The Graphic Designer's Guide to Portfolio Design, 3rd Edition

Chapter 11

The Web-Based Portfolio

Technical Elements

Your site is built and ready for its debut on the Web. Are you ready to send your baby out into cyberspace for all the world to see? Then this is the chapter for you. Let’s turn our attention to getting your new creation online.

Do-It-Yourself Web Site Development

Chapter 10 explained how to build a Web-based portfolio. Now you need to know how to get your portfolio online. You will need the following elements:

Domain name

Web “host”

Method to “publish” your pages

Strategy to promote your site

Figs. 11–1 and 11–2: Alex Pretelt offers the visitor a very interactive layout with lots of fun animation that enhances the site.

You’re familiar with the zip code in so-called snail-mail addresses. A zip code helps direct the correspondence straight to your neighborhood. Think of a domain name as your zip code on the Internet. A domain name directs a request for a Web page or an e-mail to its final destination (figs. 11-1 and 11-2). It is always composed of two words or phrases, separated by periods, or dots. Here are several examples of domain names:

www.aii.edu

www.google.com

http://www.usa.gov/

All Web pages use a series of numbers (not generally visible to the user) that specify the location of the page. But so that you don’t ...