When a man does not know what harbor he is making for,
no wind is the right wind.
[Seneca]

I produced my first web-site design over a decade ago. At the time, I’d never seen the internet but I’d taught myself the basics of writing HTML. I started with a goal-and-objectives statement. Then I outlined the structure, content, and mechanics of the site. I ended my planning stage by producing an intricate site diagram. The visual-design stage and gathering of resources followed. Because of all this preliminary work, the actual page production was easy. When it was complete, there were no glitches to fix and the site was launched without further tweaks.

Since then, I’ve designed and produced many sites of varying size and complexity. Some were difficult, not because of the technology but because the organizational structure fell apart in the design and production process. The easiest ones to produce followed the process I mentioned above. Since I produced these for other people, the final product sometimes does not reflect my personal preferences in design, but I’ve tried to guide my clients toward a few basic principles.

• Defining the purpose for the site and concretely designing the organizational structure is an essential first step.

• Eye candy is also essential as a backdrop to the site content because people do judge books by their covers, but it should not overpower the content or slow down the tour of the site.

• The site guest is paramount in site planning — anything that is a barrier to the positive experience of the site guest should be avoided.

• Simple is better. The site should be easy to navigate, easy to glean information from, and not technically challenging for most browsers.

There is always something new to learn. I’m basically a visual desinger, but constantly search for technical information that will help me improve web-site presentation. However, the first thing I learned is still the best — the more thorough the planning stage, the easier and more precise the production stage.

Every act of conscious learning requires
the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem.
That is why young children,
before they are aware of their own self-importance,
learn so easily.
[Thomas Szasz]

For everything that I’ve produced and show to other people, I have a box full of attempts that didn’t quite work out. If I threw away my boxes of failed attempts, my house would be a lot tidier.

As I was following links yesterday looking for more WordPress information, I found an article about running WordPress locally on my machine using MAMP. Now, that appeals to me — I can make all of my mistakes (the only way I really learn) in the privacy of my own office rather than on my ISP server.

This is for Mac users. I’m sure there is something similar for PC users. This is the route I’m planning to take to meet the goal I set yesterday — to style a simple web log “look and feel” so it will appear seamless with my own web site design.

Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do.
There can be no courage unless you’re scared.
[Edward Vernon Rickenbacker]

     A friend of mine was at the ticket counter at a small airport to buy a ticket on a small airline. The pilot greeted the ticket agent in passing and she asked, “Where are you going?”
     “To the end of the runway and get up courage,” he replied.

That is where I am right now — at the end of the runway getting up courage. I’ve posted on this web log for a week now. In the process, I’ve figured out how to add photos, create static pages, insert a bit of HTML mark-up to style and position text, manage the site elements and edit published material. I’ve also downloaded the files for setting up a web log on my own server and have read just enough documentation to be dangerous.

Where am I starting from? I’m basically, a graphic designer. Since I’ve been designing and producing websites as part of my business for a decade, I can write HTML, edit JavaScript and do other things that skirt the edges of programming. I am, however, not a programmer. When I need dynamic site content, I recruit the aid of a real programmer.

Web logs are, basically, dynamic web sites. That means, there are page and page-element templates with programming language that draw content from a data base on the fly and show the finished product in your web browser window. There is an administrative console in the back end where content can be entered into the data base in a way that doesn’t require much web-site-development knowledge.

My goal for this week to style a simple web log “look and feel” so it will appear seamless with my own web site design on my ISP server.

I am learning all the time.
The tombstone will be my diploma.
[Eartha Kitt]

My ultimate goal in this exploration of web logs is to create blog portals for my clients that are tailored to their needs and display the visual theme used on their web sites. Most of these will be installed on their web host server. I’m at the beginning of learning this.

First, I downloaded and studied “Everyman’s Guide to WordPress” by Brandon Booth.

Then I went to the Lesson section of wordpress.org and have printed:

• Introduction to Blogging
• First Steps With WordPress
• WordPress Semantics – Learning the Jargon

Even after working on computers for a quarter of a century, I still print out some things rather than focus on a screen. So much for the concept of a paperless office. In this case, I’ll collate these into a ring binder for study and future reference.

I’m at the learning stage that I call, “panic.” Will I learn this in a timely manner so I can effectively apply the information to real-world jobs? I always go through this stage and know it will pass. My main asset is that I’ve been designing and building web sites for a number of years so I’m not starting with a blank slate. Learning is transferable.

In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his/her level of incompetence.
[Dr. Laurence J. Peter]

As an independent graphic designer, I’m a one-person business — such a simple hierarchy. The only rising I can do is to constantly increase my knowledge and skill level, and to offer more services to my clients. The evaluation process is as simple as the hierarchy — if I rise to my level of incompetence, I won’t be able to eat or pay the mortgage. I call that, “employee motivation at its root level.”

That isn’t, however, my only motivation. I enjoy the process of working with my clients. Also, I simply enjoy the thrill of figuring out something new. Learning more about weblogs and getting better at Flash design and production are two of my something-new explorations for this summer. In the past twenty years or so, I’ve gravitated from T-square and triangle on a drafting board to electronic design and production. Too bad I didn’t invest money in the Apple or Adobe companies early in that process. The only hand-rendered work I do now is for illustrations. I do mainly pencil or pen & ink.

First Objective
To familiarize myself with web-log setup and administrative interface by starting a simple, out-of-the-box, personal blog.

The interface and look-and-feel of this blog aren’t mine. This is a WordPress blog and the designer has his name and link at the bottom of the page. This first step into web-logging was accomplished in about 45 minutes. The first objective has been met.

Second Objective
To itemize essential topics of basic information that I need to learn pertaining to definitions, basic functions and restyling.

WordPress.org will be my starting point. Some of the vocabulary is, for me, like reading a medical chart for a cardiac patient without knowing what “atherosclerosis” means.

Also, I’m a documentation reader. Many people learn by trial and error, but I’m afraid I’ll miss knowing about some cool feature if I just play around and not read the owner’s handbook. That comes from driving a second-hand 1962 Ford for years without knowing I was supposed to have the oil changed. It didn’t have a handbook and nobody mentioned it to me. I thought I was supposed to put in a quart of oil every time I filled the tank. I traded it in on a 1967 Barracuda fast-back that did have a handbook. Wow! What a learning experience.

“Sometimes you just have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down.”
[Kobi Yamada]

This is a bright, clear Saturday morning — as good a day as any to take the leap into something new and unknown. This is my “learning how to use a blog interface so I can create my own design” leap. I’m trusting that I can soar beyond the learning curve before I reach the ground. Right now, I’m on a big updraft.