Figuring Out WordPress
Using WordPress for the first time was challenging as I was not familiar with this website. I decided to explore the site’s features and see what each one did. For instance, I did not know the difference between “categories,” “posts,” and “pages”. Being a visual person, I made a post and saved it as a draft to understand what they all meant. I put this draft into various categories and pages to understand the difference between them. Eventually, I began to understand how WordPress operated.
Link to a website that explains the difference between posts and pages:
Click here
Accessibility
My next challenge was figuring out how to make my website accessible. Since I’ve just started this website, there is not much content in it. However, as the semester continues and I incorporate more media into my posts, accessibility will become even more critical. After watching the video and reading the article on accessibility that was assigned in the first week of class, I began to understand which aspects are vital for accessibility. I added alt-text to all images and ensured that there were no contrast errors.
After setting up the accessibility features, I used a website tool to check my website. The program I used is called “WAVE” (a web accessibility evaluation tool) to check my website. I will continue to use this program throughout the semester to ensure my website is as accessible as possible.
The Brainstorming Process
One aspect of week two’s required reading that stood out to me was the statement that suggests that students should build their personal cyberinfrastructure in the hopes of discovering their dreams and interests, rather than simply doing the assignment based on what their professor wants (Campbell, 2009). I want to apply this thinking to my own personal infrastructure. While pondering what to make my website about, I thought, “why limit myself to one topic?” I believe that discovering my desires should not be limited to a certain topic. Therefore, I decided to make my website a personal blog where I share my thoughts on topics such as books, lifestyle, and general interests.
My Vision Board
After brainstorming what I wanted my website to be about, I chose the website name of “Planet Vanessa”. I chose this name as this site is a personal blog that relates to my thoughts and my life. Considering the name, my vision of this website had celestial theme to it. As seen above, my vision board was made on Pinterest and the main vision was to have a celestial aesthetic with dark colours such as purples and blues.
Bringing My Vision To Life
The first thing I did was make a logo. I designed it on an app on my phone that allowed me to draw and add text. Eventually, I came up with the logo that can be seen at the top of the page. Next, I was able to find a celestial background that was dark enough to contrast the text on the website to ensure accessibility. I will continue to learn more about WordPress as the semester continues; however, as of right now, I feel like I have a decent understanding of how this website operates.
References
Gardner, C. (2009, September 4). A Personal Cyberinfrastructure. EDUCAUSE Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2009/9/a-personal-cyberinfrastructure
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