Steph Hayes – Artist
Steph Hayes is an artist working in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. A graduate of Fine Art, she paints in acrylics in bright hues with a spiritual bent.
Seeking commissions and people to collaborate with, she needed a unified web presence to sell her painting and to network.
Role
I believe Steph certainly knew what she hoped for the site. She will be the first to admit that articulating what she wanted via email did not come very naturally to her – but I worked independently on this, liaising online through email and async video correspondence. All of our communication was kept to one focus point which ticked all of my boxes. After a series of designs we settled on the current incarnation of the site.
Time Line
March 2023
Tasks & Deliverables
- Implementing somebody else’s vision
- Working remotely
- Working digitally, online
- Deliver a site to spec
- Optimise the SEO so it is a found destination
- Build an online base for the sale of art
Project Brief
I was recommended to Steph by Danielle, a mutual friend – we got talking and she stated she wanted a clean site with not too much to detract from the paintings; it needed to be bright and it needed to be independent and modern looking
Stephanie needed a web designer who would not charge the going rate for a website, someone who would take in to account that she is an artist earning from commission.
We agreed on an installment programme to cover expenses after she contacted me.
Once again, this is a WordPress build. It was made in the browser and made to fit all browsers, regardless of device.
The project was a conversation between us that lasted the prescribed length and went over the allotted time; despite this, I honoured my pledge to stick to my original quote. Steph did not pay extra for the site even though life got in the way.
I would edit the site, feed back to Steph and then Steph would respond.
Designing Solutions
Steph needed a modern, clean looking website that showed people her art. The site needed to look fresh and to pop. I hope I have delivered that.
The site is a WordPress build that shows people how to get in touch with Steph; they can buy and original work of art or a print – heck, they can even commission a work thanks to a form I built her.
Next Steps
I will be working on the SEO of the website through April – I will also be making videos to show Steph how to manage and update her website. There will be a steady work output from Steph, and the site needs constant refreshing. This is not something Steph feels she wants to outsource, so I will make a few reference videos walking her through how to make update to the site.
Conclusion
Steph leads a very busy life, having a young family and a day job. So, the completion of the website was fitted around life events. There would be months go past when I would not hear from her, but, in one last “hurrah!” we got the site over the finish line. It fits the brief and is bang tidy!
