Get to know your web designer

Growing up in Parry Sound and not playing hockey meant I needed a hobby, so I taught myself HTML at the age of 13. I bought my first .com at the age of 15 and have been designing my own websites ever since. I’ve always loved creating unique brands, logos and websites that help businesses express their personality and connect with their audience.

In high school I became proficient in graphic design with Photoshop, Corel and Flash while earning a peer-tutoring credit for teaching html to my grade 12 computer class. After completing a General Arts and Sciences certificate at Mohawk College in Hamilton I moved back to Parry Sound where I worked as a Portal Facilitator for my local newspaper and built websites for local businesses, as well as a series of websites for special publications across Ontario, using Visual Basic, HTML, JavaScript and CSS. I also worked with PHP, MySQL and managed a Plesk server.

Eco Boutique Founder

In 2007 I started importing unique fair trade crafts, including the very popular twig pencils sold in many stores, as well as designing some clothing and accessories with Fair Trade partners in Nepal, Thailand and India. I also buy and sell clothing, accessories and gifts from small batch, handmade in Canada, sustainable fashion brands and make some pretty neat stuff myself too. Tree Chic Eco Boutique (formerly Hemp Tent because it started as a farmer’s market vendor tent) opened in 2008 in downtown Parry Sound. You can read Our Story if you want to know more about the boutique, sustainable fabrics and fair trade. Tree Chic Eco Boutique is open year round on the Parry Sound Waterfront. I maintain an eCommerce website for my store and enjoy developing new websites for clients.

Access to a Senior Software Developer

With the help of my partner I manage a server in Parry Sound and VPS server for my website and client websites. Duncan has significant experience with PHP, HTML, JavaScript, C#, MySQL, MSSQL and Visual Basic. His first job in high school was at a small local ISP performing various computer-related services as well as web development and he stayed there 10 years. He then spent 7 years as a Programmer and Software Developer and has recently started a new job as a Senior Software Developer. Duncan is a work at home dad who spends his free time roasting coffee and playing bass in local indie rock band Kick Ptarmigan.

I created my first Brand “PoetTree” when I was 13

Although all of my first websites were in HTML I played around with page builders, forum and chat software and also implemented various code snippets for things like coloured scroll bars and other fun stuff that was popular in the 1990s. When I was 15 I built a website with over 100 members. The purpose was to create a community and facilitate connections between teenage girls with mental health issues who needed support. In the early 2000s I made my own templates for a number of blogs and setup my first eCommerce website selling pin-back buttons. When I left my web department job at the local newspaper to open my store in 2008, one of the businesses I had designed a website for wanted to stay with me, so I moved her site onto my store’s server and put a sign in my window offering web design.

Working with interesting people inspires me!

From the age of about 12-22 I think I worked 12 different jobs doing everything from cleaning, customer service, cashier, barista, inserting fliers into newspapers, sewing and a handful of volunteer jobs too. I understand a lot about the different needs of businesses and love working with a diverse clientele. When I was in the early stages of setting up my own business I tried every open source CMS that was available at the time. Since 2010 I’ve only used WordPress for all my client sites, and since moving my own online shop to WordPress, I’ve learnt so so much and even use it to manage my entire inventory. Finding and customizing the right software extensions makes all the difference in a small business. I love meeting someone with an interesting vision and helping them get the most out of their online business.

I’m passionate about using technology to learn, design, express and connect, and I love to see other creative and caring people who share my concerns for sustainability and ethics growing their networks and succeeding online. I spend hours making sure every little detail of a project is correct. I’m enthusiastic about web design and all things related to online business, so if you need any help or just have some questions don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I love having no-sales coffee chats, just to meet new people!