AAD0086 – Learning Journal

Good Boy Fetches My Files, and Occasionally Loses Them!

Lately, I’ve been getting more into web design, and honestly, it’s been a mix of excitement, frustration, and way too much time spent tweaking tiny details. Typography, FTP, and building my portal page have been my main focus, and each has come with its own set of surprises.

Typography has been one of my favorite parts. I always knew fonts mattered, but I never realized how much they shape the entire feel of a website. Picking the right font isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about making sure people can actually read what you’re putting out there. I also got way too into typography games (yes, they exist, and yes, they’re weirdly addictive). Who knew I’d be out here kerning letters for fun? But honestly, playing those games helped me understand how small adjustments can make a design look polished or completely off.

On the more technical side, I’ve been using Fetch as my FTP client to upload my work. It’s pretty satisfying to drag and drop files and see my updates go live. At first, it felt a little intimidating—like, one wrong move and everything could disappear—but once I got the hang of it, it wasn’t bad at all. The key lesson? Keep files organized. Because trust me, trying to find the right version of a file in a mess of randomly named folders is not fun.

And then, there’s my portal page: Samet Kaya – Portal Page. It’s the hub for everything I’m working on, and designing it was a fun challenge. I wanted to make sure it was simple, clear, and easy to navigate—because if people have to think too hard about where to click, they probably won’t click at all. I focused on keeping the layout clean and making sure the important stuff was easy to find. So far, I’m happy with it, but let’s be real—I’ll probably keep tweaking it forever.

Web design has definitely been a learning experience, but I love how it’s a mix of creativity and problem-solving. One day I’m picking fonts, the next I’m troubleshooting an upload issue, and somehow, it all comes together. Now, onto the next challenge (or maybe just another round of typography games).

HTML, errors, and and lessons…

The first two weeks of the semester have been a whirlwind of learning. From mastering HTML validation to understanding the importance of clean code, I’ve gained valuable insights into the world of web design. Here’s a look at what I’ve discovered so far.

In the first two weeks of the semester, I’ve already picked up a lot of valuable lessons. One of the most important things I’ve realized is how essential it is to pay attention to the smallest details in web design. Learning about HTML validation was a key takeaway for me. I discovered how important it is to ensure that your code is error-free. The HTML validator website has been a game-changer. It allows me to check my code for mistakes and make sure everything is structured properly before going live. This tool has helped me understand that even small coding errors can affect how a website functions, and using a validator ensures that my work meets the highest standards.

Another significant lesson has been understanding the different aspects of web design, from layout to content placement, and how each decision impacts the user experience. I’ve also started to see how critical it is to plan and organize everything from the start, as it makes the process much smoother in the long run. These first two weeks have been a great introduction, and I’m eager to continue learning and applying what I’ve learned as the semester goes on.

A Quick Tour of Week 2

Week 2 of my AAD0086 class has been a nice warm-up of what’s to come. I appreciate the reintroduction to HTML through our future resume project, which was harder than I thought it would be given I’d just finished 0085 last semester. My first post is a reflection of what I’ve learned so far and what I’m looking forward to in this class.