Code Academy - Learning how to create websites

From Rediscovering last, year I found that I wanted to learn more digital skills, the reason for this is because I discovered that I was important to have a wide skill set range even if some areas are not your area if interest. This year I’ve also wanted to create my own website and also, I’ve had clients ask me. So because of this I decided to take time on learning coding. I did this by using code academy and word press.

Code Academy is an education company. But not one in the way you might think. They are commited to building the best learning experiance inside and out, making Codeacadmey the best place to learn, teach and create online learning exerpiance of the future.

Codeing is not easy, however once you start to learn it get easier, this is something that i will continue to learn and expand on during my career. So far I have learnt, how to make buttons, change colours of moving text, change the name of text, and shape, I've also adapted my skills into websites below is an image of when I first started codeing, learning the basics. 

The first website I design i ever created was for a project in school and it's embarssing to show however it shows how i've progressed using codeing skills. 

Horrific you can say the least, but at the time I was incredibly happy with myself, not for the design aspects, as the design aspects were horrifc,it was more to do with being able to create button's you can click on and be interactive with, I found great trouble in learning how to create interactive buttons so when I cracked it when I was younger I was very proud and pleased with myself, I may not have had the design skills at the time but, I was learning the technical mechanics behind it all. Learning the technical parts, will also open job oppertunities and help make my job search wider.

For over the past three years at univeristy I have being working heavily on websites and even created sites for clients and currently still working on sites for clients and will always be. The images below are of My Self Branding sites, & concepts. 

Self branding Live site

https://www.evedesign.org

Current Design Projects 

   Client Website 

As you can see from the first website I ever designed i have learnt a lot in terms of design, and intereactivity. Main thing I have learnt when it comes to codeing is that it's important to take your time and not rush as it's worth the wait and the more time you take to learn more knowledge you will take in, which will benefit in the future. Learning codeing has been incredibly difficult and also fun at the same time, I like a challange and I did want to learn how to be more digitial in my practice, codeing is something that I will continue to take with me in to the future and adapt even more as times goes on. 

The next phase of intereaction design I want to get myself involved with is Motion Graphics, which is something I've also experimented with in more recent projects using After effects, from learning codeing i've been able to transfer skills from manipulating text into motion graphics, I've always wanted to create moving type so creating this project has really given me a chance to experiement. This is something that is continueing to be an on going project. 

Further Details Of projects on this blog post will be placed on there individual blog posts

Design studios

Studio Visit - No Brand 

After Emailng No Brand Screen Printing Studio in Leeds, I was invited to go in and have a look round and chat with Joe. When I arrived, they actually forgot I was coming and it was very busiy and only a small studio, but I was just happy to be invited round, and i just watched and shadowed Joe screenprinting. Throughout the past three years, I've found it difficult to actually be able to go into a buisness and get involved with print due to not getting reply's, however Joe was the first person to reply, so I was not going to say no and I was not dissappointed. They had a smooth running proccess and everyone had different section in order, to get prints out on time for custmers. No brand started out from a bedroom and more recently became it's own studio. 

Since Visiting No brand, I have been invited back since, and will be going back next time to have a casual interview with one of the members. 

Studios that I am interesting in for typography/branding and traditional print 

Duke Studios 



Rabbit Hole 



Something more 

Digital or Traditional design - Website

DIGITAL OR TRADITIONAL DESIGN 

This project has been an ongoing project since first year of university, the idea of this project was to create a forum in which, tradtional print enthusaists can post there work immediately to forum where indusrty would be,comment, get feedback and network. 

The website can only consist of work created using the following mediums, monoprint, screen pirint, letterpress, lithography, and foiling. 

Why? Why not

Looking through the internet, everything is so digital and it's depressing, the industry has took a huge step back and everything is turning digital. However from a recent talk with Abraham from the pop up agency he said,' Don't be scared to take bold moves, in an industry so narrow minded'. When he came in to chat to are Level 6 Graphics group as one of the tasks we had to write a random idea down on paper for a buisness and pass it round are group to expand on it. I wrote this idea down. From passing round the paper, it was suprising to learn how many people actually appreciated the idea, and gave me confidents in my work. Expansion ideas such as, an exhibition for peoples work was suggested, and collaboration in order to build the website was advised. 

Since this advice was gathered, I've been working non - stop in order to start to take this idea seriously, I've been preparing proposals, and a presentation to sell the idea to ' The print room' in berlin where I will be joined by Mark a website designer who helped me in a previous project. 

This project has gone from just being an idea and procastinating about it, because I didn't have enough confidents to persue that idea, to possibly becoming a buisness and it's one of the things which i'm incredibly proud of pushing the boundries for this year. 

Post cards

Concept: 

Brief: Produce a series of postcards, using at least two other medias other than digital reflecting your home town 

Things to consider: reproduction, audiance, expense, legibility, 

Research For this project was carried out into, photomontage, collage, scangography, screenpritning, and photomanipulation.

My home town is a small village, boutique style, these postcards would be one of a kind and made by hand. Experimentation includes, photomontage, scanography & monoprinting. The reason for this is to stick with traditional methods of creating imagery to link with a traditional themed village. 

The print from on the mood boards, are made from transferable patterns and mono - print 

Why were these post cards made? 

Yarm (Home), has started to become more commercial and these postcards, are meant to give a sense of the old yarm as a memory, of something sentimental.

Summerising

This project I have really enjoyed due to the work method which I took, as I was working with my hands and it's the first time i've been able to use the process I used to use before univeristy.  I think that these postcards work well due to the humbleness and boutique look to them which links directly with Yarm itself. If I were to do these again I would be more colourful and use other methods such as letterpress.

PRINT COLLECTIONS

PRINT COLLECTIONS

People of print  People of print: People of print, are a tridtional printing company who pride themselfs, preducing luxury magazines, which contain, interviews, articles, analysis, and many more woudnerful insights. They release a quartley magazine, in which i buy everytime they come out. The magazines are made from screen printing and other traditional printing methods. During research Into my dissertation and practical I found most of my influences were from books, magazines rather than websites as most things online, are about digital printing. 

People of print are a huge inspiration in the world of print, on a visit to york a few weeks ago there was a print festival and I had the oppertunity to talk to (have a brief interview) with Marcroy Smith (Founder) himself; 

How did you select content for your first issue?

'The first issue happened very quickly and we already had a whole bank of amazing content that we were yet to put into a magazine. It’s a huge mash-up of everything that we love. There was a heavy focus on getting a lot of information out there, showcasing a wide selection of how print can be used, rather than having a theme and longer articles. This is something we will move towards as we find our feet in the publishing world.'.

What advice would you give to someone about to launch a magazine? 

• Budget correctly then add 50% to be sure.
• Find a printer that will work with your project and get involved on a creative level.
• Make sure that you love what you’re doing, because it takes more time than you think and you need to care about it.
• Find a way to make it happen.

DOUBLE DAGGER MAGAZINE 

On my Adventures around Leeds I've also picked up a double dagger magazine from Visiting Colours May Very for an exhibition. Double Dagger is a magazine that treats printed matter and the process of print with ardent dedication and an almost evangelical passion. Founded by two printers in Shipley and Whittington, it is made entirely by hand using letterpress printing 

Leeds Print festival

Collections from leeds print fesrtival Celebrating traditional and contemporary printprocess through type and image. The print bonanza known as Leeds Print Festival 2017 takes place at Leeds College of Music and Colours May Vary and has a programme of exhibitions, talks, and performances covering all print disciplines.