Dean Sofer

Portfolio

Portfolio is outdated due to website redesign in progress. If you'd like to see my latest works or learn more information please contact me.

Temple Beth Tikvah

Developement:

2008-Present

Technologies:

XHTML, CSS, Javascript, AJAX, PHP/MySQL

Purpose:

Fullerton Temple Congregation's homepage for updates in events and letters from the clergy.

Capabilities:

Google calendar. Dynamically updateable content to every page via custom administration CMS. Custom databasing of congregation related tables (birthdays, deaths, etc).

Description:

A brand new website for the Fullerton Beth Tikvah congregation with a greatly updated look and feel. All content is now dynamically updated online using administrative logins instead of the old method utilized of basic html file editing and backing-up. The website is being turned into a custom database which can sort browse and maintain the content that would be unique to a temple congregation.

Maintenence and improvements will be added as time goes on but all databases are written from scratch to fit the needs of the temple. To expedite the developement time, Google technologies has been added for more secretarial tasks like email management, shared public and staff calendars, and even a selection of classroom pages will soon be implemented for each instructor to assign homework and easily customize as they see fit.

 

CPP Life

Developement:

2006

Technologies:

XHTML, CSS

Purpose:

School project presentation site for Digital Media Arts class.

Capabilities:

Simple presentation site. No features other than general appearance.

Description:

A school project website rapidly created to emulate the look of the school website itself (Cal Poly Pomona) that highlights the type of social life on campus with a few pages concerning the lack of school life and opinions from students.

Althought designed using tables, a more outdated method frowned upon in the design community, the layout is still detailed through use of CSS even for highlights over buttons and positioning and sizing.

Cal Poly Voice

Developement:

2007

Technologies:

XHTML, CSS, PHP/MYSQL, DHTML (simple javascript)

Purpose:

Internet Radio administration, scheduling, registration and DJ/Show management website.

Capabilities:

User registration. Application to become a DJ. Ability to create and edit radio shows via DJ control panel. Ability to apply for timeslots on schedule. Full moderation and review of acceptions/rejections by administration. Updateable Feature and Fix lists. More features were going to have been developed or improved upon during developement.

Description:

A custom built CMS (Content Management System) from scratch designed to facilatate an online radio broadcast's management needs by organizing shows and scheduling, administration and fans and so forth. Although not tied into the broadcast's server software (was to be developed later) a simple show creation and scheduling system was acheived. Unfortunately due to lack of support from fellow developers (designers and back-end coders) and the overwhelming amount of time and dedication required and eventually the demise of the radio broadcast in general the site remains unfinished until further notice. Apparently the biggest difficulty is finding dedicated and willing teammates to help work on a project from start to finish, that and finding the time.

The site has a full login system and very simple yet straight-forwards administration of users and shows. The entire site and back-end was designed from scratch along side a radio show registration, editing page, and schedule registration for your show was created. Registration as a broadcaster and for specific timeslots would put in a request until a moderator confirmed, rejected, or sent notification of further requirement.

Deena Adar

Developement:

2008

Technologies:

HTML, CSS, PHP/MYSQL, Javascript

Purpose:

Portfolio website for aspiring actress and comedienne.

Capabilities:

Dynamic news table with attached RSS, updateable resume via admin panel.

Description:

Deena Adar's portfolio website where people can listen to some of her voiceover demos, review her resume and get updates on news regaurding works and schedules she will be in and find her contact info.

 Although the artwork is excellent the original drawings were done by a previous website designer hired by Deena who tried to implement the entire site into one flash file rather poorly. The project was then turned over to me with all of the source work and turned into a simple image-based portfolio site with unfinished features like scrolling news items that are updateable and RSS feed attachement, a resume which makes usage of the original resume page withought losing the graphical design yet still permitting most of the information to be displayed on screen.

 The background also has some of the resume information pasted several times to both serve as an SEO keyword fisher and at the same time add an almost velvet background look to the site for the empty space.

 A simple administrative panel has been set up to allow the owner to update the resume without assistance from the designer and to allow news submissions and management.

Cory Knauf

Developement:

2006

Technologies:

HTML, CSS

Purpose:

Serve as main portfolio page with a Reel, Resume and Press Kit.

Capabilities:

Guestbook and photoalbum.

Description:

An unfinished portfolio website for an aspiring actor of the same name in hollywood with a light dynamic guestbook and news system coded from scratch with a simple administrator page for the client to modify, add news, or delete entries at his own leisure.

Due to lack of contact and information from the client and his busy schedule the site has been put on haitus (ergo why you must go directly to index.php to view the actual site) and remains unfinished until further notification from the client.

Kara and Deena

Developement:

2007-2008

Technologies:

HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript

Purpose:

Main site for radio talk show hosts Kara Luiz and Deena Adar to get blog and video updates.

Capabilities:

Bios, quote comments, and Youtube videos all saved to text files dynamic and updateable manually or through admin panel. Simple blog linked to SQL table with RSS feed.

Description:

Kara Luiz and Deena Adar are comediannes who are starting to make their way into hollywood after their main start hosting the internet radio talk show "The Love Drop" on NowLive.comn. I developed a somewhat portfolio and showcase for them to make blog entries, post their latest YouTube videos and collect a gallery of photos.

The general theme is supposed to be neon punk colors and a very simple minimalistic layout withupdating YouTube videos on the right and scrolling video comments at the top.

HolyCrap.ws

Developement:

2004-Present

Technologies:

XHTML, CSS, PHP/MYSQL, Javascript

Purpose:

Site for publishing my works to my friends and family

Capabilities:

Photoalbum and dynamic Bookmarks database which can be downloaded to an importable Netscape Bookmarks file (html). Currently developing an online game configuration editor in PHP to allow players to customize their controls with no limitations.

Description:

A social website for my friends to and entertainment I use to help myself and others find media I like to make available to them. One of my latest designs runs heavy with css, xhtml 1.0 strict and php. I have a dynamic list of web links for keeping my own personal bookmarks available to myself and friends which can be downloaded and imported into any non-IE browser (will design an IE compatible varient export file soon).

In addition any work I make for one of my favorite PC games, Battlefield 2, I make available to the community through my website and encourage visitor submissions to all of my databases.

I also have a photoalbum (from phpAlbum.net) that I have customized so that it integrates nicely into my website that is hosted and administered through my own website and gives me full control over every aspect both through loging in or recoding as it is not remotely hosted.

Due to small traffic I create I do not choose to use a login system but instead have a simple administrative panel that allows me to edit and delete entries that is re-inforced by webhost provider's restricted access security measures.

Academic Learning Company

Developement:

2008

Technologies:

RSS, CakePHP, XHTML, PHP, CSS, MySQL

Purpose:

To provide press releases for WBusiness and related companies

Capabilities:

RSS feeds of all dynamically generated content. Database driven (CakePHP)

Description:

The Academic Learning Company website was my first attempt ever to use the CakePHP framework and served as my practice app. Luckily there is very little dynamic content except for press releases and some static pages. Initially I had viewed the originally website as being terribly frustrating to update (after being asked to post a new article once) since every single article was an individual html page with the header and footer content copied into every single file.

There was little to no CSS utilized, instead it just had tables and images for the navigation bar (something that could have easily been CSS'd instead). I spent one night redesigning an exact replica of the site in proper CSS/XHTML as a test case to my employer of the simplicity of an upgrade and finally added the dynamic backend to ease future updates.

Later on it was decided that this site would become part of the W3 (WBusiness) consortium of sites and so I expanded the backend administrative login to share the same login and data across the board with other websites. In addition I later added an RSS feature that is linked to on the other sites for standard RSS usage.

A comparison with the original site (code compare) can be given upon request if curious.

WBusiness Speakers

Developement:

2008-Present

Technologies:

CakePHP (PHP), CSS, MySQL, XHTML, Jquery (Javascript)

Purpose:

A public speakers website for listing professionals in the industry for motivational business speaking events.

Capabilities:

Database driven backend that uses the W3 (WBusiness) consortium database to share login across several websites.

Description:

This website was the second attempt at using CakePHP and was in fact the first real dig into the power of ultimately a full CMS system written from scratch.

The database of categories, topics and speakers are all dynamic, with speakers being a 'Profile' that extends the main members database (a rollodex of every contact with the company). Speakers can have details filled in that are unique to their public speaking profile and can be toggled as featured or published. The members database is shared across the W3 (WBusiness) consortium and referenced on other websites for their related profiles.

The news ticker on the website actually references the Academic Learning Company Press Releases database to display relevent press releases that fall under the WBusiness Speakers category.

The tabbed content is done with JQuery (javascript) in addition to other slight enhancements (like the front-page banner) across the website.

WBusiness Books

Developement:

2009-Present

Technologies:

CakePHP (PHP), CSS, MySQL, XHTML, Jquery (Javascript)

Purpose:

Capabilities:

Description:

Ask Velazquez

Developement:

2008 (1 week)

Technologies:

PHP, Javascript, CSS, XHTML

Purpose:

Spanish and English online translation dictionary that references the massive Velazquez Press Dictionary.

Capabilities:

Description:

Kara Luiz

Developement:

2009-Present (2 Weeks)

Technologies:

CakePHP (PHP), CSS, XHTML

Purpose:

To act as a personal portfolio for the Comedianne and display her comical videos she's performed in.

Capabilities:

Database driven Video content. Dynamic buttons on video page.

Description:

This project was artistically designed by another graphic artist and then was coded by myself to simply hold her videos and basic contact information.

What is complex about the site is that the navigation circles to show off her latest videos are actually dynamically set based on the database's positioning index and some very annoying trickery with transparency in GIF images. Holes were cut into the images and then the thumbnails of the videos were displayed from behind the circles to create the effect. Kara is able to decide which location each thumbnail will reside in whenever she updates her videos.

The PSD images were sliced and edited by myself to properly be utilized for the website layout, with artwork by Felix

IGGY Youth

Developement:

Technologies:

Purpose:

Capabilities:

Description:

Ameritures Auto

Developement:

2009-Present

Technologies:

CakePHP (PHP), MySQL, CSS, XHTML

Purpose:

To target interested buyers of Used auto (cars) from US in various countries of the world especially in Africa and provide a quote and contact portal.

Capabilities:

Database driven FAQ items and categories. Contact Us and Request a Quote email form. Purchase Orders table for possible future usage.

Description:

Although the current link is to the old site, the development site can be found here. Ameritures Auto is mostly a matter of a nice CSS reskin and some better markup to allow for some good old Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The client used a website generator for his current site and wanted a more proffessional look.

The design itself was done by graphic artist Gary Baltazar. The splicing and css implementation was done by myself. The entire backend code was generated and the skin currently under development will hopefully be installed soon to see project completion.