My brother is an engineer. He has that amazing kind of brain that tells him exactly what’s wrong with a piece of technology and how to fix it. I think that he thinks in parallel to how computers do. He can whip up a song mashup with a program that he coded in less than five minutes, and he always seems to know how to use an app the first time he opens it. It’s fascinating, really. I, on the other hand, am no engineer. My technology knowledge is limited to the social media apps I use and to gmail. Extending beyond those often results in confusion and frustration, because I just don’t think like technology thinks. I am always two steps behind. I like to focus on creativity and interactions, not logic and C++. That’s why when I learned we would be responsible for creating our own website, I was nervous. I had made one website in the past, and its design was lacking. Too frustrated to explore the world of site design, I had sort of thrown all of my assignments up into arbitrary tabs on the site and called it a day. But that wouldn’t cut it in this case. This ePortfolio would have to be clean, user-friendly, and it would have to represent who I am in this class and out of it. It was no small feat.

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Being the go-getter student that I am, I started working on my ePortfolio right away, researching web design sites and finding inspiration in others’ past ePortfolios. When it came time to begin my own site, I decided to use Wix, as it offered gorgeous pre-made designs while also giving me the freedom to create how I liked. Then I spent hours customizing a design that represents me and my experiment with clean lines, blue accents, and simple, bold fonts.

Despite Wix’s functionality and user-friendliness, it was not easy for me to understand how to create the best website I could make. I knew that it would take time to become accustomed to Wix, and due to the extended nature of this assignment, I needed to set aside time each day to familiarize myself with it. So I made a plan. Every Tuesday and Thursday I got to the classroom an hour early to work on my website. In the context of the gateway class, I was able to focus on the juxtaposition of a challenging website design, the passion of my projects, and the explorative essence of the class to make an ePortfolio that represents everything this semester has taught me to become. Those two hours before class each week were vital to my growth. I started as a website design novice, terrified of the prospect of creating a whole website, but as I spent more time exploring Wix, my experiments, and myself, my fear dissipated.

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I was surprised when about halfway through the semester I found myself looking forward to those early mornings in the classroom. I came to enjoy the freedom I had to when it came to the creation of my very own website. What I’m proudest of is how I was able to teach myself the ins and outs of website design to make a site that represents who I am, even though I started with very little understanding. If I were to create my gateway website again, I would remember that one of my strengths is my persistence when it comes to learning new things. With time, determination, and a vision, I can do anything! Well, I can create a website, that is.

 

After engaging with my ePortfolio, hopefully visitors will get a sense of this newfound technological confidence I have, along with an understanding of who I am as a writer. I think that this comes through especially in how I present my experiments on my gateway site. When writing my experiments, I did my best to demonstrate a kind and caring tone, as helping others is my passion and I was able to weave this into my writing this semester. I also used a blue theme for a feeling of calmness and support. Another aspect of my experiments that I have worked to make evident in my site is the hard work I have put into the writing. To do this, I separated each part of my experiment to different pages on the ePortfolio. I think that this not only demonstrates the time and effort I have devoted to the experiments, but also makes the site user friendly for any potential visitor, especially the ones that might not be familiar with the setup of this minor program.

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I am still not an engineer by any means. I am not even an expert website designer. But I did it! I designed a website full of my experiments, my project, my pictures, and parts of myself. Hopefully, visitors can view my page and explore with ease and pleasure. One may not immediately see or know just how much work is put into the design of a website, especially for technologically impaired users such as myself. It takes hours to adjust and perfect each part of each page, but ultimately, the end product should be straightforward. And not just that, the product should be a culmination of hard work, passion, and writing. My hard work, my passion, and my writing. I did it! How cool is that?