My Developer Journal

This week, we started working with p5.js in VS Code and the p5.js web editor, which I found useful. We also covered some core mathematical principles and did 2D math exercises to help reinforce these concepts. At first, I wasn’t sure how much the math side of things would help, but it’s useful for understanding how visuals are generated in code.

I also did some creative research into how grids are used in both traditional and digital art. It was interesting to see how artists use structured layouts, and it gave me some ideas for future projects.

One of the most helpful things I learned this week was code hinting in VS Code. I think this will be useful when I’m working on my own because it suggests functions and syntax as I type. My goal is to rely on this more before turning to outside resources or asking for help, as it should help me understand how things work rather than just copying solutions.

I also really liked using the p5.js web editor because it makes it easy to test and visualize code instantly, unlike VS Code, which takes a few extra steps to set up. This made it much quicker to experiment with ideas and see immediate results.

I’ve really enjoyed learning p5.js so far, especially because it combines two things I love; art and computing. Being able to create digital art through code is something I find fun, and I can already see so many possibilities for creative projects. I don’t necessarily need to fully understand all the math behind it, but having access to those concepts might help with debugging and improving my work later.

function setup() {
  createCanvas(400, 300);
}

function draw() {
  background(255, 194, 194);

  rectMode(CENTER);

  fill(248, 200, 220);
  stroke(248, 131, 121);
  strokeWeight(20);
  rect(200, 150, 150, 150);

  fill(255, 182, 193, 150);
  stroke(222, 49, 99);
  ellipse(150, 225, 150, 100);
}

Overall, this week was a great introduction to creative coding. I’m looking forward to experimenting more with interactive visuals and seeing how I can use p5.js in future projects.