Good job today everyone on your presentations!
The websites all looked great!!!
It just goes to show the versatility of wordpress and the persistence of our class!
We are done!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
This is It
Wow! Who can believe that this semester is gone already. 12 full weeks! Where did the time go!
While I absolutely hate to be this close to christmas break, you know, the time full of love, cheer, and oodles of goodies, I can say that there is one good thing about it : I am finally done my website! (Unfortunately, I can't say the same about my essay, but I mean I am getting there... I think -prayers would be appreciated on that one). Anyways, the site turned out pretty much how I expected it would! Of course there are things that I would have done differently if the time allowed, but overall I think I managed to get pretty close to what the client wanted which is great. You'll hear all about my website in class on Tuesday I am sure, so instead I will focus on my favourite part of this class.
--> My favourite part of this class was being told, and coming to the realization, that I could use any theme that I wanted to make a website. Before this class I was somehow under the impression that child-themes only worked with very specific themes.
Going forward, I would be interested in learning a lot more about PHP. I feel that I am definitely not up to par and would like to improve my understanding of it. I think that I will definitely work through tutorials, etc. on my own time, but I think that a couple weeks of php in future classes would definitely be beneficial in future classes. I know that it is something that is appearing on a lot of the job criteria sections as I am applying for jobs.
That said, I had a great semester. As weird as it is for me to say this already... Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
While I absolutely hate to be this close to christmas break, you know, the time full of love, cheer, and oodles of goodies, I can say that there is one good thing about it : I am finally done my website! (Unfortunately, I can't say the same about my essay, but I mean I am getting there... I think -prayers would be appreciated on that one). Anyways, the site turned out pretty much how I expected it would! Of course there are things that I would have done differently if the time allowed, but overall I think I managed to get pretty close to what the client wanted which is great. You'll hear all about my website in class on Tuesday I am sure, so instead I will focus on my favourite part of this class.
--> My favourite part of this class was being told, and coming to the realization, that I could use any theme that I wanted to make a website. Before this class I was somehow under the impression that child-themes only worked with very specific themes.
Going forward, I would be interested in learning a lot more about PHP. I feel that I am definitely not up to par and would like to improve my understanding of it. I think that I will definitely work through tutorials, etc. on my own time, but I think that a couple weeks of php in future classes would definitely be beneficial in future classes. I know that it is something that is appearing on a lot of the job criteria sections as I am applying for jobs.
That said, I had a great semester. As weird as it is for me to say this already... Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
The Wonderful World of Wordpress
Well, after last weeks class I realized that this course is coming to an end a lot sooner than I had expected and I still have lots to do. As you know from numerous other blogs this past week, a 20 page research paper has and will continue to take over a large portion of my time. That said, I am expecting that this website meets all of my standards and expectations, as well as the clients. My main area of concern at this time seems to stem from Wordpress itself.
I am having a difficult time using any of the plugins to upload any of my content and a lot of the things that I have been working on don't even seem to be showing up as far as content. At this time, when I click on the choose image button to upload content to my gallery, absolutely nothing happens.
I am using OTW Portfolio Light.
If anyone has any idea as to why this might be happening, please feel free to share any advice you may have!
I am having a difficult time using any of the plugins to upload any of my content and a lot of the things that I have been working on don't even seem to be showing up as far as content. At this time, when I click on the choose image button to upload content to my gallery, absolutely nothing happens.
I am using OTW Portfolio Light.
If anyone has any idea as to why this might be happening, please feel free to share any advice you may have!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Facebook and Font Squirrel
In class today we discussed a variety of tools found online that we can use for styling and creating an overall look and appeal for our websites.
Another couple sites that we didn't discuss but that I am sure many of you know about are colorlovers.com, which has a wide range of handpicked colour schemes, as you may have guessed, and font-squirrel, which has a ton of fonts that are absolutely awesome. I highly recommend it!
We also talked a lot today about social media. I know a lot of my friends who have already graduated from artsy programs often use Facebook pages and twitter accounts in order to brand themselves on a broader level. I think this seems like a really great thing to do especially because it targets people who are already friends and acquaintances that may not know exactly what you are capable of. What is also nifty about this is that friends of friends are able to see your work also, which could lead to a job. Another point is that it's a lot easier to take a quick look at something on Facebook when you are already there than to actually go out of your way to check out a portfolio.
Right now I just have a portfolio but I am definitely planning on at least creating a Facebook page in order to make a more rounded blog.
What do you guys think? Do you use multiple sites to promote yourself? Maybe a few of you have multiple accounts, one for personal use and one to portray a more business centred version of yourself. How many are you using?
Another couple sites that we didn't discuss but that I am sure many of you know about are colorlovers.com, which has a wide range of handpicked colour schemes, as you may have guessed, and font-squirrel, which has a ton of fonts that are absolutely awesome. I highly recommend it!
We also talked a lot today about social media. I know a lot of my friends who have already graduated from artsy programs often use Facebook pages and twitter accounts in order to brand themselves on a broader level. I think this seems like a really great thing to do especially because it targets people who are already friends and acquaintances that may not know exactly what you are capable of. What is also nifty about this is that friends of friends are able to see your work also, which could lead to a job. Another point is that it's a lot easier to take a quick look at something on Facebook when you are already there than to actually go out of your way to check out a portfolio.
Right now I just have a portfolio but I am definitely planning on at least creating a Facebook page in order to make a more rounded blog.
What do you guys think? Do you use multiple sites to promote yourself? Maybe a few of you have multiple accounts, one for personal use and one to portray a more business centred version of yourself. How many are you using?
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Playin' Catch Up
Not too sure if this will count or not but I noticed that I missed a blog post and I had more to say for this week so I figured I would leave one!
Ive been working on the right layout for my website this week and as everyone knows, layout is a pretty big deal in determining the overall look and feel of the site. Whether it be two columns, one column, full of widgets of plain and crisp, it definitely has an affect.
Since I am doing a responsive site, I have the opportunity to play around with different column widths in every stage. I think one column is more than enough when using a smartphone, even with the crazy oversized phablets(phone + tablets) that we have today. But is three or more ever a good decision? I am thinking of going up to three on the widest settings, which would be more for a tv, and leaving it to less on the computer. I actually very much like the look of one on all sizes as well. It just looks cleaner, and that may be what I need to keep my antique website from looking too cluttered or junky.
What about you folks? What is your preferred layout, and how do you feel about multiple columns?
Ive been working on the right layout for my website this week and as everyone knows, layout is a pretty big deal in determining the overall look and feel of the site. Whether it be two columns, one column, full of widgets of plain and crisp, it definitely has an affect.
Since I am doing a responsive site, I have the opportunity to play around with different column widths in every stage. I think one column is more than enough when using a smartphone, even with the crazy oversized phablets(phone + tablets) that we have today. But is three or more ever a good decision? I am thinking of going up to three on the widest settings, which would be more for a tv, and leaving it to less on the computer. I actually very much like the look of one on all sizes as well. It just looks cleaner, and that may be what I need to keep my antique website from looking too cluttered or junky.
What about you folks? What is your preferred layout, and how do you feel about multiple columns?
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
CSS! CSS! CSS!
Well you can probably guess that CSS is my absolute favourite part of web design. I think that it is because I not only feel in control, able to change every little detail with only a few basic codes, but I also actually know what I am doing and I can try out new tricks from the W3schools. Fun, fun, fun. It's pretty neat how you think that you forgot something and then as soon as you get at it again it all comes flooding back.
On another note, I will be gathering and adding content over the course of the week to start bringing everything together and to start creating an overall feel for my site. I know that it's frowned upon to add cheesy music, and I am determined to find a way to create a nostalgic mood without adding too much clutter and styling that isn't user friendly.
I am wishing everyone a surprising ease and a job well done! I know it will work out to everyones benefit!
On another note, I will be gathering and adding content over the course of the week to start bringing everything together and to start creating an overall feel for my site. I know that it's frowned upon to add cheesy music, and I am determined to find a way to create a nostalgic mood without adding too much clutter and styling that isn't user friendly.
I am wishing everyone a surprising ease and a job well done! I know it will work out to everyones benefit!
"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit."
Napoleon Hill
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Themes, themes, themes.
I found todays' class to be really cool! I didn't actually know that there was so many amazing themes out there (free no less!) that I could easily add to my wordpress and make my own. I mean sure, I knew that making child themes was a viable option, but I didn't know how easy it would be to actually start with a theme that is much closer to the end goal of my website.
Last year when we made the sites, we just had to use the 2012 theme, which was definitely beneficial as it actually helped us learn how to change the style of the website completely through a child theme. It was a challenge at times, as coding always seems to be but I can say that I did really learn a lot from that project. Considering that the 2012 theme was nothing like the theme that I actually wanted, it helped me to really learn a lot more about how a style page can be used to completely transform the look and feel of a site.
With this new way of doing things, I feel like I am leaps and bounds ahead of the game in that I don't need to make the site responsive on my own, or create multiple layers, as it has already been done for me.
I am wondering however if we will be doing a child theme as there are still some elements of the design that I do wish to change. For example, I would like to see my logo on the right side instead of the left, overlapping my navigation bar, and I would also like to see some different texts inputted and my chosen colour scheme. At this point the only way that I know how to do this would be a child theme that adds the styling that I want to overwrite some of the styling that they have put in place. Is this the only way? Either way I am excited to relearn that so that I can really get going on this project.
Choosing a theme definitely got me excited and pushed me in the right direction.
Last year when we made the sites, we just had to use the 2012 theme, which was definitely beneficial as it actually helped us learn how to change the style of the website completely through a child theme. It was a challenge at times, as coding always seems to be but I can say that I did really learn a lot from that project. Considering that the 2012 theme was nothing like the theme that I actually wanted, it helped me to really learn a lot more about how a style page can be used to completely transform the look and feel of a site.
With this new way of doing things, I feel like I am leaps and bounds ahead of the game in that I don't need to make the site responsive on my own, or create multiple layers, as it has already been done for me.
I am wondering however if we will be doing a child theme as there are still some elements of the design that I do wish to change. For example, I would like to see my logo on the right side instead of the left, overlapping my navigation bar, and I would also like to see some different texts inputted and my chosen colour scheme. At this point the only way that I know how to do this would be a child theme that adds the styling that I want to overwrite some of the styling that they have put in place. Is this the only way? Either way I am excited to relearn that so that I can really get going on this project.
Choosing a theme definitely got me excited and pushed me in the right direction.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Mockups
I've been considering the layout style that I should do for this project and I am coming to the conclusion that for the most part, layouts are nearly exactly the same, and it seems they have to be if you want there to be a strong amount of usability for the viewer. Even the navigation bar seems to be the same, positioned neatly at the top below the main image or logo, reading left to right. At this point I'm sticking with this easy to use design, allowing the creativity to come through in the colours and genre of the site.
I am curious though.. Has anyone ever come across an unusual layout on a website that they think works particularly well? What about the navigation bar along the side or just any differences at all. What worked and what didn't?
I am curious though.. Has anyone ever come across an unusual layout on a website that they think works particularly well? What about the navigation bar along the side or just any differences at all. What worked and what didn't?
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Cool Findings
Over the course of my proposal creation I came across some very helpful tools to share with you. I wish I could have found this before now because I am sure that it could have helped a lot of people with this project. I guess I will have to just hope that there are a few stragglers that can get help from this link.
When I got into this project, the thing that I was the most worried about was the Gantt Chart. Just googling "Gantt Chart" and clicking on the images is enough to instill the fear of God in someone. All of the charts seemed very detailed with overlapping and day to day planning. It just seemed like a nightmare that I would be forced to participate in, in only a few short questions. When I actually got to the question, I seemed to be just as gruelling as I had imagined. Microsoft Excel proved to be of little help and I had a hard time understanding the chart, let alone drawing connections with the program.
Then I found it! TeamGantt.com. It is an awesome website that gives out a nice 30 day free trial, which is perfect for this purpose, and it helped me to see what a Gantt chart is and how completely easy it is to put together. Unlike many of the examples that I saw online, this particular site makes the charts uncluttered, which is very helpful if you started off as confused as I am. SO check it out!
Here's the example I made for my website!
https://teamgantt.com/gantt/schedule/?ids=127808&utm_source=project_summary_v1&utm_medium=email&utm_content=project_summary&utm_campaign=Project+Summary+v1#&ids=127808&user=&custom=&company=&hide_completed=false&date_filter=
Simple-Dimple!
I only hope finding plugins is just as easy! Do you have any favourite plugins? Maybe for the gallery or the contact box? I know a lot of people tend to use Contact7 but I know theres tons of choices out there!
When I got into this project, the thing that I was the most worried about was the Gantt Chart. Just googling "Gantt Chart" and clicking on the images is enough to instill the fear of God in someone. All of the charts seemed very detailed with overlapping and day to day planning. It just seemed like a nightmare that I would be forced to participate in, in only a few short questions. When I actually got to the question, I seemed to be just as gruelling as I had imagined. Microsoft Excel proved to be of little help and I had a hard time understanding the chart, let alone drawing connections with the program.
Then I found it! TeamGantt.com. It is an awesome website that gives out a nice 30 day free trial, which is perfect for this purpose, and it helped me to see what a Gantt chart is and how completely easy it is to put together. Unlike many of the examples that I saw online, this particular site makes the charts uncluttered, which is very helpful if you started off as confused as I am. SO check it out!
Here's the example I made for my website!
https://teamgantt.com/gantt/schedule/?ids=127808&utm_source=project_summary_v1&utm_medium=email&utm_content=project_summary&utm_campaign=Project+Summary+v1#&ids=127808&user=&custom=&company=&hide_completed=false&date_filter=
Simple-Dimple!
I only hope finding plugins is just as easy! Do you have any favourite plugins? Maybe for the gallery or the contact box? I know a lot of people tend to use Contact7 but I know theres tons of choices out there!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
To portfolio, or not to portfolio
Todays' class really got me thinking about whether or not I am going to do a portfolio for my final project. I am not entirely happy with the portfolio that I have right now but I definitely think that it is headed in the right direction and after taking a closer look at it, I feel like it does suit my tastes more than I originally thought.
Do I really want to scrap it and start all over on something that I may not be satisfied with this time around either?
I think that by doing a website for a company that isn't my own, that I will be able to make my portfolio even better by giving myself fresh content and a large portfolio piece to add to what I have, which may make me stand out more when it comes to job time.
I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way, but I don't feel as if I have enough portfolio pieces to really make even having a portfolio worth while. The things that I do have in my portfolio don't even seem to be related to digital communication and are more or less drawings, paintings, or photography that does show my creativity, but doesn't necessarily make me an awesome candidate for a design career.
Can you think of any other pieces that I could add to my portfolio that could prove invaluable when looking for a job?
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Not Just a Code Thing
It was really exciting to learn that the majority of this class wouldn't be spent googling how to code in a particular section or 8 simple tips to minimize code frustration and that I can actually get creative!
I think being able to use a creative process will actually help me to create a stronger portfolio and I will be able to think of it more as art than anything else. In previous classes I had the most fun creating a website mockup and choosing colours and I like that there is a lot of emphasis on doing that sort of thing.
The websites like that KitKat one where it is all on one page are very cool. I would love to learn how to make something like that and hope that we can spend a good amount of time on it.
I think that I will be able to brush up on my math skills if need be.
I am sure I will have tons of relevant questions as time moves forward so be prepared!
Until then!
I think being able to use a creative process will actually help me to create a stronger portfolio and I will be able to think of it more as art than anything else. In previous classes I had the most fun creating a website mockup and choosing colours and I like that there is a lot of emphasis on doing that sort of thing.
The websites like that KitKat one where it is all on one page are very cool. I would love to learn how to make something like that and hope that we can spend a good amount of time on it.
I think that I will be able to brush up on my math skills if need be.
I am sure I will have tons of relevant questions as time moves forward so be prepared!
Until then!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
The decision of a lifetime
Well folks,
My most taxing decision of today was deciding which blog platform was most fitting for my blog.
My choice was based purely on ease of use and on previous experience with the blog site. Having not created a blog since the completion of an assignment in high school, choosing this blog platform brought me a sense of nostalgia. Just as I remembered, this blog site is very easy to use and it has a lot of customizable features, allowing me to be even more creative than I would be with my words alone.
One thing I learned through this process, was that choosing a name for a blog is more difficult as I would have imagined. As of now, this blog remains with a temporary name, but hopefully as the wheels turn and I get more into the school mindset, a name will be found.
As many of you know, this blog is for a web design class that I am currently taking. Because of this, questions will be posted in regards to the class. Moving forward, I am wondering is we will be covering PHP in this class. I have been over this topic before, however, it is not something that I am entirely familiar with, as I found it difficult to understand in previous courses.
My most taxing decision of today was deciding which blog platform was most fitting for my blog.
My choice was based purely on ease of use and on previous experience with the blog site. Having not created a blog since the completion of an assignment in high school, choosing this blog platform brought me a sense of nostalgia. Just as I remembered, this blog site is very easy to use and it has a lot of customizable features, allowing me to be even more creative than I would be with my words alone.
One thing I learned through this process, was that choosing a name for a blog is more difficult as I would have imagined. As of now, this blog remains with a temporary name, but hopefully as the wheels turn and I get more into the school mindset, a name will be found.
As many of you know, this blog is for a web design class that I am currently taking. Because of this, questions will be posted in regards to the class. Moving forward, I am wondering is we will be covering PHP in this class. I have been over this topic before, however, it is not something that I am entirely familiar with, as I found it difficult to understand in previous courses.
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