Expected of me was to create a News comprised website, containing 10 pages, including a sitemap page, a feedback page and a reflective log. Prior to the task being given to me, my understanding regarding the construction of website was limited and certainly basic. However since the websites creation, my understanding and skills with regards to creating and customising a website have substantially grown. Including webpages, menus, and being able to link the blogs written to them was alien to me prior to the task, however through research and the help of my colleagues I began to have a further understanding, trial and error certainly helped as well.

Initially I was intent on creating a website containing news transfer news, and news of the clubs regarding the Primera Liga in Spain. Being half Spanish and fluent in the language, I had the opportuinity to include blogs that were both in English as well as having a Spanish translation. However being the pre-season, and with little other that transfer gossip there was little news, and alot of speculation so I scrapped the idea during its infant stages. After vast deliberation I came up with idea of a website dedicated to providing news regarding Electronic Dance Music (EDM) a big passion of mine alongside Sport. With EDM’s peak being the European Summertime, creating a website dedicated to providing latest news regarding; new releases, festivals around the world, and general news surrounding the EDM scene.

In terms of the content, I wanted to blog about the important news that encompasses all dance music lovers. Being such a broad genre of music with different sub-genres, writing about a specific sub-genre would limit my audience, however at the same time I needed to write about what concerned me and my interests and especially what conveyed my taste in Electronic Music. Within my site there is news that would interest fans of more chart friendly house with the blog on how “wake me up” reached three weeks at the top, similarly there’s a blog on how “Sven Vath” head of “Cocoon Recordings”, a “Techno” label, is set for his 100th release with the label. For those who aren’t aware, Techno and “Big room House” are very different sub-genres with very different followings, the latter more underground than the former. Nevertheless, it was news that interested me as well as news that would interest a varied audience. The content was done to the best of my ability and I was extremely diligent as to how the structuring of the sentences and paragraphs.

The themes and appearance was a point that required alot of time and detail. The first difficulty was finding a header that I liked and that suited the website. “Beat It” was chosen and I feel it’s a catchy and worthy header, with “Beat” being a term largely used in describing dance music. After that I was very indecisive as to what theme I should choose, Eventually opting for the “Leaf” theme. I felt that this theme was both modern as well as showing all the information I wanted it to. I wanted to have a theme that would attract a reader, and not seem too clogged up with information, but at the same time be accessible enough for the reader to be able to navigate their way through the webpage, finding the links they require. Being advised to use WordPress by my tutor, there was sufficient choice and variety to customise a site as to how I like it. The option to change the colour of the background was Important to me, as making a Website eye-catching to me is essential.

The media side of the blogs was hard, importing pictures onto WordPress and using them as heading photos on my blogs. Managing to import the picture was tasking as I wasn’t aware of how you managed to make a picture head your blog. Its important to have a picture head the blog as it’s the first thing a reader sees. Moreover you need to find a picture that best describes your blog without using words. Eventually through trial and error I found out how you import pictures. The next problem was managing to fit the whole picture in the header without part of it being cropped off, by editing it was fairly straight forward and there were no problems in that area. Videos were straight forward after that, as the process was very similar to the pictures.

My main inspiration behind the blog was that I’ve visited various festivals around the UK and I have a genuine passion and motivation behind discovering new dance music and seeing it played live. By the end of this summer i will have visited two different festivals having been to the Electric Daisy Carnival at the Olympic Park, an experience I blogged about, as well going to the South West Four festival this weekend in Clapham. I have lots to take from the task, and my skill in developing a webiste has increased tenfold. Baring in mind I had very a very basic understanding as to what is required to create a website, I feel much more confident in doing so. I intend on using this webpage in the future and carrying on my blogging regarding news on Dance Music. I’m currently discussing with colleagues as to whether they would like to join me in making the site bigger, with daily posts.