David McDonald - Freelance Front End Web Designer/Developer
David has been working in the web industry for over 10 years, most of it as a freelancer. During this time David has worked for many companies including BHP Billiton, Melbourne IT, Sensis, Victoria Online, Vision Australia, Myki and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO)
David has also worked freelance for some of Australia's leading web design and consulting agencies, including The Hiser Group, Boomworks, The Eclipse Group and Spin Communications.
David is able to produce valid, cross browser compatible, standards compliant XHTML/CSS that meets W3C WCAG Accessibility requirements.
An example of this was when David wrote the front-end for the BHP Billiton website in 2002, ensuring that the site complied with accessibility requirements and used web standards such as XHTML & CSS. This was the first major Australian corporate website to do this, and was recognised at the time as a significant achievement.
David is a member of WIPA (Web Industry Professionals Association) and the WSG (Web Standards Group) and was a founding member of the Melbourne Web Standards Group.
David's other skills include:
- accessibility consulting
- search engine optimisation
- search marketing
- interface design
- W3C standards compliance consulting
- web project management
More information about David's work background can be found on his Linked In profile.
Recent Work:
NRL Email Marekting Campaign (NRL - under contract to Boomworks)
- Description:
- Boomworks worked with David to produce and build HTML email templates for a NRL email newsletter campaign sent to subscribers.
- Participation:
- XHTML/CSS, Email Marketing
Telstra Business Search (Telstra - under contract to Boomworks)
- Description:
Boomworks contracted David to produce XHTML/CSS for the Telstra Business Search pages, which where being rebuilt to incorporate updated branding.- Participation:
- XHTML/CSS, W3C standards compliance
Telstra Business Shop (Telstra - under contract to Boomworks)
- Description:
- David was contracted by Boomworks to produce standard compliant XHTML/CSS for the Telstra Business Shop pages, which where being rebuilt to incorporate updated branding.
- Participation:
- XHTML/CSS, W3C standards compliance
Big Issue
- Description:
Larger versionThe Big Issue were finding that their current website was somewhat satic, and did not cater to the changing needs of their users. They were also finding their current content management system to be inflexible and difficult to use. Also, the website was not appearing in Google search results on specific keywords, and was not ranking effectively on others.David rebuilt the entire website from the ground up, implementing a web based content management system and the ability for users to buy subscriptions and make donations. He also implemeted many organic search engine optimisation techniques, which dramatically increased the site's ranking in Google and heavily increased traffic.
- Participation:
- XHTML/CSS, SEO, WordPress, W3C standards compliance
- Other:
- Code sample (Customised WordPress theme)
- Live site
CSIRO
- Description:
Larger versionThe CSIRO contracted David to build a web based application, called 'Your Development', which aims to cater be a meeting point for builders and developers who are concerned with sustainable building practices.David built a team consisting of a graphic web designer, a front-end XHTML/CSS coder (himself) and a PHP developer in order to build the application. David managed the team remotely, managed expectations and regulary reported to the client with progress.
- Participation:
- Project management, Web Application development, XHTML/CSS, W3C standards compliance, PHP
- Other:
- Code sample
- Site not yet live
Sensis
- Description:
Larger versionSensis asked David to build the front-end XHTML/CSS templates for an internal online advertisment booking tool.David took the design concepts and produced over fifty standards compliant XHTML/CSS templates, which where then handed over to the internal Sensis production team to implement.
- Participation:
- XHTML/CSS, W3C standards compliance
- Other:
- Code sample
- Internal web application, not available online
XYLO (Westpac - under contract to Hiser Group)
- Description:
Larger versionWestpac hired The Hiser Group to build design concepts for this online foreign exchange tool, as well as provide usability testing.When it came to building the front end, Hiser chose David to produce standards compliant XHTML/CSS templates, which where then handed over to Westpac's developers to implement.
- Participation:
- XHTML/CSS, W3C standards compliance, accessibility
- Other:
- Code sample
- Live site
DSTO (under contract to Hiser Group)
- Description:
Larger versionThe Hiser Group were asked to create design concepts for the DSTO (Defence, Science & Technology Organistation) intranet.Once the designs were complete, Hiser again commissioned David to create the front-end code using standards compliant, accessible XHTML & CSS.
- Participation:
- XHTML/CSS, W3C standards compliance, accessibility
- Other:
- Code sample
- Intranet site, not available online
