JesseSutherland

New Content to Come April 3, 2008

I’ve been thinking a lot about what other kinds of content I’d like to see on this website. I think there are some changes to come in adding some minor things like more pages under the About Jesse section, with some more contact information and such. I’d also like to add a search bar back into the design, which I’ve been ignoring so far. Along with that, I have some friends around the web that deserve some linking to, so I should give them some props somewhere on the site as well (No site should be an island, you know).

I’d also like to add a section called Adventures. I got the idea from my friend Chris Dewan back in the day. I’d like to improve on it some more though. This would be kinda like a photo gallery of trips/excursions that I’ve been on, but with additional information about the location, the date, and a blog post about it. We’ll see how that all comes together. I think adding another section will also mandate changing the top menu a little bit to accomodate a fourth link.

As you can see, I’ve got some work cut out for me. I’m glad though that this new website is proving to me more flexible and more fun to update than the last one. Post more comments while you’re here!

New Work Already! March 5, 2008

Yes, I know I just launched the site on Monday, but I might as well get some more work up there! I’ve got three new things for you, all in the print design category. None of these things is new yet, but I still have some older work that can be put up when I feel like it. Two of them are invites that I did for Morsekode shindigs, and one is some CD art that I created for a Morsekode Mix CD. Check ‘em out.

New Website, Finally March 1, 2008

This new website is a long time in coming, in fact, I designed the last one in less than a weeks timeframe for a class in my junior year of college. It was pretty rushed and it was never fully thought out. After I graduated and had a bit more time on my hands I started to want to design a new site.

That was almost 2 years ago now! I’ve worked on this project on and off during that time, but its always a challenge designing for yourself. I’m never completely happy with what I’ve come up with. In fact, I think that I went through 14 designs to arrive at this one. (My wife thinks I’m insane!) At some point, I just had to say, “this is the one, be happy with it.”

My goal with this site is to keep it more updated. I’ve made it pretty easy on myself to add new content to it, so I have no excuses now! I’m hoping to be able to add new designs I’ve created, new photos I’ve taken, and some varying thoughts from time to time.

I call the blog section “thoughts” because I hope that it will be more than the occasional “Hey, I just saw the coolest website” or “I had Macoroni and Cheese for dinner last night, boy is that good!” I hope to bring something new to the blogosphere, from design commentary, to advertising ideas, to thoughts on Christian spirituality. Join in the conversation with me and let me know your thoughts as well, I welcome the feedback.

This is definitely a work in progress, I may add sections, or change how things work, so don’t be too surprised. Feel free to let me know if you have any comments, thoughts, or questions.

I Haxored Wordpress February 12, 2008

One of the things I’m proud of in this new website is the technology behind it. It represents a couple of steps into new grounds that I haven’t made before. First off, the website is based on a simple XHTML skeleton, and then is styled using CSS. This method has been around for a while now, I’ve waited for a while for technology to catch up, and then I also got lazy and just didn’t want to learn it. It was a good challenge and I certainly see the flexibility and the wisdom in separating the design and the content.

Second of all, this website is completely based on the Wordpress blogging platform. Now, running a blog off of Wordpress is easy, and doesn’t take much. But after trying out a billion CMS’s out there I finally settled on simply using this system. It took a bit of haxoring, and a little PHP programming on the way (scary!) but it was actually relatively simple and I’d consider recommending it for clients and friends. Each item in the Portfolio is actually a post with some custom features, this makes adding new stuff really easy. (The idea being that I update this website more often!) Plus, those designs can be sorted any number of ways, by discipline, campaign, or any other way I want.

The Professional World September 27, 2006

I haven’t updated this site for awhile, so it’s about time. I’ve graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. I’ve got my double major in Graphic Design and Advertising and it only took me five years.

I’ve started in the professional world of design and advertising at Morsekode a Twin Cities advertising agency. I love the people and the atmosphere there. I hope to be able to post some of my new work from there on here soon, but it may take me awhile.

In other news, the logo that Seth Koslowski, Dave Bromeland and myself designed for the McIntyre Library back in Eau Claire has been chosen as the official logo. I’m proud of the work we did, and it was a nice culmination of my school career for design. You can see their website which makes use of the logo, although we did not design the website itself.

More Updates: Few & Far Between March 30, 2006

Because the website has been updated since this post, these links are no longer working. 

It’s been awhile since I got anything new on this website, and I want to spend the time to redesign it, but unfortunately I don’t have that time to spare right now, so its going to have to stay as it is. But I did find some time tonight to update some of the work from the portfolio. I changed up the Logos, Photos, and Websites sections, but I will specifically point out what is new below.

In the logos section I added a logo I did for a class project last semester for the McIntyre Library. I also added a recent logo I did for the University’s radio station, WUEC 98.7 Blugold Performance of the Air. Those are the new ones, but you may not recognize others that are updated on there.

In the photos section I added one of my favorite pictures of mountains. A rowboat I took a picture of two summers ago, and a digitally manipulated picture from my Digital Photo class.

In the websites section I added another project from this summer’s internship, a Great Harvest website. I also added a recent Flash project that I completed for my Electronic Media course. You can see the poetry in motion.

I really, really need to figure out what to do with the graphics section, that will come soon, because I have more things to add there.

Updates, Finally October 19, 2005

Because the website has been updated since this post, these links are no longer working.I have finally gotten around to updating the website… I had to start small because it was a daunting task. There are still big plans in the works, but none that I have time for. So, now that the whole summer has gone by, and I am well into the school year I present to you some new work. Two campus directory covers and a new logo from last semester, an Arts West poster campaign from this semester, a new website from my internship this summer, and three new photos from my current digital photo class.

Be sure to check them out if you have time, I’ll try to keep you updated between my various school projects, and a few business projects. Thanks!

School is Over, Work Starts Soon May 26, 2005

School at Eau Claire is over for the semester, I have some time off before I start my internship at Morsekode, a graphic design and advertising firm close by in the Twin Cities. I’m really looking forward to that, but for now I’m just realxing and trying to settle in for the summer.

I would like to get some of my design work from the semester posted in the portfolio, but unfortunately the majority of it was group projects, so I’m unsure what to post. Now that I have some time this summer I really want to update this website. It’s coming… really.

AIGA Conference April 24, 2005

I’m back from my home-state of Minnesota from the weekend. I was at the AIGA Student Graphic Design Conference. While there I got to tour several different Graphic Studios, some of which had incredible spaces that they work in, much better than my dorm room. On Saturday I met with four different reviewers. Some of them were way too nice, and didn’t really give me anything to improve upon, but others gave me some great comments to work with.As I’m going through old work and improving it, look for some more changes in the online portfolio pretty soon as some of the work is badly outdated, and it needs better organization. Unfortunately it may have to wait until after finals. They seem to be keeping me very busy at this point.