Webs by Kenlyn

The Internet Projects

Introduction

I started going to MPTC in January of 2007 and started my internship in my last semester in September of 2009. Seeing as I'm currenly enrolled in this class, my project list is pretty small. Keep checking back here, though, for updates and more sites to take a look at!

Project Websites

• DanWeberHomes.com: This is a site I made for Dan, a realtor for Shorewest here in West Bend. It will be completely finished very soon, as I'm still working out a few bugs in the layout with the buttons. Update: This site is now finished! Dan has taken complete control of it for himself and has already updated his own content, even changed the background color on his own. I'm proud to say that he likes it a lot.
• Riveredge Nature Center: The Riveredge Nature Center in Newburg, WI, was my next client in this internship. This is a non-profit nature and educational center, which teaches all sorts of nature related programs in schools and on its own land. They have a contract through a web development firm already, so all they wanted me to do was spruce up the main content areas on all pages and give them a more uniform look, as well as make some buttons and graphics for them, ONLY. Please keep in mind that I did not create the overall layout for this website, and that these pages are always changing as I update them and create more graphics and pictures. Update: This internship has turned into a complete volunteer position and will continue even after my internship class is over!
• The Youth and Family Project, Inc.: This is a website redesign that I have done for The Youth and Family Project here in Washington County, Wisconsin. The site is meant to look like their current brochures with rounded corners and include the organizations colors of dark blue and ice blue. I designed the layout myself, given the shapes and colors that were needed.

 

Reflection Statement

When I started the Web Developer Program classes at MPTC I knew pretty much nothing about making websites. I only knew that I loved to create things and that I loved looking at different websites and wonder how they were run, how they were made. Since starting classes, I have learned those things, and I believe I've learned what it is I'd like to do for a job for the rest of my working life! What I've learned has been demanding and hard, yet amazing and fun. Making a beautiful website out of a blank page in Notepad2 and Photoshop is both challenging and exciting. Being happy with what I can make is even harder, but I'm very sure that with more practice and more work, I can be happy with anything I make.

During my time at MPTC I have been expected to make a few websites, as well as creating images and ads, coding JavaScript and PHP, and to work with others as a team. Coding JavaScript and PHP came harder to me than any of the other projects I was to do for the classes for this program. Creating websites and images are most definitely easier for me than coding. The amount of questions I had to have answered by either teachers or fellow students in the coding classes was much higher than for my other courses. For some reason, though, coding HTML, XHTML and CSS is much easier than the other coding languages I have learned. I have been proud of myself for being able to open Notepad2 and create a website on the fly without any other tool, other than my text book to answer any questions I might have. I think my coding skills will always be a sore spot with me, but I do hope to continue learning and using them.

I'm very glad to have taken the courses I did during this Web Developer Program, from Photoshop to JavaScript. All of the skills learned in this program will help me make better web pages and websites, not to mention finding a job doing just that. I have learned how to make a few different kinds of websites, either through Notepad2 or even through Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as different kinds of websites, from Intranet to Internet pages. With these skills I will be able to find a job in many different kinds of places. Businesses could hire me to work on both their internal pages as well as their external pages, which is an important skill to have. This website, especially the portfolio and resume pages, will prove my skill to future employers and help me obtain a job in the web design area.

However, if I could go back and change one thing, I would increase my time management skills during the Internship class. Due to unforseen client complications, this is the second time I have had to take this class. I do hope that this time the class will go off without a hitch and I will graduate by the winter!

Take a look at my Blog to find more relections on my work!