Jon Brown Design
Logo & Brand
This case study follows the many different websites and domains that Jon developed over the years from places of employment, to freelancing, to pro-bono work.
Industry
Design & Development
Company Size
1
Headquarters
Washington D.C., United States
Years in Business
24 Years
Visit Site

Over the years I have been a mentor and mentored by others. Its been a rewarding journey. My earliest memories of being mentored was working with a small one person Graphic Design agency where I got a crash course in what it meant to run a business.

I never drew a salary but I setup shop and offered web development services in the space and was able to make some extra money on the side by offering web sites to customers coming in looking for signs and vehicle lettering. This was the early 2000's so websites were not a super easy sell in southern Maine where we were located.

I started Online Design a web development agency and from there I went on to create so many other sites for local businesses in town like Don Foshays Discount Tire, Seacoast Chapel and King Real Estate. I moved out of Maine and down to Maryland where I got a job at a non profit called Food and Water Watch and the first project I worked on was a refresh of their website running in Plone and a migration to Wordpress.

From there I moved on to a role at Blue State Digital where I learned from designers that I supported about static website generation for fast mockup and delivery and fell in love with Jekyll CMS a platform I still use until today.

From there I moved on to the Marijuana Policy Project where I helped them revamp their Wordpress site and then helped launch the Chapter Web Service an agency inside the organization, the Arc of the US to provide affordable websites for chapters of The Arc.

In between those jobs I freelanced, explored and tried my hand at running an online banner ad site called MacAds, and started my now parent company Breelabs.

My web development of journey over time

Breelabs
breelabs.com
Future Forward Technology Advisors. A Technology Incubator, Venture Capital & Advisory Firm.
Started Breelabs after I sold my business to offer business advice and mentorship to aspiring entrepreneurs. Developed with Tailwind CSS, HTML 5, and Javascript. Hosted on GitHub using the Jekyll CMS.
Grove Technologies
grovetech.co
We are a Mac MSP and a member of the Apple Consultants Network. We work to bring stability back to the Mac Business environment by providing next-level Mac Management, Mac Repairs, Mac Purchasing, Managed App Updates, and more.
This site represents the evolution of our brand. As you can see our messaging is not quite dialed in. Developed with Tailwind CSS, HTML 5, and Javascript. Hosted on GitHub using the Jekyll CMS.
The Arc of the US
thearc.org
The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.
I helped the organization develop a business agency within the non profit centered around delivering websites to chapters that could not otherwise afford websites it was called the Chapter Web Service. Developed with Wordpress, CSS, HTML, and JQUERY.
Mac Gurus
imamac.guru
We exist to take the work out of Mac management, by providing top tier Mac support services tailored for a startup to mid-size business.
Mac Gurus my solopreneur consulting company starts to gain traction. Developed with Bootstrap CSS, HTML 5, and Javascript. Hosted on GitHub using the Jekyll CMS.
Marijuana Policy Project
mpp.org
The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is a national 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1995 to lobby for reduced penalties on marijuana cultivation, sales, and use. Along with NORML, it is one of the country's top two marijuana legalization lobbying organizations.
I helped the organization move off Blackbaud Convio and developed a site in Wordpress for them to move away. I migrated all their content and came up with a fresh new design. Developed with Wordpress, CSS, HTML, and JQUERY.
Bluevine Design
bluevinedesign.com
Our mission is to create products that enrich peoples lives through design.
A proof of concept site for a rebrand of Jon Brown Designs that never took off. Developed with Wordpress, CSS, HTML, and JQUERY.
Food & Water Watch
foodandwaterwatch.org
To mobilize people to reclaim their political power, hold elected officials accountable, and resist corporate control—ensuring we all have the essential resources we need to thrive.
I helped the organization move off of a PLESK server in the closet and migrated and designed a new site based on their older Python PLONE site and moved it to PHP / Wordpress. Developed with Wordpress, CSS, HTML, and JQUERY.
Ru Pei Pei Pearls
rupeipeipearls.com
Ru Pei Pei Pearls are the finest quality and affordable pearls on the market today. These fresh and salt water cultured pearls are from South China and Japan.
I started a jewelry business based on connections I made while traveling in China. Developed with Adobe ImageReady CSS, HTML.
Mac Ads
macads.com
Mac Ad's Banner Exchange is available to the Mac Community. We offer a Mac Only Banner Exchange to insure that your site is promoted on other mac sites, including our own, Mac Ad's.
I started a banner and text click through business where I sold advertising images and links to promote Mac and Apple centric goods and services. Developed with Adobe ImageReady CSS, HTML.
Don Foshay's Discount Tire & Alignment
donfoshays.com
Welcome to Don Foshay's Discount Tire & Alignment®. We are a Maine family owned business serving local communities for over 20 years. Our store managers live in the communites they serve and have a vested interest in providing the highest levles of service and value for their customers. we stock Cooper®, Toyo® & Sumitomo® tires but have access to every tire brand at low low pricing.
I worked for a company called Summit of New England while living in Maine the parent company of Don Foshay's Discount Tire and Alignment. Developed with Adobe ImageReady CSS, HTML.
Widget Show: The Flip Side
widgetshow.com
Got a great widget, want to annouce it to the world. Then let us interview you, or write up something for the blog. If you wish to have your widget reviewed please send us a description of the widget, a link to the download of the widget and your name and email. We will contact you and feature you in the show.
Jon learns Wordpress and moves the podcast from the old site to the new look and feel using PodPress. Jon interviews everyone from Andrew Hedges to the team at Taco Widgets. Developed with CSS, HTML, PHP, and Javascript via Wordpress.
Online Design
onlinegraphicdesign.com
We offer a wide range of web graphics. We will put your logo online and we will create cool web graphics for your web page. Say goodbye to old fashioned clip art images. We create custom graphics and logos for your online company.
Took the site to new hights with a new logo, new full width design and color palette. Developed with Adobe ImageReady CSS, HTML.
One of the first entrepreneurial businesses I ever created, just one year out of college I created a business creating logos and other services for small businesses. Developed with Adobe ImageReady CSS, HTML.
Rix Custom Graphix
rixcustomgraphix.com
Rix Custom Grafix provides quality graphics for a wide range of customers. We are your small business graphic source We supply you the customer with an outlet to your own personal artwork or ideas created into graphics to meet all aspects of your business. From logo creation, signage, business cards, brochures to shirts, hats, mouse pads and more.
Known for his Airbrush artistry, Rix Kordsmeir and I started a small digital design services company where we provided both physical and virtual design services. Developed with Adobe ImageReady CSS, HTML.

How has web development changed over the years?

"Web development is one of those hobbies, and skills that forces you to continue to evolve and learn new things which is what I love about it. You can never master it. There is always a new technique, a new tool, a new methodology and frameworks to keep your creative juices flowing, essentially, forever. "

Subscribe to my newsletter

Join me on my journey as I set out to help aspiring entrepreneurs take that critical first step.