The process always begins methodically, but can easily give way to spontaneity. My two main weapons of choice are the web layout program Macromedia Dreamweaver 3, and the graphic art program, Adobe Photoshop. Although the ideas for a website can be easily conjured, the task of conveying those ideas through a specific portal can take quite a bit of time. The process can be extremely maddening, in which one can often sit for hours at a time experimenting with several elements attempting to find a creative spark. This area of the website can take days or even months to develop and complete.

First, as with all things, a goal must be set. What are you going to say from all your work? What will be your theme or general idea? Once that is established, a creative spark must ignite. Inspiration comes from all sources. Music, movies, TV, vintage comics, and nature are great sources of inspiration, but most inspiration comes directly from other websites. The creativity of some professional designers is unparalleled, and can fuel the imaginations of its viewers. Websites such as surfstation and k10k are dedicated to inspiring designers of web and print media alike.

Once the groundwork is finished, you just let go. I start pulling out different images and put my camera and scanner to the test. Images do not necessarily have to fit well with each other, and the skill is getting everything as a whole to look good. You can mix airplanes, barbies, and vacuum cleaners together, but just as long as you make it look good. My splash screen is a perfect example of letting go. I added images of my face, I inserted photographs I took in New York City, I added stills from movies and magazines, and I added all the necessary scratches and marks to give it an edgy and grungy feel. The idea of the image is to represent a few things which define me…and to use as few words as possible to show it. Just like writing everything on your mind at once, web pages can be developed using that very same technique. Like free writing, one can be amazed in what they find through all the jargon.

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