I’m Russ Willey, the creator and curator of Hidden London, and a constructor of stylish and affordable websites for small businesses and freelancers.
I have a BA in Social Sciences from York University. I’ve worked most of my life in advertising and marketing. My employers have included the Young & Rubicam advertising agency, BBC World Service and a couple of Swiss multinationals. In 2005 I started the Hidden London website – and I’ve also compiled a couple of London-related reference books.
I began to build sites for friends about ten years ago. Since then, most of my commissions have come through word-of-mouth recommendation but I’ve recently begun to expand my customer base by advertising my creative services on my own website, Hidden London.
The more websites I’ve built, the more I enjoy this work. Once I’d mastered the basics of coding (cascading style sheets aren’t my forte, but I know enough to get by) I could focus on combining aesthetic excellence with marketing effectiveness – and I find that extremely satisfying.
I also relish being able to fine-tune a website to make every page, every section, just that little bit better. Even after a site may already appear finished, I’m liable to make several dozen refinements. Some of these may be imperceptible to the casual observer but, taken together, they help lift everything to a higher level – or so I hope.
I’m a keen photographer so I’d welcome the chance to take a shot or two for your website. Such opportunities don’t always arise, but I’m chuffed when they do.