Tutoring Services

So, you don't want someone else to do your design work for you. You know what you want to do, and know what you need to learn. You aren't looking for a college degree; you just need a little help to move you in the right direction.

What you need is a skilled designer who can work with you, to teach you what you need to know.

Mary Bouldin resides in the Santa Barbara/Goleta area and offers tutoring services for design software and website promotion and design information.

Mary is comfortable working with either Mac or PC and can come to your location to provide training and support. She can also provide virtual training, providing video and audio excerpts created specifically for you, about any design subject you are interested in learning. Design files created for your software goals will also be provided, for either local or distance learners.

With a BA in Graphic Design as well as 10 years of Internet experience, Mary has a broad range of experience to share with users interested in learning design and/or other user information necessary for creating effective design for the web or publication.

Tutoring services are available to people of all ages who are seeking to learn new skills. Lessons will be adapted to age and computer experience to insure the lessons are appropriate, timely, and fun!

1. Mary's software skills include:
   • Adobé Photoshop (entry level)(intermediate)(advanced)
   • Adobé Illustrator (entry level)(intermediate)(advanced)
   • Adobé Dreamweaver (entry level)(intermediate) As Mary hand-codes HTML and relies on CSS for page layout, she hasn't mastered the high-end fine-points of Dreamweaver that allow for solutions lacking creativity.
   • Adobé Flash (entry level)(intermediate) This includes working with all time-line animation as well as using MC engines as programming tools. Mary can train anyone in how to use this program to make a multi-faceted website that includes an effective preloader, a contact form, an audio and/or video player, etc. Web examples of sites can be provided on request. Flash programming can also be used for creating advanced gaming solutions (which Mary doesn't do), and this is why this tutorial training is offered only at an intermediate level.
   • Adobé AfterEffects (entry level)(intermediate)(advanced)
   • Adobé Indesign (entry level)(intermediate)(advanced)
   • Quicktime Pro (entry level)(intermediate)(advanced)
   • Final Cut Pro —skill with Adobé AfterEffects and Photoshop recommended (entry level)(intermediate)
   • DVD Studio Pro —requires capabilities with either After Effects or Final Cut Pro (entry level)(intermediate)
   • ToonBoom Studio —requires capabilities with Adobé Illustrator or Photoshop (entry level)(intermediate)
2. Web Skills Incude:
   • Handcoding HTML—4.01 strict
   • Creating effective CSS—level 2.1—requires capabilities with Dreamweaver
   • Taking a still design to a functioning website—requires capabilities with Photoshop
   • Creating a functional site in WordPress—requires capabilities with Dreamweaver and Photoshop
   • Creating an RSS feed—requires capabilities of creating a functional website
   • Making an mySQL database—requires capabilities with Dreamweaver and ftp software
   • Using javascript to make your site more effective—requires capabilities with Dreamweaver and FTP software
   • Enhancing your site with .htaccess alterations and other behind-the-scenes solutions—requires capabilities with ftp software and a functional website
   • Using php to make site design more simple (useful with any design, but absolutely necessary for WordPress websites)—requires capabilities with Dreamweaver

On-site tutoring fees are $25.00 per hour. This includes the tutoring time itself, useful files with examples of the topics covered, and email correspondence regarding topics covered after the lesson.* These services are provided for up to three people.

Virtual tutoring fees are priced per lesson (as times will vary depending on the materials covered), and also include useful files with examples of the topics covered, and email correspondence regarding topics covered after the lesson, for up to three people.

Please contact Mary for more information on virtual or on-site tutoring services.

*If you are outside of the Santa Barbara/Goleta area, travel fees will also be charged. This is dependent on distance and on the length of time spent on-site. (Please inquire with your location for an estimate).

Tutoring fees do not include the cost of software or hardware required to complete these sessions (Most of this software is available on a 'free-trial' basis, and only very old systems require hardware enhancement to run these programs).

Tutoring fees also do not cover ftp software (File Transfer Protocal—software used to upload files to the web), stock photography, server space, or domain name services or registration. Assistance with these services are available, but the fees for the services themselves are the responsibility of the client.

Any books and/or other materials displayed or reccomended by Mary Bouldin are also not part of the tutoring fees, but are suggested for purchase.