible, just like everyone else's first page, and is included for reasons of levity and hilarity. So, go ahead, look and laugh! I know I do. Man, was I ever a jerk back in 1997!
This was my first webpage of any kind, from early 1997. It was laughably horrible, just like everyone else's first page, and is included for reasons of levity and hilarity. So, go ahead, look and laugh! I know I do. Man, was I ever a jerk back in 1997!
Other
I have only included here projects for which I did all, or the vast majority of the design and coding work. Other projects to which I have contributed over the years include:
KBS Web - I had nothing to do with the design of this site, but I did redo the whole backend, reorganize the library(of which only a fraction is publicly available, for copyright reasons) as well as much of the intranet for the lab behind it. Details of what this involved can be found in my resume.
Gangbang - A perhaps unfortunately-named collaborative weblog. This was an ongoing discussion between six geographically far-flung friends over the web. I contributed quite a bit to the design process, but didn't do the actual coding or layout. I also wrote there for the entire lifetime of the site.
Signal Drench - A now-defunct online music magazine for which I wrote and did some layout and editing work. Some fragmentary archives can still be found at Newartillery.com and The Internet Archive.
I have only included here projects for which I did all, or the vast majority of the design and coding work. Other projects to which I have contributed over the years include:
KBS Web - I had nothing to do with the design of this site, but I did redo the whole backend, reorganize the library(of which only a fraction is publicly available, for copyright reasons) as well as much of the intranet for the lab behind it. Details of what this involved can be found in my resume.
Gangbang - A perhaps unfortunately-named collaborative weblog. This was an ongoing discussion between six geographically far-flung friends over the web. I contributed quite a bit to the design process, but didn't do the actual coding or layout. I also wrote there for the entire lifetime of the site.
Signal Drench - A now-defunct online music magazine for which I wrote and did some layout and editing work. Some fragmentary archives can still be found at Newartillery.com and The Internet Archive.