Colophon

Redesign process

Reviewing hundreds of bookmarked inspirational portfolio sites, I sketched and scrutinized dozens of page layouts; and analyzed information architectural patterns, such as content organization and page labeling. Reflecting and evaluating the previous version of the site in consideration of these insights, I determined to rectify quite a few lingering issues for this latest iteration:

• HTML5: The site forgoes XHTML 4.0 Transitional for current web standards, introducing new markup tags, lighter CSS identifiers and hosted typefaces.
• Microformats: The site includes Microformats wherever possible, including hResume for the Resume; hCard for contact; and XFN for bookmarks and links.
• Ruby: Departing from my PHP roots, I explore developing in a stronger, more versatile server-side and desktop OOP language.
• Lite: Though WordPress is fantastic for its intended blogging purpose, as a developer it feels like convoluted bloatware. Desiring a small, micro-framework like PHP's CodeIgniter, Sinatra is a no-brainer.
• Customizable: Based on recent trends of customizing individual pages, the layout is flexible enough to support future creative design needs.
• Rebrand: Rejecting the longer (yet more identifiable) http://chris.bash.am address, the site is rebranded under a more succinct http://bash.am.

Special thanks

I thank fantastic designer, photographer and friend John Wayne Hill for arranging and developing photo shoots for fellow HCI/d students, allowing us to fulfill our semester-long dream of becoming designers "slash" models. You can admire his handiwork on the About and 404 pages.

I thank awesome friends and colleagues Tony Dewan and James Welsh for suggesting Git, Sinatra and Visor. My workflow will never be the same. Delight in their collaborative craftsmanship at Supermatter.

Services & software

• Dreamhost
  for hosting.
• Komodo & favicon.cc
  for iconography.
• Git
  for version control.

• h2vx
  for vCard exporting.
• Microformats
  for semantics.
• Mustache
  for ruby templating.

• Sinatra
  for ruby framework.
• TextMate
  for text editing.
• Typekit
  for typefaces.

Book references

• Designing with Web Standards, Third Edition by Jeffery Zeldman
• Microformats Made Simple by Emily Lewis

Inspirational websites

• Dane Petersen
• Information Architects (iA)
• Jason Santa Maria
• Sushi & Robots
• Trent Walton

Past website versions

• Version 3: Ruby, 2010–present
• Version 2: Wordy, 2008–2009
• Version 1: Flashy, 2007–2008