Hi. My name is Taylor and I’m a web designer living in Los Angeles, CA.
Do you remember life without the internet? I do.
To a large percentage of the population this may not be such an amazing feat, but it is an increasingly rare trait among the younger crowd.
Along with the globalization of information and the endless possibilities for publishing content online today, comes responsibilities. Unfortunately, there are many ways to exploit this system at the cost of maintaining a healthy, organic flow of useful information.
In a plugged-in world bombarded with articles on how to improve traffic to your site or increase your number of Twitter followers, remembering what life was like before there was an app for everything can be a beneficial asset to smart web design.
My philosophy toward creating for the web is to go back to the basics, answering the needs of the people and providing a quality user experience.
How it all began
My interest in web design began when I started learning HTML during my free time as a sophomore in high school, playing around with building websites using now-archaic services such as Geocities. These skills came in handy a few years later when I moved to college at University of California, Riverside and began to get involved with the local music scene. Having the ability to create and maintain my own website was not only enjoyable, but helpful in getting the word out about my music and upcoming shows.
Pursuing the knowledge
In early 2005, I moved to Los Angeles to study film production at California State University Northridge. While still in college, I worked part time for two marketing companies, DEI Worldwide and Marketing Works, learning the ins and outs of social media and SEO.
After graduating, I landed a job at CMH Records, an independent record label in Silverlake, as Director of Online Marketing and Social Media. Being a small company, I was inevitably required to wear many hats, which turned out to be a blessing. In addition to growing their online presence through social media, I began designing marketing materials, such as email newsletter campaigns, and began helping to develop brand new websites. When the company decided to start a blog, I learned all there is to know about blog design in order to create custom WordPress themes for the brands Rockabye Baby and Vitamin String Quartet.
Down to business
In 2010, I was honored to be offered an opportunity that has enabled me to work closely with two of my passions – film and design. As the Website Administrator at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, I was responsible for keeping the Oscars website updated with news, events and media. While I was there I also created graphic design elements as well as built entire new sections of the HTML site such as the Oscar Legacy and Features pages.
In the summer of 2011, I began working at Deutsch where I am now working as a Junior Creative Developer with a group of really smart people on great brands like Volkswagen, Fresh&Easy and HTC.
If you are interested in working with me, please feel free to get in touch.