• Always set a project timeline, that you can actually stick with, and give a copy to your client to keep you both in check.  Make sure to include things the client needs to do such as emailing pictures or text.
• When making time for projects always keep your first priorities first.  If you have a lot to do cut down on other tasks you may find yourself doing during the day.  Procrastination is a huge no no.
• Set clear goals for projects when are starting out.  What do you want your site to accomplish when it is completed?
• Make sure you check back with previous clients.  A  phone call every few months to check up on your client will never hurt you.
• When buying domains put them in your calendar and set it for a week earlier than when payment is due to renew the domain, this way you won’t run into renewal issues later on.
• Have a back up plan if something goes wrong.  What if your computer crashes?  What about backups?  Being sick? Planning never hurt anyone.
• Make sure clients know what is going on, never leave them in the dark for weeks at a time.

These are just a few tips I have learned over the years.  What are some things you do?

Suminoe Textile of America

This was a site re-built for a company that makes fabric and carpet for Honda, Toyota, Lexus, and some other car manufacturers.  Scratch to finish took about a week.

Suminoe.us

Peoples Choice Insurance

I designed and coded this one for a local insurance reseller.  They wanted something clean with some style, so this is what I came up with, and what they liked.  This took a couple weeks to design and around a couple months to get it all worked out right.  There is still some information missing and we are tying to get together but I can only do what the client gives.

PCINS.org

JoshMLewis

This was a template really customized to where you can’t even tell the old from the new template.  I am just beginning in WordPress, so I am a newbie at this, anyway.  I am still working on little things everyday to hopefully make it my dream site eventually.

http://joshmlewis.com

The Woodruff City Bulletin

I was hired by a newspaper company to design and develop a manageable, user friendly, and stylish web site that offered plenty of resources for the user. It is powered by Wordpress, so it works like a charm and has a lot of built in features.

GoWoodruff.com

Paul Oriente

A very talented artist, Paul Oriente, needed a web site redesign.  From scratch I made the mock up and hand coded the pages to customize the feel Paul wanted for his site.  In the end it turned out very professional and the client was very happy with the end result.

PaulOriente.com

My name is Josh Lewis. I am 16 years old and counting.  I have a ‘67 and ‘01 Mustang that I love to work on/drive.  I live in South Carolina, near Greenville.  I love to be online, talk to friends, and explore the vast online world.  Mounds and mounds of information are so easily at your fingertips.  This is how I learned HTML/CSS and how I got started in the web design field.

I attend a small private school in Gaffney, South Carolina.  I am a Junior as of 2010 and I play on the varsity basketball team.

My web design history started when I was about 12 years old when I lived in Pineville, Kentucky. Ever since I have been through an amazing amount of work and experience.  Four years later I have several years of experience under my belt working with clients and producing quality work.  I spend my time keeping up with the latest technologies and updating past sites.

If you have any questions or comments, post them below or email me at josh@joshmlewis.com.

This is my personal/portfolio/tutorial website I have recently designed.   The purpose is to show what I can do and give others some insight on my life and what I have learned from the amazing field of web design.

My Life:

I am currently enrolled at Heritage Christian School.  Besides school I like to play guitar, play basketball, and hang out with friends.   I also have a 1967 Mustang I am restoring and a 2001 Mustang I drive on a daily basis.

My Talent:

I love creating and developing web sites for myself and others.  I have been dabbling in the field for several years but I didn’t get serious about it till around a year ago.  I just love sitting down and designing from scratch.  I code with valid HTML/CSS tuned to W3C Standards.   I know what looks good, and what doesn’t, thats why I give clients the best work possible.  Web design can sometimes seem daunting and when you’re out there searching for a web site you often times get stuck or confused but web sites are the best marketing tools around.  If you want your business to stay competitive a website is the way to go.  Putting yourself online gets your name out to anyone who has internet, and that is a lot of people.  If you’re interested in web design work or have any questions, contact me at josh@joshmlewis.com or call (864) 643 – 9191 and I will be glad to assist you.

Thanks.
-Josh

• Greenville, South Carolina
• Gaffney, South Carolina
• Spartanburg, South Carolina
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Columbia, South Carolina
• Hendersonville, North Carolina
• Asheville, North Carolina

These are cities that aren’t too far from me and I like to have a personal feel when doing web design projects with clients.   My rates start at  $400 USD  for the very, very basics.  A mid-grade site will usually run between $500 and $600 USD.  No surprise costs or hidden fees.   It takes up to two months for work to be complete.

If you are interested all you have to do is contact me with your business information,  what you want in a web site, and anything else I might need to know.  Then I will provide a free mock up and if you approve of the design we will sign a contract and your work will guaranteed to be done in 2 months or less.*

You provide the content for each page unless you need content creation.

*Unless some major catastrophe happens.

For the holidays I will only take 5 web sites so call now!

One being an insurance company that was recommended by another insurance company (http://pcins.org) which I did a site for.  This goes to show that doing quality work for a client can often bring referrals later on as with this case.  It has been a few months since I did the Peoples Choice web site but now I got a call I wasn’t expecting from someone who liked my work and had a good report from one of my clients.  Always treat clients with your top priority and always be up front with them because it will pay off in the future.

Two,  I was sitting at a fast food joint enjoying free Wi-Fi when someone came up to me and asked me about my computer (which is a Mac ) and I was telling him about it and what I did (being a web designer).  He said he was in the art business and needed some web site work so we swapped each others information.  Well actually he gave me his card and I emailed him my information.  Good thing this was a nice guy and I got to talk to him for a good bit or else without a business card handy I could have lost a client or resorted to writing on a napkin.  Moral of this incident:  Always carry a business card with you.  Anyway, we talked over a price and he wants me to do a site for him as soon as I get done with end of the semester stuff for school.  You never know when you will meet a prospective client so always be on the lookout.

And third but not least,  family members.  We all have family members that have a business or has someone close that does.  Although you’re probably thinking yes, been there done that, it’s actually not a bad way to build your portfolio and have more happy clients.  Even though it’s family,  still treat them like you would a client and be careful not to run into harsh situations.

In every way, designing another web site cannot hurt you.  You will always learn something new and have a new experience with each and every site and that’s what makes web design so much fun.  You will always encounter new challenges you just have to work through and having a learning experience AND adding to your portfolio can never be a bad thing.  So take these option into consideration when someone comes to you wanting a web site.

I don’t think its that bad for my first ad. I will get better in time though. So look out for more!

5+ years of computer support and learning experience.

I have been into web design for over 4 years now. Building my first site with Frontpage for my boy scout clan, I was proud to have my first site. From then I was intrigued into learning more and more. I stayed away from HTML and CSS for a long while and started using Flash to build sites. 2 years later I looked at a sample of CSS and HTML and gradually took on learning it. I am now well grounded in valid, standards complient, HTML and CSS that looks good. I have this keen sense in me that can tell a good design from a bad one. I know what looks good and I think that is what gives me the edge over some other designers.

4+ years of web design experience.

I have been in Sound and Media Production for around 3 years now. I started working in my local youth group sound booth on wednesday nights. I put together slides and presentations for songs and the sermon for that night. I also started doing sound for the wednesday night production. They both really got me hooked and I haven’t stopped since. I have been in 3 different churches since then and I am now one of the main media workers at my Church. I design graphics and slides for services and special events that are eye catching and intriguing. I love doing media and I plan on doing it for the rest of my days. I hope to one day work with big events and conferences.

3+ years of media production.

I was reading a post the other day from a fellow 16 year old designer that pleaded whenever he found a potential client, they liked his work and ideas but when they found out he was 16 they came up with some lousy excuse not to use him. I have had that happen several times as well. Just being a teenager doesn’t mean we can’t deliver quality work. I know we can, so please next time you are in the market for a web site and a young designer comes to you, take them seriously and seriously consider their work.