Summary
Nowadays every person, company, and idea has a website, so how does someone go about making their own? For this project I sought to explore the world of web design and to specifically learn how to use a Content Management System, like Wix or Squarespace, to build a memorable website.
Goals
Originally I wanted to go into this project building everything from scratch. That meant hand-written HTML, using CSS to style everything, and potentially using JavaScript to program some functionality. Unfortunately, I saw how busy I was at the time and decided it was best to explore the world of CMS websites.
Wireframe
To start with ideation I needed some information to go off of. After deciding to use Wix, I looked at the blank templates on the site that were just a layout with no content. Those were my base for inspiration, and on top of those I would eventually build.
I sketched out ideas for what a page could look like, as well as the kinds of pages I wanted to build. While only three web pages were required, I was hopeful of being able to make more.
Wix Build
Building the page was expectedly easy. Wix runs on a modular system, making each element easy to drag, drop, and resize as needed. The difficult part was letting go of my need to make everything perfect.
I started by getting the basic layout down and finished. Without a solid foundation, no design will ever work.
After the layout, I wanted to figure out the typefaces, as that was the part I had the most control over. No matter what I did to the site, these typefaces would (mostly) be the same.
During this, I also played around with images, to make sure my choices for both would thematically fit together.
Final
https://crystalcrowedesign.wixsite.com/potions-class
Knowledge Gained
Aside from the obvious of building a website, I learned how to use Wix specifically. I didn't just drag and drop content, I learned features of the site that I didn't use for this project. The forms that can be filled out and the shop add-on are the two that stick out the most.
In addition, just learning to let go of the control I have. Web development has similarities to print, but it has so much less control. Learning to be okay with the fact that the website will be a little different is the biggest skill I learned with this project.
