Get to know me, and my dog

For my existing clients and colleagues, Brown Hound is the new online identity of artist and designer Helen Davison {formerly T/A Oi-! Design}. I have undertaken the change of branding in order to re-align the web development and graphic design work that has been at its core since 2001, with more personal projects and aspirations.

The Day Job

As well as being beautifully designed, my websites are ‘usability’ conscious to comply to Web Standards; are built using clean XHTML/CSS code {browser tested and future proofed as much as possible}; and, as you would expect, I can incorporate Content Management Systems, backend database dynamics and e-commerce when required. Alongside digital and web based media, I also undertake print and branding projects, thereby offering a complete range of marketing collateral to my clients.

The importance of Search Engine Marketing {as well as that of newer Socal Media opportunities}, has led to my role becoming much more about strategic thinking, and taking a holistic approach to clients’ “bigger picture” goals. I always offer my clients advice that I genuinely believe to be of benefit to them, and key to this is my continued determination to keep up-to-date with the latest trends, technology and industry news. This remains ongoing.

Background

When I completed my Fine Art degree in the late 1990s, I initially planned to work towards a career in animation. At around the same time, the Internet was beginning to gain some attention from leading design magazines, while established creative agencies took on their first “New Media” Designer / Developers. For the first time, software releases {such as Flash and Dreamweaver} used WYSIWYG interfaces to bridge the gap between visual designers and computer programmers, and even though internet uptake was still relatively low {and ‘dial up’ was the only delivery option}, it was clear that this new technology represented a communication revolution that would evolve at a fast pace.

Everyone {including seasoned graphic designers and marketers} had to learn a new way of working, and there was much experimentation with both design and technology boundaries. Important to me, was the fact that digital media was anything but static. I immediately saw that I could incorporate my interest in animation with something very exciting, multi-dimensional, and ultimately useful. My Fine Art training gave me an ability to think independently and conceptually, while the timing meant that I was still an early adopter of the technology, allowing me to learn and grow alongside it. So, I went to work as a web/graphic designer for a New Media company for a few years, before I decided to start my own business in 2001; working for myself ever since.

Sophie

With the imminent launch of Veebase {a new venture myself and three other developers are working on}, Brown Hound exists as the umbrella under which I will continue to care for my longest standing clients, and take on interesting new design projects that are closer to my heart. For this reason, Sophie {AKA ‘The Hound’} is the perfect figurehead for my new business model.

As well as Sophie, we have recently adopted another ‘brown hound’ called Meg. She’s a 6 year old Working Cocker Spaniel and, as you would expect, both dogs love walks, chasing cats and sleeping.