My introductory website was created using the BBEdit software. I decided that I wanted to challenge myself for this assignment, so I did not use any template. I started my html code the same way we learned to during the tutorial and researched techniques from there. I ended up relying a lot on the W3 Schools website and Youtube for explanation and guidance. My final product is the result of trial and error, as well as some compromise when certain features did not pan out the way I hoped.
I ran into the most technical difficulties with my “Photo Album” page. I tried several methods for layout of the photos and their captions, but because some were portrait and others landscape oriented, it was hard to find a visually satisfying solution. There were a couple of instances where an element wouldn’t work or appear on the webpage, and I couldn’t figure out why. Eventually, I would take a break and as soon as I came back, I figured it out. I realized that, personally, coding is not something I can do for long periods of time; If I don’t take a break, I get sloppy and miss a small, but important, detail. My vision for this website is somewhat similar to what I created. I tried to be realistic and “aim low” since I had never coded before, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I was able to accomplish. I envisioned a more modern and sophisticated website. I wish there were more options for fonts that would work on any device or computer; I think different fonts would have portrayed more of my original vision. The “Photo Album” was originally going to be in a gallery format with uniform squares in rows of three, but that didn’t work for the images I had. I think the photo page is what is farthest from my intended design, so if I were more advanced in coding I would try to reformat that page to be more appealing. I would try and find a better layout for the photos and make captions that appeared if you hovered over a specific image. I used several modes in the creation of my website. I used the linguistic mode throughout the site in headings, titles, captions, paragraphs, and buttons. This serves the majority of the community and is the most common way internet users interact with websites; This makes navigation of my site easy to understand since it is similar to others. I use the visual mode with the use of color, layout, and most of all photos. I tried to emphasize photos so that readers had something interesting to look at and got to know me better. The use of spatial mode will help users navigate my website quickly and easily. Gestural mode is not used other than in the photos. Aural mode is not used at all. If I had more time and skill I would try to implement the latter two modes more. I used color and font size to convey emphasis throughout my website. My hope is that this will allow readers to locate titles and information quickly. Contrast can be seen in the use of a white background and color text and photos this allows emphasis and an ease of reading text. This also ties into color. I chose fun, bright colors to try and convey a certain feeling of joy to my audience. As far as alignment goes, I decided on a centered alignment to give the pages a symmetry and balance. Altogether, I think my introductory website conveys a large part of my personality to readers, and is informative of who I am.
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I chose to analyze the Royal Shakespeare Company’s website for this assignment. I chose this site in particular mostly because I had the unique opportunity to see a performance from the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon in the Summer of 2017. My overall first impression of the site is that I found it visually appealing and fairly easy to navigate. The primary intended audience is tourists, patrons, and members of RSC. The secondary audience could be students and teachers since they have a lot of resources on the website that is geared towards this demographic. I think all of these audience members will have some interest in theater, specifically Shakespeare. They probably place a high value on art and artistic expression in general. The primary purposes for the website are to promote theater and the performances that the RSC puts on, and to inform visitors about what plays are being performed at specific time. Secondary purposes could be gaining donors and members, as well as providing education resources. I make these conclusions because the landing page immediately displays a large, eye-catching photo that promotes the latest RSC performance Troilus and Cressida. As you scroll down the page you see more photos and text listing the other shows for the season. At the top of the page there is a navigation bar that gives visitors a good idea of what information they can find on the website, including ‘Membership’ and ‘Education’. This is published in an online format that is easy for people to find. Although it is a UK web address, most anyone can access it and see what is new for RSC. Before the age of the internet, theater used to be an event in which audiences had to be at the theater in the seats in order to see a play, but using an online platform means that RSC can shares their performances, news, and updates with all of their patrons and donors around the world. Readers can view this on their phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and most other devices. The design is very appealing to me and conveys what feels like the personality of the Royal Shakespeare Company. They use the color red consistently to convey an edginess that is also present in their adaptations of various Shakespeare plays. It feels somewhat dramatic and modern which are two words that I would also use to describe RSC itself. The use of red places emphasis on the text, specifically the name of the plays. The organization of the photos creates emphasis on the larger photo at the top of the page because that is the next play that will be performed. This contrasts with the smaller photos further down the page that will not be available several weeks. Contrast is also used on the main page where the “News, Blogs and Updates” entries switch between gray and white. I think one thing the Shakespeare in Nashville Archive should include is an emphasis on visuals (photos and video) and a consistent color that can be used throughout the website to add continuity and character.
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AuthorAshley Harris is currently a Junior at Belmont University. She is majoring in Publishing with a minor in English Writing. She hopes to end up working at a publishing house in NYC, publishing books for children and young adults. She has an affinity for the Christmas/ Archives
November 2018
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