The Show Times section was the centrepiece of the microsite - a searchable, filterable event listing pulling live showtime data from a ColdFusion web service and rendering it through a responsive Bootstrap front end.
ColdFusion Web Service Integration
The Show Times data layer was backed by a ColdFusion web service handling data retrieval and rendering for the event listing, keeping showtimes current throughout the festival run. T-SQL queries against SQL Server powered the data layer, with AJAX requests from the front end retrieving filtered results without full page reloads.
Responsive Twitter Bootstrap Front End
The front end was built on Twitter Bootstrap 2, providing the responsive grid and component framework for a layout that adapted to mobile screen sizes. Festival audiences browse on phones while navigating between venues - a responsive layout that worked correctly on mobile was a functional requirement, not a nice-to-have.
Filterable Event Listing
The Show Times interface allowed readers to browse by date, venue, and show type - reducing the friction of finding specific performances in a large festival lineup. jQuery and AJAX handled client-side interactions, keeping the interface responsive without full page reloads on each filter change.
Version Control and Development Tooling
Subversion for version control and CFEclipse for the ColdFusion development environment, consistent with NOW Magazine’s development tooling for the project.
The Fringe microsite is a specific type of project - a time-sensitive, high-visibility event guide for one of Toronto’s largest arts institutions, built for a media organization with an established readership and editorial standards. The Show Times section needed to be accurate from the first day of the festival and reliable through the final performance. For NOW Magazine’s audience, a broken or inaccurate showtimes listing during Fringe is a credibility problem, not just a technical one.
This engagement also demonstrates breadth of stack: ColdFusion backend, SQL Server data layer, and a responsive Bootstrap front end delivered within the tooling constraints of an established media organization’s development environment.
