Adobe "Muse"
polycounter lvl 9
~ Making a Portfolio site just got a whole lot easier! Limitations aside, I can't see how this won't be helpful:
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I can say however, that what it generates, works across all browsers - having tested it, and it is rather powerful in fact.
The code it generates is a bit odd though, for instance each line of copy, would be contained in it's own <p> and <span> tag.
But it is a huge time saver, and a great tool.
Hosting wise, you can generate your html, and upload it to your own webspace very easily. It's a matter of choosing: "export as html"
There's also the adobe edge preview tool out now as well, so it's seems adobe is really pushing to release new web tools on a subscription level. (muse will be available on subscription basis from next year, and for an awesome price)
sweet
It's purely wysiwyg, there is no menu to go into the code, though there is an option to put some of your own code in, in sections. There's no stopping you from fiddling with the code after it's exported of course - though it is confusing compared to neatly hand coded html.
tried it a few weeks ago, without watching any tutorials.. didn't get very far.. can get way further in Dreamweaver without tutorials really..
also, a portfolio site with lots of submenues and subpages?
wasn't polycount preaching about keeping portfolio pages simple? as in, an index page with all the thumbnails of your shit, clicking them taking you directly to the picture you want?
we want to make complex pages now? thats the flavor of late 2011?
meh..
Just because a program can do that, doesn't mean you should, I think dreamer is bringing the program to the attention of people for it's layout ability, and wysiwyg nature for quickly creating portfolio websites for people with no coding knowledge.
What a person creates comes down to the person, not the program he is using.
Except that the user is directly limited to what the tool provides. You can't paint a wall blue without blue paint.
You could do it with notepad, or dreamweaver, or any text editor.
You're kind of misconstruing what I'm saying. I'd expect if a person wanted to paint something, he'd have the intelligence to know he needs paint, a brush and a surface to paint on at the very least.
And if he has the tools to do his painting, it is up to him to make the painting. Yes some tools may make some things more difficult to do, and others make some things easier to do. It still comes down to the person using it.
ah but of course not!
but the way the program lets you easily create and manage subpages is what we're all cheering for here isn't it? it it isn't, then what's so impressive that any other webdesign program doesn't allow?
I'm just not impressed with a program which main feature is to create lots of subpages, when a portfolio site should have as few clicks as possible..
Really, right on the main page of the site, it's about planning, layout and design of pages, in an easy to use, and speedy product. And similarity to indesign and other adobe apps.
Anyone who uses many subpages should be shot (also remember not all sites are portfolio websites, some sites like NGO sites, or business sites that need pages to be group in sections would then use subpages). But I fully understand what you're saying.
Think of it this way, it's a small, light weight program, that serves a single purpose - that is a visual website program with no IDE component or code access.
It's more targeted towards people who don't know how to code html/css.
I'm going to give this a spin. I've got a new site design I've been working on for a really long time and its just so slow and crazy to do all the things I want. This could be a really great way to get something together that does everything I want AND is easy to update... Fingers crossed. Thanks for posting it Dreamer!
Besides your portfolio looking good for prospective employers, it should be coded efficiently and semantically so that it's easier for them to find the relevant content without proactively seeking it out. I doubt that Muse knows what content in your site is most important to prioritize so search engines can index them better. It takes a human eye to do that and software like Muse can't do that. Muse could streamline some tasks for generating web sites and portfolios, but you'll still need to dive into the markup to ensure it's making your most important content visible to the world.
Worry about learning HTML & CSS if you actually enjoy that crap - the cleanliness of the code behind your portfolio only matters if you're a web designer.
+1 less time coding. more time doing art. I used to spend a lot of time trying to code and learning html, css etc. I'd rather spend that time doing something I enjoy.
Somebody else might not, but you surely will and it's not always the most convenient way to make minor updates by loading a big complex application to do it. So, it would be nice if you could read what your web page after the fact. I don't see how your specific preferences invalidate the fact that visibility is a job seeker's best asset. If you can get more employers' eyes on your portfolio, wouldn't you make the effort? What if you took the same attitude with your art? It wouldn't be the best it could be, would it? That's like using Poser because Max and Maya are just not worth it to learn.
I'm just trying to point out the disadvantages of investing in such tools where gaining a little more knowledge and skill could invalidate the need for it. Why use a jackhammer when a crowbar offers more control and does the same job? HTML and CSS are not hard and it's certainly not crap. It's not even as hard as UDK scripting. Furthermore, apps like Muse tend to use proprietary coding techniques that break on one browser and not on another (Frontpage anyone?). If they can't see your portfolio because the editor made bad markup or you just made so many edits that it leaves orphan markup, then you've just lost an opportunity.
Besides, the HTML and CSS behind a dinky little folio is nothing in the time it takes to create it, especially when you save templates of your folio. If you really don't care about compatibility, visibility, and future ease of editing, then be my guest. I don't really care.
Sure, you can make bread from scratch but don't argue against sliced bread.