Who is Monolith Design?

The principal design partner in Monolith Design is me -- Dennis Freeze. I am the former owner (as of August 2005) of Agate Cove Inn, a B&B in Mendocino, CA. Prior to innkeeping, I was a researcher in computer science at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, working with hypertext and multimedia systems. I've programmed in Lisp (my favorite!), C++, and Java (and many more ancient languages). Along the way, I acquired a lot of practical knowledge about usability of computer systems, which I've applied to my work in Web and graphic design. I have also self-published a book about the area, called Mendocino Outdoors, now in its second printing. I have been fascinated with standing stones (hence the Monolith theme) for as long as I can remember, and have visited many ancient sites in Scotland, England, and Wales. If you want to know the gory details, check out my resume.

What's My Design Philosophy?

These are the key design principles by which I work:

• The Elegance of Simplicity : Entia non multiplicanda praeter necessitatem. This is the essence of it all: the principle called Occam's Razor. I firmly believe in the elegance of simplicity, so don't hire me if you want a Rococo (i.e., gaudy and over-done) Web site!
• Readability and Usability : People should be able to intuitively understand how to use your Web site. To achieve these goals, one must pay rigorous attention to typography, color, and design to ensure that viewers can quickly understand and use what they are seeing.
• Attention to Detail : I hate sloppy work. It reflects poorly on the creator of the work, and the person for whom it was created.

These are some key influences on how I work:

• Edward Tufte : the author of "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information" and other classic books about visualizing information. His work is brilliant!
• Brian Eno : a brilliant musician and artist and "cultural theorist". He's considered the father of ambient music, and has written extensively about his creative processes.
• Judy Detrick : she is that rarest of things: someone who excels at something, while being able to teach it as well. As a graphic designer and calligrapher, she's created beautiful and compelling work -- and she teaches others to do the same. Judy taught me the "nuts and bolts" of graphic design.