Read this quick guide for tips, brainstorming prompts, etc.
Refer to the Project One Prompt for specifics.
Feel free to write in this file and mess it up - that's why it's here!
index.html will be your home page HTML file. Write your HTML there.
css/style.css is your main CSS stylesheet. Write your CSS there.
assets is a blank folder for your assets, such as images or fonts you may wish to include. Put your assets here, and figure out how to link them.
That's all! Use the Project Prompt and the rest of this guide for tips with the project!
Content comes in the form of text, audio, video, and photos. However, text will always be your weapon-of-choice on the web. Refer to the Project Prompt and think about what kind of text you'll need to produce.
TIP: For images, it's optional, but a nice photo of yourself goes a long way.
TIP: Audio and video are usually not necessary for these kinds of sites.
Branding is an entire subject on its own, but for now, let's keep it very simple.
What mood are you going for with your site? How are you trying to represent yourself, and to what audience?
- feminine, masculine, neutral?
- casual, serious?
- verbose, terse?
- informal, formal?
- nontechnical, technical?
- colorful, monotone?
TIP: For a web portfolio, our audience is generally going to be the same: potential employers, professional connections, and coworkers. Keep this in mind as you proceed.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Use photos to add personality and color to your site.
There are tons of free image repositories available online. Peruse some of them to find great images for your site. Or, if your phone is capable, try snapping a beautiful photo yourself!
Here's where you can find more. Hehe.
If you take your own photo, you can host it here.
TIP: Using too many photos as part of your main layout is a beginner mistake. Use it in moderation.
Google Webfonts is an insanely popular choice for getting free, web-optimized fonts. They have a beautiful selection!
TIP: One font for paragraphs, one font for headings. Maybe one more for special purposes. That's it. If you feel the urge to spice up your design with more fonts, it's an indication that your design is lacking elsewhere.
There is this idea that copying other websites is somehow creatively dishonest. This is only true if you copy it exactly and claim that it's your work. Don't be afraid to draw inspiration from tons of sources, whether its other sites, business cards, billboards, anything! After all:
Good artists copy, great artists steal. - Pablo Picasso
We can't help you if you don't ask for it. Do your best to read manuals, scour documentation, and google the crap out of things, but if you can't solve it on your own - ask.
Like all documents in this group, this document is work in progress. Please give feedback to Kevin if you think it can be improved or fixed in some way. ;)