COM350A – Web Publishing – Fall 2013

After looking back on this class this semester I must say that I did the impossible in my head and made a website! I think there are many things that I learned however the amount of information I retained varies. There was so much work and information that goes into coding that I am happy with the information that I have retained. I believe that I will certainly be able to use this in my future career interests. Hoping to work in the public relations world I believe these skills will allow me to help my clients create a suitable website as well as properly represent myself through a personal website. Understanding the different ways to create a responsive website for the different needs and publics is the most important thing I will take away from this class. Knowing the basics of HTML and CSS will take me very far in whatever field I end in. Not many people know the simple basics so I am happy I can say I do.

The rise and importance of technology in general is rising more and more in the world of media communications, which is most certainly impacting our careers. I never thought that there would be a day where I would gather my news through my phone rather than the tv or radio. I definitely think that web design and development will have some bearing on what I do professionally. For instance at my internship this past summer it was all based around social media websites and the renovation of MasterCard’s Newsroom website. They wanted their site to be more interactive which I have learned how to do after taking this class (well how to do the basics at least!). I believe that through the work and internship work I will take on in the future will be focused around the rise of technology and skills I have gained.

Having some knowledge in this area has certainly confirmed my interest in PR media interest and has also pushed me more into the marketing interest as well. I have always shared an interest in both but this class showed me in even more ways how PR and marketing connect and overlap even in the technology and coding world. I am happy that I will be walking away from this class with the basic skills and understanding of web publishing, both of which I know will help me pursue my career interest.

Web design was essentially exactly what I anticipated it to be, very interesting material but a little difficult to comprehend. The course title encapsulates everything taught in this course.  At its conclusion each student has learned the necessary and pertinent aspects of website design so they in turn can create their own fascinating and enticing websites.

In my opinion technology will continue to develop at breakneck speed. Thirty years from now our kids will sit back and laugh at the technology we are using today.  I would like to hypothesize on the future state of the Internet, although truthfully I doubt anyone truly knows what it will look like in years to come.  If there’s one thing this class has taught me its that the Internet is always changing and evolving, and will continue to do so for the rest of its existence.  If I was to hypothesize I would think that all technology will converge onto one device.  Computers, cell phones, television, anything will all become one and the Internet will rule all.  Cable television will merge with the Internet, streamlining the viewing experience for all.  I’m excited to see what will happen within the coming years.

The material learned in this course, I have no doubt, will come in use later in my career.  Although hopefully at that point everything I’ve learned wont be obsolete.  All in all web design is a very valuable skill to have some knowledge in and I’m very glad I took this class.

At the beginning of this semester, I was really excited to take this class. And looking back on it now, I realized I learned a lot when it comes to web design, coding and other topics in web development. When I started at the beginning I knew that websites had a basic HTML structure, and I knew there was something called CSS that I would often use to stylize my blog design on Blogger or other websites. But I didn’t know the difference between the two or the exact rules to follow. Coming out of this class, I better understand the reasoning behind HTML and CSS rules, the semantics and the syntax of them all. Putting together everything I learned, I think this class will be very useful in my future career.

While I’m unsure of my career path, I am leaning towards working in the creative field of communications, and I can see web design playing a role in what I do professionally. As a strategic communications major, I’ve seen how websites play a role in delivering an organization’s message and how the web can be used to strengthen a brand’s identity. The web is an evolving platform that contains a variety of media coming together in one place: images, graphics, video and more. It’s this content that makes up a brand’s online presence. It’s important to strengthen this presence through different strategic means as audiences are increasingly consuming information from online visual formats.

Web development and writing for the web has been a topic in many of my communications classes, and it’s interesting to see the overlap between classes. I think as communications professionals, knowledge of how the web works and how users receive information will be important to any communication professional not only designers but writers, strategists and others. I’ve learned that one of the most important things a brand can do to strengthen its online presence is to improve its website. It might sound obvious, but sometimes we think a brand could enhance its social media presence or do other things online. As controlled mediums by a company, a website is a credible source of key messages for a company’s audience. Websites are where people often look first to find out about a brand. When working for different clients or organizations, it’s important to see how they’re communicating online and to see how well they invest in their website as a tool for reaching their audience.

As I combine my interest in writing graphic design, and web design, I think it’s important to keep in my everything I learned across my classes. I hope to work for nonprofit organizations or perhaps in a creative agency. While it would be awesome to work in web design, I think I need more practice right now, and I’m looking forward to gaining more experience through other classes, online tutorials and some of my favorite blogs by freelance graphic and web designers.

I don’t think I could regurgitate all that I learned, nor do I want to. In essence, I can build a website and design it accordingly. I am comfortable doing that. Before coming into this class, I had no idea how. To me, that nicely encompasses my progress in this class.

This is completely applicable to my future. As a cinema major, I have been meaning to make a website for myself to showcase my films and photography. Now, I have the skills to build a website from scratch that will allow me to better promote my projects on the web.

Technology will constantly continue to impact and change my field, there is no doubt about it. The obvious fact is that the world of film and television revolves around technology. The mediums in which we view a movie or a TV show have grown tremendously in the past 10, even 5, years. From YouTube to iTunes, to the screen on your iPhone, the entirety of entertainment has shifted and adapted as we have adapted and changed technologically. I think that web design will become increasingly important in the film industry. Already, it is being used as a marketing tool for films subject for theatrical release. Already, it is being used as a way we watch our favorites movies and TV shows. Already, it is how new filmmakers and talent are being discovered.

Web design is and will always be a prevalent puzzle piece in the industry.  Thus, I hope to continue to hone my skills in web design so I can keep up with something so seemingly integral to the film industry. I think web design will only become more vital as the years pass, so I refuse to stop practicing and understanding it. This means I will continue to adjust and improve my website, monthly. I also hope to build other websites that may help me market myself and my work once I graduate Elon.