Overview
These websites, a portfolio site and a travel blog, were created for web design courses. The portfolio site being the first I created and the travel blog being the second. These courses focused on the UX/UI behind web design, as well as learning the foundational languages of HTML and CSS. The process of creating from wire framing, to site mapping, to best practices while coding were all major focuses of the courses. Although Javascript was not a big part of either course I did some research and included some Javascript where I could to help the sites feel more complete and interactive.
Process
My general process for creating these sites was to first brainstorm what kind of site I wanted to create. I would do research into other websites to see how similar sites looked, and what they included, for inspiration. I would then create a site map to know what pages I needed, what should be included, and the best way to navigate between these pages. I also did some research and created a document to explain who my audience would be, and how the design and organization would fit that audience, as well as the message of the site. I then did some wire framing to have a visual of how the page should come together. Finally I started coding in VS code to create and refine each website.
Insights
It was incredibly insightful as a designer to learn how to create simple websites using HTML, CSS, and Javascript. It helped me to appreciate the code behind the design, and better understand the challenges that different designs can present when going from wire frame to web page. On the other side of that coin it made me appreciate how much is possible through code, and how creative one can be with their designs they create to be viewed on the web.
If you'd like to view these sites they can be found at the following links: