About the owner, Dianne Mullen
Architect
I am trained as an architect and am licensed to practice in the State of Texas. I earned my Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1982. I worked at Graeber, Simmons & Cowan (architects) for 17 years. During that time, I worked as a Construction Administrator, a Production Team member, a Project Architect, a Project Manager, and eventually as the company's Director of Scheduling and Resource Management. I left GS&C in 2008 to start my own company, Mullen it Over, and branched out into a new direction.
Technical Writing
After years of turning complex information into something easily understood, I pursued the field of Technical Writing. My first gig was to provide documentation for a local software developer, RSI. During those six months I learned about Flex, Adobe Air, Virtual servers, emergency management, and flow diagrams. My interest in coding was piqued; I enrolled in an introductory programming class and dove into C++. By the end of the course I wanted to know more about putting together a website. I already knew I wanted to help companies update their website; knowing how to talk to web developers was the natural thing for me to do.
Online Presence
I began creating web pages in January of 2008 using an internet publishing platform called Squidoo. It started with a feature page about one of my favorite vacation spots, Port Aransas, Texas; I now have over 30 pages on Squidoo that I manage and update on a regular basis.
Find links to a few of those pages See More Sites.
Web Design
In the Summer of 2009, I enrolled in a program offered by Austin Community College and began working towards my Certificate in Web Design which I earned in May of 2011. This program allows students like me to focus on developing the skills I would need to successfully design and develop websites.
Nine courses in five areas
- Web Design
- App Design
- Interactive Design
- Graphic Design
- Interactive Programming
Software programs
In addition to learning web design concepts, I learned several software programs that I use to design websites.
- Dreamweaver
- Fireworks
- Photoshop
- InDesign
- Flash
View samples of My Work .
Coding
Although a program like Dreamweaver can simplify the web design process, it doesn't guarantee an error-free website. Websites will have problems. Pages won't load correctly or they just don't behave the way you want them to. I feel very strongly that a web designer should know how to go into the code, find the problem, and make the corrections to the code. I am confident in my coding skills:
- XHTML,
- CSS, and
- JavaScript.
Business Management
While working towards my Certificate in Web Design, I also took courses which will help me manage and run my business:
- Computer Accounting and
- Grant Proposals and Business Plans.
The accounting course reinforced the accounting principles I had learned as a Project Manager. More importantly, it taught me how to use QuickBooks Pro to manage and monitor my business accounts.
The business plan course was instrumental in the development of the business plan for Mullen it Over. Much more than just writing the "financials," my business plan made me think about the types of services I want to provide, who I want my target market to be and how I can reach them, who my competition is, how I will operate and manage my business, and how I will adjust to changing trends.
Now what?
Now that I've successfully completed the web design program, I'm ready to work full time creating websites for small businesses. My initial focus is on startups and home-based businesses. I've written an article that explains why it's important for home businesses to have a website. Check out my Articles and see if you agree.
Web design services:
- Create new websites
- Redesign existing websites
- Update existing websites
Technical documents:
- Office policies and procedures
- Instructional guides
- Disaster and contingency plans
See a more extensive listing of My Services.
See my resume.
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You can Contact me about web design, technical writing, or something else that's on your mind.
