Letter from the Web Designer

Welcome to the new Windmill website.

Projects are always going to be bigger than they seem. (Re)designing Windmill’s website was a lot like driving. There’s always starts and stops, misdirection and dead ends. I didn’t know what my destination was going to look like until I got there, nor did I know how long it was going to take me to get there. But like most road trips, the journey itself is more important (and more fun) than the destination.

While working with my colleagues on Issue 6, it was brought to my attention that Windmill’s online archive was lacking. After listening to Professor Rustici, a disabilities studies professor, lecture on web accessibility, I was immediately interested in working on the website. And like most undertakings, it quickly snowballed into something much larger—but I was certainly up for the challenge. I wish I had taken screenshots to show the before versus the after (not to pat myself on the back too much). However, while my focus on accessibility quickly transformed into a focus on legacy, I designed the website with accessibility in mind.

The Archive and Running the Mill pages were my biggest tasks. The Mill had so many moving parts. Not only was I dealing with the web series from Issue 6’s editorial board, but I also was handling all the posts from Issue 5’s board. (Everyone did a fantastic job, and I highly encourage you to go read a few posts.) The Archive page was much tricker, and I definitely earned my Problem-Solving Badge! Kelly and I thought the first two issues were lost to the internet, but Google and Adobe Acrobat saved the day.

I also had a great time designing the new Current Issue (aka, Issue 6) page, since I had input from other editorial board members. We all wanted something fresh and clean for our issue, and I was happy to make their visions come true. Hunting for images to go with their respective stories was my favorite part (shout-out to Unsplash and all the amazing photographers who post their work – the website looks great thanks to you!).

I want to thank Kelly McMasters for allowing me the opportunity to take apart and put back together this website. I loved our Zoom meetings throughout the semester. Thank you for letting me play in the sandbox; I love when people have faith in my artistic abilities. And to the next web designer: good luck! I hope you have as much fun as I did, only with half the trouble.

Lex Besecker
Editorial Board Member, Issue 6, 2023
You can find my work at my blog Pomegranate Seeds.