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IMPLEMENTATION-PLAN.md

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bengould.org v3 Implementation Plan

Overview

Major restructure based on design critique. Moving from "clean consultant template" to something that leads with proof and shows the full spectrum of work.

One-Liner

"Policy analysis. Political wins."

Captures duality without being braggy. Two-clause parallel structure.

Color Palette — Blues

Ben wears light blue oxford + navy slacks. Use that as the palette:

/* Light blue accent (oxford shirt) */
--accent: #5b8ec9;
--accent-hover: #4a7db8;

/* Navy for dark elements (slacks) */
--navy: #1e3a5f;

/* Background options - either keep warm or go cleaner */
--bg: #faf9f7;  /* warm neutral - current */
/* OR */
--bg: #f8fafc;  /* cooler, cleaner */

/* Text */
--text: #1a1a1a;  /* or use navy */

New Page Structure

1. Hero (Simpler)

  • Name: "Ben Gould"
  • One-liner: "Policy analysis. Political wins."
  • Short description: "I help advocacy organizations, local governments, and campaigns turn good ideas into real policy."
  • CTA: "Get in touch" button
  • Photo: Consider using one with more action energy if available, otherwise current headshot is fine

2. Featured Proof — Measure FF Case Study

Make this prominent, not buried in a card. Show the arc:

BERKELEY MEASURE FF

$267M infrastructure · 60% victory

Drafted the measure → Built coalition → Led campaign → Won

[Brief paragraph about what made this work - designed to pass,
not just to sound good. Endorsements from Mayor, Council supermajority,
Sierra Club, Building Trades, Berkeley Firefighters. Defeated competing measure.]

Numbers should be BIG. This is the proof that everything else builds from.

3. The Spectrum — "From Technical Analysis to Full Campaigns"

Show the range of intensity, not categories. Something like:

Technical Analysis

  • LandWatch Monterey County: GHG inventories, EIR analysis, VMT modeling
  • Lightweight support for advocacy orgs

Policy Development

  • Oakland BAC: Budget analysis, recommendations that got implemented
  • Oakland Charter Reform: Being a credible threat moved the needle

Coalition Building

  • Measure FF drafting & stakeholder negotiations (before the campaign)
  • Building endorsement coalitions

Full Campaign Mode

  • Measure FF campaign ($140k raised, 60% victory)
  • Mark Humbert for City Council (63% victory)
  • Empower Oakland IE for Charlene Wang (59% RCV)

Visual treatment: Maybe a gradient or progression showing intensity levels, with examples at each level.

4. Sample Work

Keep the three PDF previews:

  • BAC Budget Review Report
  • Measure FF Mailer
  • Charlene Wang IE Mailer

These are already generated at /images/samples/

5. Background (Shorter)

Compress the credentials:

  • Current: Oakland BAC Commissioner, EcoDataLab President
  • Past: Berkeley E&C Commission Chair, Legislative Aide to Councilmember Droste
  • Education: UC Berkeley MPP + MS Environmental Engineering

6. Contact

  • "I'm taking on new policy consulting work."
  • ben@bengould.org (prominent)
  • Social links
  • "Based in Oakland, California"

Typography

Keep Bricolage Grotesque — it has personality. Already loaded.

Update CSS variables to reference it consistently.

Key Design Principles

  1. Numbers prominent — $267M, 60%, 63%, 59% should be visible, not buried
  2. Facts as flex — Let accomplishments speak without adjectives
  3. Show the spectrum — Not everyone needs a $267M measure; show you can do lightweight too
  4. Less template-y — Break away from standard "services grid" format
  5. Blue = trustworthy — Authentic to Ben, reads as reliable

Files to Modify

  • index.html — Major restructure
  • styles.css — Color palette update, new section styles
  • Keep existing: /images/samples/, /images/bgould.jpg, /references/

LandWatch Content to Add

From previous work (via EcoDataLab partnership since 2021):

  • GHG inventories for Monterey County
  • CSUMB Master Plan emissions analysis
  • City of Monterey zero-carbon strategy
  • Pajaro River flood risk / housing policy analysis
  • EIR comment letters

External links:

Reference Files

  • BRAND.md — Full brand identity doc
  • /references/ — PDFs for sample work section
  • /images/samples/ — Generated PNG previews of PDFs

After Implementation

  • Test all three fonts (DM Sans, Plus Jakarta Sans, Bricolage Grotesque) by swapping Google Fonts link
  • Ben will refine copy
  • Consider adding more action-oriented photos if available