Designing and Navigating are in my future!

Am I in there? Only Jackson Pollock knows.

I've been thinking about what a website that illustrates me, and isn't a Jackson Pollock abstract, would look like. 
First, it has to be easy to navigate, as we AOAs don't have a lot of patience. I like a left-side vertical menu and will go with that. I also want the menu bar to remain the same on all pages that open, with a distinct Home at the bottom.


Graphic wise, I've sketched out a design with a tree on the left (I'm thinking the menu would reside in the trunk), and footsteps creating a meandering path on the ground beside the tree. I'd like these to be interactive footprints that will open photos from various stages of life. Some footprints might be baby-sized, others adult, leading to the appropriate baby or adult photo. 


It's an ambitious design for me, since I don't know anything about computer programming or website building software. The photo part would involve scanning a lot of old photos into Photoshop, but my prof seems confidant that this is doable (the basics anyway), so ... away we go.