I’m Erik Vorhes, an accessibility advocate, design techologist, writer, and web developer. Welcome to Textivism, my portfolio and digital playground. I specialize in semantic HTML and cutting-edge CSS. I play with a lot of things, Django and jQuery being my favorites. The curious can learn more about me by reading Drasty Speche or following me on Twitter.
I am available for full-time work. If you have an interesting project and think I can be of service: by all means, contact me.
Philosophy
I believe that the web should be accessible, readable, and useable and that design is most beautiful when it calls attention to content instead of itself. To those ends, in design I prioritize grid-based layouts and precise typography, and in front-end development I emphasize reusable code and progressive enhancement—separating structure, style, and interaction—with semantic HTML, CSS-based layouts, and unobtrusive JavaScript.
Featured Work
Fidelia’s Sisters
The flagship publication of The Young Clergy Women Project, Fidelia’s Sisters launched in September 2007. I designed the masthead / logo and general site layout; I used XHTML 1.0, CSS 2.1, and the TypePad templating language to transform a blogging engine into something like an online journal.
Accessibility at Tanagram Partners
I wrote the accessibility “manifesto” for Tanagram Partners and worked to educate their team and clients on best practices. This work included co-presenting on “Beyond Accessibility” with Joseph Juhnke at the August 2008 Aquent gathering in Chicago.
Other Projects
- Currently I am doing freelance front-end web development (and a bit of accessibility-related consulting) with VSA Partners.
- Previously I did front-end development for Arc Worldwide, mostly on .NET projects. A few things I did include redoing the HTML and CSS for the main content area for the ProPlan Expert Advice section; writing the HTML, CSS, XML, and JavaScript for Maytag at the Home Depot and Whirlpool at Lowe’s; and coding a ton of HTML emails.
- erikanderica.org: Undergoing its first major redesign since 2004, I’m doing the design, building everything new in HTML 5, and porting content to an updated, custom-built Django CMS.
- Balance Health + Wellness (preview of a proposed revision to my work on the current site): HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, information architecture, with a custom-built, Django-powered, adjective-laden back-end.
- Tanagram Partners: HTML and CSS, as well as accessibility and design consultation.
- Print design and promotions for the 15th Annual McElroy Shakespeare Celebration at Loyola University Chicago. (I did the 16th, too, but like the design work a little less.)
- Fox Valley Presbyterian Church: Cleaned up after the tag soup left by Microsoft Publisher, added friendly URLs, and added Google Maps functionality.
Ephemera and other things (probably not worth your time)
- My vanity page
- Fun with jQuery “live” events
- “Coming Soon” pages for side projects that should be up soon-ish but for now are very much vaporware: He Dies in the End, Beautiful Accessible, and Slacker Parenting.