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Please provide a concise, written response to the following questions. You will be evaluated on the level and extent of your experience, technical knowledge, and clarity of response. Your response should be limited to no more than four pages. Please include your name and the job announcement number at the top of each page submitted.
- Describe your experience and level of expertise developing and maintaining large Web sites.
I created, developed, and managed two large websites for a computer printer manufacturer. I developed and maintained all worldwide home pages, corporate pages, and front doors. I managed Unix/Apache-based servers deploying content for United States, United Kingdom, and Latin American sales, marketing, technical support, engineering, product maintenance, documentation, customer service, field technical service, reseller/partner support, media/press relations, third-party vendors, and pre-sales education. I was the primary developer, creator, and point-of-contact, using assistance from in-house software programmers and development vendors on occasion. I worked closely with webmasters in Germany, Italy, Singapore, and Australia to assist with their pages and provide worldwide server and home page support.
My accomplishments as web manager include:
- Increasing website traffic by 770%.
- Expanding lead generation by 150%.
- Improving search engine placement/ranking to top three in Google, Yahoo, and MSN (Open Directory).
- Increasing international readership by 125%.
- Improving site accessibility 100% and exceeded all accessibility mandates, standards, and regulations.
- Improving measurable public awareness by more than 150% for web site content and features.
- Managing multiple websites of more than 1,200 pages each, with logical, consistent, easy-to-follow navigation and structure.
On January 1, 2004, each of the two main websites contained more than 1,200 web pages, Together, they contained more than 500 folders; more than 3000 graphics and photos (including a library of high-resolution product photographs and corporate logos for use by partners and news media); extensive JavaScript; a secured section using Perl and Apache security levels with individualized passwords; testing and review deployment through security portals using Microsoft Internet Information Service (IIS); second-tier domains for pinpoint traffic measurement and analysis; keywords placing the site at top three in Yahoo, Google, and MSN/Open Directory for 40 categories; and complete accessibility compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1993 (P.L. 101-336). To show my contribution to the company and the site-when I was hired in 1999, the company had one website containing about 150 pages.
These sites were deployed using FTP and the deployment tools in Macromedia HomeSite and Dreamweaver and Microsoft Visual SourceSafe. SourceSafe was also used for version control, content management among all contributors, and file protection.
Server side includes (SSI) were used to differentiate keyword pages by keeping sections with similar or identical content separate from keyword specific "envelope" pages and concatenating them at run-time. When product changes dictated revision or removal of pages, 301 redirects were used to preserve search engine indexing.
Development of pages was done using Macromedia HomeSite and Dreamweaver. Also used were Microsoft Notepad, FrontPage, Word 95a (with Internet Assistant), and Excel, Macintosh Simple Text, and Adobe GoLive and PageMill. The primary page language and structure was HTML with layout control and appearance dictated by CSS. Extensive JavaScript was used for interactivity, error control, visitor tracking, and DHTML navigation.
- Describe your experience and level of expertise in communications, publishing, and graphic design.
My Bachelor of Arts is in Communications. I worked as a daily newspaper reporter, photographer, and editor, designed all run-of-press pages (published in all editions), and handled liaison with composing room and press departments. I wrote news, features, and opinion columns about federal, state, and local agencies, emergency management and breaking events, community programs and events, and entertainment/leisure activities.
In 1980, I began managing design, graphics and photography, composition, pre-press, and production for an international consumer goods company. I worked closely with commercial printing and publishing vendors, managing production processes and vendor staffs on a project-by-project basis. I became hands-on proficient in litho camera, halftoning, filmmaking, stripping, platemaking, inking, press operations, and bindery (folding, stitching, trimming). I am also proficient in high-resolution imagesetter operations and desktop publishing (computer-aided publishing) support. I designed publications and collateral using Adobe PageMaker and QuarkXPress. Later, I designed books for an international software publisher using Microsoft Word and PageMaker.
I created and wrote content for the consumer goods company's weekly full-color international training/informational magazine, brochures, marketing and sales collateral, posters, inspirational messages, training manuals and seminars, press releases, video scripts, and executive speeches. For magazines, brochures, and collateral, I designed content pages and/or supervised a staff of graphic designers. I also hired and supervised an associate editor, and supervised authoring by others throughout the organization, including home economists, nutrition experts and dieticians, product specialists, field sales managers, and others. I also created content for a second international software developer and an international computer hardware manufacturer.
I performed graphic design using traditional pen-and-ink and litho mechanicals, CorelDRAW (I beta tested version 0.92), Adobe Illustrator, and Macromedia Freehand. I created and edited visual images and photographs using Adobe Photoshop. I designed interactive user interfaces in WinHelp, HTMLHelp, and InstallShield/DemoShield.
I created, developed, and managed a number of websites and magazines/newsletter for non-profit organizations, including Puget Sound Chrysalis, Redmond Association of Spokenword, Seattle Chapter of International Association of Business Communicators, Advertising Production Association, Redmond Community Forum, and others.
- Describe your familiarity and experience with HTML and CSS.
I use CSS for design appearance as well as for DHTML positioning and layering. I am sufficiently qualified with HTML and CSS to have written complete web pages by hand using nothing more than Microsoft Notepad and Macintosh Simple Text. I became familiar with HTML and CSS starting in 1997 and have taken seminars in web design, programming, and content creation technologies. Even when I use a page generator such as Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage, I open the page in a text-based editor such as Macromedia HomeSite to make sure all HTML ad CSS usage meets current HTML 4.0 and CSS 2.0 specifications-and correct that which is non-standard.
- Describe a project that you planned and implemented recently, and describe the steps you took, from conception to reality, to insure the projects success.
In 2002, I managed a complete overhaul and redesign of websites for an international computer hardware manufacturer. I analyzed traffic patterns and visitor usage. I interviewed product managers, technical support staff, company sales executives, engineers, and value-added resellers/partners to determine what should be improved and what new needs and wants should be addressed. I created a strategic plan for the websites, showing areas for future expansion and additional content.
I developed a new flowchart/diagram of site flow and navigation, and then designed a navigational structure that reflected company needs, search engine optimization, and content organization. From the diagram, I developed particulars for, and look-and-feel of, a DHTML navigational structure, which I then handed off to a JavaScript vendor to create the necessary higher-level code.
I created an entirely new graphic treatment for the websites, in keeping with current design trends. I analyzed competitor websites to identify potential mistakes and determine what would make my websites unique and inviting to customers and visitors. Some of the redesign was implemented using Illustrator and Photoshop graphics, some was developed in HTML and CSS, and some was managed by the DHTML navigation.
I reorganized content to match revised customer needs-for example, extracting technical information from a set of older (but not outdated) PDFs controlled by the engineering group and adding that data to the FAQ section used by company technical support and reseller field service technicians. I implemented Server Side Includes to manage common content for product-oriented keyword-specific search engine optimized pages.
I believe the site redesign, including the strategic planning and input from other resources, play a significant part in the steady improvement of the company's position in the search engine indexes of Yahoo, Google, and MSN/Open Directory.
- Describe something that went wrong in the above project. Describe what went wrong and why, and then describe how, in retrospect, you would manage the project differently now and why.
The 2002 redesign was prompted by a 2001 redesign, begun after a new VP of sales was hired and wanted to clean house-he wanted the websites to look more like that of Moen Faucets but also argued for an Apple Computer-style interactive interface. He hired a graphic designer from his previous company, who came up with a colorful look. I actually liked the look but it required an enormous graphical overhead (more than 100 images per page).
The designer hired his own web developer, who created page templates in Macintosh Adobe GoLive. I discussed the project with the designer and developer and was able to request some modifications in site structure during their six-month development period. I tested the template in several versions of PC-based Internet Explorer and Netscape, and gave them feedback on problems they had not encountered in their Macintosh-based testing.
After I took delivery of the templates, it took me 20 consecutive 14-hour days to implement the changes sitewide and meet the deadline. During the process, I realized all the dynamic coding was above the content. Much of the coding was unique to GoLive and followed no JavaScript or other pattern with which I was familiar.
In addition, I realized from my concurrent search engine optimization investigation, that indexing would be abortive with all that coding (over 300 lines) at the top of each page. I worried that I might never be able to meet the company's goal of ranking above our competitors in the search engines. I tried to alleviate the problem by encapsulating the navigation code in an external JavaScript (.js) file but that broke the GoLive elements. The GoLive elements also did not work when I relocated them to the bottom of the file with content above. The encapsulation also did not alleviate the long page loading time.
The day before I finished implementing the 2001 redesign, the VP of sales handed in his resignation. I completed the implementation, although it created problems for site maintenance and indexing. Knowing the deficiencies of the design, I immediately began gathering information and interviewing others about what the websites should look like and how they should perform. I used my knowledge of the project and the process to become more proactive about uncovering and implementing site and customer/partners needs for the 2002 redesign. I also engaged in an educational process to others throughout the company about what constitutes well-designed sites.
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