HTML/CSS/Web Font Project: Progress

Two views of my web page: top & bottom

Right now my web page is still in seemingly "blog" format, which I hope to evolve over the weekend.  I've been experimenting a bit with separating the two parts of this article into two different columns or using boxes, none of which I'm sold on yet.  I have however added a dominant title/mast & some visuals.

New MU Design Site Exercises

Full-image background

Repeated background

Two re-designs for the Millersville University design department sitem utilizing HTML & CSS.  Features two original background images made in Adobe Illustrator.  Emphasizes recent reconstruction of design curriculum, highlighting the addition of more web- & motion-based design courses.  Mast makes use of CMYK/RGB color scheme, replacing predominantly teal theme from before.

HTML/CSS/Web Font Project: First Draft

Today I worked on my first web page complete with web-based fonts and a textured, hi-res background.  The typefaces include a fancifully curvy serif for the main headers/titles and an ever-so-slightly stylized sans-serif.  The background emanates the feel of a fine book, providing its own commentary on the article content.

HTML code & web page

CSS code & web page

A fuller version of my web page.

Using Web Fonts in Code

Tuesday's class not only introduced me to web fonts & how to integrate them into code but actually was the class where all the coding "nonsense" seemed to click.  I was able to make sense of the connections between the HTML & CSS files.  Here are my files & previews through the program Komodo.

HTML coding & preview web page

CSS coding & preview web page

One problem that did arise is I was unable to get the web page to use both web fonts; the latter was always defaulted.

Article Summaries

This weekend I read four articles, three of which discussed the surprisingly controversial topic of whether designers should code.  The first article I read (http://andyrutledge.com/web-design-is-product-design.php by Andy Rutledge) argues that designers need to know how to code their own websites as the actual website--not the picture--is their product.  In response David Casali (http://intenseminimalism.com/2011/designers-shouldnt-code-the-digital-duo/) blatantly calls "bullshit" & explains the phenomena of Multiple Intelligences, the priority to study psychology, & the benefits of teamwork in web design.  Finally, Usability Post (http://www.usabilitypost.com/2011/09/01/should-web-designers-code/) reviews the two sides of this argue, claims they both can be right & provides insight to the difference between graphic and web designers, the differences between codes, and just what the benefits can be to knowing code.

The last of the four articles (http://www.bernzilla.com/item.php?id=416) was a brief review of the differences of tags and classes in HTML & CSS coding, the premise being that IDs are specific & unique, being used only once per page, while classes literally classify elements into groups & may be used numerously through a code.

Dreamweaver: HTML & CSS Coding

Video Summary

Today's videos were very much a dive into the introductory knowledge of all things web.  From examining the typical workflow of a designer to seeing how you can expand your web design skills by  working with others in the Multidisciplinary approach to loads and loads of acronyms & definitions, this video series was chock full of what beginning designers need to get started in designing for the web.  Some of the more interesting things I learned today include...

• Interactive design is so big, many designers are choosing to specialize in only one program
• While today's HTML gives everything in a webpage a definition or a place, it's CSS that really does the formatting of a webpage
• PNGs really unite the best of JPGs & GIFs
• JavaScript has nothing to do with Java