Printing My Blog

Even at the very end I still had problems with printing. For my assessment folder I had to print the posts for this blog, yet when printing they it kept cutting the blogs off at the end of the page and then just printing a blank page.

So I decided to copy and paste my blogs into a word document, and print them for there.

Finishing My Site - Checking Links

I have now finished my site, so had some last minute checks to do. First I went through and double checked all my links. The links to different pages of my site and links to outside websites, they all worked properly which was very good.

Printing

I decided to print the key pages of my website to go in my work folder. The pages I decided to print were the homepage, my feature and my celebrities page. I decided to print them just for extra proof for my folder. As I had so much trouble attempting to put them on the internet, even though I put my website on disc, I just wanted a safe copy to be in my work folder.

But even printing my work caused me technical issues. I first printed using the journalism colour printer. Yet when it printed, although my main content was there, it didn't print out my background colour or my banner.

After seeking advice from Alan, I found this was because in the print setup, the print background box, had not been ticked. I then ticked it, and tried again and it printed perfectly.

Putting My Site Online

After loading all of my content onto my website, I then wanted to upload on to the internet. I know that I don't have to do this as part of my assessment, but I wanted my site to be online. 

My first attempt was a site called freewebs.com. I started registering for the site, and filled in all my details. Then when it came to the end I had to click on a button to confirm my details. Yet when I clicked on it, even though the website claimed to be loading, yet it never did. 

This must have been a technical fault with the site, as a classmate also tried it and had the same issue. 

The next host site I tried was black apple. Again, I filled in all my details to register and then waited for my conformation e-mail. I then got that through and followed the link from the e-mail. The link then lead me to a page, where I had to enter my username and password. I then did this, but every time, my username/password was denied. I knew it couldn't be incorrect as I only just created it. 

When showing a classmate, who had just successful uploaded her site though black apple, she said the link in her e-mail took her to a different page. This must again have been a fault with the site, and I just got unlucky. 

I then tried a site called Angel Fire. This time, unlike the rest, I successfully registered to the site. Once I was registered I started uploading my Dreamweaver stuff. But yet again I had issues. Even though most of my Dreamweaver content loaded up, none of my buttons or my banner would load up. This wasn't just me. I had help from my classmates and tutors but still the buttons and banner would not upload. 

I cannot have a website without any buttons or a banner, so I have now come to the conclusion my site is not supposed to go online. I will just have to settle with it on a disc. 

Adding More Content

Between last weeks lesson and today, I worked on all of my content at home, writing it up in a word document. I did this as I don't have Dreamweaver at home, so planned to come into today lessons and just copy and past from my word document to my website on Dreamweaver. 

Yet this took a lot longer than expected. This is because I found Dreamweaver very un-user-friendly when it comes to copy and paste.  

I had to first highlight my text and drag and drop it in, but the drag and drop technic does not work with images. As my text was laid out in blocks with images between them, I had to paste the text in small section, this was very time consuming. 

Next I had to save my all of my images to my computer and then import them each of them individually to Dreamweaver. This took soo long, but now I have loaded all of my content. 

Adding a Video

On my 'shops' section of the website I wanted too add a video. I wanted a video to go alongside my section on the High Street shop - Primark. When the flagship store opened it was famously busy and I wanted a video of the crowds to go alongside it. 

I found the video I wanted to use on youtube, easy.  Then the hard part was adding it to Dreamweaver. After finding out how to do this, I was shocked how easy it was too upload. 

First you have to view the codes and design. You look through this until you find the space where you want your video to go. 

You then paste your video code, into the space on your Dreamweaver codes and design. You can find your video code on youtube. Next to the video is the videos html code and the embedded code. You use the embedded code. 

The video is then on your page, but to view it you must view in firefox. 

As easy as that! 

Content - Celebrities in High Street

This was the next section I worked on. It required a lot of research into finding images of celebrities in High Street clothes and then finding the High Street items online.

Although now I have worked out how to drag and drop images, importing them onto my website was a lot easier.

Content - Shops

The first section of content I worked on was the shops section. I wanted you to first see a photograph of high street shops.

I found a good image on flickr, yet when it came to placing the image on my website it caused technical difficulties. I tried to simply copy the image, by using right click and then paste it. But for some reason you’re unable to use the copy and paste right click option.

I then used the Dreamweaver help section; this then told me the easiest way to do it, was just drag and drop, a basic copy and paste. So I used that and it worked perfectly.

Content

At the beginning, when thinking of ideas for our websites, an option was just using the website as a showcase of your work, but this idea didn’t appeal to me. I wanted to use this chance to have the freedom to write new stuff about fashion.

Yet, last year I had worked on a blog about fashion & beauty and thought that I could include some of this work in on my website, but it was hard as fashion changes very quickly most off my posts were to out of date to put on my website. But a few basic ideas, such as bags and belts could still be included. So I added these to my latest looks section of the website.

Creating Buttons

When creating buttons for my site, I started by using google. I searched free buttons, and used the site button generator. I found a button design I liked and saved the design to my desktop.

I then imported the button to Dreamweaver. Yet then I encountered some problems, I couldn't change the name on the button or link out, this was obviously a big issue. So I decided to create my own buttons in Adobe Fireworks.

I had already decided to have five buttons, these were home, celebrities, latest looks, shops and ways to beat the crunch. Yet when creating these buttons I decided to add two more. These were a contact us button and my blog. The blog button will only be available on my homepage and will link directly out to this blog. I decided unlike the rest of my buttons which are available on every page, my blog only really need to linked from the homepage, as it is not relevant to the rest of my websites content.

When making my buttons, another issue I had was naming my buttons. I wanted the names to be short and sharp words or phases, so my users would know what each button would go to. One issue I had some the page, how to beat the credit crunch, as it was very hard to shorten, so I ended up naming that button ideas. This is where I want my feature to go.

Once I created all the buttons I imported them on to my web page on Dreamweaver. I then linked all of my buttons to there relevant pages. This took a long time, but now they all work and each page links out to all the others. This is what I wanted to do, as I didn't want my users to have to keep clicking back, to find the homepage etc.

Banner in Fireworks

Next i wanted to create a banner for my site, I did this in Fireworks. I started by measuring the size of my header in Dreamweaver, which was 820 by 60.

I wanted my banner to feature the name of my site, Sam's Credit Crunching Fashion as well as two images. I wanted these images to be laid out on either side of my title. The images I decided to use, were one of me, as it's Sam's Credit Crunching Fashion, and one of some shopping bags, as the site is about fashion.

After creating my banner I then imported it into Dreamweaver. Yet when I did this, I had a problem that even though I had measured the banner, it still didn't fit perfectly and I had white gaps at the end of the banner. I hated the way this looked so had to go back into Dreamweaver and edit the size.

Once had done this I re imported my banner and this time it fitted perfectly.

Naming My Site

When choosing a name for my site I needed something that would immediately tell you what the site was about. As the name of my site would be on the banner on the top of my site I needed viewers to know immediately.

The name I choose was Sam’s Credit Crunching Fashion. I choose to add my name at the front as it personalises to me. Credit crunching fashion also informs people that it is cheap fashion.

Basic Design of My Site

Today I started the basic design of my website in Dreamweaver. First I picked my basic layout. I went for a layout with a header and footer and a bar on the left-hand side. This is the same layout I wanted to have when I was designing and navigating my site last week. I also had to choose my background colours. I went for a white background with a black header. This is the look of simplicity I wanted to create, similar to asos.

Design & Navigation

When researching different sites, a site which layout I loved was asos.com. I liked the simplicity of the asos website. I liked the simple layout and the fact it is a very easy to navigate. On my own site I wanted to use a similar design to asos, by using a white background. I choose to do this as I feel it makes the images stand out more, and as my site is about fashion, I want my images to stand out as much as possible. I also like the menu buttons down the left hand side, and feel this is also a design I might use on my site.

Scroll or not too scroll?

As my target audience is women aged 15 - 25,my site will mainly be viewed during lunch breaks from work or at uni, so my site must be quick and easy to understand and use. I have decided not to scroll. I want my site to be east to navigate through buttons, rather than big chunks of information you have to scroll through. I plan to have 6 main menu buttons which will link directly to each page, and each other. I wish to keep the same menu buttons on my left hand menu, so information can be found and viewed quickly and easily.

I then created on paper a navigation map, which showed my buttons and how i wanted them to flow between each other. With my homepage linked to everything.

Website Idea

In todays lesson we were asked to think of ideas for our websites. We had to think about what we wanted on our site. It has to have a theme, a personal element and an interest that you or others would want to explore.

I have decided to create a website on fashion. I wanted to do this as this is a subject that interests me and others. But I wanted to create a site that was different, so decided to create a website based on cheap fashion, credit crunching fashion. At the moment we live in a credit crunch era, the UK has been hit by debt-fueled spending. But me, and I am sure many other women are still interested in fashion, so my site will be based just on cheap fashion. I also enjoying working and writing on the subject of fashion and as well as being a poor student I understand how to work cheap fashion.

I want my website to feature the latest fashion styles, celebrities in cheap, bargain shops and other different ways to beat the crunch.

My target audience for this site will be women. I did originally think about also featuring mens fashion in my website, but then decided to make it solely about womens fashion. The age will be between 15- 25 as I will be basing my looks on style on what I know, and this is my peer age group. This site is not just for poor students, as the credit crunch is effecting everybody.

Welcome to Sam's Website Blog

This is blog has been created to run alongside the creation of my website, for my online assessment. I will use this blog to show the thoughts and reflections of my website and comment on my own work and others work I have seen.

This blog should give you a greater understanding of my website and the workings behind it. This is the first time I have designed and created a website, so it will also document the issues I will face.