Category: Trails of Learning WordPress

Project #2: Pre Screening Intake Form – Completed WireFrame

Writing down new plans

Project #2: Coding a Pre Screening Intake Form using Javascript for my StudioBeLee.com site.

Checklist:

  • Wireframe: Create a wireframe
  • Game Plan: Figure out what I need with Javascript to hand code the page.
  • Code: Work on coding the page
  • Blog: Document it and blog the trails + errors
  • Research: how to add JS into a prebuilt WordPress Theme.

Time Frame: Ideally at the end of the summer.

WireFrame:  I’m going to build it out and then go back and work tinker with the design + ux.
SB Client Intake v2

Notes: I posted it on FB and received some feed back. I adjusted it to the current version.

Next Week: Game Plan

To do this week to set up what I want to learn…

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with my own lessons/internship this summer.

This week:

  • 1 hour coding lessons + reading web related stuff
  • 1-2 hours researching and planing out what I would like to accomplish aka scooping out my projects. Keeping notes on what works and doesn’t work.

Starting next week – Four hours each day:

  • 1 hour learning to code and reading up on web tech
  • 2-3 hours working on project. I need to learn time manage my projects and document my time, so that I get a better idea on how long things take me.

I will have 3 projects:

  • Updating a WP site for a client, that including working with a real client.
  • Work on creating a JS site that has a funtioning registration form to take client information.  It would be nice to use it as my intake form for people who are interested in hiring me.
  • Work on learning to use Underscores to build my own WordPress Theme. This dose not need to be completely done but help me learn about building a custom WP theme and plugin.

I must document all 3 projects and learn to use Github as version control.  Write a blog weekly on what I learned. Need to learn to  project manage in time allotted. These projects will go on my resume portfolio site (beleestudio.com).

You know that old saying…

Hand of programmer holds puzzle with JavaScript programming language written

 “Make Plans, Make God Laugh.”

It doesn’t matter if you believe in God or any higher energies, you know what I mean. For this summer, I was looking to get an internship or pt job but with my mother’s health now hanging by a thread again and my own health been having issues. So I’m going to be picky on what I do with my time.  Right now, I’m not finding a internship or a pt time job that fits what I want to learn, so I need to create it.

Decide that I am making my own internship/pt job working for myself for 20 hours a week. Going to slowly train myself into working 4 to 5 hours a day on web dev during the week.  Have about 3 potential paid clients I am talking to,  one pet project that I am meeting with next week, and one mock project client that I’m planing to use to create a WordPress Theme for using underscores. Going to do a check in at the end of July to see how it is working.

My goals:

Daily:

  • 1hr:  Lessons + Learning + Reading
  • 2-3 hours: Build site and take notes on what I need to work on
  • 10 min breaks per hour

Projects:

  • Personal Chef Site
  • Build a site with Javascript with working registration
  • Artist Site w/ Etsy site using underscores to build a WordPress Theme (optional)

    Add projects on:

  • My portfolio on beleestudio.com
  • Github – learn to use version control
  • Codepen to play with options

 

 

New Year, New Site, New Blog.

Computer brainstorm illustration on blue background

Blog Backstory:

I started this blog back in 2013 when I first started to learn about WordPress, and reenter the world of Web Design after a 15 year absent, this time as a hobbiest. Once again, having to self teach myself I decide to start a blog on my journey and hopefully, other people can learn from my mistakes.The blog has evolved a few times since then as so have I.

Now I am restarting this blog as my journey from transitioning from my hobby/part time side job into full time Web Designer. I know this will take a few years but as this blog will keep on evolving along with me as I figure this out. My end goal with this blog is to hopeful help somebody learn something, from all my trails and errors to try to create my place in the Web Industry and make a living.

Current Goals:

Trials of Learning to become a Front End Web Developer.

  • Learn Javascript. Work on learning Javascript till the end of the year.
  •  Build my own WordPress Theme. Learning how to use underscores to build my own WordPress Theme.  Documenting the process on my blog. Also make a very simple WordPress Plugin for the theme.
  • JavaScript30.com – Work on the 30 day challenge. Don’t need to do them in 30 days but keep on working on them, even if I have to skip a project to come back to later.
  • Otis Graphic Design Certificate. To better understand design. Fall: Intro to Graphic Design + Intro to Digital Design. (Sept – Dec) Taken: Drawing & Composition + Typography I.
  • LetterPressing Class.  Winter Season Classes. To better understand type setting and design.
  • Learning to Draw Better. Winter Season Classes and drawing meetups.
  • Communication Better. Go to Toastmasters 2x a Month. Go to 2 WordPress Meetup and bring an issue to learn how to ask for help – On Pause till my health recovers. Start writing blogs and do meetup presentations explaining my processes.