The way I learn the things I want to know, for example… making my own website, I do searches in Google and look at other peoples’ websites, see what they’re doing and how they’re doing it, look through their resources and how they came up with what they came up with then form my own way of it all. I also search Deviantart for stock I can use if I need it.
Some of these websites I find, I bookmark them on my internet browser so I’ll be able to refer back to them whenever I need. Here are some examples of websites I go to, look at, get inspiration from, use tutorials at an so on:
These are some of the types of websites I’ve been going to since I became very interested in Web Design, they’ve taught me how to do so much and how to make my website different from others’ websites.
I’m in the process right now of designing and coding my own personal website so as soon as I’m able to buy hosting and my own domain, all I need to do is upload the files.
I’ve recently gotten into Digital Scrapping. When I first heard about digital scrapping, I thought it was just mainly like normal scrapping where you put together a scrapbook of fun things. Well, after looking into it further, I noticed there are people that make scrapping pieces for whatever use you need. In my case, I download scrapping kits or separate pieces and use them for my own personal website usage. Example, I download various pieces and used them to make my layout design for my website. Of course, after I get closer to being finished with making my layout, I’m going to make a whole page of references of places I’ve gotten all of these scrapping pieces, tutorials, graphics and so on from since I didn’t make them myself.
Here’s a group on Deviantart that I watch to get some scrapping supplies: Scrabook Hub. They have a lot of different designers’ scrappings all in one easily accessable place where you can click on different categories and different artists’ scrappings and download them to use if you wish. Of course, not all of them are free but then again, a lot are; you just have to weed through them.
I also use Facebook to keep up with my contacts I’ve made over the years, I consider that place to be another PLE of mine. Twitter as well… I love Twitter and can keep up with friends, school-mates, famous people, bands, local happenings, deals and discounts and so much more. It;s a really great social networking tool that I use to hate but now am addicted to!
My cell phone comes in handy a lot as well… I’ve downloaded so many apps so I can keep up with things while I’m on-the-go… and trust me, I’m on the go-a-lot since I’m basically living in three different places right now. I use my Macbook Pro and ave a USB internet connection device through AT&T so I have my mobile internet other than just my mobile phone. I can take my laptop anywhere I please and get online using my laptop as long as there’s decent service.
I learn the best when I’m on a computer and am finding things out for myself, researching if you will (lol). I’ve been finding information out and teaching myself a lot of things relating to Web Design since I was about 14 years old this way and I’ve found it to be very, very successful. Although, there are times when it is/would be helpful to be told how to do something and learn further than what I already know… (tis why I’m attending The Art Institute of Dallas, lol).
I’ve also noticed I do better at computer classes where we mess with html/css, Photoshop and I don’t do so well in classes where I have to learn by using paper and pencil or in classes I have no interest in (*cough*math and drawing*cough*). I really wish there were a way to get this degree without having to take drawing or math courses; I love, love, love, loooooooove web design and that’s what I want to further myself in!
I’ve also learned of new websites here in IMD Fund class that help with the bookmarking process (My Delicious) and also to keep all tools and social networkings in one place as well (My Netvibes). Anthough I find these tools very useful, I don’t see myself using them too often if even at all.. not for right now anyway. I’m most likely going to be sticking with the way I’ve always kept track of everything (as mentioned with the bookmarking on my laptop above) because 1) I’m use to doing it that way and 2) it’s been working pretty well thus far. Then again, my “old ways” could become a disadvantage to me at some point – what if my laptop messes up somehow and I can never recover all of my saved bookmarks? This is one thing to think about.
Blogging has become accustomed to me as well; it’s something I’ve done since I first started using the computer/internet. The very first “journal” I kept was on Kiwibox.com, this was back when I was about 12 or 13 years old; this website has (in my opinion) changed for the worst and is nothing at all how it use to be. I have met some of the most wonderful people through journal-keeping through Kiwibox over long, long years ago and I still talk to them today… some I have met and some I haven’t. One of my best friends today I met through that website and a few months after we began talking, the website flopped and completely changed and neither of us use it at all anymore. Kiwibox was the place where my love for web design began – it uses (or it use to anyway back when I was on the website) BBCode and I use to make journal layouts all the time as well as things that use to be popular in Kiwibox journals known as “tags”. It’s also a place I would keep a daily journal as to what all happened that day as well as my thoughts and so on. To me, it’s really sad seeing this website the way it is now…
Brittini's Class Blog. 