Week 12

This week proved to be one of the hardest weeks this class has provided so far.  Concepts I’ve learned include div ids and classes which are used in css in order to change the characteristics of a specific part of a webpage (ex, a div tag could be used to change the position of an individual text box).  Throughout the course of this week, I also assembled two webpages from scratch using dreamweaver and sliced images.  This provided many challenges due to specifications found in individual computers as well as different monitors, and internet browsers (ex, a page may look proper on your computer, but it does not mean that it will look proper on other computers.).  However, using new css techniques learned throughout the course of this week as well as techniques that were acquired throughout earlier portions of the class, I managed to assemble a rough html page of the homepage for my final website.  I also learned to put the text property tools found in the properties pannel to use if I needed to move text away from a specific portion of the page (using indents, spacing, scaling, etc).

Week Eleven

Throughout the course of this week, I learned a little on how to create rollovers using css.  While I saw this concept as a useful technique to learn, I also saw it as a challenging technique.  However, if I manage to learn how to use this technique properly, it will be a techniqe that I will use in my final website in order to enhance the visual effects of the buttons that I plan to use for my website’s navigation.  I also learned how to download and install typefaces onto my coputer in order to add more unique typefaces throughout my website.  One other interesting concept that I have learned is that Fireworks and Dreamweaver work hand in hand to the point where you can import work performed in dreamweaver directly into fireworks so one can edit specific items in a webpage, and then importing the edited page back into dreamweaver.

The following Images are my final comp drawings…. any suggestions over which design I should use would be greatly appreciated.

Week Ten

Throughout the course of this week, I was able to practice on topics which involved creating image files that did not use alot of memory but at the same time, maintaining the quality of the image.  The major skill that I learned this week was the “slicing technique” in both photoshop and fireworks.  The purpose of this technique appears to be the same for both programs, which is to isolate seperate characteristics of a document, image, and or page and save it as an individual file (for example, one could use the slice tool in order to draw a shape around an image on a webpage comp, that one characteristic could then be saved under its own file.)  These components can then be applied to a webpage composition as well as a webpage

The following images displayed below are my improved comps for my final webpage, including three posible homepages as well as two interior pages.

Week Nine

Throughout the course of this week, I continued to work on my design document, as well as start work on my composition drawings for my final website.  I also learned alot about typography on the web.  Concepts include terms such as serif (fonts that contain bracketts at the end of each character, and used best for headings), and san-serif (fonts with no brackets at the end of each character, used best for paragraph text).   I also learned about how handwritten text is used for website, however, I would be interested as to how to import your text onto other computers.  I think the most interesting concept Ive learned regarding typography was about dingbat symbols and how they can be applied in order to add addtional imagery onto a website.  Throughout the course of this week, I also learned how to design effective comps for my final website using fireworks, eventhough I used Illustrator in order to design my storyboards, it feels like Fireworks will serve as a more effective software in order to develop comps for any websites mainly because it measures in pixels (which is the primary measurement for websites), you can also save fireworks images as GIFs which can be imported onto the website.

Week Eight

My main focus throughout the course of this week was to work on my design document for my final project (more or less done).  I also worked with the animation concepts I learned last week in order to improve my photoshop animation.  The main concept I learned throughout the course of this week was how to combine html and css in order to create new styles, but apply them to specified portions of a webpage.  Im having some difficulties figuring out these concepts as well as apply them effectively on my resume.  But it remains to be a useful technique, and one that I would like to apply to my final project.

Week Seven

Throughout the course of this week, I learned alot about animating in both photoshop as well as fireworks (a technique that i had no idea that one could perform in these programs).  While I am currently enrolled in a Flash animation class, the concepts that I learned throughout the course of this week not only proved as a refresher towards techniques I learned during my Flash class, as well as techniques that I never knew existed in photoshop or fireworks.  I also learned about the different kinds of search engines (crawler, human-powered, and hybrid).  Crawler search engines search the entire internet for web pages that contain the keywords presented in the search.  Human-powered search engines are when the user submits a short description to the directory for his or her site, and the Hybrid search engines contain attributes from both search engines. 

Work for the final project will begin throughout the course of the upcomming week (last week I had too many major projects due for at least two classes).  And I have decided to create a portfolio for my final project.

Week Five

I guess first and foremost…. this has been one of the first weeks where I have managed to complete the required assignments without any problems.  The main concept that I learned throughout the course of this week is CSS (Cascading Style Sheet).  Which remains similar to html, however, it can be used for more than one page, since it serves as a template that can be used for multiple webpages.  CSS defines the appearance of the overall layout for a webpage, as well as the appearance for the text that is present throughout the webpage (size, typeface, color, etc,.) and the overall color of the background color.  I also learned how to create background images using photoshop, as well as me being capable of reviewing specific concepts and effects in Fireworks in order to improve on my AACC banner (using gradients, dropshadows, textures, and other special effects)

Regarding the final project, I believe that I will stick with my portfolio idea for the final project.  My intentions for this webpage will be to create a portfolio in order to present to any hiring game companies in hopes to start up my carreer as a game artist.

Week Five, Final Project Proposals

The main concept I learned throughout the course of this week was the concept of  applying stock photography within a webpage.  I learned how to download images off of gettyimages.com and upload each of them into Fireworks in order to edit the file format of each image as well as the image itself.  I also learned about using the proper techniques in order to export a picture file so that I could export a relatively small picture file, while at the same time, maintain a decent quality image.  One main issue that I ran into was that I learned that for some reason or another, I am unable to “Put” dreamweaver fils on the website. 

Final Project Proposals

Proposal One:  My first idea for my final project was to create my graphic design portfolio within dreamweaver.

Proposal Two:  My second idea for the final project was to create an official website for my friend’s band.  This however would involove me researching trying to figure out what content would be used throughout the webpage as well as what color scheme and layout would be used throughout the website.

Proposal Three:  My third idea closely resembles my second idea.  However, it would be for one of my other friends who performs solo.  However, I would still have to research in order to figure out the layout, color scheme, and content that will be used throughout the webpage

Week Four

Throughout the course of this week, I learned about the concepts of color, and color schemes as well as additional skills in fireworks.  I learned about color associations, which involve the emotional attributes within each color (Examples:  Red represents excitement, Green is associated with nature, white is associated with perfection).  I also learned how to use warm and cool colors (cool colors should be used as a background color for a webpage while certain warm colors should be used in order to allow certain elements within a webpage to pop out.  This chapter also served as a refresher regarding the RGB version of the color wheel. 

Regarding Fireworks, I learned about the different auto-shapes as well as how to use the pen tool.  I also learned about the different tools that are capable of manipulating pictures including the burn, sharpen, and blur tools.  I also learned how to change the color of certain parts of a picture within fireworks.

Week Three

Chapter one in “Principles of Beautiful Web Design” focused on the basic principles involving webpage planning, as well as its layouts, and overall characteristics towards creating a good webpage.  Before creating a webpage, one must meet with the client in order to discover what contents will be included within the page.  After the meeting, you will have the opportunity to create a number of sketches to show your client before moving onto create the final webpage.  After a layout is considered, you can finally begin working on your webpage.  Almost all websites include a containing block, a logo, a navigation menu, content, a footer, and whitespace.  Grid theory (dividing the length of lines by 1.62), as well as the rule of thirds (dividing a work page into one third sections in order to create a grid) assits in creating a proper webpage.  One should also make sure that a webpage contains balance whether it be symmetrical balance (elements of a composition are the same on either side of the axis line) or asymmetrical balance (involving objects of differing size, shape, tone, or placement but equalize in weight throughout the page).  Unity being another important aspect to a proper webpage refers to how different elements of a webpage interact with eachother. 

Basic webpage layouts include but are not limited to the following

• Left-Column Navigation:  most widely used layout, the left column is used as the main navigation block while the right column is used as teh main content block.
• Right-Column Navigation:  Follows the same aspects as the Left-Column Navigation layout, however, the navigation block is located on the right side of the page instead of the left side.
• Three-Column Navigation:  This layout consists of a wide center column that is surrounded by two  navigational columns to the left and right.  .