Above, the “after” shot

Project Overview:

I’m so excited to present this new look for Redoux Interiors!  Karen was a “dream client” and came to snazzy designs requesting a site speed + security assessment in addition to a blog redesign.  She wanted to modernize her blog design, but still retain the personalized (and fun!) elements that made the blog “hers”.  Her detailed list (in bullet form) also offered examples of what she wanted.  I incorporated her list into my project management interface.

On the back-end:

The priority was to get a clean backup of her site. I reduced her database from a whopping 300Mb to 26mb, which improved site speed significantly. She has almost 800 posts, and I compressed over 4,660 images without losing quality.  Once this was complete, a backup was possible (a requirement prior to me starting any design work).

The Design:

I then transferred her site from a custom theme to Foodie Pro. I created a custom header, centered her logo and menu, created custom categories in a grid format.  I also eliminated extraneous elements (like too many toolbars and lines) in her sidebar. We were able to eliminate the screen jumping issues she was experiencing in her previous theme. Each time I made changes, I requested feedback, and waited for her input prior to continuing with my design.

A quick glimpse of her site, before snazzy design: 

Redoux, before