Home | FILA Design

Contact me

Please email me at info@filadesign.com to inquire about services, availability, and pricing.

Background

My name is Carina Merrick, and I have worked in web design and authoring since 1999. I received my BA degree in Studio Art from Stanford University in 1996 and began working full-time in web design at Myers Internet. I later became the Senior UI/Web Designer at ImproveNet. There I worked mostly on the design and layout of complicated forms and dynamically generated content. I have been freelance since 2002.

I am based in the San Francisco Bay area, but I have done work for clients in Southern California, the Lake Tahoe area, and even Vietnam. I offer discounts for qualifying nonprofit organizations. Contact me to see if your project qualifies.

Philosophy

These are the principles that drive my work:

Use modern HTML and CSS practices. Standards-compliant code enhances accessibility, and simplifies future updates.
Your purpose drives the design. Graphic design exists to serve the function of your website, not the other way around. Functional does not have to mean ugly.
The client decides. I have certain beliefs developed over more than ten years of designing for the web, but I also believe that intelligent people can and do disagree and there are exceptions to every rule. I am happy to explain the pros and cons of certain design elements, but you make the final decisions for your site.

About this site

This site was named after my dog Judge, a Brazilian Mastiff or Fila Brasileiro. That's him up in the header.

Services

Websites redesigned, updated, or built new
Complete visual page design: Layout, color schemes, look & feel, and optional logo development
Site organization and file/folder structure
Graphic production: All images prepared with attention to detail
(x)HTML and CSS authoring: Clean, valid, maintainable code
MySQL databases and PHP: I offer basic PHP programming and MySQL database creation for sites where appropriate
Testing for cross browser-compatibility: IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera

How it works

We start with your content, because content (i.e., function) drives the design and structure of all good websites.
I'll work with you to design an information architecture that makes your content easy to find and simple to navigate.
I provide different looks (mockups) for your review and feedback. I usually present between two and four mockups, although this can vary depending on your needs and budget.
We work together to reach a design you like and which works with your content and goals.
When you're happy with the site design, I convert the final design to a working file using HTML, PHP, and CSS.
I integrate your content to produce the finished website.
After a final cross-browser QA check, your site is ready for launch.

With rare exceptions, I do not currently offer ongoing maintenance, but I will provide everything you need to keep your site current. This includes documentation and layered Photoshop files of all graphic elements. I am always available by email to answer questions or provide assistance to my clients, both current and former.