- This blog (web site) was created in an effort to satisfy two goals: LIS 5315 Instructional Graphics Instructed by Dr. Scott Simon, a SLIS graduate course for University of South Florida and to fulfill an affinitity for cemeteries, the conservation and preservation of cemeteries, headstones and sculptures. It is a non profit web site for educational informational purposes.
- I visited 7 local cemeteries myself and photographs headstones and general cemetery shots and also enlisted two other contributing photographers. There is also an poetry and article section by a contributing writer who will submit his work to me to add to the website.
- This course, I used my MAC laptop, purchased Dreamweaver CS3 and purchased Glossary Dreamweaver Exchanger extension so that I could create mouseover effect for a section of the web site. I already owned software: Photoshop CS3, Word, Acrobat, and iPhoto. I selected a template from Dreamweaver and picked it apart and changed colors and deleted and added things to make it my own.
- I sketched out a story board of design ideas. I did this alongside the first several assigned chapters of reading of both texts for the course and with a back and forth process continued to design the site as I progressed onward in building my pages=7 pages: Home, Cemetery, Culture, Article, Gallery and Resources and a Commentary page.
Home: I first created in Photoshop the top graphic (using free photo pictures from StockXCHNG web site combined a sculpture (cropped down w/lasso tool) and clouds along with a marble 'look' and free Photoshop font stamps using layers then flattened. Font-Verdana text for Stoneshadows title and a drop shadow. The design and color=somber, calm and peaceful feeling.
- I created additional pages-copying and saving and retitling each page then linking them all up with point to file. I made the Home page first including all factors that would introduce to the viewer the web sites intent.
- At the bottom is a date/ time stamp which will post the 'last updated' the site was updated to the WWW. I was excited that I learned quickly how to create some really cool effects and was enjoying using Dreamweaver. I quickly learned how to create links, add my own marble graphics that I made in Photoshop.
Cemetery: The 2nd page: had to be about Cemeteries and include general information on history and preservation and a little bit about the study of cemeteries. I used a basic three column construction and included some images for variety and examples with a few effects: Image/Roll over Image from Dreamweaver as the roll over effect for 'Safety Tips' and flash buttons (built into my Dreamweaver) for the blue animated buttons throughout the site.
Culture: The 3rd page: had to be about a specific aspect on a culture surrounding cemeteries and thier burial customs so I chose the title Culture along with one featured person on the side colomn. All graphics from Mexico again were free from StockXCHNG web site (there were not many on Day of the Dead) and monographs of Frida were from George Eastman web site. Each month or quarter, I will change out this page to be different themes and the next theme will probably be 'roadside' memorials or descansos from the southwest.
Article: The 4th page: had to be Tim's article. I recruited a writer who I work with all the time on this field of interest. He will write articles about whatever topic is featured either monthly or quarterly and a poem. There will be an archived section for past articles. On the left side is a glossary list of terms and used the Dynamic Trio Solutions - Glossary Dreamweaver Exchange extension for the mouseover effect on each term (which relates to cemeteries). I created the marble/sculpture graphic used on the bio block in Photoshop using my marble artwork already made and a sculpture I photographed myself using lasso tool and layers.
Gallery: The 5th page: of course the gallery of photographs of cemeteries. The images were saved as larger files but then scaled down in size and resolution=jpgs saving for the web option in Photoshop. The three contributing photographers=(local photography)=Pam Reagan, (out of town photography)=Timothy Juhl and Mary Campbell. The gallery will rotate out and have an archived section. I used Picasa to upload and create the slide show effect. I copied all link and HTML information onto a Word document all three HTML code options just incase and then used the 'embed' code option to embed the slide show into the code. I selected 'Code' in Dreamweaver and pasted it into
place where I wanted it to start inside the colomn. This was the most stressful part for me since I didn't want to mess up all that I had worked towards. I learned early on to backup my files for this class!
Resources: The 6th page: is the resource page. It includes all resources for all information referred to in website. I included a left column of book images and their authors. At the bottom is extra and fun web sites and contact information which I created a hotmail account for the website.
Footer: The footer was added about halfway including copyright and webmaster and contributors. I used my marble creation for the bar and small links to theother pages. I wanted it to be small and not distracting. Again, I didn't want to take away or make too busy a design distracting from the general calm theme: Cemeteries.
Extras/Problems/Concerns: I bought the Visual Quickstart Guide: Dreamweaver CS3 as resource guide to building the site. It had many great sequencial building tips and instructions to use page by page!
- Photo slide show maker called Smilebox but once I made the item and viewed it, it didn't seem right being called 'smilebox' for a cemetery web site!
- Dreamweaver tech support twice for assistance. Once, to work out the issue of IP address and 'upload' to the server and secondly, was concerning the issue that the web site wasn't populating the same on all browsers.
- This site will continued to be used after the class is done as a working site and the 'roadside memorial' theme is already underway. I did resolve the issue with the side columns either too short or long on each side by using Advanced Properties/height and set the number for this. I am an artist and paint and much of my own subject matter does surround some things dark and creepy so it was refreshing (but hard) to not be creepy with this site and subject matter. I think this class should be a requirement for SLIS students both undergrad or graduate!
Great class Dr. Simon-highly recommend it!
Pam Reagan
SLIS Graduate Student, Art Libraries
University of South Florida
