This week, I explored new sites offering free media like Mixkit and the Free Music Archive (FMA). I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned—not just about the variety of media available, but also about working with different types of media, including images, audio, and video. As part of this exploration, I’ve included an audio clip for you to check out—feel free to take a listen! Learning about image optimization for the web was equally engaging, as I gained valuable insights into selecting the right file formats, compressing images, and employing techniques like lazy loading and using CDNs.
Building on this knowledge, I explored further into the specifics of image optimization. This includes selecting the appropriate file format (JPEG for photos and PNG for transparency), compressing images to reduce file size without sacrificing quality, and resizing them to fit the necessary dimensions. Including descriptive alt text is essential for accessibility and SEO. Additionally, utilizing lazy loading ensures that images only load when visible, improving page speed. Supporting high-resolution displays with srcset allows the correct image sizes to be served, while using a Content Delivery Network (CDN), enabling browser caching, and minimizing the number of images further enhances performance.