NEW MEDIA PRODUCTION

What impact did this course have on my journey?

My first class for my Emerging media master’s degree was in new media production, and I had no idea what to expect. My only previous experience with web design was with Wix and Website Builders, so writing html, CSS, and Java Script code was like learning a new language to me. I struggled at first to understand how to think like a coder, but after using Free Code Camp and watching tutorials, by the time we got to the bootcamp project, I was confident in my ability to code a proper website. Aside from learning how to code, my first two projects were focused on developing a style and content for my personal portfolio page. Although it may not appear to be a significant change, much effort went into developing a color theme, logo, title, and a working resume that would be embedded on the webpage. When our class arrived at bootcamp, my portfolio really began to take shape, and I was able to incorporate all of the content I had begun to accumulate.

Moving to WordPress altered my entire perspective on website development because it was so similar to what I had grown accustomed to in my previous experience. Although I still want to use my arrow keys to move images to the left or right, I’ve grown accustomed to the constraints imposed by WordPress.

One thing I’ve noticed about school projects is that when we turn them in, they look like a first draft in the professional world. Yes, we spent time correcting and adjusting, but you can’t really make adjustments and the changes needed to elevate the finished product until you put pencils down, take a step back, and have critiques. This was true for my personal portfolio because, while my first pass appeared to be finished, there were still many changes that needed to be made to give it a more polished appearance. I’m confident that my public EM portfolio will evolve in the same way, and that by the end of my second Emerging Media class, it will look and feel much more refined.