How Do We Make the Website?

Salvete Omnes! I'm Drew, the webmaster, and I manage and update the website. The site has been the highlight of my fairly short term as an officer so far, and I'd like to take you on a tour of my workspace and the tools I use to present the website to you, so you can experience what it's like to be a Latin officer!

Before I bring up any programs or tools I use, I wouldn't be able to do just about any of this without the support of our amazing officers and our sponsor, Mrs. P, who provide nothing but support, kindness, and their own perseverance to the program. They are the ones who bring all the info, pictures, social media content, fliers, knowledge, blog posts, and more to the website; I just format it, so much appreciation for you guys! Now, without further ado, let the tour begin.

The Base of The Website

The program that powers our entire website and all of its features is WIX. WIX provides most of the tools at my disposal, so it's very easy to find what I need to develop the site. WIX also has a store of built-in apps that we like to use, such as the Instagram post display, blog comments, and the Contact Us form, which are super helpful for adding engaging elements without embedding any widgets from outside programs!

This is what the editor looks like when I enter it:

The interface gives me access to all the pages, as well as both a desktop and mobile editor (top bar below the WIX logo). Thanks to these features, I can see how each page looks on multiple device formats, which is extremely useful because when dealing with different screen sizes, the same format can't be used universally without sacrificing some quality and innovation. For example, a design could be really cool on a computer screen where it can be lined up horizontally, but said design wouldn't fit as well on a phone screen. Thankfully, the desktop and mobile editors can be adjusted separately!

The interface also contains an array of icons on the left vertical menu, which includes: the Add menu, which I use to add text, slideshows, images, and all other elements; the App menu, which I use to manage and add apps from WIX's built-in store; and the Site Design menu, which I can use to adjust the color scheme, text, and formatting of the whole website!

One of my favorite newly discovered features is Dev Mode, found at the very top of the editor. Dev Mode allows you to add custom JavaScript code to further customize your website. For example, on the Gallery page where the T-shirt designs are, I used JavaScript to code the animation of the most recent shirt design switching between the front and back designs. Dev Mode also gives you access to more features, like being able to hide certain layers in the editor, which is a godsend when dealing with heavily layered elements and trying to adjust one that's buried at the bottom.

Guidelines

Despite having all these customization possibilities, the website still needs to serve its purpose as an informative and competitive site. Due to this fact, there are some guidelines I follow to ensure that the site is optimal.

We make the website for 2 main reasons: to inform people about our club and to submit to VJCL and NJCL for competitions. Since we compete on the state and national level, it's currently up to me to ensure the website will score properly at these competitions, so I reference the NJCL Website Making Guide. There I can find out what is necessary to have on the site, such as the home page, officer information, meeting minutes, and an archive. It also shares tips for building an effective website from webmasters across the country! Other than those guidelines, I have creative liberty, which is what makes each site unique from one another.

Where Do I Get My Inspiration From?

Now that you've seen what my physical workspace looks like, you can see what my mental workspace looks like. Of course, simply editing the website isn't the only hurdle to overcome when you're tasked with updating and managing it; you also have to bring in new ideas to keep it fresh, and that requires inspiration. For this, I'll have to take you back in time a little bit.

When I applied for my position as webmaster at the end of my freshman year, I had very little idea what I was getting into or what I would be doing, but I knew that I really wanted to be an officer because I enjoyed the program so much that I wanted to do more with it. Thankfully, I was selected, and the responsibility of managing and updating the (more or less forgotten) website was handed to me. I was given access to the editor, some reference sites, and creative liberty.

I didn't want to change the original color scheme and vibes because I felt like they reflected our program fairly well, and I was tasked with adding specific pages like the Archives page and the Officer page, but once those were added, I was kind of stumped. Certain pages, like the Calendar, were fairly self-explanatory because all I had to do was add a calendar app and add some events, but I struggled with finding creative ideas to incorporate. That's when I checked out some of those Latin club websites I was sent.

I browsed websites from schools like Health Careers High School, Boston Latin School, and Miramonte High School, all national award-winning websites, and it was almost a night-and-day difference from our website. Just seeing all the photos, designs, documents, study guides, and more gave me so many ideas! Thanks to this, I've learned 2 of the best ways I find inspiration for the site.

When in doubt, look at the ones on top! They're on top for a reason, and can provide some major inspiration. I've found that the best club websites are the ones that are able to display their club's passion through whatever means represent them, whether that be huge photo galleries, vast study guides, or pages dedicated to how they have fun. Secondly, I work with my fellow officers! They're the ones who are coming up with all the events and ideas, and how much more original could it get than sourcing inspiration from your own club?

There You Have It!

Thanks for tagging along to see what my job is like as the webmaster for the Edison Latin Club! It can be a lot of work sometimes, but I'm having a great time so far, and I hope you keep checking in to see the changes. Valete Omnes!