For project 2 we did web design. During this project, I gained valuable experience in coding and developing a website from scratch. I learned how to design and implement the various features necessary for a functional chess platform. Additionally, I worked on optimizing the site’s performance to ensure smooth interactions. This project also helped me sharpen my skills in web development technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The easiest part of this project for me was adding photos. For some reason, it just clicked— I understood which lines of code to use and where to place them to ensure the images appeared exactly where I wanted them on the page. I didn’t have to spend much time troubleshooting, and it was satisfying to see the visual elements come together. One part that I found particularly challenging in this project was understanding the rest of the coding and how all the different elements interacted with each other. As I worked on implementing more advanced features, I struggled with grasping how the different sections of code fit together to create a fully functional website. There were moments where I couldn’t quite figure out where certain pieces of code should go or how they would connect with other parts of the project. Despite these challenges, I learned that this process was an important part of the development experience. I had to be patient with myself, and I spent a lot of time researching, debugging, and experimenting to figure out the best way to organize the code and make everything work together. Eventually, I gained a understanding of how the components interacted, and while it was a tough learning curve, overcoming these challenges made me feel more accomplished. I think my submission could be improved by creating a completely different website—one that is more aligned with my personal interests. I feel that creating another website will offer a more entertaining and engaging experience for both myself and potential users. While the chess website was a valuable learning experience, I realized that building something that excites and motivates me could lead to a more enjoyable development process and a final product that I’m more passionate about. By selecting a new website concept that excites me, I feel I could focus on improving my skills in areas I feel less comfortable with or areas I haven’t explored yet. I can improve my assignment by the next class by making my code more organized and cleaner to look at. To address this, I’ll start by ensuring that I use proper indentation and spacing throughout the entire codebase, which will make it easier to navigate and understand. In future assignments or work scenarios, I can apply the knowledge I gained from this project in several ways. First, I now have a solid understanding of the basics of coding, which gives me the ability to create functional websites from scratch. This includes using HTML for the structure of the site, CSS to style it, and JavaScript to add interactivity. With these skills, I can build websites for personal use, whether it’s for a portfolio, blog, or hobby project, or for a company looking for a basic web presence. A video that inspired me to work hard on this project was one where someone explained coding concepts in-depth, breaking down complex ideas and making them more understandable. This was incredibly inspirational because the video helped me gain a deeper understanding of coding, especially the concepts I initially struggled with and gave me the confidence to move forward with my own project. Overall I enjoyed this project and cant wait to use my skills I learned in the future.
