The Development of My Website

To create this website, I used Windows XP on a PC. I wrote and edited the .html files from scratch in Notepad, then used WinSCP to transfer my files to my community page. After I uploaded my files, I tried every link to make sure they all worked. Finally, I ran every page through W3C's validator and edited them so they passed as HTML 4.01 Transitional. I already knew some HTML, but I supplemented my previous knowledge with the new tricks I learned in the Head First HTML textbook.

After I created the content of the website, I worked on the graphic revision. Using CSS, I created divs for several different sections. I also used GIMP to manipulate a photograph of me for the home page and the pictures in the "Art and Photos" section. I have used Photoshop for ten years and GIMP for about two or three years, and I enjoy digital art and photomanipulation.

For my website colors, I used a navy blue (#021A34) for the background, a periwinkle (#7993F1) for the links at the top, and a lighter blue (#021A34--almost gray) when the cursor hovers over a link. I made the headings a dark turquoise (#76B0F1) and the text a light blue (#91C0F2). To complement the blue layout, I used orange (#EE4000) for the dotted border around the body and for the grooved border around the images. I also added navigation links (forward/back) to my essay and chunked the essay into only a few paragraphs per page, then created a vertical scrolling menu for each page in my "Art and Photos" section. Some of the code wouldn't work, so I settled for a scrollbar.

I intend this website to convey information to the reader as clearly as possible, so I didn't plan any wild designs. I used what I learned in my Editing and Business & Professional Writing courses to maximize my website's effectiveness by avoiding distracting elements like falling snowflakes, marquees, or flashy backgrounds. I chose colors for the background and text that contrast well, and I include the links at the top of every page so users can navigate to any page on my site.