My Story
In 1998 I created my very first website. It housed a collection of stories I had written, and my ISP allowed us to host a website with our Internet connection. Having no skills at writing HTML and no other tools at my disposal, made the website in Microsoft Publisher. It didn't even have a proper domain name at the time.
Eventuallty, I bought a copy of Microsoft FrontPage. It was reasonably priced and I still didn't know much other than layout techniques that looked pleasing to me. At the time, most everyone was working with tables anyway.
As I used the software more and more, I found that working within the confines of its design view was limiting, as was using its form builders and other features, so I committed to writing HTML by hand. I still used FrontPage, but more as an editor than as a drag-and-drop design tool.
In the year 2000 I met a young woman named Kim. One day, as I was redesigning my personal website for what seemed like the hundredth time, she said to me, “Why don't you make websites for other people?”
After some research and planning, Kim and I started our web design business, which we named RandomActs Design, in November 2001. The name was a play on my personal site titled Random Acts of Imagination. Kim made the graphics and I wrote the markup and code.
My first paid website was for my cousin Matthew Golay. He asked if we would make him a website because at the time he was promoting his music on mp3.com but it was going to be bought and shut down.
As his popularity grew in the Fox Valley and Oshkosh area, so did the questions about who created his website. Kim and I did a lot of work for musicians during that time like Copper Box, RPM, Boxkar, Rob Anthony and the Moon Gypsies, to name a few. We also worked with some of the venues where many of those bands played such as Mill Creek and Tanners Grill and Bar.
Kim eventually decided the internet wasn't for her and went back to finish medical school. I'm happy to tell you she completed her Master of Science in Nursing. We are married now with three wonderful children.
Since then, the web design industry has changed dramatically. With the tools available today, anyone can share information which is what the public internet was intended for.
My challenge is to be better than an automated website builder. I do that by creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind websites built with your individual goals in mind. I also do that by simply being here. I'm always available to discuss tips, problems, brainstorm new ideas, and whatever else crosses your mind.