Entertainment

Dobrá Tea, Portland, Maine

A new tearoom is coming to Portland, opening March 31, 2011!

The website needed to reflect the unique, mysterious, foreign feel of the tearoom. And so choices for colors and treatments were selected to create the experience that will be similar to the physical tearoom itself. Photographs were taken at the Asheville, NC location of food, tea ware, and interiors. The site was built in WordPress using a base theme that was radically customized into its unique design.

The site uses Google Analytics which has allowed us to see that the site so far has captured the attention of local food bloggers and tea enthusiasts, both locally and afar.

Integrating communication tools such as Twitter and a Facebook fan page and a mostly self-managed email announcement list, is part of the marketing plan to attract customers to the site before the opening March 31.  The integration of “sharing” tools for social media certainly have increased the site’s visibility.

The client is also set up with a “dashboard” for monitoring social media traffic, news searches on tea and the business name, as well as other useful RSS-based tools to help the client keep on top of all that’s happening in relation their business both within the region and worldwide.

The establishment was registered on Google Places with a notation that the tearoom will open on March 31, 2011, so it is currently findable when searched on Google Maps either in a browser or on a mobile device.

A postcard was created to mail and hand out that includes a QR code linking to the description in Google Places. Using a QR code scanning application on, for instance, the iPhone, a customer can scan the code and be taken to the Google Places page for the tearoom to find the website, physical address, etc.

All ready for the grand opening March 31, – April 3.

The HOP: New Hopkins Center website Launches

The Hopkins Center’s new website required a variety of features in a more dynamic environment. Some key requirements were the use of categories and tags to keep information organized and available for use in many ways, as well as the addition of a robust calendar.

The site is built in WordPress. Design is from the HOP Studio design team.

My work on this included both the user experience and parts of the programming for the functionality of the site both on the public facing side as well as the interface of WordPress.

Audio/Video Editing and Production

With eight years of video production experience (1989-1997) as a Producer/Director prior to moving to web design and development. Ellen’s experience includes how to create video and audio projects for both broadcast and the web. Software used includes iMove, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, and old-style A/B roll tape editing as well as using a variety of video cameras and production lighting equipment.

Audio projects include mastering recordings for CD and web output using Garage Band and Audacity and previously, Sound Designer.