Building the front page

I did a very pleasing few hours work this morning on my new journalism news site.

I'm building the front page up, experimenting with layout, tables, nested tables etc.

I also used Photoshop to reduce the size of some pix and then insert them into a nested page. I also referred to a book called Dreamweaver: The Missing Manual by David Sawyer McFarland which I found very useful indeed.

Once I have the front page complete I will set up links and then use the template I've set up to place text on the page.

When this happens I can see the strengths and weaknesses of the site and really road test it.

If I can keep on chugging away, learning small things every day, I will become adept at Dreamweaver soon and I will have built a news site that will rival most - that's the dream, distant though it may be now. Still got a lot to learn, but I'm having fun doing it.

Things to understand: the Image Placeholder; locking the size of tables; ensuring that I don't have to keep altering the text style each time I type something...amongst other things.

Uploading video

I had the day off work today so I spent the afternoon playing with my new camcorder and making the first attempts at inserting a Flash video file onto my Startree music site.

I couldn't quite crack how to change a Flash document into a video file but it's only a matter of time before I do.

Thereafter I will begin to upload videos onto YouTube and my journalsim site and begin to feel that I'm catching up with the world.

I was very pleased with my attempts to do today's task. I was very patient which was good because I must admit that I was beginning to have a block on Flash, not relishing it at all.

But, for the first time in a few months I played with it so that feels like progress. From now I'm going to work on it as I did with Photoshop this time last year. Hopefully the same kind of enjoyment and rewards will now follow!

Front page story

I'm solidiering on with my latest site.

The basic look of the index page is settled. I'm currently experimenting with how to present the news/features text on the page.

Should I keep it simple like The Sunday Times - small pix and minimal text?

Or should I go for a Daily Mail/BBC News Front Page look - big pix, bold blue headlines?

We shall see. I quite like the idea of keeping the front page editable region completely free of structure so I can play within that zone and vary the style to suit the content.

Anyway, early days. It's fun playing with these issues.

Templates and feedback

I'm making progress with my journalism site. I had some feedback to my first draft front page from my mates Ben and Fred (see All In The Words link).

They both said there were too many ads. Fred said I needed to concentrate on the content and see how it appears before I concentrate on too much else.

Consequently I've slashed the number of ads and the size of the site.

Tonight I spent a long time, too long, working out how to make my templates work.

Still, I learnt a lot, though I have a long way to go.

One interesting conundrum I'm going to have to work out is how to template adverts on a page.

I can now see why most journalism sites are not ad heavy because they can be troublesome!

Anyway, it's a journey of learning this and I'm questing along very well.

Next week I'll be looking to ad film to my music site and really make my journalism site become functional.

Progress

Work on my journalism site is flowing. I spent five hours playing with the look of it on Saturday and another two last night, trying to complete the front page for template purposes.

My main issue at the moment is how to fill the content section, where the news/features would be. I haven't got any problem with the content itself, just the look of the front page.

The question is do I leave it a completely bare editable region or should I impose structure within it?

At the moment I think leave it bare because that offers maximum scope.

I'm also considering whether to have a Flash/timeline element to the front page. Eventually, yes, but for now, to move things on I think I'll keep things static with the exception of an RSS feed.

The site is growing rapidly and I'll be able to fill it substantially soon with examples of my journalism over the last few years.

Once that's done I can test out a search engine for the site, this will, like adding an RSS feed, be another new skill for me.

I'm enjoying this process a lot and I'm delighted with the progress I'm making. I was hoping to put a fully functioning site up by the end of August but, at my current rate of knots, it will be well before that.

Of course the first version will be bare and flawed but this site will grow organically over the months into something really good.

All this is heartening particularly after the slow progress I've made in the past. All that hard work is paying off and has made this project much speedier.

All In The Words

Work on my new, advanced journalism website is well under way. I'm aiming to produce a site that can stand aside those of the finest produced by regional papers.

I've already set up a demo front page which, when finalised, will be templated to make life easier, it's flowing nicely at the moment.

I'm learning a lot in the process. For example I used to have awful trouble with tables but now I've befriended rows and columns and, to my relief, they're doing what I tell them!

There's so many things to consider when assembling this site; from character size and font to the size of the site name and where to place search engines and adverts. The good news is I'm well on my way.

My project has gathered extra momentum courtesy of my great friend Fred Brenton (otherwise known as The Canton Ranter!)

Fred has just started a new business, All In The Words, a company that specialises in web writing, training and consultancy services (see links).

Fred and I had a marvellous two hour chat last night about the ins and outs of strong, clear web design. We decided to meet in early August and spend a day sharing our knowledge. It should be good. I'll be able to help Fred with my albeit limited knowledge of design, Fred will help me with layout, web writing and all round usability.

I'm excited about this because as we spoke last night a number of lights switched on in my mind.

For example I suddenly realised how to title a web page so that when it appears on the screen the hideous "Untitled Document" message does not appear. It's a simple task this but, you know, sometimes one doesn't notice the obvious, it takes collaboration to open the eyes.

Fred also gave me excellent tips on how to maximise my existing sites' chances of appearing at the top of a Google search. (A timely tip let me tell you!)

I'm determined to produce a workable journalism site by the end of August. It will be one that can display film, adverts, sound and pix. A site that presents news and features in an ultra accessible way.

Fred's going to advise me, offering a golden second opinion on my work in progress. And you know what? It's gonna be marvellous!

(When I said goodbye to Fred last night, at 1.30am, the first thing I did was title all my Untitled Documents on both my freelance and Startree site. That's inspiration for you! I've got a real spring in my step this morn. Slowly but surely my mediocre efforts are being banished, it's time to produce work to compare with the best of 'em!)

Follow that dream!

Now that my freelance and music sites are rocks from which to roll it's time to set new, bigger and bolder targets if my dreams are to become reality.

Got to keep movin' an' improvin'!

This is what I must do by the end of August.

1. Set up a workable journalism site (work on this has begun). The site must be ad and video friendly. I don't think this is beyond my learning. The site must be able to incorporate ads that are made in Flash.

2. Add video to my Startree site (and to YouTube too).

3. Return to InDesign. I must produce a five or seven page demo publication by the end of August. This publication must be modelled on my favourite newspaper and magazines, either The Independent or Sky mag. Why? Because they are the best.

4. Bonus job: if time permits I would like to produce a good quality podcast or two.

If I can do the above my work prospects and confidence in Dreamweaver and InDesign will rise significantly.

It's no good me just focussing on being an excellent writer and interviewer, not in today's climate.

Video progress

I had a productive night on Friday. I managed, for the first time, to view some basic camcorder clips on my screen courtesy of Quick Time Player.

I then placed them in a Dreamweaver page and everything worked well.

All I have to do now is reduce the size of said clips and put three filmed performances of me singing my songs onto both YouTube and my Startree site.

In truth the above wasn't difficult. Thing is though, successfully downloading video onto a webpage is something I've wanted to do for a while it's just I've never had the proper technology.

It's progress.

Making the grade

Well I passed my Photoshop project which is good. I got a C grade which, if I'm honest, I was a touch disappointed with initially.

On reflection, though, I think this is a fair mark. My essays were wishy washy, not specific enough and my hard copy project was rather bare.

I also think the C grade I got for my Dreamweaver project was kind and generous to say the least so these things even themselves out in the wash.

So no complaints.

I think my music site will only get better from now on. One day I will put up a site as good as my faves, the Duffy one mentioned below and this one too: www.theblowmonkeys.com

It's just a matter of time.

Adding video

Learning web design is a costly but ultimately pleasurable pursuit.

Earlier this week I received the last piece of hardware I'll be buying for a good while in connection with my latest hobby, a digital camcorder.

It cost me £200 from Amazon, which isn't too bad. I bought the one above because it had seven (out of seven) five star reviews, it's also small and has stereo sound.

I bought this equipment for two music and work-related reasons.

Firstly, I want to add music videos to my Startree site (and YouTube too).

Also, from a journalistic point of view, it's imperative I'm au fait with downloading videos onto websites asap.

Tonight I'm Mr Patience as I wade through the camcorder's instructions.

Hopefully I'll be up and rolling, strumming and downloading, by the week's end.

Compact and bijou

I uploaded a new, leaner more accessible version of my music site today (www.startree.co.uk).

I put rollovers at the top of each page and then put each photoshop image in a table below. This meant I could center each page as I have with my freelance site.

Barring a few minor issues to sort out, it's a much better version of my previous efforts. A rock from which to roll!

I'll upload it onto the creative web homepage in the next few days.

A beautiful eureka moment - introducing rollovers!

One of the faults of my Startree Photoshop project is the fact that the links should really be rollovers.

The site - which for a first attempts is good - should also be more compact. I also need to strive to remove the air of understandable amateurism of the pages.

Well today I had a brainwave that should remedy all these faults in one go.

I thought what would happen if, using the Page Properties Dreamweaver facility, I utilised the background image button and placed my Startree image on the page?

If my inkling was correct I would be able to apply text-containing tables, with rollover links, on top of the Startree image.

I had a mini experiment with this just now and guess what?

It's looking good pop pickers!

Now, credit where credit's due.

Deep in my subconsicious I remembered the Duffy website which I looked at while debating how to make my own.

Her site has rollover buttons on the top of the page with an image of Duffy below on the left hand side of the page. On the right hand side of the page is a YouTube size space.

It's a simple and impressive site which mixes Dreamweaver, Photoshop, film and sound and I think I've been partly inspired by it. I'd certainly love to produce something as polished as Duffy's domain soon.

It's a site that's well worth a look: http://www.iamduffy.com/index2.html

Thank you, Duffy and your delightful designers!

News(on)flash

I've decided to abandon hopes of completing the Flash course. But it's nothing to be sorry or ashamed about.

The reason for this decision is simple and twofold: Firstly, I put a hell of a lot into my exceedingly rewarding Photoshop project.

Secondly, I've been working on a lot of freelance features so the time and space I needed for Flash was never there.

I have to be honest, when I handed in my Photoshop project I was joyed and relieved - and bloody knackered too!

But no matter. The good news is I'm more optimistic about my humble design aspirations than I have been for a long time.

I will potter around on Flash over the next few months and do the course again next year. It's something to look forward to.

In the meantime the foundations I have laid in InDesign, Dreamweaver and Photoshop will now come to the fore.

In the months ahead I'm going to build on my freelance and music sites, meanwhile work on a new, more ambitious journalism-related site began today.

Soon I will be able to do all the things I wanted to do when I set out on my design learning odyssey.

In fact you know what?

It's gonna be fun.

And it's gonna be good!