Personal

Your spelling and grammar are rubbish, why?

Yes I know, I am Dyslexic, normally I don't have a problem with it, however I do get a bit of a chip on my shoulder when people assume its reflective of my professionalism and ability.

What do you do?

I mainly work as a freelance web designer. but I also work as a freelance photographer [opens in a new window] and artist. but with regards to web design I can suggest you visit my page on Web design skills, services and partnerships.

How much experience do you have?

I started doing web design in about 1996 after spending 5 years at art college and university, working with a mix of mediums including film, video and computers.

I have worked all over the world and worked in roles such as web designer, software developer, art director, creative director, studio manager and projects director. however the best bet is to download my Resumé

Who do you usually work for?

It seems pretty odd I suppose to say that I have worked for nearly every type of company from small one man start ups, through some of the largest and / or most respected digital agencies to multinational HUGE household brand names and I can say that each has offered their own rewards and challenges.

I currently serve clients both at home in the UK and abroad in the USA, Australia and Africa.

Are there any projects you are not interested in doing?

Yes I will not accept any project that:

• Encourages harm
• Includes material of a racist, homophobic or pornographic nature.
• Promotes, the tobacco trade, antisocial behaviour, destruction of natural resources, irresponsible corporate action or oppression of individuals or communities.

Where are you located?

At present I live in Market Harborough, a small and very beautiful market town in Leicestershire, England. About 1 and a half hours north of london on a train.

Why do you work from home?

The reasons for me working from home are many fold. Firstly it keeps cost down, it means I don't spend time, money and resources commuting to an office daily, I can be here for my family and well mainly due to the nature of my work BECAUSE I CAN. However I must admit i do sometimes miss the commerce and contact of working physically alongside other people, still its a small price to pay.

How many staff are their at McCoy Digital?

Now come on I see many many other freelance web designers that I know to be one man bands that claim through either through the tone of voice on their web sites or through directly claiming to have departments or employees, and I can not believe that any one swallows this. McCoy Digital is at present just me, Richard McCoy and a occasional host of contacts when I need skills on a project I don't have. I wont insult any ones intelligence by claiming anything I am not and if / when I feel the need to expand then I will but for now 1 is all I need, oh not to forget my lovely wife Louise who keeps me fed, watered and cleaned.

Process

Can I get a quote?

Off course you can, please just contact me and we can discuss your requirements further.

Do you work on a fixed fee or per day basis?

Both, it depends on your requirements and the project, however if working on a fixed fee I will insist on a firmer project plan with a change control process to insure I don't end up working at a loss, I have a family to feed after all.

What is your process?

It all depends on the project but generally I will split the project into 3 sections.

1. Planning
2. Design
3. Build

Each section is dependent on its predecessor and is signed off and billed separately, if we get to stage 3 and a change is requested in stage 1 then a change process is implemented and the impact on budget and timeline is communicated, then you can make a decision as to proceed or not. It all sound a bit officious and grumpy but in my experience it just works out better all behalf's and keeps relationships and the project good .

How expensive are you?

Well I like to think that I am very reasonable, I am a lot cheaper then hiring a full agency with about the same level of experience or more in some instances. However I may bee cheaper then an agency I am certainly more expensive then a lot of so called web designers, but what you are paying for is my commercial experience and expertise, and you will get more return on your investment from getting the job done properly then you will from your mate down the pub's son.

Can I get a discount?

In some instances yes! it all depends on the project and company, I offer discounts to projects with a focus on:

• Environmental issues
• Social justice
• Cultural concerns

Will you do a mock up for me for free to see if I like it?

Will you subcontract for my company?

Yes, I do that quite a lot, and have sub-contracted for AKQA, FRAMFAB / LBI, Enotions, Earthgazer & spinnaker direct.

I do prefer transparency though I do understand that you might not want your client to know that you are ramping up you capacity for a particular contract I would rather things where transparent.

I own a off shore development company are you interested in a partnership.

I have worked with off shore development companies before in agencies and have encountered both good and bad, at present I pretty much know who I want to use for out sourcing projects to.

What do you do if a project requires something not in your skill set?

If a project should require something that I can not do as well as the project requires I tend to farm that piece of work out to other individuals or agencies, this is always done in a transparent manner, and I do not add extra money on the top of their quote and pass that on. I will also give the client the option of either managing the relationship them selves or I will manage the relationship on your behalf (At an arranged fee.)

Web Design

What is accessibility and why is it important?

Accessibility means exactly what it sounds like! Accessibility means that a site is accessible to as much of the potential audience as possible. Accessibility is often wrongly materialised as just for people with visual impairments, but this is just a small part of it. In some countries Accessibility is governed by law in the United Kingdom it comes under the DDA (Disability Discriminations Act) and online this is based on a set of recommendations as laid down by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) , I endeavour to some successes I might add to adhere to these guidelines to produce the most accessible web site that a project requires without sacrificing the brand and business requirements.

Why are standards important?

Web design is one of those professions that is very easy to get into and it is very easy to design and build a web site, BUT doing it properly requires time skill and experience. Web standards are one way of drawing a line in the sand by stating that a web site must adhere to these design and build criteria in order to do their job properly. However as many hard core Standards advocates often forget they do not cover other important issues in web design such as user experience, brand integrity and business needs, that is why you need to use an experienced and rounded individual like myself.

Why should I user a freelancer over a company?

Apart from the obvious cost differences from hiring a freelance web designer like myself over a company their is also that fact that for a person like myself I work freelance because I love and care for what I do, I take a real pride in taking a project and delivering it on time, to budget and to requirement. I cant hide behind layers of bureaucracy and treat it as just a job, my work is my reputation and my reputation is my livelihood.

Why should I use you over my mate down the pubs son?

Please see the comments above regarding why standards are important, but in short, Experience and ability.

This web site

What do all the illustrations mean?

the illustrations at the top are sketches I have done from photos my parents took of me when I was a child growing up in South Africa and Botswana. The other elements are added to form a fresh narrative that is relevant to the pages content.

Can I use the fonts / brushes for my own work?

Yes please feel free, although a little credit would be nice or even an email to say thanks.

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