Create Your Mascot Business

Choose Your Mascot

Your business name is your mascot — the animal you introduced yourself with and that appears on your websites.

• Make sure you’re happy with it. If not, change it in all locations NOW.
• Rule of thumb:
  • The adjective should start with the same letter as your first name.
  • The creature should start with the same letter as your last name.
• If your name has multiple words, pick one or get creative.

Examples:

• D.I. von Briesen → Dapper Indignant Viper → Dapper Viper → Diligent Indignant Voracious Baboon

Pick a Whimsical Business Idea

Once you’re set on your mascot, invent a unique whimsical business idea.

Rules:

• It must be unique to you. Avoid duplicating a classmate’s idea.
• Skip obvious ideas like “fried chicken” or “phone cases.” Those are too generic.
• Aim for something small and specific, like a mall kiosk, food truck, or quirky product shop.

For inspiration:

• Watch Dave Eggers’ TED Talk on 826 Valencia  → examples start around 16 minutes.
• Think Forrest Gump shrimp scene: one idea, many playful variations.

Add Your Idea to the Sites List

• Go to the Sites List in this module on Canvas.
• Add your mascot + whimsical business idea to prevent duplicates.

Build Your Whimsical Business Website

1. Create a new website with at least:
   • index.html
   • about.html
2. Each page must include:
   • <header>, <main>, <footer>
   • Consistent headers/footers across all pages
   • Folder structure similar to your course site (images, scripts, etc.)
3. This site should have a different style than your course site.
4. Add it to your common navigation (so all your sites are connected).

Content Requirements

• After your h2 page title in <main>, include:
  • 1–2 paragraphs about your whimsical business (what it does/sells).
• Create a slogan or tagline:
  • Place it in the header or footer.
  • Format it in italics or “quotes” (but not both).
  • Rule of thumb:
    • If you imagine people saying it out loud → use “quotes”
    • If it’s more descriptive → use italics
• Use semantic emphasis (<strong> / <em>) instead of <b> / <i>.
• You can stretch the theme creatively:
  • Example: “Salty Dog” could run a shop for crochet fingerless gloves.
  • Either adjust your mascot to match your idea, or lean into the fun mismatch.

Key Point: From now on, all your pages must reflect this theme — it should be obvious to anyone who visits your site.

Submission Requirements

When submitting:

1. Confirm in the text entry box:

   • “I have filled out the Sites List page”
   • “I have completed my about.html page, the link is:
     https://webpages.charlotte.edu/UNCCID/FOLDER/about.html”

2. Provide your published site URL in the submission field.

Final Reminders

• This should be fun, not painful → choose something you’ll enjoy working with.
• Your mascot + business idea will carry across every assignment going forward.
• Pay attention to consistent branding, style, and theme.
• Be bold and whimsical — this is your creative playground!