Prior to this assignment, I had never used Microsoft Access before so suffice to say, I felt a little daunted. Going into the assignment with close to zero knowledge of how to use the software filled me with both trepidation and excitement. This is because I knew that learning how to use it would be a valuable skill to pick up as it is one that is demand in the job market.
Completing this assignment taught me to utilize the features of Access in a practical application which made it even more interesting. I learnt how to set up tables with fields reminiscent of those in Excel, create forms for data entry, use queries to analyze and filter data, and create reports in order to summarize and all the data into a digestible format. I also learnt a number of other useful things like applying hyperlinks, number, and currency data types, sort records in ascending or descending order, save an Access Database into a PDF, and link data entry forms to their respective tables.
The reports at the end would have to be the highlight of the entire project for me because I got to see how all the tables, forms and queries came together to produce a professional report. The most frustrating part of the entire project was the Query Wizard which I had a little trouble learning how to use but for the most part I found the project enlightening.
I chose this project because it is very pertinent to this goal as the database seems like an application an actual business would use. Besides that, it would allow the business (Aquarius Arts) to analyse their inventory data to help them decide what products to restock. Last but not least, it's because of all my projects using Microsoft Office, Access was the software I had the least previous experience in using. So every step was a learning experience. That's why it is the project where I feel like I learnt the most and expanded my skill set greatly.
Personally, I found this project rewarding because I used to run a food blog. All I could think about while working on it was how I could apply the styles I was using in this website to my old blog.
Working on this website taught me how to create and manipulate drop shadows, use radial gradient, use the transform property to create shapes, use the box-shadow property, utilize border-radius to create rounded corners, and use the filter property apply graphical effects like blurring or color shifting to an element.
Getting the navigation bar’s individual list item to look like tabs on a recipe box using the transform property was probably the most satisfying aspect of the process but it was also the most frustrating part at the same time. This is because it was the one I had the most trouble figuring out but looked it very eye catching and professional once I managed to figure it out.
If I ever revised this project, I would like to try recreating the entire site without the help of the textbook or any of the provided files. I would also try to add more functionality, make the website more responsive, and figure out how to implement a filter by tag feature.
The reason I chose this project is because it meets all the criteria of goal 1. It uses HTML and CSS in order to create a visually appealing website that looks like it could be used by celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Martha Stewart or even food channels like the Asian Food Channel. I also decided on this project because it was the project I enjoyed making the most because of the number of new properties I learnt to use.