Portrait site redesign
Jan Busby photo site redesign (www.janbusby.com)
Portrait photographer Jan Busby wasn’t satisfied with her old site. Built in 2002, the site’s identity didn’t reflect her work as of 2009. Based on Flash, the old site used outdated code that didn’t encourage SEO or updates.
We decided to redesign the site from scratch. The old version used flat HTML and Flash; the new version would rely on FTP to manage photos and an up-to-date CMS to manage text. The old site was optimized for 800-pixel-wide screens; the new site would fit 1024-wide and up.
My role
I developed a new identity for the site that emphasized the photos over the photos’ presentation. The mantra of “focus on the photos” lead to a bold home page and decisive internal structure.
I also found a Flash plug-in that read XML. Using PHP to read photo directories by category, I was able to change the Flash slideshow by uploading and deleting photos from the appropriate directories. This made removing old material much easier than before.
The new home page.
The old home page.