The Personal Journey That is Designing a Website

By Lauren Ullman

I strongly dislike technology. I am strategically avoiding using the word hate, although it could be synonymous with my experiences in the virtual world, because I can acknowledge everything that the Internet has to offer— a way for humans around the world to connect, platforms to share and discover research, opportunities to create media, and spaces for silly forums and random questions to be answered. If I am using these services out of my own will, I usually do not struggle too much, because I can move at my own pace and uncover just what I need to, without exploring what might make me uncomfortable. 

However, due to the nature of my field (creative arts), I have realized that it is in my best interests to tackle this fear. Regardless of how often I might find myself saying, “I don’t know how to use the Internet,” or "this service is so unfamiliar, oh well," these statements cannot last while I am in a career, and I cannot rely on others around me to always have time to teach me the nuts and bolts that a computer possesses.

So, I have decided to challenge myself— by enrolling in a few technical courses, including one last semester called Designing Online Information. Underneath the guise of an English ID (ENGL315), I assumed that the class would gently lead us into conversations regarding our online presence, and how to cultivate a comprehensive yet understandable digital space. However, the class instead revolved around Wordpress. One could say that I might have looked like this:

alt-text: A woman dressed in floral patterns, seated in a chair, brings her head to her hand with furrowed brows and a look of grave concern on her face. She appears to be mouthing the word "no."

Wordpress is a software that allows users to create and publish websites and blogs. My professor, who was very patient and understanding, took the smallest of steps when introducing us to this new site, and explaining our final project that involved building a website of our own. While I did not assume that creating a website was a simple task, I grossly underestimated how difficult it would become to figure out what I wanted to research, and how the site should be laid out.

Actually Using Wordpress

I knew I was in more trouble when I called a friend (and Computer Science major), and even she could not help me figure out the intricacies of the site. I spent many nights in our early weeks of class prepared to toss my computer across the room, as I dealt with tiny issues such as not being able to move a box to the other side of the screen. Office hours with my professor turned into conversations where I pretended to understand what he described, as my screen did not replicate the example in the slightest.

What I quickly found most difficult was manipulating the aspects of the site to what I pictured in my mind. I had visions of how I wanted different pictures to fit, where I wanted certain text, what colors and sizes the blocks should be, and more, as our professor had asked us to plan out a very detailed layout. However, I struggled with first finding which tools I needed out of the vast options to design the site, and then how to properly use them. This is where my all-too-familiar battle with technology arose, and the frustration seeped into the project as a whole.

So what did I learn? Creating a platform of my own from scratch, rather than engaging with an already existing website, was a new avenue of the digital space that I had never dealt with before. There are so many considerations involved in designing a website. Wix, another website builder, provided tips regarding how sites should be designed in a few simple steps.

1. Keep the homepage minimalistic and free of clutter.

2. Design with visual hierarchy in mind.

3. Create easy to read website content.

4. Ensure your site is easy to navigate.

5. Stay mobile friendly.

   
   

Some of these tips might seem extremely self-explanatory, but they are all great points. The course walked through how everyone views a website differently, whether between those who are color-blind, dyslexic, of an older age, or looking for different contexts. All of these factors and more need to be taken into consideration when writing content and outlining a design. Even with language— choosing how to make your words welcoming but not generic, inviting but not intimidating, informational but not know-it-all. Deciding which color can sit on top of which background alone took us an entire week of discussion.

Finding Photographs

Having to provide photographs for my site was an entirely different animal. Who knew there were so many rules regarding copyright? In the early stages, I had decided to center my website as a landing site for people who were visiting London, and wanted to know what historical locations they could visit. This was my own dream destination, which I had the pleasure of visiting over winter break, and I wanted to conduct some personal research and use it in a way that could benefit others with the publication of my site. I positioned it as both a place where basic facts could be found, with some deeper dives included, and set up a fake forum for people to share information with each other. Of course, among all of these layouts, I had to put pictures in.

Luckily, my professor was very adept at providing us with resources to navigate this challenge. One such article was published by Elegant Themes, and walked us through how to find images and add them to our blogs. Through this article, I learned about the public domain, or free images; images licensed under Creative Commons, with copyright rules chosen by the creator; royalty-free images which must be paid for; and rights-managed images that can be used once as specified.

It was then time to try to find my images. As demonstrated in our class, I went to Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay, Deviant Art, and Creative Commons Search. They definitely yielded some interesting options, but after thorough searching, I was successful in my efforts, and was able to provide my site users with photos of beautiful castles.

Would I Do it Again?

I gradually found myself enjoying the process— picking which images I wanted to use (and adding the alt text, of course) and what information I wanted to include became enjoyable. As the class progressed, I continued adopting a new mindset. I was grateful that I was being exposed to this software, which has since been discussed in other contexts, and the knowledge I was adopting would ultimately prove very useful (I hoped). It was as our professor began using my site as an example in class, of strong organization and color schemes, that I really began to gain confidence.

So, I guess you could say that I tackled the Internet. Or at least, one aspect of it. But now, with the help of some Youtube tutorials and detailed class notes, I think I could create a site about anything, and I feel excited about trying.