MAKING WEBSITES

A website is a body of information held on a server that is accessible to anybody with the right hardware. It is accessed by somebody summoning it up with a URL (Universal resource locator) In structure you should be containing all your html files and images in the one folder, NOT a gathering of inconstently named entities scattered all over your hard disk.

A website then is a folder which contains

1. a number of html pages (hyper-text mark up language)-------- the screens there is a code to indicate say a table, the place for an image

2. folder/s with jpegs at say 72 dpi and the size of the screen or bigger -

3. the raw material quicktime movies vrml panoramas etc see list in web manuals.

When someone sees a website e.g. http://www.shakercollection.com/ (a recent job I did for a collector of Qur'ans) they are viewing html coded pages that summon up the raw material - bear html generated text (quick loading)

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS,

How much of what is on screen is purely decorative ?

is this justified ?

If sections of the screen are animated what justifies this ?

After five sequences does your animation get annoying or tedious ?

Is the rationale of navigation clear ?

What sort of a map am I generating in the reader's head ?

How much information is on screen ?

How much is off the monitor (right, down) is this clearly evident ?

Indicate how distinct is your design as a screen based solution rather than a close correspondence to a book solution ?

In what way are you using the medium for its own characteristics rather than using it as a substitute for something else ?

Is letterform approriate to the task, or is it your default editorial solution from the printed page ?

Do I intend the mysterious or encyclopedic or both ?

Have I something to say ?

Think how you use the computer - what is your own image of yourself creating on the thing - the human computer interface?

How best can you build on your own strengths rather than surrender to something completely new ?

When someone off location views your work, what are really intending ?

USING FIREWORKS

This method of assembling a website allows you to position information on screen slice the designed surface into the appropriate discrete sections adjust alignment and interactivity for viewing on a browser.

Each characteristic could have a variable you did not intend - colour palette monitor fixings power of the computer modem phone line / broadband pc/mac.

So as you build websites and connect websites, test every contingency and don't be afraid to dictate to the viewer the ideal conditions of viewings -

e.g. close the browser bars and use internal navigation only - this is best viewed at 1024 x 768 monitor size advice to be patient.

GENERALLY ADVICE

1. Plan ahead as much as you can- but also leave space for the accidental and the big discovery.

2. Name your pictures and documents as economically and clearly as possible.

3. Keep a notebook of jpeg sizes, formats and names. Wherever possible develop your own storyboard and diagrams to explore navigation and flow. There is no shame in pre-planning.

4. Draw diagrams of the levels of folders in folders and understand it before embarking on Fireworks.

THE MECHANICAL BITS

1. OPEN FIREWORKS -

1.1 choose canvas size and colour

1.2 import your raw material and manipulate on screen

1.3 slicing tool, cut up the surface

1.4 go to Export Preview

1.5 adjust jpeg/gif format and check download time and picture quality

1.6 choose any extras - e.g. sharpen colour edges, progressive etc

1.7 export the slices to the image folder, and send the html page (only use three letters in the suffix - htm)

2. DREAMWEAVER

drag the htm page to the Dreamweaver application and proceed as required.

eg select all and centre the information

register/enter links go to page properties and

call the screen by a name,

select background image etc replace any one entity (a slice)

with a same size QT movie or whatever.

3. BROWSER.

then view the htm page in your Browser and adjust as required.