Now that the site has been completed and all elements have been finished, the project as a whole has been rather challenging in a range of different ways. To begin there have been many hurdles which have been faced throughout this assignment, including the change between developing a WordPress websites to a hand coded document, learning new skills in JavaScript and CSS grids, along with more knowledge within CSS animations and working with different issues which can arise within the mix of JavaScript and CSS.

Through working with a client it has been learnt that many last minute changes can be made to edit small elements of design, along with large ones. Although what has been learnt from this is that time management is really key in order to finish projects on time. Although this assignment has been particularly difficult with the different adjustments which have been made, the knowledge and skills that have been taken from this process can be applied to many industry situations, and being easily adaptable is also key.

The knowledge which has been gained within JavaScript is also an element in which I am proud of and would like to continuously progress, as this is an element which causes a large amount of issues for me personally, taking the time to learn and understand the main elements and how to apply these to different situations within code has really moved forward my skills. The slide show at the top of the main page would have to be the biggest hurdle which has been faced when it comes to the development of the site, as it took a large amount of time and many trial and error attempts to complete a working slider, it was a large achievement when it began working.

Along with these new skills, the use of CSS grids has been applied to this site of which was another element that had no been explored before. From understanding how to use this skill, it can be applied to all future sites and has really shown how much easier it is to use grids, rather than standard code with many individual stylings.

Overall from the development of this site, much has been learnt and the new skills which have been taken from this site are going to help throughout my career. As for the site itself the design and colour scheme work well with the images that have been used throughout the site, although if there were more time to work on the site there are a range of different changes and additions which would be made. Firstly the use of the slider at the top of the page works well, but throughout the assignment scroll magic was another element that was being learnt, but there was much trouble understanding how to utilise this tool within my own code. After many different trial attempts I was unable to achieve a working scroll effect that could be placed onto the site itself and with the time frames that were given, it was not achieved. This was an element that was disappointing when not seen on the site as it was really hoped that more animation could be included into the site, but it has taught that time management is important and when working on projects with tight time frames I need to make sure to focus efforts towards the elements that will be working and finished by the deadline. If there were more time to work on the site, more animation would defiantly be included along with different scroll effects and page transitions. Not only this but the site could be improved with the addition of a logo and possibly more content and description on the main page when more work can be added to the portfolio.

Overall I have found this assignment to really test my skills and progress my knowledge in a range of different areas, which will aid my work ethic when in industry. Although there are many elements of the portfolio which could be improved, the client was very pleased with the finished result, which in the end makes the process worth it.

Once the website had been finished to the best of my ability in the time frames which had been given to me, the website was finally shown to the client to collect together their final thoughts on the design, functionality and overall website. When meeting with the client for the final time they had mentioned that they were very excited to see the finished design as they are going to use it to demonstrate to future employers which is very positive.

On first view of the site the client was very excited by the slideshow of work along with the mix of colour and separation within the first section of the website. In the first mention the client stated that the really like the colour combinations as it emphasises the work on the first section, along with clearly showing the entry into the next section of the site. When moving onto the ‘About Me’ section of the site the background colour choice was greatly enjoyed along with the choice of images and layout of that section of the site. The text was mentioned in the conversation as some parts had been taken out so that section of the site was not cramped with text, but after reading through the information which had keen kept on the site the client was very happy with the overall result.

Continuing to scroll through the website, the client also mentioned the use of the social media icons which have been placed underneath the ‘About Me’ section which they thought worked well as to add opportunities to contact the client. The ‘work’ section of the assignment was also a positive as the client really liked how the site looked on a mobile view with the click through to the responsive images which can be seen on each separate page. The desktop view was also enjoyed, but the client did mention that they thought more animation elements could be added to the site, but due to the time constraints I was not able to include as much animation to the site as once hoped. Other than the slight lack of animation, the client was very happy with the layout of each project and said that each piece of work stood out against the backgrounds and having their individual pages really emphasised the size of each project.

When at the bottom of the page the contact section also went down well, being linked to the client’s email allowed for response to the data which would be sent, providing an enjoyable experience whilst on the site. The difference in the layout of the contact section between the mobile and desktop views also worked well together and provided an interest for the user if viewed on different devices. Finally the footer at the bottom of the page also provided opportunity for the user to move across to different social media platforms, which the client really enjoyed.

Overall, the client was very pleased with the finished site and the main aims for the site had been completed within the time frames that have been given for this assignment. As well as potential users being very impressed with the work which is being displayed on the site, the client was overall very pleased with the finished site and enjoyed almost every aspect of the site. As there had been many setbacks whilst developing the site, the client was very supportive of the work which had been developed and mentioned that they are so happy with the site which had been created and in the end was very glad that the site was not developed using WordPress as the originality of the site is exactly what they were looking for, in comparison to a WordPress developed site.