2010 has been a great year for reaching out and broadening our client base in the greater Minneapolis area. In between ongoing converations with current and prospoective clients, we also like to keep an eye on what's happening with other web design firms in town. Some of these firms produce really impressive work - others do not always live up to their own marketing rhetoric. You can find an ongoing exploration of sample web designs in our 'Design @ Minneapolis' blog.

The Upstate region of South Carolina (Greenville-Spartanburg) is a vibrant region with extraordinary natural resources, a rich history and a powerful economy. After the slower pace of development for the past 18 months, we have seen renewed growth this fall.

2011 has started with a number of exciting projects at Concerto Designs! We signed on new clients, began work on exciting web design and Joomla development projects, and laid the ground for a robust year.

Probably our biggest new is that we now have clients around the world, including South Africa and Canada.

We have been contracted to design and build a new Joomla web site for the Institute for the Healing of Memories, headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. The Institute's Director, Fr. Michael Lapsley, travles around the world conducting workshops that bring reparation, reconciliation and healing to regions of conflict, persecution, and genocide around the world. This is a huge honor and responsibility for us, and we are grateful for the generous help of the Institute staff and especially their print designer, Joan Baker, who has provided real inspiration and a fantastic palette to work with.

We developed this custom web design and hand-coded Joomla template for a book reivew blog that specializes in religious and spiritual books. Using the K2 Content Creation Kit (CCK), we set up a blog-type of content presentation that is ideally suited for writing and cataloging book reviews by type and/or author. We also used our own photography of the North Shore for the rotating images in the banner.

Concerto Designs offers you a complete and comprehensive source for your custom web design and development projects. By integrating well-crafted website and User Interface designs with interactive elements and powerful internet marketing solutions, we develop websites that deliver tremendous impact and ROI. The following list of our Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing skills delineates the major areas of our services and client focus:

Internet Marketing:

Flexible Options and Streamlined Pricing

At Concerto Designs, we understand the challenges of running a small business - because we are one ourselves. Like you, we see the increasingly tougher economy as an opportunity for innovation and growth. While a quality web design and website presence has never been more necessary, cost has never been more critical. Our approach answers both needs. Choosing from a wide selection of innovative features, you can create a website that fits your unique business needs.

Adding functionality is easy and can transform your web site from a simple 'brochure' site to a system for managing CRM.

The Role of Content

From our experience of producing, designing, and developing hundreds of websites, we take away one underlying, fundamental principle in website design: your site's content is the most valuable - and often the most challenging - asset. Before we start the design process, we review your marketing goals and your current website content so we can develop an attractive, eye-catching design that also maximizes your search engine page ranking.

site design • custom cms templates • joomla! • wordpress • e-commerce

Custom Joomla! 1.5 template for chain of building supply stores in Alabama's Gulf Coast.
Multiple contact forms and accordion panels built on Jquery.
Site scheduled to launch December 4. 2009.
Visit the beta site here.

Custom Joomla! 1.5 template for large ad/creative agency.
Custom javascript galleries/widgets written in Mootools and Jquery.

Custom Wordpress blog for professional writer based in the Twin Cities (MN).
Site includes extra security modules to prevent spamming.
Visit the site here.

Original design. Custom Joomla! 1.5 template.
All work done pro bono.
Visit the site here.

Original design. Custom Joomla! 1.5 template.
Includes e-commerce and newsletter components.
Visit the site here.

Original website design and Custom Joomla! 1.5 template for an interactive web agency in Minneapolis.

Original website design and custom Joomla! 1.5 template for an alternative healing firm located in Minneapolis.

Custom Joomla! 1.5 template (design by Jeff High at The Dream Foundry).
Visit the site here.

Custom website design and Joomla! 1.5 template.
Visit the site here.

Original website design, customized Joomla 1.0.x template. <

Original website, design, custom Joomla 1.5 template, and SEO campaign for Morgan/Saddlebred horse operation in Minnesota.
SEO campaign placed site in top 5 worldwide for keywords: morgan horse.
Visit the site here

Original design. Custom Joomla! 1.0 template.
All work done pro bono.

Original website design, custom CMS template and Flash widget.
Includes class registration component.
Visit the site here.

Site developed for Minesota Timberwolves Intranet (access restricted).
Original design. Custom MediaWiki skin.

site design • ui design • xhtml • ajax

Original website design. Site hand-coded in xhtml, css and javascript.
UI built with Spry widgets.

Visit the site here.

Original website design. Coded in xhtml, css and javascript.
Javascript widget written in JQuery.
Visit the site here.

Original logo and site design. Coded in xhtml, css and javascript.

Site and UI design. Coded in xhmtl, xml, css and javascript.
Custom gallery compononet written in Spry.
Visit the site here.

Original website design for Fortune 500 company based in SC. Coded in xhtml, css, and javascript.
Visit the site here.

Custom design. Coded in xhtml, css and javascript.
SEO campaign placed site in top 5 worldwide for keywords: custom homes.
Visit the site here.

Original design. Coded in xhtml, css and javascript.
Tooltip widget written in Spry.
Visit the site here.

Coded in xhtm, css and javascript.
Accordion widget built with Spry.
Visit the site here.
(note: site transferred to new developer who retained my code).

UI design. Coded in xhtm, css, xml and javascript.
Visit the site here.

Original design. Coded in xhtml, xml, css and javascript.
Locations page developed using geotools kml formatting.
Visit the site here.

Original design. Coded in xhtml, css and javascript.
Visit the site here.

web site • graphic designs

Original design for non-profit organization based in the Twin Cities (MN).
Header image is an overlay of thirty photographs that I took of archival material.

Original design for Magento ecommerce site.
The right column content will animate using accordion panels.
The header image uses a photo that I took of the nave modified with custom Pixel Bender filters.
Site in production.

Original design chosen by client.
Site in production.

Original design chosen by client.
Site currently in development.

Custom design chosen by client.
Site currently in development.

Original graphics design for 3 ft. by 8 ft. display panel.
Includes original logo design.

After many years working as a Web Developer and Producer for large and small Web Companies, I decided to build my own business around a different kind of client relationship. It's really very simple: I want my clients to have full control over their websites. That means business owners update their company website whenever marketing demands it; content changes rapidly to reflect a growing business, industry updates, or new products/services; calendars and events modules tell your consumers the latest news; coupons, specials and seasonal work ads are there when you need them, and much more. In short, your website is managed and updated by you and your staff, the people who know your business best.