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Design Portfolio
Click on one of the sections below to visit the portfolio
subsection of my website.
My Web Design History
I have been designing websites and graphics for
the past 12 years. Whereas artists paint with brushes
and sculptors create forms with chisels and clay, I
use a combination of digital tools and software to create
my digital art. My work can come as a surprise to some,
considering that my academic training is in biology,
computer science, environmental/earth science, and physics,
not web and graphics design.
My design knowledge comes entirely from self-training,
and I have on occasion taught web and graphics design
to others. I strive at all times to create a kind of
natural, functional beauty, regardless of the purpose
of the site. That's because cyberspace should not be
a cold, hard place full of binary digits, but an awe-inspiring
and breathtaking place you'll want to revisit over and
over again. I know I do. Click on the links above to
explore the different works I've created.
I've never taken a course in design, learning only
by mimicry and refinement. During college, Duke
Magazine wanted to interview me about my personal
web site, Biophysica,
which was then the most extensive student web site at
Duke. It might still be. In January 2002, 80,000 copies
of that magazine were published, primarily to Duke alumni.
You can view a PDF file of my article, entitled "An
Online Life," here.
Biophysica has since been renamed to Realizen.
Most of my on-the-job and IT industry experience has come
from working 2 years at Duke University's John
Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International
Studies. I then spent some time doing web design for David
Stein at Duke's Community Affairs Center, specifically a new
website for the E.K. Powe Elementary School here in Durham.
Here's their new site
as of January 2004.
History of Realizen
I've been creating websites since the summer of 1998, during
my first year of high school at NCSSM.
I was doing pharmacology/cancer biology research at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for
seven weeks that summer. After work I had a few hours
to teach myself HTML while sitting at one of the Health
Sciences Library's networked computers. From the
beginning I placed heavy emphasis on graphic design;
I wanted to make my words bend around my pictures, instead
of the reverse. However, until I acquired graphic
software, I was reliant on the Web's vast store of clipart
and free backgrounds. That gave me an idea of
what I wanted, and from there, I launched my very first
website. What you see before you is the descendant
of that very early website.
Early Websites I've done
These were done as I was just beginning to design websites,
so it's not my best work. For that, see the rest of
my portfolio.
Splashes:
Photography of Drops and Splashes
High-speed photographs of water or milk drops
and splashes, solid objects, racquetballs, water balloons,
and squish balls, plus learn how to take your own high-speed
splash photographs.
NCSSM
Optical Toys Site
A collection of optical toys and illusionary devices
from the 19th century, with background info, animations,
and instructions for use. Currently used in NCSSM's
High-Speed Imaging
Course.
Analysis
of the Motion of a Falling Slinky
For the last Special Projects Week in NCSSM history,
I decided to use physics and video to explore how a
slinky falls. In particular, I wanted to know how a
slinky falls after being held vertical by one end and
released. The answer may surprise you.
NCSSM
Chemistry Site
NCSSM
FrontPage 2000 Tutorial
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