With my wife's 40th birthday approaching, I sought a light-hearted surprise: a humorous yard sign to mark her milestone. I found an Indianapolis-based company offering the signs I wanted, specifically one welcoming my wife into the "Lordy, Lordy" decade. When she caught a glimpse of my plan and was less than enthused, I pivoted to a different endeavor: updating a local yard sign company's website.
Yard Art was the top result on Google for local yard sign companies, but during my shopping, I noticed their website was outdated and lacked modern features. Seeing a chance to blend my coding skills with support for local businesses, I decided to give their online platform a facelift.
Using Bootstrap for its simplicity, I revamped the site's layout, keeping the original color scheme but simplifying galleries and condensing content onto a single page. Since the company does not take online orders, I wanted to simplify their landing page and make it easy for potential customers to see the offered services and then call to set up a delivery. In its current form, the site has an excess amount of text and some unnecessary pages that I worked to condense and refine.
One aspect of the project that I'm particularly proud of is the implementation of three visually appealing galleries, each showcasing the main types of signs the company provides. This kept the presence of the company's work that was so heavily featured in their original site while keeping the design tidy and contained. Crafting this component required combining different elements and customizing them to fit the site's design. You can view my live version here via GitHub Pages. The project repository is also available in my GitHub collection.
After completing the project, I reflected on the lessons learned and the skills gained. While I offered to implement the changes for the company, I'm still awaiting their response. Nevertheless, I consider this project a success, a tangible achievement and an opportunity for personal growth.
As I continue to refine my skills and tackle new challenges, I'm grateful for the chance to contribute positively to local businesses and communities through my technical abilities.