***My Home Away from Home***
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Final project differ from the storyboards:
All the text pretty much was the same and the color combos I had in my head were identical as well. Some of the image and text placement is really all that differed and that was only due to the template restricting me. If I were to do everything from scratch it would have been just about 95% accurate.
Compare/Contract the 2 sites:
Well, this one is tuff to some up. Being Expressions is so much more powerful, you can pretty much make a site look and work however you really want (if you know what you're doing). For me I used a template in Expressions therefore I was restricted by that as starting from scratch would have been way too time consuming especially since I'm a beginner w/ that app. The one thing that was similar w/ Weebly is that you are somewhat restricted by their templates as well. Although, there was 1 really nice feature I found easier out of the gate using Weebly then Expressions and that was drag and dropping what you wanted on the site. Not that Expressions didn’t have that, but Weebly had less options and choices so it was easier to choose. For example I liked the photo gallery I choose on Weebly. It was really simple to setup and looked great. Of course I could have done the same thing in Expressions, but it wasn't as simple to do.
The last thing I'd like to mention is I like the default resolution Weebly used for the page. It was larger and filled the page more. Which for today's monitor size etc it works and looks better in my opinion. Expressions on the other hand the template I choose the resolution was much smaller and I just didn't like that. I’m sure there are ways to change that but it didn't appear to be really simple or perhaps I just didn't look hard enough.
As for adjustments I made from Expressions to Weebly I can think of 2. I created the Expressions page first. Then when I was building my web2.0 site I had some issues w/ my main logo image and it had to be modified for Weebly. Also, I had a gif animation and that didn't appear to work on Weebly as well. It only was showing as a single picture. Other than that some of the image and text placement on the pages were slightly different too due to the restrictions of the templates (as mentioned above). Regarding colors, I was able to match them up pretty close though.
The last thing I'd like to mention is I like the default resolution Weebly used for the page. It was larger and filled the page more. Which for today's monitor size etc it works and looks better in my opinion. Expressions on the other hand the template I choose the resolution was much smaller and I just didn't like that. I’m sure there are ways to change that but it didn't appear to be really simple or perhaps I just didn't look hard enough.
As for adjustments I made from Expressions to Weebly I can think of 2. I created the Expressions page first. Then when I was building my web2.0 site I had some issues w/ my main logo image and it had to be modified for Weebly. Also, I had a gif animation and that didn't appear to work on Weebly as well. It only was showing as a single picture. Other than that some of the image and text placement on the pages were slightly different too due to the restrictions of the templates (as mentioned above). Regarding colors, I was able to match them up pretty close though.
What have I learned in class:
I learned how boring the non-web designers book was. :-) Honestly, I can see the book being VERY good/useful for beginners. Being I've been in the IT industry for so many years alot of the phrases, terms etc.. we learned in class were trivial for me. The info I found very useful was that when I uploaded files to my FTP for my webpage I didn't have to modify the code to reflect the location. It automatically knew where everything was. Don't know if this is something new or has been around for years as I just always had my code reflect the FTP image locations, so perhaps I was always just doing it the harder way, but at least it let me understand the code and how everything inter-connected. I also, learned some nice tips and tricks when using CS5. Although, to truly be proficient w/ the application more than a few weeks would be needed to truly learn that product as it is a huge and can be extremely powerful.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Readings/Comments Week6
These chapters discussed tables and a few other features/options in CS5 and Chapter 15 was about ISP's , FTP's and how they relate to publishing your site online.
One thing I'm surprised about is that the book really didn't seem to go much into detail about domain names and how to go about getting one and the part they play in your website (it was only briefly mentioned). I would think they would talk about that in more detail because w/o a domain name, ISP and somewhere to host your FTP files you really can't do much the site you created. The final portions that I think is somewhat relevant is if someone chooses to host there site themselves via an Apache or IIS (internet information services) server just to name a few and the pros and cons in using that sort of technology yourself. Without really understanding some of what I mentioned above one would really have a hard time building a site and making it available via the internet. Especially when it comes to your code as it will be rather different if you build the pages to point to your local hard drive opposed to your/an FTP server.
One thing I'm surprised about is that the book really didn't seem to go much into detail about domain names and how to go about getting one and the part they play in your website (it was only briefly mentioned). I would think they would talk about that in more detail because w/o a domain name, ISP and somewhere to host your FTP files you really can't do much the site you created. The final portions that I think is somewhat relevant is if someone chooses to host there site themselves via an Apache or IIS (internet information services) server just to name a few and the pros and cons in using that sort of technology yourself. Without really understanding some of what I mentioned above one would really have a hard time building a site and making it available via the internet. Especially when it comes to your code as it will be rather different if you build the pages to point to your local hard drive opposed to your/an FTP server.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Web2.0 to use: *Week6*
I'm at a dilemma between Weebly and Webs. I like the fact that Webs has over 300+ templates where as Weebly only has 100. On the other hand I'm not a fan of ad's which webs has, but CSS is almost not exisistent on Weebly which can be a hassle. The final comparision is file upload, ftp and bandwidth restriction with Webs, but in my case that last point shouldn't be a problem for what I need it for.
Writing for Web vs Print: *Week6*
People don't read information on the Web in the same way they read printed material. Printed content allows the writer to control the reader. In print the writer knows what the reader has previuosly read and what they are going to read next. The writer can present the information in a sequence that makes sense, supported by peripheral cues. You don't have that on the Web. As web users glance through content, they ignore details to read content faster, they even modify fixed left-right viewing habits in order to drill down more quickly.
Tips for the web:
-Web users generally ignore irrelevant graphics, so make sure the images go w/ the subject.
-79% of users scan the page and don't read every word, so keep the paragraphs short and to the point.
-Put the most important info at the begining.
-Use action words and bulleted items.
-Always proof read your content before submitting it.
Examples:
- www.cdw.com (good example not much to read, bulleted items and flash animation of weekly deals).
- www.ford.com (another good example bulleted items and a big image as to what they are trying to promote. Not much to read at all).
Tips for the web:
-Web users generally ignore irrelevant graphics, so make sure the images go w/ the subject.
-79% of users scan the page and don't read every word, so keep the paragraphs short and to the point.
-Put the most important info at the begining.
-Use action words and bulleted items.
-Always proof read your content before submitting it.
Examples:
- www.cdw.com (good example not much to read, bulleted items and flash animation of weekly deals).
- www.ford.com (another good example bulleted items and a big image as to what they are trying to promote. Not much to read at all).
Storyboarding: *Week6*
Storyboarding can be a useful process as it allows you to layout the entire site. This way you can get a visual idea as to how everything connects etcs. Also, it is easier to spot a page or particular detailed that may need to be relocated or changed. Once you are comfortable w/ your layout you then can begin to design the site.
Through my personal experience, in my 15+ years of working in an IT Department for 6 different company's I have never saw a Web Designer or Developer actually draw all their storyboards out by hand. I have seen various ways of storyboarding electronically though with programs like MS Visio, Word and Powerpoint.
Through my personal experience, in my 15+ years of working in an IT Department for 6 different company's I have never saw a Web Designer or Developer actually draw all their storyboards out by hand. I have seen various ways of storyboarding electronically though with programs like MS Visio, Word and Powerpoint.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
*Quality Web2.0 Site*
http://www.squarespace.com/
The above site was recommended to me, so I figured I'd share it with the rest of the group. The first 14 days are free to try after that there is a monthly fee.
The above site was recommended to me, so I figured I'd share it with the rest of the group. The first 14 days are free to try after that there is a monthly fee.
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