Lecture Notes Of Class 30: Final Project - Building a Portfolio Page with CSS
Objective:
By the end of this class,
students will be able to create a fully functional portfolio page using the CSS
concepts learned throughout the course. The focus will be on incorporating all
aspects of CSS techniques, from basic styling to advanced layouts.
Introduction:
A portfolio page is a
personal website that showcases a student’s work, skills, and achievements. It
is an essential tool for anyone pursuing a career in design, development, or
any other creative field. The purpose of this project is to apply all the CSS
concepts learned during the course to create a professional-looking and
responsive portfolio page.
Key Concepts Covered:
1.
Basic Structure of an HTML Document
o Creating
a clear and structured layout for the portfolio page.
o Using
appropriate HTML tags like <header>, <footer>, <section>, <article>,
<nav>, and <div> to define content.
2.
CSS Basics
o Styling
text using properties like font-family, font-size, color, and text-align.
o Working
with background colors, images, and gradients.
o Applying
margins, padding, and borders to elements.
3.
Positioning and Layout
o Using
CSS Box Model for element spacing.
o Applying
float, position (relative, absolute, fixed), display (block, inline, flex), and
grid to create complex layouts.
4.
Responsive Design
o Using
media queries to make the portfolio page responsive on different screen sizes.
o Understanding
breakpoints and adjusting layout elements based on the viewport size.
5.
Flexbox and Grid
o Utilizing
Flexbox and CSS Grid for more advanced layouts that are flexible and easy to
manipulate.
o Creating
a layout where content is displayed in a grid or flexible columns.
6.
Typography and Text Styling
o Choosing
appropriate fonts and sizes for readability and aesthetic appeal.
o Adding
text shadows, line height, and letter spacing for design enhancement.
7.
Interactive Elements
o Styling
buttons, links, and other interactive elements.
o Using
hover, focus, and active states to create interactive visual feedback.
8.
Transitions and Animations
o Adding
simple animations and transitions to make the page more dynamic (e.g., hover
effects on images or links).
9.
Advanced CSS Concepts
o Using
pseudo-classes and pseudo-elements (:before, :after, :hover).
o Adding
custom CSS properties and variables for consistency in the design.
Lab Exercise: Create a
Portfolio Page Using CSS
Step 1: Planning the
Structure
Before diving into the
coding, plan the structure of your portfolio page. A basic portfolio may
include:
- Header:
Your name, photo, and a navigation menu.
- About
Section: A brief introduction about yourself.
- Skills
Section: A list of your technical skills.
- Projects
Section: Showcase of your work (e.g., web
development, design projects).
- Contact
Section: How potential employers or clients
can reach you.
- Footer:
A copyright notice or a quick link to social media profiles.
Here’s a simple structure
to follow:
html
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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,
initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Your Name - Portfolio</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
</head>
<body>
<header>
<nav>
<!-- Navigation Links -->
</nav>
<div class="hero">
<h1>Your Name</h1>
<p>A brief tagline or
introduction</p>
</div>
</header>
<section id="about">
<h2>About Me</h2>
<p>Write about yourself here...</p>
</section>
<section id="skills">
<h2>Skills</h2>
<ul>
<li>HTML</li>
<li>CSS</li>
<li>JavaScript</li>
<!-- More Skills -->
</ul>
</section>
<section id="projects">
<h2>My Projects</h2>
<div class="project-item">
<!-- Project details with images
and links -->
</div>
</section>
<section id="contact">
<h2>Contact</h2>
<form>
<!-- Contact form with name,
email, and message -->
</form>
</section>
<footer>
<p>© 2025 Your Name. All
rights reserved.</p>
</footer>
</body>
</html>
Step 2: Styling with CSS
Now, let's apply the CSS
to style your portfolio page.
a. Basic Styling:
Start by resetting some
default styles using a basic CSS reset or by defining your own base styles for
elements.
css
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/* styles.css */
* {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
body {
font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif;
line-height: 1.6;
background-color: #f4f4f4;
color: #333;
}
header {
background-color: #333;
color: #fff;
padding: 20px;
text-align: center;
}
b. Header Styling:
Define the header to
include a background color, text alignment, and spacing.
css
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header .hero {
margin-top: 20px;
}
header h1 {
font-size: 3em;
}
header p {
font-size: 1.2em;
}
c. Navigation Styling:
Use Flexbox to position
the navigation links horizontally.
css
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nav {
display: flex;
justify-content: center;
margin-top: 20px;
}
nav a {
color: #fff;
text-decoration: none;
padding: 10px 20px;
margin: 0 15px;
font-weight: bold;
}
nav a:hover {
background-color: #444;
}
d. Skills Section
Styling:
This section will display
a list of skills. Use Flexbox for an organized layout.
css
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#skills {
background-color: #fff;
padding: 20px;
}
#skills ul {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-evenly;
list-style-type: none;
}
#skills li {
padding: 10px;
background-color: #ddd;
border-radius: 5px;
}
e. Projects Section
Styling:
For projects, you can use
a grid to showcase your work.
css
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#projects {
padding: 20px;
background-color: #f9f9f9;
}
.project-item {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
gap: 15px;
margin-top: 20px;
}
.project-item img {
width: 100%;
border-radius: 5px;
}
f. Contact Section
Styling:
Design a simple contact
form.
css
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#contact {
background-color: #fff;
padding: 20px;
}
form input, form textarea
{
width: 100%;
padding: 10px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
border-radius: 5px;
}
form button {
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: #333;
color: #fff;
border: none;
cursor: pointer;
}
form button:hover {
background-color: #444;
}
Step 3: Adding
Responsiveness
Finally, make sure the
page is responsive by adding media queries for smaller screens.
css
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@media (max-width: 768px)
{
header h1 {
font-size: 2em;
}
nav {
flex-direction: column;
}
.project-item {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
}
Conclusion:
After completing the
project, students will have gained hands-on experience in building a fully
styled, responsive web page. The skills learned in this exercise will lay the
foundation for more advanced web development concepts.
Encourage students to
experiment with different styles, layouts, and media queries to further
personalize their portfolio page.
Additional Tips:
- Consistency:
Use consistent margins, paddings, and fonts across the entire page for a
professional look.
- Typography:
Choose fonts that are legible and match your personal style.
- Media
Queries: Test your page on multiple devices
to ensure responsiveness.
- Images:
Use high-quality images for projects and portfolio sections, and optimize
them for faster loading times.
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