HTML – ETEC 565 HJD e-portfolio

My investigations into web design and HTML authoring tools has been an interesting and puzzling one.

I began this investigation early in the course and have extended my familiarity with html coding to the point where I keep some handy guide sheets at my side. It still puzzles me that the string of code results in such interesting images, actions or results.

THIS:

BECOMES THIS:

The application of Cascading Style Sheets still eludes me, but I will continue to read and investigate this element of design since I try to make my pages have a consistent look and simple appearance.

I have downloaded web page development software (Amaya) and have been using this to create pages. It is fairly easy to use but I did have to remember to save files to the same locations, particularly when images are involved. I made the mistake of moving items from one location to another and this caused some problems. Once I figured out where my error was, it was a lesson learned and remembered.

My challenge in planning and storyboarding was solved by searching the web for some editable, downloadable templates. These have come in handy during the planning of the Moodle course modules as well as the digital storybook that needed to be planned. I have decided that the simple stories, elements and appearances create the best style in web design. Then adding some interesting elements where appropriate and applicable give the design some interest and variety.

The Zen of Design

I can’t leave this exploration without referencing Garr Reynolds and his concepts of design, presentation and branding have become integrated into my personal sense of design and style. My investigations into the many style and design challenges found on the Websites that Suck list certainly extended my understanding about how not to design websites.

Wiki learning

Wiki Learning

I have had several experiences creating wikis – through UBC MET course ETEC 510 (http://sites.wiki.ubc.ca/etec510/Hypertext), wikis created for work related projects and also personal wiki spaces to collect information. The wiki done for ETEC 510 was an intense experience that challenged me to code in HTML to get the page to work the way I wanted it to. The embedded images, chart, headings, etc gave me great pride when I managed to get them done they way I had hoped. Using code from other wiki pages and then replacing information to adapt it to the necessary content was one way around coding from scratch. Two interesting items that I discovered while doing this wiki project were the 5 pillars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Five_pillars) and the criteria established for the top ranked ‘featured article’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_list_criteria that make Wikipedia articles effective sources of information.

Using WYSIWYG software like Wikispaces makes it so much easier to get up and organized quickly. I found the wikispaces format intuitive to use and was able to modify structures and content with little trouble. Giving access to others was also easily done.

One challenge that I still experience with wikis is the changing and editing of other people’s content. Unless I am very familiar with the other collaborators, I am uncertain and uncomfortable in editing without permission, either through formal permissions granted or through familiarity of other’s acceptance of changes.