DECEMBER14.BIZ

WEBSITE DESIGN EDINBURGH
by DECEMBER14

“Websites designed with people in mind.”

Hi! I’m Keith, and DECEMBER14 is my small but perfectly formed web design studio in Edinburgh, Scotland. I love building fast, accessible, stylish and affordable websites for people who value responsive design, robust engineering and an unpretentious approach. Above all, I create effective and informative websites that are focused on users’ needs while staying true to my clients’ goals.

If that sounds like what you’re looking for, then please get in touch.

As well as creating websites for public bodies, businesses, legal & other professionals, community organisations and individuals, I’ve built sites and micro-sites for industry associations and academic institutions — maybe you would like me to build one for you too. If you wish, I’ll include a content management system with your website, register a domain name for you, and provide managed web hosting. Need behind-the-scenes, “white label” services? I do that too.

Websites for public bodies

I’ve designed and built websites for government agencies and other public bodies; for example, a pair of sister sites for the Scottish Land Court and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland. See the case study - Websites for public bodies:

Websites for businesses

Most of the websites I’ve made over the years have been for small and medium-sized businesses; for example, health assessment experts CT Wellbeing. See the case study - Websites for businesses:

Websites for legal & other professionals

I’ve helped people in the law and other professions to find a home on the web; for example, Thomas Hannah & Co., Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers. See the case study - Websites for legal & other professionals:

Websites for community organisations

Websites are excellent tools for community organisations and action groups to keep their members or the general public informed of their aims and activities. I’m sympathetic to not-for-profit bodies; for example, Victoria Court Residents Association. See the case study - Websites for community organisations:

Websites for individuals

Many personal websites and blogs led the way in creative design and coding techniques in the early days of the web. These sites are usually made by their owners, but I’ll be happy to build one for you; for example, Keith W Bell. See the case study - Websites for individuals:

Content management systems

A content management system (CMS) allows website owners to update their sites themselves, rather than calling on their website developer again. I favour simplicity in CMSs as I favour simplicity in all things, and should you need a CMS, I’ll install one that is no more complicated than necessary. In my experience, the most widely used CMSs are more complex and packed with more features than most clients need, so come with a steep learning curve. Note: I don’t do WordPress.

Responsive design

Nowadays, I build all websites to be responsive: that is, the layout of the page adapts (or “responds”) to the device it is being viewed on. Responsive design ensures that each page renders well regardless of the size of the screen — whether a mobile phone or a desktop monitor.

According to Statcounter, more than half of all web access — whether worldwide or UK only — is through mobile phones and tablets rather than desktops or laptops. And the trend towards mobile is continuing to rise, so it’s important that the experience mobile users have of your website is a good one. What’s more, Google is now indexing sites based on how they render on a mobile phone, so if your website doesn’t work well on mobile, it may not rank so well in Google search results.

Robust engineering

With a background in the engineering of equipment that gets launched 36,000 kilometres into space, I like to be sure that anything I build is solid and reliable — websites included! I aim to make sites that are lightning fast, that are accessible to people with disabilities, and that work across the wide range of devices, operating systems and web browsing software in use today. To achieve that, I hand-craft sites using lean, efficient and semantic code that complies with web standards (engineers love standards). Websites need to be discoverable by search engines like Google, so I bake on-page search engine optimisation (SEO) into my code.

If you agree to host your website with DECEMBER14, on top of an already resilient hosting package, I’ll apply specific measures on the server to help protect your site against hacks, attacks and nuisances.

Simple approach

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” If that principle was good enough for Einstein, it’s good enough for me. I like websites that are simple. That doesn’t mean plain or boring. It means simple to use and simple to understand. Clear, legible and meaningful text, helpful graphics and sensible navigation.

I stick to my “keep it simple” approach in my dealings with clients and in carrying out projects. I speak plainly. I don’t stuff my conversation with management speak or unnecessary jargon. I won’t try to blind you with science or baffle you with bullshit. I will build your website according to a straightforward, four-step process: discover, design, develop and deploy.

Are you still asking yourself why you should hire me? Let me try to persuade you:

• I’ve been building websites since 1996, which is almost the Beginning of Time in web terms. If you subscribe to Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours theory, that makes me an expert!
• I have a good eye for design and usability. I’m driven to make websites that work for their users and that look good, without the design getting in the way of the content.
• In his book The Craftsman, Richard Sennett defines craftsmanship as the impulse to do a job well for its own sake. By that definition, I’m happy to be called a craftsman. I’ve developed (and continue to develop) the skills necessary to do good work on the web, and I lavish care and attention to detail on every project, regardless of its size or subject.
• I’m a mature chap. I come with many years experience of engineering, management and consultancy. I know about business. I bring all that to bear in helping you crystallise your wishes into a website strategy.

I am currently accepting new projects for Q3 2024 and beyond. If you’ve got a project that you think I’d be good for, I’ll be pleased to hear from you. Drop me an email at zib.41rebmeced@3042q.

I’m based in Scotland’s elegant capital city, but the beauty of the internet is the ability to work with clients located far away. I’ve designed and developed websites for customers throughout the UK and abroad.

Contact me

This is a good point at which to direct you to my privacy notice.

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“websites designed with people in mind”