ADV 3650: Online Class for Week of April 6/7
Posted on | April 6, 2009 | 2 Comments
Hello CityTech ADV3650 students!
So here are the instructions for this week’s class. There are 4 important tasks you must accomplish before our next class (April 20/21).
- Set up a WordPress blog on your project site, and select/implement a WordPress Theme. See the instructions on a separate post. (This doesn’t need to exist as part of your final project.)
- Post a comment on an earlier blogpost I created titled “Post Affiliate Programs You Find Here“. List at least 2 affiliate programs you are planning to use on your site, or ones that you found interesting. Describe how each works.
- Download the quiz questions, and study for the test. Email me or post comments if you have any questions. I won’t give you the answers to the questions, but I will point you in the direction to find the answers. Perhaps your fellow classmates can help you figure it out with their comments
- Build your class project site. When we return to classes after Spring Break, everyone is expected to have their site built. I will be teaching you things that will build upon a completed site.
Have a great break!
Installing a WordPress Blog
Posted on | April 6, 2009 | No Comments
Login to the admin interface (cpanel for those whose host is Kionic). Scroll down and select “Site Software”.
Select “WordPress” under the blog category.
Rename the folder “blog” instead of the default “WordPress”. (I do this simply because the word “blog” is more generic, and search engines read urls.
For those who don’t have 1-click install on the server admin interface supplied by their internet service provider (host), download the software here:
http://wordpress.org/
And follow the installation instructions in the documentation:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page
A WordPress Theme is a design template created by generous individuals who donate the designs they create.
There are hundreds of themes to choose from on the WordPress website:
http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/
Review them, and when you have selected one, download it. It is easy to change your theme selection, so don’t be afraid to try a few out.
Themes change the appearance and interface of your blog but they don’t affect the backend. If you follow the simple steps for changing a theme, it is difficult to screw-up how WordPress functions. If you find a theme doesn’t work for you and you would like to try another, simply download, install, and select a different theme.
Download your chosen theme into the blog/wpcontent/themes folder. Unzip and upload to your site. Once it is uploaded, change the theme in the Dashboard under “Change Theme” or choose “Appearance” in the main nav along the left column of your Wordpress blog admin interface. This will take you to the “Manage Theme” page. Select the theme you’ve installed.
Click on “activate” in the top right hand corner of your selected theme.
To make custom design changes to the theme you’ve selected, use the “editor” in the “appearance” section (off the main navigation along the left column.) Be sure to first review the theme, looking for images and css font styles. Take it slowly, but don’t be afraid. The worst case scenario is you mess-up the original theme. To fix it, just save over theme with the original files, and your back to normal.
There are a number of concepts that you should focus on when considering how to best use a blog.
There are both “static” pages and “blogpost” pages.
The static pages, such as “About” or “Contact” are pages whose content doesn’t change very often, and when they are changed, the new content replaces the outdated content on your site.
Blogpost pages are your articles, thoughts, and writings that do not get updated. They are time/date stamped and represent the ideas at that time. They are often open for comments by your audience, although you can turn off this feature, or filter what comments you want to allow. If you find something that is incorrect in the original post, the common procedure is to add to the original post clarifying the correction, but at times, leaving the original misinformation there so viewer understand that the information wasn’t originally accurate. This, of course, is done at your own discretion.
Then there are “categories” and “tags”.
Categories can be thought of as a directory of information. They function much like a navigation system that organizes the topics of your writing for readers to easily follow.
Tags are like keywords. They highlight some of the main concepts that are covered in your blogpost.
There are some plugins I would recommend that you install to make your blog experience more fulfilling.
- Askimet is a plugin that acts as a spam filter. A definite must.
- WordPress Automatic Upgrade makes upgrading your blog to the latest version very easy.
- Google Analytics for WordPress will track and analyze traffic to your site.
Join the ADGA Facebook Group
Posted on | March 25, 2009 | No Comments
Professor Davis and I have started a Facebook Group for the students of ADGA. This will give you the opportunity to contact fellow students, faculty, and find opportunities. We encourage prospective students, as well as companies who are looking to hire, to join the group, and learn more about the people who contribute to our very creatively active department at CityTech. Follow the link below, to find it on Facebook.
Tags: CityTech > CUNY > design faculty > design opportunities > design students > facebook > graphic design > social networking > web design
Advanced Web Design Students: Please come prepared to work next class
Posted on | March 7, 2009 | No Comments
Please come prepared to work next class. We will spend part of the class working on your assignment. I will visit each student to review your progress.
Layout of Article (you choose from the web).
The assignment should be a full article, with pictures, and captions. You should be creative with your design and layout. I expect you to have chosen the article by next class, and begun the design process. Photoshop/Illustrator files appropriate during this phase.
Feel free to post questions here, or email me.
Recipients of the Kionic Web Design Awards, Fall 2008
Posted on | February 10, 2009 | No Comments
Congratulations to the recipients of the Kionic Scholarship awards, Fall 2008.
The Kionic Award for Most Promising New Web Designer, Fall 2008 goes to Rebeca Collazo.
The Kionic Award for Best Web Site, Fall 2008 goes to Yin Sham.
http://www.donsham.com/tak/index.php
Tags: web design > web design award > winners