Man’s Best Friend
Project Management • Editorial • Pro bono
Creative Brief
Dr. O’Donnell, a small-animal practice veterinarian, reached out to me for a pro bono website overhaul. I agreed, because that’s what you do for your dad. I had been itching to drag him into the 21st century for a while. Portland-based photographer Aaron Marineau handled the photography, and Dr. O’Donnell was overjoyed with the results. The design was built from a modern Squarespace template. Over our Christmas holiday, Dr. O’Donnell wrote his ideas for the copy by hand, and then together we polished his message to represent the Coquille Animal Hospital with a simple, clean design.
Reflections
Best Moment
Creating a professional website for my father, who proudly refused to advertise his practice for over 35 years, was a huge win. His small-animal practice on the Southern Oregon coast has always been a town favorite. By creating this site for him and sharing his Google analytics with him, I was able to contribute to an increase in his business traffic.
Greatest Challenge
The client and I didn’t always see eye to eye on the best times to work on this project. Across three time zones, he wanted to dictate marketing copy to me over the phone late at night, and I just wanted everything emailed. Once we were able to sit down face to face, we quickly created the site. I learned it’s best to meet the client where they are and not expect them to adapt to my work habits.
Unexpected Lesson
It’s common in the veterinary world for staff members to have their pets featured on the office’s website. I had to manage expectations about which animal received the “top” placement, and if anyone was getting special treatment—it needed to be worked out.