The Project

Let's Create a Website

“To host or not to host? That is the question.”

It’s tough to find a web builder that lets you use your own domain name without costing a fortune. However, choosing an affordable web hosting provider is much simpler. The challenge, though, is deciding which one to pick.

IONIS.com literally made no sense.
Bluehost.com had horrible customer service
Hostinger.com was expensive.
Adobe Portfolios had limited design capabilities.

Then I found Freehosting.com.
One of the key advantages I found was the ability to host an unlimited number of domains, subdomains, websites, and custom email addresses. This flexibility allowed for extensive scalability and management of multiple online projects without worrying about additional costs or limitations. All of these hosting features were available for just $7.99 per month, making it a cost-effective solution for both individuals and businesses looking to expand their online presence.

What's the differance?

Hosting Sites vs Web Builder Sites

Web builders can be thought of as similar to renting a house and then decorating it to your own taste and style. In this analogy, you have a space that is already built, and you focus on making it look and function the way you want within the existing structure. On the other hand, hosting is more like renting a piece of land where you have the opportunity to build your own house from the ground up. You have control over the foundation and structure, allowing you to create something entirely unique.

What I did

Purchase hosting and domain names

amandavanlynn.blog
amandalynnart.com
amandavanlynn.com
thewizardsbible.com
amandalynndesign.art

No longer owned

amandalynnart.design
wizard-dreams.com

Learned to code from several college courses:
- CSC 100: Web Design and Development
- CSC 340: Java Script
- DSN 326: Interactive Web Design II
Design and Developement

Mood Board
Monday, 1/12/26

One important concept I discovered during my Photoshop course was the creation of Mood Boards. This technique was entirely new to me and quickly became an essential part of my design process. Mood Boards serve as a visual method for organizing and presenting your design ideas, much like how scrapbooking allows you to arrange memories and inspirations. By displaying your concepts visually, Mood Boards make it easy for everyone involved in a project to see and understand your creative direction.

Tuesday, 1/13/26

Today's update is for applying a way to view the mood board closer. I added a code to make the image clickable and to popup in a new tab. I also placed the mood board on to my art portfolio landing page.

CLICK HERE

Sunday, 1/25/26

Today I completed my design brief and posted it to Canvas and created a page on my portfolio for it.

So much to do... So little time!