Alex Smoller | Website Design + Development | New York
Hello!
Alex Smoller has been designing and developing websites for clients in New York, and around the country, since 2000. He has been working in the internet industry since 1995 and worked on some of the first websites for companies such as Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Toyota, and other fortune 100 companies.
Since starting his own studio in 2000 he has focused on small to mid-sized businesses and organizations, enjoying the personal attention he can give to creating their online presence, and solving their marketing needs. Guiding and helping his clients to successfully achieve their goals is one of his greatest rewards.
Thank you for visiting.
Portfolio
Smithsonian
Working with Doug Muise, we developed an iPad-based kiosk for Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian exhibit Up Where We Belong. The exhibit showcases American Indians in popular music in the 20th and 21st centuries through music clips, video performances and interviews, as well as photography and historical commentary.
Wild4life
Wild4life is an amazing organization making real change in the world. They “address the huge unmet need for health services in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa by mobilizing communities, creating demand, connecting them to health service providers, and managing a co-ordinated response.”
Design Studio: Doug Muise Design
Designer: Doug Muise
Developer: Alex Smoller
Norman Ambrose
Norman Ambrose is a fashion designer fairly new on the scene, but is making big waves with his luxurious and sophisticated line of womens clothing. We created a stylish and modern website to display his wares, employing TypeKit for use of non-system fonts, and a content management system to allow for ease of updating, in-house.
Design Studio: Doug Muise Design
Designer: Doug Muise
Developer: Alex Smoller
NYC iSchool
The NYC iSchool is a New York City high school that is “…dedicated to equipping students with the skills necessary for success and leadership in the 21st century. The iSchool program is designed to offer students opportunities to engage in meaningful work that has relevance to them and the world, choice and responsibility in determining their high school experience, and unique structures to support their development.”
Design Studio: RED
Designers: Stuart Rogers, Sam Eckersly, Jane Huschka
Developer: Alex Smoller
Russell Design
Russell Design is an exceptionally talented design studio. They specialize in environmental and print, as well as web design, and do some very tight and compelling work.
They wanted to redesign their website and needed a way to easily keep it up to date. They came to me to integrate my content management system and to build their website. We included some fun and interesting interactive elements, as well, without the use of Flash.
They were a pleasure to work with, both personally, and professionally.
Creative Director: Anthony Russell
Design Studio: Russell Design
Designers: Anthony Russell, Robert Barber, Adam Katz
Developer: Alex Smoller
The New Group
The New Group is an award-winning theater company located in New York. They are “an artist-driven company with a commitment to developing and producing powerful, contemporary theater.” Working with RED we developed an interactive – yet non-Flash – online version of the brochure for their upcomming season.
Design Studio: RED
Designers: Stuart Rogers, Sam Eckersly, Jamus Marquette
Developer: Alex Smoller
Organic Modernism
Organic Modernism produces some lovely modern furniture. Erin Bazos produces some lovely design. It was a pleasure working with them both on this website, which included our content management system for ease of content updating.
Designer: Erin Bazos
Developer: Alex Smoller
Björn Wallander
Swedish-born and New York-based photographer Björn Wallander needed a clean and straight-forward online portfolio that was easy to update. With a stripped-down look and the ease of use of our proprietary content management system, he got just what he was looking for.
Designers: Alex Smoller and Björn Wallander
Developer: Alex Smoller
Brigitte Lacombe
We were approached by Brigitte Lacombe — an internationally renowned photographer — to design and produce her website. She wanted a clean and modern design to showcase her work, which is what we do best. We also integrated our content management system so they can update in-house.
Client: Brigitte Lacombe
Project Manager: Alex Smoller
Designer: Alex Smoller
Developer: Dan Hewins
Martin Ahlgren
Martin Ahlgren is an accomplished and successful director of photography, creating stunning visuals for clients such as Absolut, the Rolling Stones, Budweiser, Toyota… and the list goes on and on. He came to me needing a website he could maintain himself. We integrated our customized content management system which allows him to easily update and manage his portfolio.
Desigers: Martin Ahlgren, Alex Smoller
Developer: Alex Smoller
Keith McNally + Balthazar
Continuing our relationship with award-winning design studio Mucca Design, we produced these client-updatable websites for renowned New York City restaurateur Keith McNally.
Design Studio: Mucca Design
Project Manager: Roberta Ronsivalle
Designers: Matteo Bologna, Christine Celic Strohl
Developers: Alex Smoller, Dan Hewins
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Smithsonian
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Wild4life
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Norman Ambrose
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NYC iSchool
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Brooklyn Youth Chorus
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Russell Design
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The New Group
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Organic Modernism
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Björn Wallander
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Brigitte Lacombe
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Martin Ahlgren
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Keith McNally + Balthazar
Process
I produce websites using a multi-phase approach which has been fine-tuned over numerous website design and development projects. Each project is unique, which requires a unique approach, so the process outlined here covers many of the issues and considerations common to many different projects.
Strategy, Planning & Discovery
This is where we meet to discuss the different aspects that affect the design and build of your website, such as your objectives, who your audience is, the desired look and feel, and any necessary functionality. From this information a flowchart is produced which acts as the blueprint for the website and project. It defines in detail the scope and function of the website, and can determine aspects of the design.
Design
Based on results of Phase 1, one to three design directions are produced, showing at least three pages of the website – the homepage, a section landing page, and a more content-oriented page. One direction is chosen, then modified based on client feedback. The designs are posted to a staging site for review. Once the design has been approved, all relevant pages are designed and files prepared for the next phase.
Development
This phase is where the designed templates are coded and the images produced, and everything is pulled together to make the website functional. The website is produced on the client server to ensure technical compatibility. It is produced in such a way as to not be publicly available during development and content population. If a content management system is to be integrated — either our own, or a third-party solution like WordPress or Expression Engine — it is done at this time as well.
Testing & Delivery
Once the website has been fully developed and content management system integrated (if specified) it is fully tested for structural integrity, adherence to design specification and search-engine optimization best practices. It is also test for cross-platform compatibility and multiple browser consistency. Once we are sure it has been fully tested and all bugs have been worked out, we move to the next phase.
Content Population
Depending on the requirements of the client and project, we either give access to the website and CMS, or work with the client and their content producer to populate the website with content. If the client wishes to populate the website in-house we offer an in-depth training session on how to work with the content management system that has been integrated into the website.
Launch
Once the website is populated with content and has been reviewed by all parties for structural and editorial consistency, the website is made available to the public. The chilled champagne is uncorked, cheers and high-fives are given.
The Future
After the website has launched and is put into use by you, your business, or organization, there may come a time when changes and new features are desired. We are available to work with you to integrate any updates and changes you wish to make.
CMS
A CMS (content management system) is a web-based tool that allows any person or organization to update a website themselves, without using any programming — or programmer — at all. No HTML, Javascript, Cascading Style Sheets. None of that stuff. All you need is a computer, an up-to-date web browser like Firefox or Internet Explorer, and an internet connection.
I developed this CMS after being frustrated by the tools that were available a few years ago. There are a few CMS’ out there that have vastly improved, such as WordPress and Expression Engine, but there are times when they don’t quite fit the needs of a project. When that is the case, I employ this CMS.
CMS features
- Fully customized to client specification
- Secure login
- Ability to create sections, categories, and pages
- Move categories and pages to different locations
- Upload photos and files, like PDFs
- Insert video files or embed from YouTube or Vimeo
- Preview before publishing within the CMS, or in a separate “live” preview
- Multiple user accounts
- Clean URL’s: smoller.com/about-us instead of smoller.com/index.php?s=13, for example
Click below for screenshots of the CMS administration tool from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus website.
Main Sections
Edit Homepage
Edit Section
Edit Page
Edit Image
Publish
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Main Sections
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Edit Homepage
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Edit Section
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Edit Page
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Edit Image
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Publish
Testimonials
Below are testimonials from a selection of clients who have my CMS integrated into their website.
Horgan Becket
Cayce Becket, Horgan Becket
Initially, investing in a website was our primary goal, including all the effort and coordination that went into the design, the function and the content (text & images).
In retrospect, we quickly realized that after getting the website up, even with the best of intentions, there were many small details that we could not have possibly anticipated beforehand that need to be managed. The overall design and structure of the website stays the same, but we needed in-house capability to manage our content, whether it be to change a single phrase or word, include a better image, refresh our logo, publish more projects, refine the description of our services or clarify statements, change a phone number or address, add personnel bios, add news and/or current events, etc.
Alex Smoller’s CMS is easy to use, straight-forward and intuitive, and allows us to make large or small changes to our content that can be published on the Web in seconds or at our convenience, at anytime, from anywhere. The system also allows us to preview and test any changes we are considering before we publish them on the Web. Bottom line, the CMS significantly increases the value of the initial investment in the design and implementation of the website by adding simple to use “in house” fingertip flexibility and control. In our case, the CMS has undoubtedly paid for itself several times over. It is simple to use, saves time and cost and provides long-term flexibility.
Brigitte Lacombe
Brigitte Lacombe Studio
We very much liked the structure and design of our website but found it difficult and time-consuming to keep it up to date (using Dreamweaver).
We needed a system that we could manage from any computer and had great ease-of-use, so that anyone in the studio would be able to update it.
Alex Smoller’s CMS is just what we needed. The form of our site remains the same but now we have the ability to change the content when and wherever we feel like. It’s a revelation to be able to upload images or change a word or two without having to input HTML code. The changes we make take no time at all to happen. We’re now more efficient and enthusiastic about keeping our website up to date.
Rogers Eckersly Design
Stuart Rogers, Rogers Eckersly Design
Our content management system, developed by Alex Smoller, has completely changed the way we use our website. In the past, we rarely updated it because of the time hurdle of working with HTML. As a result, our site would quickly become outdated, preventing us from putting our best foot forward to potential clients. We needed something that we could use with very little effort, and the CMS allows us to easily update our site content without digging into the code. The interface is intuitive and customized to work with our specific needs. It is also scalable and we have added a number of features over time. Our site now feels current and up-to-date.
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Horgan Becket
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Brigitte Lacombe
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Rogers Eckersly Design
Partners
Design Studio Partnerships
I have relationships with several award-winning design studios, from New York to San Francisco, who find that hiring a web development team full-time doesn’t fit within their operating budget. When they land a project that requires a web component, I am able to come in and round-out their services. This gives them the edge in competing for projects with other studios, without adding to their overhead.
Working with web developers in the past, we’ve run into numerous situations of being told one thing and getting something else. Beyond the fact that Alex has the ability to design as well as build websites, our studio has found dealing with him refreshing in that he really works with us in figuring out the best approach to each project. When he delivers (on or ahead of schedule) we get exactly what we hoped for. Working with Alex is a pleasurable and successful experience.
- Sam Eckersley, Partner, RED
Whenever Alex is not riding his BMW motorcycle he is there for us. Either in his office, at home, or sitting in a Starbucks café making emergency changes that the client requested 20 minutes before launching a new site. Alex is a great developer to work with: a creative problem solver who is extremely patient with predominantly picky print designers who refuse to use system fonts for the web. We Muccans love working with him (the next projects are already lined up so don’t steal his time!).
- Nadja Tata, Project Manager, Mucca Design Corporation
Please do not work with Alex Smoller. He is professional and consistent, his code impeccably clean and his work ethic outstanding. I would rather not share the fact that he is someone who delivers on his promise, goes above and beyond for the call of perfection, and is actually a pleasure to work with. If you are looking for a developer who really knows the business and is a partner in creating outstanding solutions, you have found him. Don’t spread the word.
- Amy Gershoni, President, Gershoni
Alex is great to work with. The solutions are immediate and creative and he becomes part of the team instantly. This makes for positive (and short) client meetings where he contributes to information gathering and getting the job done. Just look at his portfolio — its all there.
- Anthony Russell, President and Creative Director, Russell Design
We designers can afford to be unkempt, space-cadet, artiste-types. But when it comes to turning our designs into tight, functional websites for our clients, we need rockstar developers like Alex on our team. Meticulous, highly-knowledgeable, super-reliable—this guy delivers. And unlike developers you may have worked with in the past, Alex is articulate, sociable, and an ACTUAL pleasure to work with. Sure, he doesn’t wear a cape, speak Vulcan, or drop “Lord of the Rings” references, but what he DOES do is take your layered photoshop files and turn them into pixel-perfect websites.
- Doug Muise, Principal, Doug Muise Design
When I was looking for a web developer I was surprised by the incompetence and approximation I found.
Luckily I met Alex, who is competent and truly knowledgeable, reliable and fast, and is of course a good developer. He knows what’s appropriate, and what’s a superfluous gimmick. Thanks Alex!
- Francesco Gianesini, Principal, Gianesini Design
About
His Expertise – Your Advantage
Alex has over 16 years of experience designing and developing intuitive and compelling websites. Working with small independent artists to large industrial firms, his experience and expertise play a vital role in the delivery of each product.
Alex differentiates his work first by the quality of the executions, and also by the quality of the project teams assembled. He focuses on bringing only the right people together to work on client engagements. Be it graphic designers, database engineers, copywriters, photographers—a virtual team is created that is a perfect fit for each assignment. This allows him to offer big agency experience, talent, and ability to execute—at a more modest pricepoint.