Digital Conundrum

 When I started this assignment I had zero knowledge about ..anything really. But I am not afraid to put the work in and I am always trying to do my best. Whatever the outcome of this assignment, I know that I feel proud how far I have come. But we all need a little help sometimes and it will be only fair  to make this blog entry.  If I am to tell anyone that my partner is a software architect and lead developer that speaks Java better than his native language, probably they will expect that he did some of the work for me. Well, yes and no. Everything on my website is done by me, but it was difficult for me to find my way around with Bootstrap, Java script and coding in general. Before I even started with those, he send me a lot of documentation he thought I should read, showed me good and bad examples of utilising Java script, directed me to the best websites where to read and learn even more. When I started building my website with Dreamweaver, he set a local serve...

 I took it to my last page and different bits and pieces I wanted to do and improve. Also, there was the moment with uploading my project to the Uni server using FileZilla. At this point I did not have it in me to attempt even basic design. The reality is that, if you want to come out of this assignment actually capable of making a website, it takes a lot of work, commitment and time. I was facing the question - should I push it or get it done. Usually I am the one who always pushes it, this time I opted out. I decided to simply incorporate my CV as a pdf file. It does not look particularly appealing on the page, but it gives the options for the CV to be downloaded and printed out. How to embed pdf file I learned from w3schools again. From there I also got how to do my footer. I actually have written the code myself and it was done, I just did not know how to position it properly. I used my code and just followed this example how to adjust my CSS and fix it.  I am already at a...

It was time to make my other pages and this blog entry is how I did my 'Contemporary Art', 'London Art Venues' and ' My Life in Exhibition' pages. The first two have informative function, so I decided I want some consistency there. I wanted to be functional but also to look neat and to also to contain information, without making everything messy and overwhelming. After looking at designs I decided on that one  I knew I had to make changes and to work on the code, but Boostrap comes with great explanations, examples and exercise files, so I knew I can do that and started with the 'Contemporary Art' page.   I used  the basic structure and took it from there. The good thing with Boostrap is that it comes with predesigned CSS that suits your elements and, once you incorporated the link to jQuery, it connects with the java library to make everything work. The hard part is to see if this works for you and if not, to tweak it to the point where it does. I had t...

First of all I need to make a note of something - my browser has never been abused to this extend with searches that start with 'How to...' ! There are elements that need including in this website and I had to learn how to do that. Most of the answers I found in  W3schools , but I used other sources as well. Anywhere they had an answer to my question really. I started by designing my Index page. I already knew that I did not want too much there - navigation bar, some info about me and my logo. After going through Boostrap platforms, trying to figure out how to start, I saw this web design and decided I will use some bits and pieces from it. Just to get me started and to have some frame to work with, which I can always change after to fit my vision, but also my technical abilities. First thing I realised - the split function of Dreamweaver that allows you to see what you are doing is good, but only when you are exercising. Once I started doing this I switched to code mode, as o...

Once I felt more comfortable with HTML and CSS, I decided to explore the idea of using Bootstrap for my website. Bootstrap is open source front end development framework. It consists of HTML, CSS and Java Script. The more I learned about it the more I was convinced I will be using it. First of all it was going to allow me to really build my website from scratch. While, by themselves, Bootstrap elements are like using a template, in reality they provide the skeleton of what you want to do, they are a start and from there you can change and redesign them to suit your needs. Most importantly using then meant I do not have to try and learn Java script as well. Boostrap works with Java script libraries that are hosted online. It was going to be a matter of linking my website with that library, and then Boostrap simply draws from there whatever script it needs to support its elements and functionality.  It was also going to offer some ready solutions for the responsiveness of my website ...

 I contemplated a lot if there is a point in writing this blog post, but here it is. When I set out to do my website, I read a lot that you should always try to create a responsive design. Responsive design means that you adopt approach, where your website responds to any dynamic changes when being used. In other words  - if people will open it in Safari or Chrome; on a phone, tablet or laptop; how they will prefer to orientate their device when looking at it. Let me tell you - when you are just starting and you consider yourself still pretty much a beginner, this is not an easy task. The more I read about it, the more I realised that I neither have the time, neither the knowledge to incorporate this in my website. At this point I am not even sure if my website will be working between browsers, let alone consider responsive breakpoints, fluid grids and additional work on images used to achieve responsive design. So, I guess the point of this post is that I want to make clear I...

 I already mentioned I see value in doing this presentation, and it is not because it gives me an idea exactly what I want to do, but where I want to start. I think that this website will be a constant work in progress, where things will change all the time, according to my technical abilities, my time table and my vision of the content. At the end, what I present here might turn out to be nothing like the finished website. But doing it actually helped me to get some structure into my process. My presentation is a bit ambitious, I absolutely understand that. Yet, a lot of things included there, I am already working on, so hopefully, my website will be at least remotely close to what I included in the Prezi. Prezi Presentation  

Another important part of the brief on this assignment - I need a logo, banner and motion graphics/animation to go on my website. I started with the banner. First, I considered doing a banner in Adobe Photoshop and simply inserting that in the HTML code of the website. I actually have a design and idea for that. It is just a phrase I like, presented in a banner and it will make its way into my presentation. Yet, I am pretty sure it will not be what I will do at the end. It will be an option if I can't execute my other idea, so it will be useful to have to as Plan B. The more I think about it and after exploring Bootstrap and seeing the endless possibilities I have to create anything using only code, the more I feel that this will be the direction I will take. In other words - there is no banner to show now, but I will definitely make a detailed note of what I will do, once I start writing about the actual building of the website. Then there was the Logo. The easiest way probably wa...

In preparation to make my Prezi presentation, that will give an idea how I am approaching this, what I am going for and how I plan to execute it, I decided to start with my flowchart, wireframes and mood board. I am using Adobe XD for that and, more or less, this part of my project is connected with my visual and content design research. I think that going through the whole process of creating those is making this one thing certain  - this is just a start. I should not expect to be able to do exactly what I will set out to do in the presentation, but if I do not set out any framework, within which I will work, then I will be all over the place. When I am doing something that requires a method, no direction is my worst enemy. Wireframes are how your pages will look like, the flowchart is how it all comes together in a website. I already have an idea, in terms of functionality, so this was kind of fun to do. I am finally able to visualise where I am going with this.   At this po...

For my visual research I decided to go through the websites of the major contemporary art venues that will be presented on my website. I also took inspirations from the websites I already included in my web design and web content research. Overall, my aim was to see how a website about art is using text and images to achieve its goal. Being honest with myself, I do not think I will be able to create a website even remotely close to the ones I really liked, but it is to be expected. After all, this is my first attempt  to do anything like this.  I also spent considerable amount of time looking at this collection of artist's website -  45 Examples of Stunning Artist's websites My main focus was to see how information is presented in an engaging way, but still not to the expense of the visual and interactive qualities of the website. I think this is where I decided how my navigation bar will look like but for the rest... Inspecting the code of those ...

I have some coding knowledge now and a concept. The next step is to make sure I understand how web design and content design work together to achieve great results. As a user I go to websites for the content, that is what matters for me. A good design is definitely preferable, but it has to be a really bad one that will make me not go back to a website with great content. I used, to some extend, both books on the pictures and various websites (the one I found most useful I will include as links at the end of this  blog entry). While enthusiastically thinking about all the great design ideas I have encountered in my research, it kind of dawned on me - I am a beginner.. Yes, design, including web design, is about sense of order, beauty and creativity. But in this case all those felt limited to me, because they depend on what I will be able to execute.  Even without any research I knew that those two, content and design, work together to create great websites. And I want to be ab...

Some time ago I read Roland Barthes's Image-Music-Text and I loved it. Semiotics and how our reality is created within societies and cultural norms has been something I was interested in long before I came to University. So I started thinking - what my website will be trying to say about me and about art? How to optimise the use of images and text, so it conveys a message, it creates a context? I have to admit that putting an abstract together with technology can be confusing, but big part of content design is how you engage with the users. At this point there is one thing that is clear - my website will not be text heavy, yet I will try to convey my passion for modern and contemporary art through at least some text, and showcase it with images.  From the start I had the idea of the "My life in Exhibitions" page, that I will populate with images from the best exhibitions I visited in the last two years. Text, that was different story..We all have different ways of positio...

I am finally here - coming up with a concept for my website. I have to admit this is a bit confusing for me. As I already mentioned, I would have preferred  the brief from last year, where you had to showcase your cultural background or focus on a particular interest of yours. The idea that you need to make it professional as well, means that you need to keep in mind future employers might be looking at this. For me this means that whatever you decide to present needs to add value not only to your personality, but to your professional identity as well. The one thing that might just put you ahead when you go job hunting.  This should have been easy task for me, as I have spent the last 25 years building on my identity and I have come to appreciate and like the person I am now. But what is it about me that will make someone think - 'This is the person I want to employ!'. After considering my options, I went with art, or more precisely my endless love for and appreciation of mode...

 While, practicing what I have already learned about HTML and CSS gave me some understanding how Dreamweaver works, there was still a lot to figure out. If I wanted to take full advantage of the software there was more to be done. I used some tutorials again, those two to be precise, but felt like I am already running a bit behind with that project, so I chose specific segments to watch and opted out from going through their full content. It was particularly useful to know more about the interface of the programme, how to take advantage of it being quite intuitive and pointing out my mistakes. Most of all it introduced me to Bootstrap. I think this is the moment, when I feel confident enough about what I have already learned, to explore the idea of using Bootstrap and Java script in my website. Despite the name the programme is anything but dreamy. It has a lot of features that can be really useful, but also can behave in a really unpredictable way, if you do not dedicate some time...

I think it will take a lot of time and efforts to progress anywhere beyond a  beginner, but I am quite determined and ambitious person, so I know I will get there. After achieving some understanding of the HTML syntax, structure and functionality,  I had to figure out how it works in combination with CSS, in order for a website to be created.  Back I go to tutorials. This time it was CSS Essential Training with Christina Truong. It was really good in establishing the idea of the link between HTML and CSS. I started thinking about it in the way that HTML is my framework, the skeleton of my website and CSS is how I style that, the way I want things to appear.  Again - it was not easy! If I can give an advice to anyone starting with a new technical skill - practice! Do not rely on just tutorials themselves, or books, or someone else's examples. Practice as much as possible. I am a visual and practical learner - I need to see what is happening in real time and I need to ...

My first stop was LinkedIn Learning. First af all I had to choose a tutorial I will do. I decided on this one - HTML Essential Training by Jen Simmons. I liked that it starts with introducing the syntax and making sure that you are aware what HTML is after all, before you even attempt to use it. The segments were really well organised, they followed a certain logic and really helped me to understand that there is nothing to be scared of. I am polylingual after all, this was just another language I was trying to 'speak'.  The more I got into this, the more I found it fascinating in a way. HTML is intuitive, it is logical and most importantly it made sense now. I make it sound easy but it was not. It took a lot of going back and forth through the tutorial, a lot of practicing and trying things for myself to see how it works and a lot of new found confidence. I made Word files on everything I think might be useful to me, and will definitely come back to those more than once, when ...

While I am still doubtful about my chances of success here, there is no need not to approach this differently than any other assignment so far. First of all, getting really familiar with the brief and deciding what comes easy to me and what will be challenging. Where I need to put the extra work in and what I already know how to do. I think this should be like the first thing you are told once you start University - make sure you are aware of the requirements of a project. My approach has always been to do more where possible, I am here to give it my best after all, but never less than what the brief is asking from me. So here they are. Let's hope that by the time I finish this assignment I would have managed to tick all the boxes.  Once I am aware what I need to do, I like to prepare, to make a plan. It is obvious to me that I lack the technical knowledge to do this project. It has been made clear to us that we can work with templates but for me, if I dont understand at least...

 In my first year at University I came to really appreciate the practical side of my degree. I managed to acquire new skill sets that otherwise I probably wouldn't have pursued on my own. All of a sudden, I was getting really familiar with the Adobe Creative Cloud software, I was making podcasts, I did a stop motion animation! None of this prepared me for what the Digital Media Production module have in store for me in Year 2! I will have to code a website myself, using HTML and CSS and I find that scary. My main issue - it seems such a huge task that requires a lot of independent learning and I am not sure how I will make time to learn a programme language..or two..Being a mature student can be challenging, in terms of constantly trying to fit all aspects of your life within the hours of a day, which never seem to be enough. I do like a good challenge though so I will try to make the best of it, enjoy this as much as possible and learn a lot along the way.  I will use this pr...