Making a site

wakkawa

For my graphic design class we have to make a small website for ourselves. I figured out how to use dreamweaver enough (I have no idea to code) but the damn thing looks like shit at any other resolution than my own. I have no idea how to make things center(Like for example, penny-arcade), so thats why I am here.

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~Jwallace/

Thats the site. If anyone could give me some help on it I would appreciate it. Even if I have to redo most of it.
I'm sure it has something to do with the fact I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing.

Sorcy

Okay, very short pointer: you don't position it in the middle in different resolutions, because everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) you have placed on your website has an style auf "position: absolute". Which makes them have just that: an absolute position in relation to the surrounding container (which in your case is the browser window).

Tip: read up on CSS, your site isn't half bad, if you clean up your CSS you can probably keep most of it, without having to change to much.

Pro Tip: Get Firebug THIS INSTANT!!! No, I mean it - stop reading this post and install it NOW! It will help you tremendously finding out what is happening with your site. Just open it and click "inspect" and then the object you want to know about and it will show you which CSS works on that object and which rules are overwritten by which. Helps imensely.

Sorry I can't help you much more at the moment, but I'm tired as hell. I'll look if I can be a bit more expansive tomorrow.

wakkawa

Yeah I figured the css thing was going to be a problem. My teacher gave us a 10 minute crash course in webdesign before he let us go, so I have been treating this like as if it were photoshop.

Thanks! Ill start dicking around css some more.

Sorcy

Another very short tip: your sites all lack titles. Bad style!
Also, when you click into one of the subsites there seems to be no way to come back to the homepage, except changing the url by hand.

PaleCommander

Advice: at least do enough messing around with the code that it looks alright if you have to change something by hand.

I heartily second the Firebug suggestion, and I recommend this site for learning XHTML and/or CSS. the ideal is for your HTML to contain all the structure and semantics, and for your CSS to contain all the stylistic stuff.

Ataxrxes

Yep, you need a home button and putting titles on your pages is a good thing. I like the aesthetic you have going on there.

wakkawa

thanks guys, Ill change the titles and add in a small home button.

I don't really have that much time to learn proper code now, but I'll look into it this summer when I'm out of class so thanks for that site. I know code theory well enough, I just don't know how to put it into practice yet. Putting in that lightbox 2.0 image thing was easy enough.

most of the sites graphics are placeholders right now. I have until tuesday to have it finished.

I'll mess around with it some more then post some updated.

EDITS: woo got in a rush and didn't read all the replies. My bad.