I’m Robin Catesby. I design websites, build WordPress themes, write and edit content, take pictures, play with Photoshop, and doodle. I live in Portland, Oregon.
I have been designing websites since the late 1990s and working with WordPress since version 2.0 came out in December of 2005. Today, I work almost exclusively in WordPress, but I’m game for anything that involves a good, solid website that you, the client can manage.
I create, you create
I love working with artists, writers, and performers. Why? Because I get you. I’m an artist too so I understand what it takes to put yourself out there on the web for all to see. It can be scary, especially when you don’t have the technical background to know what works and what doesn’t. All those confusing letters and numbers? HTML5, CSS3, PHP, FTP, SQL? That’s my job. Your job is to create your art.
I unstick your brain
Where to begin? You want an online presence for yourself, your business, your art, and you can’t get past the first steps in setting up a Facebook page or a Twitter account, never mind building a website. And how do you connect all these things together? And where do you post what? And…. heeeelp! It’s confusing, isn’t it?
That’s where I come in. I listen. You tell me your big ideas and creative dreams and we brainstorm together to create a roadmap: a comprehensive online strategy. Forget the “SEO experts” and “Social Media Gurus” who promise you pie-in-the-sky results for pie-in-the-sky fees. What you need is straight forward hype-free advice, a solid set of resources, and a consultant (that’s me!) who wants to see you thrive.
I don’t leave you hanging
Your new website is live, you’ve got updates to add and suddenly your designer is nowhere to be found. What’s up with that? Work with me and I’m there to make sure you know how to do your own updates. If you’re local to the Portland area, we can schedule one-on-one WordPress coaching sessions over coffee. Out of town? No problem. I am available to answer questions and send you tutorials via email.
The personal stuff
My educational background includes training in photography, graphic design, film, and theater. I have been active in the arts as long as I can remember, and I spent over a decade as a director/designer/stage manager in Portland area theater & film.
I’m also a produced playwright with a focus on children’s theater. My children’s musicals Peter Rabbit’s Dream and The Amazing Puss-in-Boots both had two successful runs at the Carousel Company Children’s Theater in Portland, Or, and my adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit (Music by Michael Allen Harrison) has been performed in theaters across the United States.
My other activities include crafting, costume design, special effects makeup, and my weekly gig as a karaoke host, where I have been known to bring the house down while channeling my inner Robert Plant.
