2012 – 2020
Dr. Andrea Marshall is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and popularly referred to as Queen of the Mantas. Andrea was the first person in the world to complete a PhD on manta rays. After completing her thesis, Andrea stayed on in Mozambique to spearhead the conservation efforts of this species along the remote coastline.
She co-founded the Marine Megafauna Foundation and in 2014, was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. In 2011, I undertook the transformation of MMF’s online presence and advertising. This project was one of the most important and enjoyable projects I had the opportunity to work on as the subject matter is also one of my lifelong passions.
I had always wanted a website to showcase my personal marine conservation work. It was Steve that pushed me to create my own site and I could not be more grateful. He helped me design something allows me to share my research and photography in a fun and engaging way with my followers.
The best thing about my site is that he really took the time to get to know me, so my site is both tastefully designed and really reflects my personality.
Steve also knows that I am short on time. He designed my site to be easy to use and easy for me to maintain. Honestly I could not be happier with what he has created for me. I cannot believe that I did not make a website earlier!”
– Dr. Andrea Marshall. Queen of the Mantas.
During that period, I developed a friendship with Andrea, which has been exceptionally satisfying for me, due to my interest in scuba diving and the ocean.
I remember watching the BBC Documentary titled The Queen of the Mantas and being very impressed so I contacted her and offered my services to help brand the Marina Megafauna Foundation she was a Director of and from there, our friendship and mutual respect developed.
I am very proud to have created her online identity and website and continue to work together.
The Simple Favicon
I’m guessing a lot of you reading this have never even heard of a favicon. The next time you call up a website, take a look at your browser bar for a small tiny icon embedded in the browser bar… making these look good at 17 x 17 pixels can be a real little challenge.
We think this one is great.
Logo Development
Andrea had a good idea of what she wanted to do as a logo and a friend of hers had done some thinking so this logo is a very collaborative effort, with people from Mozambique to Bali to Collingwood, Ontario each adding a little bit to the final design.
The Website
Create a new identity and website for Dr. Andrea Marshall. Queen of the Mantas. National Geographic Explorer. Director of the Marine Megafauna Foundation in Mozambique. What a fun project. Andrea and I have yet to meet face-to-face after over three years but our mutual interests bind us easily.
Over her 30-year dive career Andrea has traveled to the ends of the globe both as a scientist, researching sharks and rays, and also as a professional underwater photographer. She fell in love with photography at an early age when she was taken under the wing of marine cinematographer Tom Campbell. Years of mentoring deepened her appreciation of photography and prompted a lifelong affair with the art. She also began exploring the world of technical diving at a young age and found it to be useful for both research and photography.
Throughout the years she has used her technical diving background to push the limits of her research, in an effort to survey remote locations or study elusive species. Her research expeditions have taken her from Ecuador to Myanmar and seemingly everywhere in-between. She has traveled across five continents as a part of her ”Ray of Hope” expeditions as well- a business she runs with her husband and dive buddy.
Her extraordinary encounters and work with rare, elusive, or highly threatened species such as the smalleye stingray, dugong and wedgefish have earned her publications in scientific journals and popular magazines alike. Armed with her own camera and often accompanied by documentary crews, Andrea has introduced the world to a new frontier of African diving.
From the BBC’s award-winning documentary on her life, to cutting-edge virtual reality experiences like IMMOTION’s Flight of the Manta, to an upcoming feature in Netflix’s new ‘Our Oceans’ series, Andrea continues to use hard science and visually stunning media to capture the world’s attention and focus it towards the conservation of the Mozambican coastline.
- Create a Brand Identity
- Develop a Branded Website
- Consult on Fundraising Initiatives
Responsive Design
A contemporary website must work effectively on all desktop browsers as well as the myriad of mobile devices available today. Responsive Design is the art of creating an architecture that works across all browsers and devices. Responsive Design tailors the implementation to provide the best quality online browsing experience – whether on a computer, smartphone, tablet, netbook or e-reader, and regardless of the operating system.
The iPad View
Although I like the mobile design above, I find the iPad really helps the website be an easy reading, attractive design. It’s easy to read, large enough to see everything clearly and the links work quickly.
I love this.
The Main Banners
I like to treat virtually every element of a website as a stand alone piece of advertising, with each element reflecting the overall branding of the project. These revolving banners illustrate my point perfectly. Each banner was designed to communicate different aspects of the website and the work Andrea was doing, or the trips she was offering.
In 2022 she was honoured by Dr. Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue, as the champion of a newly declared “Hope Spot’ along the Inhambane Province, the coastline she has been working to protect for over 20 years. She vows over the course of her life to help turn this area into one of the most important protected seascapes in Africa- the marine equivalent of the Serengeti.
Said best in her own words, “The oceans still have so much to offer us, so many secrets to reveal. We must continue to embrace research, exploration, and conservation. I still marvel at how little we know about our great oceans. This sense of the unknown is what should drive us. It should inspire us. Now, more than at any other point in history, we have the distinct opportunity to become both the explorers and the ambassadors of this wondrous, liquid frontier.”
Andrea currently lives with her husband and fellow marine conservationist, Janneman Conradie and their young daughter in Vilanculos, Mozambique, where her Foundation’s regional headquarters are based.
Integrating Online Videos and the YouTube Channel.
The acclaimed BBD Natural History documentary Andrea: Queen of Mantas debuted in Nov 2009 to an audience of 2.4 million people and has since been shown in over 100 countries worldwide.
Carefully integrating full streaming video capabilities within Queen of Mantas was critical to Andrea while we were developing the website.
The Solution & Result
While still too early to talk about success of the site, the fact is that it is inevitable that this website will do more for Dr. Marshall than can be anticipated.
With the accelerated advances of the internet and the programming of this website, backed with advanced Google Analytics and the dedication from Andrea, Janneman and myself, it is inevitable that this site alone will transform the lives of hundreds of people annually and advance global conservation efforts.
Something that makes me very proud.
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