I was born in Muskoka, Ontario in 1987. I have been designing websites since I was 12, and have been playing music even earlier.

Growing up, both of my parents owned their own retail businesses in Muskoka, and I was often in the back area of one of their stores working on the computer. I taught myself to navigate through MS-DOS, which was the Microsoft operating system that was used before Windows became mainstream. (As of 3 years ago, I have primarily been a Mac user).

Through public school, I immersed myself in music and computers. I began to learn web design in FrontPage Express, and in Grade 8, I used it to design the school yearbook on CD-ROM. This was my first big project, and it required a lot of organization and persistence.

In high school, I became an expert in Adobe Photoshop, which is the program I now use to create the website designs. I also switched from using FrontPage, to Macromedia Dreamweaver (which has recently been purchased by Adobe). These are industry-standard tools that are used by web design professionals all over the world.

Throughout high school, my lunch hours were spent either designing web sites in the computer lab, or practicing in the music room. I was the drummer and one of the vocalists for the award-winning BMLSS Dixieland Jazz Ensemble. In 2004, I won the Muskoka BizPlan challenge, after devoting several months of hard work to creating a business plan for my already-existing web design business.

As I graduated high school in 2006, I was immediately hired by Royal LePage, Lakes of Muskoka, as the full-time, in-house graphics designer. For two years, I worked with agents from 8 different offices all over Muskoka. Since then, I have been completely freelance, designing sites for businesses and entrepreneurs in Muskoka and Toronto.

For the last couple years, I have been earning my jazz degree at Humber College in Toronto, as well as running my web design business.

In May 2009, I created this website to replace VirtualInvasion.com, which is the former business name I have been using for several years. I realized there was no need to operate behind under a business name, when I can just be using my own name, and JoelRendall.com was born!

I’m very excited by technological innovation as well as pushing the boundaries of everything I do in order to be the best I can. I’m always setting new goals, professionally and personally, whether that’s adding to my web design skills, learning a new instrument, instilling a new healthy habit, or otherwise increasing my personal effectiveness. I try to fully integrate my skills with my interests, and my dreams with my everyday actions.