iya; my name is Akaihane and I am a digital and print designer, as well as a budding illustrator. I’ve had a love for art since I could first pick up a crayon, and I’ve been building websites since I was 15, back in the days of Netscape composer, and have been working in the industry for over five years post-graduation. I'm obsessed with both the design aspect of web work, as well as ensuring my XHTML and CSS is as lean and standards-compliant as possible.
Away from the computer, I: herd wild cats; read books heavy enough to cause wrist strain; design and create clothing; dabble a little in creative writing; adore manga and anime; and am attempting to master the Japanese language.
You can view my CV (PDF) here »
Programmes
Adobe Photoshop CS4
Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
Coda
Adobe InDesign CS4
Adobe Flash CS4
Adobe After Effects CS4
Final Cut Pro
DVD Studio Pro
Languages
XHTML
CSS
JavaScript Frameworks
ActionScript
PHP
Degree
1st Class Hons BSc Interactive Multimedia Design (2005)
Diploma in Industrial Studies
University of Ulster, Belfast/Jordanstown
elow are a choice selection of some of the web projects I've been involved over the past few years. Some have been done purely for my own entertainment, and others as a web and graphic designer, either at various companies or as a freelancer.
Before too long I hope to add both my illustration and print work to the site, so keep your eyes open for that.
Red Sky Photography
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // RedSkyNI.com
Year // 2010
About // When Rick Trainor, a local photographer, had a new corporate identity designed, he needed a new website to go along with it. By using the Magazeen Wordpress theme as a base, I created for Rick and all-new online presence to fit in with this new era of his business.
Akaihane's Blog
Role // Designer; Blogger;
Website // Blog.Akaihane.co.uk
Year // 2009
About // This my online blog. It has three sections, each dedicated to a specific area of my interests. I have, taking
the basic Wordpress theme, customised it fully to my own needs, including an large rewrite of the HTML and CSS, and added some additional
PHP functionality.
Sara-Jane Kelly | Pianist
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // SaraJanePianist.co.uk
Year // 2010
About // After employing Red Sky Photography to produce amazing portfolio shots, pianist Sara-Jane
Kelly felt that a clean, professional website using these images would help bolster her career as both a professional and a tutor.
Altruism // A Sumeragi Subaru Shrine
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder; Content Writer
Website // Akaihane.co.uk/Altruism
Year // 2005
About // A just-for-fun site Akaihane created around one of her favourite manga characters.
From scanning required material, designing and coding the site, and writing all of the articles, the site is 100% her baby, and was made during her last few months at university, as a way to get her head away from her major project work.
Life Was Beautiful
Role // Designer; Flash Developer
Website // LifeWasBeautiful.com
Year // 2009
About // A Flash portfolio site created for local photographer, Richard Watson. This site gave Akaihane a great chance to get back into refreshing her Flash skills after a while away from creating full Flash sites.
Donaghy's Shoes
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // Donaghys.co.uk
Year // 2009/2010
About // Donaghy's already had an e-commerce back-end built, but needed a complete re-design, pushing the new photography they had invested in, and front-end re-code of their new online store. In less than two weeks, Akaihane turned the site around into what it is today.
Planet Environmental Design
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // PlanetEnvironmentalDesign.com
Year // 2009
About // To promote their services, Planet Environmental Design required a small, easy to maintain site that would
still give enough impact to put their company above the rest.
NMNI
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder;
Website // NMNI.com
Year // 2009
About // The new extensive website for the National Museums, Northern Ireland, incorporating mini-sites for each of the
four museums and more.
Armagh GAA
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder;
Website // Armagh-GAA.com
Year // 2009
About // Armagh GAA required a website from where GAA fans and team members themselves would have an online
base, somewhere to find out about everything from news, events and about the players themselves.
Ford - NI Dealers
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // FordDealersNI.co.uk
Year // 2009
About // Ford's key site for sales in Northern Ireland, this site needed to be clean with a innovative way to browse the car listing.
County Sligo Golf Club
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // CountySligoGolfClub.ie
Year // 2008/2009
About // One of the top Irish golf clubs, Country Sligo needed a website that would allow their members to access
information regarding the history of the club, details on the courses, and much more.
Alan Lewis Displays - Fitout
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder; JavaScript Coder
Website // AlanLewisDisplays.co.uk
Year // 2007
About // Alan Lewis Displays required a portfolio based site that would allow prospective clients to see their products
in an exciting way, as well as show the sites they have already fitted out.
Flipleaf
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // FlipLeaf.com
Year // 2007
About // Flipleaf provides clients with a quality and low cost means of displaying magazines, brochures, catalogues etc online in digital format.
Belfast City Airport
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // BCA.aero
Year // 2008
About // BCA required a site where visitors could not only check on the times of departures and arrivals, but also
find all of the information they required to make their journeys go as smoothly as possible.
CONGU - Council of National Golf Unions
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // Congu.com
Year // 2007
About // CONGU required a website to explain both their work and about the rules surrounding the handicap system in
golfing.
Mount Ober Golf Club
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder; Flash Developer
Website // MountOber.com
Year // 2007
About // Mount Ober Golf Club required a website to promote the facilities at their golf course, as well as information
as to how to become a member.
Golfing Union of Ireland
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder; Flash Developer
Website // GUI.ie
Year // 2007/2008
About // GUI required an in-depth site that not only promoted their organisation, but would also enable, using Google Maps, visitors to find clubs throughout Ireland, as well as hotel accommodation, news and more.
Irish Ladies Golf Union
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // ILGU.ie
Year // 2008
About // As a companion to the GUI website, the ILGU required a site with the same scope, but one that was designed
to fit a different primary audience.
Harland & Wolff
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder; Flash Developer
Website // Harland-Wolff.com
Year // 2007
About // Coming ...
Provincia Recruitment
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder; JavaScript Developer
Website // Provincia.co.uk
Year // 2008/2009
About // Coming ...
North Down Borough Council
Role // Designer; CSS/XHTML Coder
Website // NorthDown.gov.uk
Year // 2007
About // Coming ...
ooking for a new website or some print material produced? Just send me an email, and I will try to get back to as soon as humanly possible with either further information, an estimation or a quote for what work you require.