Hi, my name is Steven Maguire and I am a one-person web development studio currently located in Chicago, IL. I have been working with the web with varying levels of success since 2004 — in the fields of user experience, user centered design, website and application development, graphic art, and media production, with a heavy concentration in application and website interface design.

In December of 2009, I became a Certified Usability Analyst. It’s the certification for usability research, testing and analysis held by just over 2500 individuals worldwide.

Choosing to stay small allows me to develop a personal connection with each of my clients and present them with a better product than a large agency can provide. The lack of over management leads to a more enjoyable experience for both the client and myself.

So who do I work with?

I enjoy working with companies that are looking for a visual designer who can also handle a wide variety of other web and design-related tasks. I prefer to handle most tasks myself, though I can (and do) work with subcontractors when necessary. However I try to choose projects that allow a great level of personal involvement.

Unfortunately, while I have often felt like a design superman of sorts, it is physically impossible to work on all the projects my over-achieving personality would like. With that dilemma, the number of potential clients looking to work with me can be a bit overwhelming at times, making it difficult to choose clients and even respond to the massive amount of emails I intake daily. Having to choose specific projects carefully is regrettably necessary, as I can handle only so much project investment at once without completely losing the vision.

As a result, the type of work the project requires is an important factor in determining whether I end up taking it on or not.

Examples of projects I’d be more inclined to work on:

• A company looking to build and maintain an ongoing working relationship, which may involve multiple ‘projects’ under one consulting contract.
• A new company looking to build their web site or application, requiring web/UI design and information architecture, icon design, light content management setup, and front-end coding.
• An established company with an existing web site or application looking to improve the look and feel of their UI.

Examples of projects I’d be less inclined to take on, but have done in the past:

• A company that has already produced a set of web templates with another graphic designer, simply looking to convert them to XHTML/CSS.
• A project that requires updates to an existing static website.
• A project with an extremely tight deadline and budget constraints.

There are, of course, no quick and strict rules for these decisions. I do make exceptions if the company that approaches me has a really great product, or really interesting people. While I cannot describe what it is that makes this factor relevant, I do know the type of relationship I would like to build, as well as the type of environment that fosters the very best quality of work I have to offer. There are a plethora of other factors that I take into consideration when choosing a client, so don’t take the generalizations above as written law, but they make great building blocks.

An important question

Why work with me?

I am a guy who can do a lot! My clients tend to need the multi-talented approach that a larger team can offer; though the situations may make the hiring a full team seem insensible. My experience in the fields of design and multimedia production places me as the right man for the job.

I am flexible. As a single-person team, I’m capable of getting to know a client and project directly and passionately. My wide range of knowledge regarding design leave me capable of jumping straight into a project without spending days in meetings. I’m viewed as a Plug-and-Play contractor, one who is ready and can provide a client with all they need without any special treatment or multiple budget line items.

I am team and project oriented. Sure, I won’t be doing the core programming work from the ground-up, or developing your product, but I have a keen sense of process and production. I can quickly immerse myself into a project and understand, and even help define, the process (steps, phases, etc.) and what all of the other parts are doing and how they interact with my role. I find that synergy and efficient team progress is the most effective and cost sensitive way of completing projects.

Why work with another agency?

As much as I would like to, I don’t know everything and my skills, while broad and diverse, are limited. While I am very well rounded in the worlds of web design and development, video production, and print design, I can only handle situations within my expertise. For example, if you’re looking for ground-up, non-PHP programming help or extensive Flash work, you ought to find someone better suited.

If you have more specific questions, please do not hesitate to Contact Me.