1.0Overviewso, basically...

DMA wanted a website where its members could collaborate and get hired for music gigs. Working for an agency called Zenman, I developed a WordPress website using the robust BuddyPress plugin, taking extra care that members could easily maintain their accounts without a WordPress login for a streamlined experience. I also skinned a portal to match the new design, allowing DMA to use their existing subscription management tool (called Wild Apricot).

Services

Details

  • Built social platform on BuddyPress for musicians.
  • Allowed members to easily manage accounts without logging into WordPress.
  • Skinned portal to match WordPress site.
Screenshot of website development for DMA

2.0Special Highlightslet me draw your attention to...

2.1Looking for Something?

DMA wanted to make it easy for visitors to find their members based on the instruments they play and ensembles based on the types of gigs they play. The filtering needed to allow for multiple selections so a visitor could, say, find a musician who plays classic guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, or the banjo (**cough** overachiever).

I recommended a “pill” type of filter and one of Zenman’s designer’s mocked it up for approval. To stay within budget, I went with a BuddyPress plugin and then highly customized the code to match the designs, which were visually and functionally nothing like what the plugin provided originally.

3.0Technicalfor the geeks

Demo of web development of hover functionality for calls to action.

3.1Waisting Time

The unique hover state for the Call to Action grid wasn’t really planned: I just wanted to see if I could make the text’s background band to turn into an underline when hovered. The Photoshop design simply showed the “up” and “over” states with no direction on how one morphed into the other.

I’ll admit, there are some interactive features that, after I build them, I spend the next ten minutes simply playing with them because they’re just too fun! Call it “thorough testing” if you will, but I typically turn my billing timer off and hover over, hover off; hover over, hover off; hover over…