Andrew Krisson
Andrew Krisson was looking for a modern refresh for his personal site and chose me to lead the redesign and rebuild.
Project Kick-off
The project kicked off with a call where I dove into understanding what Andrew envisioned for his revamped website:
- A sleek, modern design
- Strategic incorporation of photography
- A robust solution to drastically reduce contact form spam, a major problem with his existing site.
Design Process
Wireframing: The journey began with drafting wireframes to outline the site's content and layout at a high level.
Wireframing in Figma Design Exploration: With wireframes as our guide, I explored creative aspects like colors, typography, and refined layout options.
Design exploration in Figma Final Designs: Selecting the most compelling design exploration, I developed high-fidelity designs that detailed the site's visual identity and user experience, embodying Andrew's vision.
High fidelity designs in Figma
Throughout each stage, collaboration with Andrew was key, ensuring his vision and requirements were met.
Sanity + Next.js ❤️
For the blog section, I opted for Sanity as the content management system, and it turned out to be an excellent choice, especially when paired with Next.js. This combination allows for a dynamic, fast-loading blog that's a breeze to update and manage.
I created a custom embedded Sanity Studio, allowing Andrew to manage his content in a more intuitive way.
Contact form bot protection
I'd like to highlight a key issue with the old site that required special attention during the rebuild: the contact form was constantly hit by spam and bots.
I tackled the problem by integrating Formspark for form management, coupled with Botpoison to thwart bots' attempts at spamming the form. This combination proved to be a formidable defence against unwanted submissions. Since implementing these tools, we've successfully reduced spam emails to zero, marking a significant improvement.
What Andrew had to say
“Alex did an amazing job both building and designing my new company website. As well as being delighted with the end product, the process in getting there was well planned and executed. Alex's technical know-how and intent to get the best solution for me as a client, made the whole process smooth, enjoyable, and straightforward. I also found Alex incredibly proactive and quick to respond to queries and feedback. To complement his excellent technical ability, Alex's ability to tune into the style of website I sought, as well as making valuable design suggestions is a great strength in what he has to offer. Wholeheartedly recommending Alex is a no-brainer!”
