Tag: responsive design

Revamping My Portal Page: Parallax, Big Kitties, and New CSS Tricks

“Meow”

This semester, I gave my portal page a much-needed upgrade. I have to say, it is been one of my favorite projects so far! I wanted the page to feel a little more alive and personal, so I brought in parallax scrolling effects, animated floating cats, and some playful, colorful backgrounds.

One of the biggest changes was adding a parallax background featuring a giant cat image that starts below the header and stretches down below my bio section. This added a really cool , making the page feel more dynamic without being overwhelming. I also used CSS animations to create floating kitties that drift across the screen, adding even more movement and personality.

Along with parallax, I used some modern CSS techniques like flexible layouts, colorful background shifts with keyframe animations, and subtle box shadows to give different sections some extra pop. Overall, this revamp made my portal page feel way more “me.” It’s fun, creative, and just the right amount of chaos thanks to all those giant kitties.

Two Weeks in Design: Learning by Doing

The past two weeks have been a deep dive into the world of web design. What started as simple class projects quickly turned into opportunities for real discovery. I did not just follow instructions. I started noticing how different choices in layout, structure, and tools can completely change how a website feels and functions.

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Applying UX and UI Principles Through a Film-Based Website: The Shawshank Redemption

This week, I worked on designing a fictional website for the movie The Shawshank Redemption using Figma. The goal of this project was to apply visual design principles while also thinking about user experience (UX) and navigation flow. I wanted the design to capture the emotional tone of the film, including its themes of hope, resilience, and friendship, while maintaining a clean, modern layout suitable for a movie-focused website. You can view my interactive prototype here: Figma Prototype

The structure of the website includes a landing page with a hero section, a short synopsis of the film, a cast section with actor images and names, and a simple navigation bar. I focused on maintaining visual hierarchy by using large headings, consistent spacing, and high-contrast colors to guide the user’s attention. The typography was chosen to reflect a sense of depth and seriousness, similar to the mood of the movie.

Figma was incredibly helpful throughout the process. I used frames and auto layout to keep spacing consistent across different sections, which made the design feel more organized and scalable. I also created components for elements like buttons and movie cards, which helped me make quick updates and keep everything consistent.

The prototyping tools in Figma allowed me to simulate the user’s experience on the site. I added interactions like hover effects and page transitions to test how users might move through the design. While testing, I noticed a few UX issues, such as unclear navigation and misaligned buttons. I revised these elements to improve usability and flow.

This project gave me the chance to apply both visual and interactive design skills. It also helped me become more confident in using Figma not just for static design work, but also for building working prototypes. I’m proud of the final result and excited to keep learning and designing more advanced user experiences in future projects.

P.S. If you’re into design and use Figma regularly (or want to start), don’t miss config 2025, Figma’s annual design conference. It will take place on May 6-8, 2025, both in-person in San Francisco and online for free.

It’s a great opportunity to learn from industry leaders, discover new features, and get inspired by real design stories from around the world. I highly recommend joining, even just attending online can spark so many new ideas!

Week 8: Midterm and Responsive Design

Now that we are halfway through the semester, I can see my CSS and HTML knowledge improving. All of the practices, notes, and challenges have helped me practice strategies and learn new techniques. When working on the Midterm Drafts and learning responsive design, I can see my growth from my previous class. To me learning responsive design for me was a major step towards making more professional sites. 

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I ❤️ Figma!

The past two weeks have been really productive and full of learning. I have improved my understanding of web layouts, CSS techniques, and design tools. Each week, I worked on different exercises and projects that helped me practice and apply what I learned in a meaningful way.

Week 5: Flexbox and CSS Layouts

In Week 5, we focused on Flexbox layouts and CSS positioning. I started with the Web Layout Overview & Review, which was a great refresher on structuring web pages. Then, I worked on the Flexbox Layout Challenges, which helped me practice arranging elements efficiently.

One of the most interesting tasks was the Convert Coffee Shop Website to Flexbox assignment. This activity helped me see how Flexbox is used in real-world layouts. I found it really useful because it made me think about how to structure a page in a more flexible and responsive way.

I also participated in the CSS Layout Discussion, where we talked about different layout strategies and how they apply to modern web design. It was helpful to hear different perspectives and learn from others’ experiences.

Week 6: CSS Grid and Midterm Preparation

In Week 6, we shifted our focus to CSS Grid, which is another powerful layout system. I worked on Gridspiration and the Introduction to CSS Grid & Grid Challenges. These activities helped me understand how Grid works differently from Flexbox and when to use each one.

One of the projects I really enjoyed was the Bakery Site Challenge. It required applying both Flexbox and Grid, and it made me think carefully about which layout system to use for different parts of the page. This challenge helped me feel more comfortable combining both techniques in my designs.

Midterm Project & Figma

A big part of this week was preparing for my midterm project. For my project, I decided to design a movie landing page. The assignment suggested using a new movie, but I chose my favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption. I wanted to work on something I really enjoy, and I felt that this movie’s theme and visuals would make for an interesting design.

I used Figma to create the designs for my midterm project, and I am really happy about this. Figma is my favorite platform for web and interaction design. It allows me to organize my ideas visually, create clean wireframes, and design high-quality layouts. I feel confident using Figma because it has all the tools I need to experiment with different layouts and styles before writing any code. This step was really important because it helped me plan my project before starting the development process.

Reflections & Looking Ahead

These past two weeks have helped me build a stronger foundation in CSS layout techniques. I now feel more comfortable using both Flexbox and Grid, and I understand when to use each one. The hands-on exercises and projects were really helpful in making these concepts clearer.

Working on my midterm project in Figma was a great experience, and I am excited to move forward with the development phase. I plan to focus on making my movie landing page both visually appealing and functional.

Overall, I feel that I have learned a lot in these two weeks, and I am excited to continue improving my design and coding skills in the upcoming weeks.