Rick Brown started designing websites near the turn of the century. Rick said, “I would have people assume because I knew about computers that I must be good at internet things also. They would ask me to help them start a site and I was happy to help, but it was definitely rough at first.” He first went the Microsoft Frontpage route as an easy way to get sites started quickly. “It was awful!”, he said, laughing. “I learned quickly that it definitely wasn’t the way to go. If I wanted to do this and do it right, I needed to be better.”
Rick quickly took his previous experience with programming and was able to adapt to HTML and later adding CSS and JavaScript as those became more prevalent. Server-side scripting came later, adding an additional dynamic component to his sites. “At this point, it was really still little more than a hobby. I enjoy coding and I enjoy being creative so it was a fun outlet for both of those.”
As other business and interests got in the way, web design fell by the wayside. “I just really didn’t have time for it anymore. I didn’t feel like I could do my clients justice so I got out of it for a while. When it’s not what you primarily do, it’s hard to be as productive and responsive as you’d like to be. First and foremost, I like to help people and I didn’t feel like I was really helping so it was time to get out.”
Several years later, Rick rediscovered his love for design. “I had a project that needed a website and someone else was paid to do it. I was extremely disappointed in the design and difficult it would have been for others to maintain. I ended up scrapping that site and just started over. Working on that site reminded me of how much I really loved this work and I decided I needed it back in my life somehow, even if it was just a hobby.” Rick found several projects or organizations he was working with needed sites and he decided he would take on the tasks himself. “Once I started working on those, people would hear about the work I was doing and the next thing you know I have several websites I’m contracted to do. I decided at that point that I needed to focus on this as my primary work.”
Since that time, Rick has been contracted to work on all or part of several website projects, video productions, and music productions. “I feel like I’ve really hit my stride with creative projects. I used to fear a blank page or blank canvas, but now I long for them. I can’t wait to see what’s in my head come out on a page or on a screen.”
