The document describes the challenges a student faced in completing their final web design project over four attempts, including difficulties with being too unstructured, indecision over approaches, perfectionism, and lack of experience with design software; it provides details on the project requirements and recaps lessons and demos from the class in an effort to solicit advice on next steps to complete the project.

1. Adobe
Software Hates
Me
By Natalie Kee
May 15, 2010

2. Final Project: The Process
4 Attempts
 1st:Organically, following instructions and
reusing CSS from 7 things project
 2nd: Replicate Head First website
 3rd:
Replicate online
template, transcribing CSS from model
website
 4th:
Start from scratch, copying & pasting
CSS from class demos

3. 1st Attempt

4. Design Inspiration

5. Wireframe

6. Layout Inspiration

7. Gathered Images

8. Photoshop Images

9. 1st Attempt

10. 2nd Attempt

11. 2nd Attempt

12. 3rd Attempt

13. 3rd Attempt

14. 4th Attempt

15. 4th Attempt

16. 4th Attempt

17. Challenges
Not my forte
 Too unstructured, organic, free-spirited (for me)
 Too many choices/possible approaches/variables to use (eg. pure CSS &
HTML, DW panels, DW templates, online templates, copy & pasting code)
 Fear of commitment (to a design)
 Unable to focus on one approach
 Perfectionism and procrastination
 New iMac at home; more accustomed to PCs
 Rusty Photoshop skills
 I haven’t been so bad at something since high school and college math
 I’m so embarrassed!
 I’m also especially cranky because I have a bruise on my butt cheek the size
of an oreo cookie and there’s only 1 episode of House and 2 episodes of
Game of Thrones left!

18. Final Project Requirements
Project MUST contain (at minimum)
 No less than 5 and no more than 10 pages
 Each page must contain appropriate text and images that provide information and value to the
target audience
 Each page must contain a persistent navigation to the other pages in the site. Pages, which required
the use of the browser back button for navigation, will incur penalty.
 All pages throughout the site must work together as a whole through the use of design, color,
typography, and layout.
 Each page must contain appropriate page titles
 Your site must use an external CSS stylesheet with at least 6 styles.
 Each page must contain valid HTML 5 markup
 Each page must use CSS for all positioning, and formatting.
 You should use an image sprite for repeating images.
 You should use one animated gif or a png with transparency on your site.
 You must use the google web font api on your site.
 Each image you use must use a descriptive alt property. It must be longer than one word, but no
longer than one sentence.
 One (1) form with (four (4) fields minimum, server-side processing must be used to collect save form
data (to a text file or send information via e-mail) and to display a confirmation page) Form must
reside on project site (link to an external form is not allowed

19. The Purpose of my Presentation
Solicit help. I’m not lazy
 Last semester at UCBX, I took a course in FrameMaker. We were required to use 5
“features” of the software. I used every single one mentioned in the textbook. I got
an A+. My teacher wrote me a recommendation, stating, “It was a pleasure to help
Natalie--with her I felt much more like a facilitator than an instructor, because she
always owned the responsibility for learning… I would expect Natalie to thrive in any
environment that provides interesting challenges, and recommend her highly.”
 At the risk of sounding egotistical, I’m normally good at whatever I do. I’m
accustomed to giving presentations that I’ve rehearsed for hours, presentations
with compelling data, relevant charts and diagrams, poignant observations, and
educated recommendations that I make with conviction. I’m accustomed to
walking out of meetings with co-workers telling me I “knocked it out of the ball
park”.
 I take pride in my work ethic. I take pride in my ability to follow directions to a T. I
take pride in my fastidious attention to detail. And I normally take pride in my
predilection to exceed expectations.
 I know that this isn’t 5th grade; you don’t get graded based upon your effort. But I
just want to clarify that my failure to complete the project has nothing to do with a
lack of effort, lack of commitment to the class, or unwillingness to try. I’m just really
bad at this!

20. 7 Things

21. Class Demos
From Right to Left, Top to Bottom:
Lab 1 – Howl
Lab 1 – Howl
Lab 2 – Recipe
Demo 1 – Using PSD, saving for web
Demo 2 – Creating buttons
Demo 3 – Cascades
Demo 4 – Google Web Font
Demo 5 – Positioning
Demo 6 – Reset
Demo 7 – Sprites

22. Note-Taking

23. Next Steps
Moving On
 Another strategy?
 Alternate methodology?
 A more systematic approach?
 Advice?
 Help!