About Always Open Design

Hi, I’m Emily.

The open web is about inclusion, connection, and community.

I started building websites in 1998, mostly for people who needed their first one: artists, musicians, small nonprofits.

Like any medium, the web has its own properties — what it resists, what it rewards, how it behaves across different devices and contexts. A grounded understanding of how HTML and CSS work inform my craft and my commitment to create accessible, findable, usable, and maintainable websites for small businesses.

My background is in fine art and nonprofit leadership. I hold a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and spent years running arts organizations, curating exhibitions, and writing grants. None of that is what I do now, but it’s why I’m good at listening, asking the right questions, and translating complicated ideas into clear, useful communication.

I’ve been told that I’m a calming presence to work with. I give practical, balanced advice without an agenda, and I explain decisions in plain language so you’re never dependent on me to understand your own website.

Interested in design / UX / WordPress partnership on a project? Contact me!

I’m Emily Rapport, owner of Always Open Design, based in Chautauqua County, Jamestown, NY.

Education & training

WordPress origin story

I started building websites for artists and musicians in 1998, way back when we used tables and Dynamic HTML. Looking for ways to make content editing easier for clients, I was introduced to WordPress in 2010. It seemed like a great tool to empower people – and it is!

Read about my journey to WordPress web development on HeroPress.

Trained artist

My background in fine art has enabled me to hone my marketing and writing skills earning grants for myself and for local nonprofit arts organizations.

Serving as the first Executive Director for the Ravenswood ArtWalk (Chicago, 2007 – 2009), I helped grow the fledgling nonprofit from 7 participating venues to 53. Managing a fine art gallery from 2018 – 2022, I curated exhibitions and created special programs for Eat Paint Studio + Gallery in Chicago, IL.

I hold a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied painting at Cooper Union in New York. My paintings have been exhibited in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and the Netherlands.

Images from top:

Intersection, oil on canvas, 34 x 48″

Prospect, watercolor/gouache on mineral paper, 9×12″

More at: EmilyRapport.com