Outcome Snapshot
Redesigned and rebuilt Illinois River Energy’s public-facing website—modernizing the brand experience, aligning with stakeholder constraints, and delivering a self-maintainable site with improved clarity, SEO, and audience alignment.

The Strategic Challenge
Illinois River Energy, a corn-based ethanol processing facility, needed a full website overhaul to better communicate with shareholders, vendors, and agricultural partners. The new site had to reflect the company’s professionalism while preserving its established brand visuals. There were strict content and visual requirements—including no use of generic human photography, specific approved color schemes, and a mandate to maintain the site independently using Adobe Dreamweaver.

My Role
I led this project solo—from discovery to launch.

• Met directly with client stakeholders to gather requirements and constraints
• Architected the content and navigation structure
• Designed and developed the site using custom HTML/CSS within Dreamweaver
• Created SEO-optimized copy and integrated Google Analytics
• Managed all content development, image sourcing, and stakeholder review cycles
• Provided custom documentation and training to enable internal maintenance

Strategy + Solution
This project required tight alignment between brand preservation and modernization. I began by conducting a brand audit, collecting visual constraints, and identifying the functional needs across internal audiences (investors, vendors, employees). The final design featured rich agricultural tones grounded in the company’s color palette and emphasized clarity and function over flash.

I hand-coded the site with clean, accessible HTML/CSS to support Dreamweaver updates, built a modular structure for future edits, and created content that was both SEO-optimized and tailored to the rural energy audience. I also integrated interactive tools like daily corn bid updates and press release uploads—all without requiring a CMS.

Business Impact

• Delivered a stakeholder-approved redesign under tight technical and visual constraints
• Enabled fully independent content updates by internal staff
• Elevated brand presence while maintaining visual consistency with printed materials
• Improved clarity and usability for vendors, job seekers, and investors
• Reinforced credibility through purposeful content, educational resources, and SEO optimization