Kurt J. Ness

This is a social media client report I prepared with help from a partner for the non-profit Community For Hope. Community For Hope is a non-profit serving the Winnebago County and providing services to those who are contemplating suicide, and their family and friends. They also work to end the stigma around mental and emotional distress that people face.

I provided my client not only with a report, but deliverables including, a podcast created by my partner, Facebook and Twitter content schedule for 1 month and 2 weeks, respectively, and sample posts for Instagram, along with a short video created by my partner. This was developed and presented in front of our client for Journalism 440, the Application of New and Emerging Media course at UW Oshkosh. I also provided my client with a digital portfolio with actual images and files for their download.

Reflection:

Through this project, I learned how to work with a client in an educational setting. I also learned how to work with a partner on a group project that extended the entire semester, which contains multiple different parts. It was great experience to work with Community For Hope and to help them continue with their great mission.

Download the Client Report

This report is for use only by Community For Hope.

Brand Bags, LLC is an e-commerce website built on the Etsy Pattern. The website includes:

• Built on Etsy Pattern
• Contains two product lines, bags and crossbodys
• Featured Product Slideshow

Reflection:

Through this project, I learned how to be creative to by able to accomplish what I wanted to do for the client. I was very limited on what I could do for design based on the themes available to me. Through this website, I increased my Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator experiences, and had to get creative to allow me to make a high quality website, within the bounds of the pre-installed theme. I learned that I needed to first test a feature out and find out if it would work before, talking to the client about it, to make sure I could keep all of my promises for features.

Happy Face Apparel is an e-commerce website built on the WordPress platform. The features include:

• Built on WordPress
• Integration with Quickbooks Online
  • Inventory and product sync
  • Order Syncing
• Shopping cart using WooCommerce
• Stamps.com Integration
• PayPal Payments
• Website security including an SSL Certificate

Reflection:

I learned the most from working on this project. As my first project for a paying client, I learned the value of keeping good documentation and good communication. At the start of this, I really only would call my client and that didn’t work very well. So then I would start to email, and I learned the importance of that, because I wouldn’t hear back from my client for a day or two because they were so busy running this large small business and in the middle of moving locations. I also learned documentation, in the sense that I should be documenting everything I do and the conversations I would have with my clients, to ensure the complete success of the website and our business relationship. I also learned that, I should allow for changes with timelines, and make it a moving document, versus a set in stone document. This project also taught me the need for a work-life balance, and that at times you need to say “No, I cannot work on it that day” and to take the time I needed for me. I learned good communication between not only myself and my client, but also my supervisors on the project, and to keep them in the loop about all communication, so no one is at any surprise if they get a a call about something. I learned the most from this project, and most of all, I learned perseverance, and that when things get tough, the tough get going, and make it the best job that they possibly can.

The Advance-Titan is a news site built on the WordPress platform.

• Built on the WordPress platform
• Features accounts for staff and community members
  • Allows for uploading of resumes and photograph examples for staff
• Security built in including SSL Certificate
• Photogalleries included on some articles
• Photos contain photo credit

Reflection:

This website, was the first website I created for someone besides my self that was very successful. When I was younger and much less experienced, I tried it a few times, and they never took off and this website taught me so many things such as accountability, being true to my word, be clever, and if the theme doesn’t let me do what I want- Make it do what I want through brute force (hard coding into the theme). I also learned many things from this website, after it was fully functional, one thing is to expect the unexpected. I learned this time and time again, if it was from certain plugins having adverse side effects, to making sure you have USABLE backups, to just making sure to do your homework very thoroughly to avoid the hard work in the future and how to work within the bounds of the state purchasing guidelines, something I never expected to learn. I was most proud of this website, and it is still one of my proudest accomplishments to date, as it took 9th place in the nation for large school websites at the National College Media Convention.

Ness Cottage is a booking website built on the WordPress platform for my final project for my Interactive Web Management Senior Seminar course. It features:

• Built on WordPress
• Secured Individual Login
• Booking Calendar with front end submission
• Agreement for Terms and Conditions of use for using the website and using the Ness Cottage with requiring their initials before gaining access to the booking page
• A form for guest registration, with an online signature at the bottom of it

Reflection:

Through this project, I was able to take what I learned in my courses throughout my major and apply it to the website. For example, I was able to take the PHP introduction I had and apply it to this website, and really get a sense for how PHP worked. I took what I learned through my internships and applied it to this website for timing and deadlines.

Peppler Properties, LLC is a property management website built on the WordPress platform. The features include:

• Built on WordPress
• Multiple Forms that email data and store the form entry on the server
  • One form with hidden fields gathering the page sent from
• Features over 40 property listing pages
  • Included Photos
  • Pinned Property on Google Maps
  • Lists property features
• Can narrow down properties down by location, rental status, and number of bedrooms
  • Number of bedrooms is a manually added in search field

Reflection:

This was a good learning experience on how to manage my time properly and on research for clients. Through this project, I had to research and test the different property management plugins available not only to make it show the listings the way I wanted it to, but also to allow me to sort by custom fields. Part of this project was to sort by the property type, such as single family house, apartment, duplex, and so forth, to allow for the best selection of website visitors. It taught me valuable experiences with emailing the client versus calling them, as my client was very buy and wasn’t always by his desk. This was overall a very successful project for the client and myself.

Ness Cottage is a booking website built on the WordPress platform for my final project for my Interactive Web Management Senior Seminar course. It features:

• Built on WordPress
• Secured Individual Login
• Booking Calendar with front end submission
• Agreement for Terms and Conditions of use for using the website and using the Ness Cottage with requiring their initials before gaining access to the booking page
• A form for guest registration, with an online signature at the bottom of it

Reflection:

Through this project, I was able to take what I learned in my courses throughout my major and apply it to the website. For example, I was able to take the PHP introduction I had and apply it to this website, and really get a sense for how PHP worked. I took what I learned through my internships and applied it to this website for timing and deadlines.