GRA410 – Advanced Digital Graphic Design – Our Initial Portfolio Class

Welcome to GRA410, where you’ll create a web-based portfolio using HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap. If you don’t know how to use any of those, here’s a link to some instructions. Good Luck!

That’s basically the introduction in my own words. The last time I used HTML and CSS outside of a WordPress site was…well…a long time ago. Many people had no idea how to build a website from scratch. So, I headed over to Udemy and took a fantastic class by Daniel Walter Scott called Responsive Web Design Essentials. I was taking a full load of classes, so I had to spend all my free time on this class, and it was worth it! I highly recommend the course. Wait for a sale, and it can be as low as $15.

Here’s the real course description:

This course engages upper-level design students in current industry standards used in designing content for multimedia and interactive communication. Emphasis is placed on designing for computers, tablets and phones. The course is divided into teaching modules emphasizing the integration of several software packages for design problem solving. Emphasis is placed on conceptualization and the mastery of professional site mapping and wire framing techniques. Exercises and projects provide challenging design problem-solving experience. Project themes involve self-promotion and client-based work. All projects rely on the student’s ability to integrate previously mastered techniques in a broad range of software.

Course Outcomes:

• Implement a fully functional website through the application of appropriate principles of responsive web design
• Develop accessible responsive designs for planning and delivering accessible web-based content
• Design engaging user experiences through the assembly of relevant functionality library elements and application of principles of design
• Construct page layout design and visual mock-ups utilizing industry-standard layout tools
• Implement appropriate wireframe templates for enhancing website design workflow

This course was my jam! I loved every minute of it. I know if I had more time to focus on the actual design instead of how to create the web pages, it would have been even better. I got my inspiration from the site toyfight.co. One day, I want to go back and incorporate more JAVA and play around with effects. I don’t think the site is too bad, considering I was learning how to code from scratch.

They wanted a process book for the final assignment. We are graphic designers, so the obvious choice for the program to create the process book is….wait for it…Microsoft Word. Yup. Not InDesign. Not Illustrator. Nope. Word. I obeyed and made my final presentation in Word. However, I couldn’t take it any longer. I opened InDesign and spent a day creating my process book.

I’m happy with the “review” from my professor:

‘Laurene created a very strong site. It’s hard for me to find serious issues in her coding to criticize because it is solidly made.’

 

The process book shows all aspects of the projects we needed to hand in. They are as follows:

Week 1 – Flow chart

Week 2 – Wireframes

Week 3 – Short paper on User Experience

Week 4 – High def mockups

Week 5 – We worked on our site and submitted troubleshooting snippets after learning how to test our sites

Week 6 – Work on-site and post discussion board topic on what aspect of our site is giving us trouble

Week 7 – Submit draft process Word document

Week 8 – It’s all due – and this topic for the discussion board:

1. 1. Describe two scenarios to illustrate the usefulness of your process book as a career search resource.
   2. Indicate two additional parts or sections you might consider including in your process book to inform potential employers of your related technical skills as they relate to web design.
   3. Professionally, how might you plan to incorporate a process book?

This is where I fell out! Yes. I am taking graphic design classes, and I use Word to create my process book. UGH! This will help me SO much in the work environment and show my skill as a designer. After I turned in the word document, I made my book in InDesign.