Update

So I’ve updated my blog a bit! Added two new pages since my last post. Check um out! 

He’ll Teach Me Loads

What I’m hoping to get most out of this Web Design course is a better idea of design aesthetics and proper website construction. I don’t feel intimidated by the coding aspects, in fact I’m excited to start learning that; however the creativity aspect causes me some anxiety. I’ve never been known for my creativity, and would love to overcome that by designing a beautiful website that everyone loves to look at. I took this class to learn how to design a website, not how to code one. With little transition I’ll explain as well why this class will benefit my career. In today’s society computers are everywhere, and will only proliferate. My goal is a become a physician, a field more and more involved with cutting edge technology and the Internet. I’m hoping this class will give me skills I can use my entire life, whether its building a site for a private practice, maintaining a site for a group I’m part of, or simply having the knowledge of what a website is based in. I’m hoping to not only learn about web design, but how I can apply it.

A link to the past – my web disaster

Before I delve into the new stuff, let me share what experience I do have with designing websites. For this I have to look way back to a Technology class I took in the ninth grade (that’s right folks! High school!). Our teacher, Ms. Whatserface gave the class a project, any project we want, as long as it dealt with technology. Some kids wanted to build a hydrogen fuel cell, others a model bridge, I went with an informational website on the International Baccalaureate program at my school. Starting from scratch I taught myself HTML, feeling like I could overthrow society at the same time with all my newly learned coding abilities. I dove right in, choosing gaudy backgrounds, writing in lime green text, making one paragraph pop and the next fizzle. You wanted links, I gave you links. Some links even went no where, but I coded them in! What I had failed to grasp was the concept of design. How to relay my information on the IB program in a useful (non-offensive to the eyes) kind of way.

I turn my color-splosion of a website in for grading, and despite its design flaws received an A. (It was high school and I at least put in effort). Thinking myself a technical guru I started looking into CSS, the next hurdle. It confused me almost immediately and I gave up within a week. So there you have it, my technical history. I’ve got old knowledge of HTML and new enthusiasm to apply it and finally overcome that CSS hurdle. (It also wouldn’t hurt to learn aesthetics on the way.)

For your enjoyment here is a kitten drinking water.

Taken at La Alhambra, Spain

Welcome to my blog!

My name is Jamie, and welcome to my portfolio! Through this blog I hope to share with the world my progress in web design. I’ll be learning HTML, CSS and a myriad of other skills required to build and maintain a well designed website. Stay tuned, and watch me turn mundane into magnificent.

Friends and I visiting the Valencia plaque at La Plaza de España