HiTechy - Consultancy, Writing, Design & Development

Hello and welcome to HiTechy

Name: Alexander Dawson
Age: 26
Location: Brighton, UK
Job: Designer, Developer, Consultant & Writer
Hobbies: TV, Movies, Tennis, Chess, Podcasts & Web Design.

Building websites is an art and science, you never stop learning. That is my philosophy and it's how I've always approached the subject of building websites. A year after leaving college with a GNVQ and then an AVCE in Health and Social Care (and a side order of Psychology) I broke away from my part time software development roots to pursue a full time career in web design. With this unique background, I have become well placed in the subject of accessibility and user-experience design where I use my experience to ensure websites are as accessible and usable as possible. Working from home, I conduct my business entirely over the Internet. I'm also an entirely self taught individual with a wide range of experience and over 10 years of work behind me.

HiTechy was formed to recognise my transition from writing free software to a commercial organisation which offered professional goods and services. I now focus my attention within the web design industry and my whole business has undergone several changes to allow for such offerings. Whenever I have some free time, through the SitePoint forums you'll find me offering advice and assistance to help the next generation of web professionals. Other than that there isn't much else you need to know about me, if you have any questions just drop me an email or instant message.

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Services I can offer you

No two clients have the same requirements, and you don't want to pay for something you don't need. Instead of offering "packages" based on the below services listed, when asking for a quote you will be guided through the various "bolt-on" components which have been made available. This will determine the cost of the work as I usually charge on a per project basis rather than per hour.

General services:
- Website Tune-Up
- Accessibility Audits
- Usability Tests (UX)
- Mobile / Web Design
- Project Planning (IA)
- Content Writing
- Social Marketing
Coding services:
- (x)HTML
- XML
- CSS
- VB.NET
- JavaScript
- PHP & mySQL
- SWiSHMax

In addition to the above services which can be ordered individually or as part of a wider solution, I am also available in the capacity of teaching, writing about or speaking about web design. If you would like me to speak at an event or take part in a workshop, publicly or privately (or have needs which go beyond the services mentioned - or require me being physically present), send me an email!

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How I will help you

When you choose to involve me in your project, you can be sure that I have a plan of action! By following a well organized workflow I will ensure that productivity is kept as high as possible without you feeling out of control. Because the steps in building a website are fairly standardized, it's simple for me to explain exactly how things will work. These steps are shown below in chronological order.

Initial ConsultationFirstly, you'll need to complete the form within the project panel. While no-one likes filling in forms, it's important for me to understand the details of your project before I can decide whether it's a service I am able to offer you, and if so, how much it'll cost. If your needs go beyond my quote form, send me a quick email or instant message instead!
Project PlanningOnce the form (or email) has been submitted it will arrive in my inbox. I will reply explaining whether I can accept your job offer, if I require more details (before making a decision) or to verify your requirements in case you missed anything. We can also have a friendly chat using E-mail or Instant Messenger to resolve any questions you may have.
Quote And PaymentOnce everything has been confirmed, you'll need to agree to my client's contract. This sets out what you should expect and ensures the price I quote is agreed upon. Once signed (my usual procedure) I'll wait for the initial payment (50%) to reach me. This is required to cover any initial project specific costs and to reduce the chances of fraud.
The Work Begins!Now that we have an agreement and the initial payment has been made, the work can finally begin! There are several stages to this process depending on which service you asked for. This stage will involve all the building and construction work to almost the stage of completion. This is often the longest and most complex stage to complete.
Follow ProgressAs I work hard on your project you'll be able to follow my progress! As part of the service, your solution will be temporarily housed on my website in a special folder, just for you! Updates will be provided at each major milestone rather than being incremental, so you don't receive any buggy versions appearing. Feedback will also be welcome.
Tweak & OptimizeOnce the progress is marked as complete, you will have the opportunity to request some final tweaks so it meets your needs. Keeping the number of changes down will reduce potential delays. As the professional there may also be occasions where I advise against doing something for a good reason, hopefully you'll take my advice into account!
Complete PaymentAs soon as the tweaks are made and the project is marked as ready for production, it'll be time to send me the second half of the payment (50%). Once this step has been followed and I have received the money, the project will be handed off to you, the contract will be marked as finished and you will be ready to launch your website (or changes).
We're Finished!Congratulations, if you just wanted me to do some one off work you will have received the files you paid for. However if you have an ongoing contract with me (such as having me host and maintain a website) your project will be put into my ongoing portfolio and will continue to receive care and attention. Perhaps you could leave me some feedback!
Need Assistance?If you have a problem with my work (post the project's completion), send me an email or instant message. If the issue is something I am responsible for (or something very small) I will be happy to assist you. If you require additional work or want to take advantage of another service which I offer, contact me and I'll be happy to give you a quote.

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Complete client list

Over the years I have worked with a wide number of people, organizations and businesses. Whilst my portfolio showcases some of my most recent projects (and some of my favorites) it makes sense to also mention those whom I have worked with in the past, either in a paid, unpaid or contributing position. Below you will find a complete list of the work I have done, for project details see my resume.

Who I've worked for:
- FriendsOfED (APress)
- One Second Film Project
- SitePoint
- Killanet Technology Ltd
- eXtreme Computing
- MSN Chat
- AD2K-Ware Studios
Who I've worked with:
- CSS-WG Test Suite
- Epic Web Services
- Merito Web Services
- TechGear 007

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Get a free project quote

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How can I help you?

Getting in touch couldn't be easier! I make myself available in more than one method so you can choose whichever one best suits your needs. Below you will find a form to contact me directly (or you can send me an email directly using the address provided), you can send me an instant message (or Skype call) or you could follow my business through the social networks which I use regularly.