The Gathering

The Gathering - view screenshots

Link: no longer online - view screenshots

Size: 900 pages

My professional status: independent web designer/developer

Website client: The Gathering

Dates: September 1997 - September 2000

Brief: to create, design, build and maintain the Gathering website, giving Gatherers as much information as possible about every aspect of The Gathering, as well as archiving previous parties.

My responsibilities included:

  • Determination of what should be included in the site and how it should be laid out
  • Creation of site (design, look & feel, architecture, navigation, content, graphics, video grabs, HTML and JavaScript encoding)
  • Writing/creating all content, with complete freedom to include whatever I like. My aim was to provide the most comprehensive coverage possible of this party - to take the genre as far as it could go - and to create it in a manner that was easily accessible and good to look at
  • Constant updates - in the months before and after each party (every New Year) I was updating the site every day
  • Collection and inclusion of all press coverage ever received by The Gathering
  • Collection and inclusion of photos taken by Gatherers each year
  • Collection and inclusion of information/photos/graphics etc from every DJ (173 of them in 2000), live act (76), VJ (40) and performer (208) at The Gathering. This was a challenge, but it was a goal worth striving for
  • Responding to many hundreds of emails about The Gathering which I received via the website
  • Prior to The Gathering 98/99 I completed a total overhaul and redesign of this site. I added some funky JavaScript to it, improved the navigation and architecture, and maintained consistency with that year's graphic design
  • For The Gathering 2000 I added a secure online ticket ordering system. The event organisers were then able to sell tickets exclusively through the website and 0800 number.

This website was my baby..... the closest thing I had to my own website at the time, really. I was always tinkering away at it, adding bits and making it better. It's where I tried out all my new stuff, played with JavaScript, did video, whatever. I spent hundreds of hours of my own time on this website over 3 years, I estimate about $100,000-worth, which I gave to The Gathering at no charge.

Awards

NZ Peace Foundation Media Peace Awards - 1998
Special Commendation

WAMMO PostBeta award 4.5 stars - 18 August 1999
"The event of events; The Gathering has developed a snowball momentum over the last couple of years and has grown tenfold, enjoying far-flung capacity crowds, huge credence and mass media attention [check out the TV documentary]."

NetGuide Top 40 - September 1999
"A must visit site for people planning on seeing in the millennium at New Zealand's most popular dance party in Nelson."