Over the last few months I have had the pleasure of working with Patrick “Doc” Huff on a complete redesign of his website at www.DocsBanjos.com.
It was a fairly massive project that involved many, many hours on both our parts. Pat built a light box and spent weeks of trial and error learning how to photograph banjos and accessories. He also had to communicate his story to me and share his vision for all aspects of his craft.
I collected, edited, and data architected all this information, then designed and built the site. I also got to design T-Shirts, stickers, print ads, and even a banner ad for BanjoHangout.com.
This was the largest and most complex web project that I’ve taken on—I learned a lot! I struggled to become proficient (with only limited success I’m afraid) in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Fireworks CS5 and really had to brush up my CSS skills. There were numerous technical challenges that were new to me as well.
Now, the thing is, I’m not a professional graphic designer or web developer. I’m a Hardware Store owner and Homeschool Dad. I happen to have a technology background and I really wanted to help Pat. Finding the time to pull this off was not easy, but what a blessing it has been.
Pat is a genuine master craftsman and brilliant artist in wood. He’s an incredibly kind and generous man who spent over a decade volunteering as a Doctor in war torn and poverty stricken counties all over the world. Additionally he has developed numerous pioneering innovations in banjos and banjo accessories by courageously trusting his intuition rather than being bound by strict tradition.
I wanted the world to hear Pat’s story. I wanted new and long-time customers alike to be aware of the full range of products offered by Doc’s Banjos. I wanted customers to shop and buy Pat’s products online. Thankfully, our efforts seem to be paying off. Pat tells me that sales have taken off since the new site went live.
The best part of this project has been developing a close friendship with Pat. I am thankful to have this wonderful man as a friend and mentor.