In planning my website, I knew that I wanted a clean, professional look that can be used to market myself to employers. I found a few sample websites online that had designs I could build off of and Photoshop allowed me to design the layout just the way I wanted. I have had previous experience with Photoshop, so setting up the design and text was a simple task, especially because the background is so minimal.
Organizing my content took quite a while. I have writing samples from my PR writing class and designs from Com Graphics, but I had to reedit some files that were lost when my computer crashed in the spring and then make decisions about which ones showed the best examples of my work. If nothing else, this project gave me that extra push to get my portfolio in order.
Once all of my files were organized in my local folder, putting them into Dreamweaver was just a matter of learning some of the code. Upon first glance, html code looks extremely daunting, especially with a Dreamweaver template, because Adobe provides all of the additional information about how to use it. I ran into quite a bit of trouble with the first template I used because I could not keep my text in place and I couldn't add links to my sidebar because it was a background image.
Fortunately, I was able to watch tutorials on YouTube and I could google any question I had about individual parts of the design. Eventually, I came up with using a table to maintain all of the content. It allowed me to put blank PNGs over my background text to create links and then the background didn't end before the page. The design was able to remain clean and the coding was relatively simple.
Most of the content was easy to place and links were simple to make, but it took me a while to add my portfolio. I found another tutorial on adding a slideshow from bridge and it provided the professional feel that I wanted the design section to have.
This website is a useful tool when it comes to presenting myself. The about me section provides an additional sample of my writing, as well as information that can not otherwise be seen on a resume or in my portfolio, such as what I plan to do after graduation or more detail about my study abroad trips and what I have learned from those programs.
The site also includes my resume, which shows my education, where I have studied abroad, my work experience and some of my achievements from the last few years. I kept it fairly short and focused on what I have done in school. I also have a portfolio section that shows some of my previous design work and writing samples, as well as links to social media sites that I use, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogger.
These social media sites not only provide further writing samples and information about me, but also show that I am able to use social media in a productive way. Because the site is connected to my class Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger sites, the information is professional and promotional, showing my ability to use social networking for the benefit of an organization and that I am able to make informative and beneficial comments.
Social media plays such a large part in every website today. From news organizations to personal blogs, people provide links to sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, RSS feeds, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube and many others. With the hundreds of websites that bombard our screens every day, providing multiple outlets for people to keep in touch with an organization or the subject of the website is vital. It makes it easier for viewers to remember the site and allows for a more personal connection, depending on their social media preferences.
Being able to design a website is a valuable skill in today's marketplace. Almost every company and organization seems to recognize the value of an online presence and being able to create and maintain a website is highly marketable, especially when it comes to careers in communications.
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