Week 01: Introduction & Planning

• Set up personal documentation website
• Learn about the HTMAA course structure
• Plan semester-long documentation approach
• Explore fabrication lab resources
• Define personal learning goals

Setting Up the Website

This week focused on creating a comprehensive documentation system for the entire semester. I chose to build a clean, responsive website using HTML and CSS with a pastel color scheme that reflects creativity while maintaining readability.

Design Decisions

I decided on a weekly structure that would allow for:

• Easy navigation between weeks
• Consistent documentation format
• Gallery views for images and videos
• Downloadable files and resources

Technical Setup

The website uses:

• Semantic HTML5 structure
• CSS custom properties for consistent theming
• Responsive design for mobile and desktop
• GitLab CI/CD for automatic deployment

Photos

Videos

What I Accomplished

• ✅ Created a functional documentation website
• ✅ Established consistent visual design system
• ✅ Set up version control and deployment pipeline
• ✅ Planned semester documentation strategy

Key Deliverables

• Personal HTMAA website with 17-week structure
• Responsive design system with pastel theme
• Documentation template for future weeks
• GitLab integration for seamless updates

Design Files

• Website Mockups (PDF)
• Color Palette Reference

Code

• CSS Stylesheet
• Planning Notes (Markdown)

Documentation

• Semester Plan
• Learning Goals

What I Learned

This first week taught me the importance of having a solid documentation system from the beginning. Setting up the website structure now will save countless hours later in the semester.

Challenges

The main challenge was deciding how much structure to create upfront versus keeping flexibility for different types of weekly content. I opted for a consistent template that can be adapted as needed.

Next Steps

Moving forward, I plan to:

• Add interactive elements to the gallery system
• Create templates for different project types
• Establish a consistent photography and video style
• Set up automated backups for all project files

Questions for Further Exploration

• How can I best document both successes and failures?
• What's the optimal balance between process and results documentation?
• How can I make this documentation useful for future students?