“I asked for something with a retro flair, part 50s cocktail dresses and part cowboy boots, but writing about design is like dancing about architecture. I didn't think I could effectively impart the whole vintage flair thing, so I was happy that Lisa has obvious psychic powers.”.jpg)
“Her wonderful eye for design, her professionalism, and her understanding not only of what I wanted to achieve with my web site but also her creativity in coming up with ways to do it made working with her a total pleasure.”
“A site that's fresh and elegant, yet accessible and easy to navigate — who could ask for more? 
“My site looks professional and polished but still personal. I love the colors, the design ….
“Working with Lisa gave me a great foundation to work with as my blog and business grew. I think Lisa's secretly a mind-reader, as she took what little useful information I gave her and came up with a design that I would've done if I knew how. Actually, that's not true: what she gave me was far better than anything I could have done. Site content MIA*
*just kidding, Google
The trouble with redesigning my own site is that it really has been more a matter of rethinking than redesigning. So while I've been playing with presenting what I have to present, I've also been questing about for different ways of saying what I have to say.
While I'm adjusting my ideas, here's some thumbnail versions of the pages that aren't here. I know that's weird.
About Me
How I became a web designer
I'm a writer and artist who—twelve years ago, now!—made herself a web site. Some of my writerly friends at the time thought that was brave and interesting, and kept asking me how I did it.
Full of enthusiasm for this flexible new medium, I'd start talking about html code and graphics formats and even through the semi-opaque viewfinder of online community message boards, I'd see people's eyes glazing over.
“Oh, crapweasel,” I could see them thinking. “This is too technical—too much like math. I could never do this.”
It occurred to me that this new thing I'd taught myself didn't necessarily come naturally to all. That this medium, which seemed to me like the perfect combination of words and canvas—an entire library of words and an infinitely flexible canvas—was to them an intimidating wall of jargon and rules, made all the more difficult by the inconsistent behavior of competing web browsers and computing environments.
So I started helping people make web sites. Personal, hand-built, one-of-a-kind sites that look and feel like who these people are—yet, serendipitously, also helped them define what that is.
About You
Well, to begin with, you're here. Many welcomes! You may be an emerging author or illustrator, or you may be an established book-person, or a full-fledged artist—or some other kind of solopreneur.
Chances are, you are here because you like your web space quirky and personal, which is the way I like it. If you also care about the underlying craft of your web space and about reaching the people that matter most to you, then we have that much more in common.
The Shop
What I make for you
“The Full HTK”
This is my shorthand for the complete custom web site that I design and produce for you from the ground up. I'll help you think about how you want to present your stuff to the world, and I will make it look and feel like no other place on the web—like the only place on the web that could be yours.
My fee for this application of mad skills and attention to detail ranges from $4,000 to $12,000, depending on the scope and complexity of the project, and the number of months we expect to work on it.
I only take on a limited number of Full HTK projects in any given year and I'm often booked months in advance, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't ask if I have room in my production calendar. Ask, and if you don't like the answer, ask again in a few months time. I may be hard to get, but once you've engaged me, I give my all and will continue to cheer your career long after our formal contract is over.
“Just the Pretty Bits”
Not everyone wants or can afford The Full HTK. But everyone wants to see their name in print—well, phosphors, really—and beautifully set in the perfect font. If you're up for supplying the personality and the basic framework, I'll help you add just the pretty bits.
You can commission a splendid treatment of your name or business as a digital graphic, perhaps with other masthead decoration, along with a personalized color palette and detailed suggestions for how to incorporate these elements into your existing blog or web site.
My fee for Just the Pretty Bits is a mind-bogglingly reasonable $625. Turnaround is usually only a week or two.
The very best way is to email me at lisa AT hitthosekeys DOT com.