Case Studies

DouxDolci Web Design

Overview

I started DouxDolci Web Design a number of years ago as a way to get my foot in the door and learn web design professionally. Since then, I've worked with a number of small businesses and nonprofit groups, creating custom websites that fit their user's needs and could be managed without the need for a web designer.

To learn more about DouxDolci, you can visit the website here.

Keywords

Visual Design, User Experience, WordPress CMS

Yvette Simmons

In redesigning Yvette Simmons' website, I aimed to create a platform that authentically represents her journey and expertise as an author and entrepreneur. Yvette's story—from her beginnings in Kingston, Jamaica, to her successful career in the U.S. healthcare staffing industry—serves as an inspiration to many.

Redesign Objectives:

  • Enhanced Storytelling: Highlighting Yvette's personal and professional journey to engage visitors.
  • Visual Appeal: Incorporating vibrant visuals and animations to reflect her dynamic personality.
  • User Engagement: Adding clear call-to-action buttons to encourage interactions like book purchases and event bookings.
  • Accessibility: Ensuring the site is navigable and usable for all users, regardless of ability.

Accessibility Enhancements:

  • Added descriptive alt text to images for screen readers.
  • Conducted thorough screen reader testing to improve navigation.
  • Ensured full keyboard accessibility for all interactive elements.
  • Adjusted color contrast to meet WCAG guidelines for readability.
  • Assigned appropriate ARIA roles to buttons and navigation elements.
  • Refined the HTML structure and heading hierarchy for better screen reader interpretation.

These improvements resulted in a polished, user-friendly website that effectively showcases Yvette's work while being easy to maintain and update.

mEducation Alliance

Challenge

The mEducation Alliance, a non-profit organization focused on leveraging technology to improve global education, needed a website that was both functional and easy to maintain. Their existing website had several major pain points that made content management difficult, especially for interns and staff with limited web design experience. The key challenges included:

  • A complex and unintuitive backend that made updating content time-consuming
  • No ability to preview changes before publishing, leading to errors going live
  • No built-in backup system, making content updates risky and irreversible
  • Performance and accessibility issues that affected usability

Solution

To create a more efficient and user-friendly system, I worked closely with the mEducation Alliance team to understand their specific needs, workflows, and technical constraints. My goal was to design a solution that allowed their team—especially interns—to manage content confidently without requiring deep technical knowledge.

  • Rebuilt the website using a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, making it easier for non-technical users to edit content
  • Implemented a preview functionality, allowing users to review changes before publishing
  • Developed a structured backup system to prevent data loss and enable content recovery
  • Optimized site performance through streamlined code, caching, and Cloudflare integration
  • Ensured accessibility compliance by improving navigation, contrast, and screen reader compatibility

Beyond the initial redesign, I continue to collaborate with the mEducation Alliance, providing technical support, training, and ongoing refinements to ensure their website remains functional and scalable. I also prototype new page layouts and interactive elements to enhance user engagement and better align with the organization's evolving goals.

Matt Urban Marketing

Challenge

Creating a website for a marketing startup that exhibits a unique brand image. Has the following requirements:

  • Brand image that fits current logo
  • Simple to use
  • Cost-effective

Solution

Designed and built a responsive and user-centered website based on client needs and feedback. Worked within brand guidelines to create a consistent company image. The website is an inviting and professional design, which utlizes a one-page form factor. Above fold CTA button encourages visitors to schedule time with a marketing expert.

matt urban marketing project

Further Support

The project concluded with a short course in managing and editing their website. This allowed them to make basic edits without the need to contact and web designer and pay for their time.

The Tailored Male of East Setauket

Challenge

Creating a website for a local barbershop, which shows off their key selling points services. The age of their main audience was around 40-60, with a smaller group of 12-20 year olds. COVID concerns were also an important consideration here. In the end, they needed the following:

  • Simple navigation and pages with no fancy effects
  • Important information to be easily-discoverable
  • COVID safety information

Solution

Since the barbershop's audience tended to be older, the website was given a simplified design, with bold colors and sharp contrasts. Contact info and directions were placed above-the-fold, making them easy to find without scrolling. COVID information was given its own page, along with a section placed directly below-the-fold.

the tailored male of east setauket project

Preach the Word Evangelical Church NA

Challenge

This project was to create a website for an international church's Texas-based chapter. The website had to:

  • Fit the style of their logo
  • Include an event calendar and system to add new events
  • Be easily updated by the church's administration

Solution

The final product included the logo's red, green, and white color scheme. A user-friendly event system was put in place so staff could add new events with ease.

preach the word evangelical church project

Further Support

Staff were given a lesson in using WordPress and how to use the WYSIWYG editor Elementor to make minor updates to pages.