final blog

��This class has helped me a lot in my daily life. I can now create a website, add content, and make it look ok. I know some design principles in which I tried to incorporate into my FrontPage version of my website. These principles were also included in my web node version, however, in a different way. In FrontPage I used the principles in the actual designing and the placement of each item. I tried to keep positioning, relative sizing, font types and sizes, as well as consistent navigation menu in mind. Everything I did in FrontPage was done without a template. In web node however, I was asked to choose a template and this is when I mostly used the design principles learned. I tried to pick a template that would not only suit my needs but that would also look good and follow the design principles learned. Some of the positioning in web node was negotiable, however most items were unmovable. There were many options and versatility in content, however most cells followed the template and did not allow you to deviate from that. An example of this is in the heading you have no control over font size, only the characters and picture. I did not have enough room to fit my logo and the company name. I tried to make the font smaller to fit both but there was no option for that.

I found it easier to add content in web node because it was drag and drop. I did not have to think very hard about table placement. When adding a page in web node you would click new page and it would open already in the navigation, already in the menu, already in the sitemap, already ready to add content. It was easier to add a page. I wanted to add the page Take A Break into my FrontPage version, however that would mean having to redo all the buttons (make a table with six columns instead of five) on each page, re-add each button to each page, and test them again to make sure they were linked appropriately. Web node does this all for you. I decided to forgo this page in FrontPage because when I wanted to add some gadgets to the Tutorial page FrontPage was acting funny and not liking what I had to say. I did manage to add one gadget and it works sometimes. J�

FrontPage would be my preferred method to work in if it was not as outdated as it is. I tried using Dreamweaver which has nice capabilities but I got lost in all the settings. I prefer to have the ability to fully customize my website so I plan on working in Dreamweaver and getting to know it to keep up with my website. I used the same content for both sites but they came out very different. I think if I would have used a template for my FrontPage website it would have looked better. Templates usually come with CSS sheets that make the site uniform and clean looking. I plan on trying my hand at windows expressions after seeing its capabilities and hearing feedback on it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this class and hope that I can now make professional websites that will help enhance my business as well as personal sites that I put up for hobby purposes.

Final Website

Here is a link to my website. It was created in WebNode and linked to my existing domain name.

http://www.asksolutionspa.com

Reading Response

This weeks readings focused on ways to enhance your website using tables, animation, sliced graphics, and anti alaiasing text. Photoshop can be used for functions such as rounded out the text, adjusting hue and saturation, and making graphics look better on your website. Adjusting the resolution can be helpful for people with different internet connection speeds. I can see why some websites have an option to view the page differently if you are on a slower connection. These chapters were helpful in learning how to make your website less "simple". When building a professional website it is important to stand out from others and obtain a level of professionalism as oppose to personal websites.Using a storyboard is helpful in keeping focused on what you hope to obtain as a final product. I found the storyboard helpful in determining how many graphics I needed, what size graphics, and what type of graphics. I used the storyboard to organize the pages and plan out the site. I have created some (very basic) websites before and I think having a storyboard (which I have never used before) is extremely helpful and good idea.







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My website is based on my business, Ask Solutions Computer Consulting. I plan on making the business name my homepage title and using the page categories as their titles (staff, services, tutorials, faq, contact us). I chose this topic because I purchased the domain name last year and our "website designer" put up a default template and the words (under construction). I think it will help me focus more on the project and do a better job if I do a website that is meaningful to me as oppose to something that I probably will not keep up with :-). I gathered images mostly from freedigitalphotos.net (diigo) I ma also using some custom graphics I made in photoshop, as well as our company logo created by a former employee.I plan on using frontpage (which I also have at home) because we learned how to use it and I do not know how to use any other ones. I feel the website will come out better if I use something I know.I also plan on using webnode as my web 2.0 place because they allow domain name transfers.