Before reading this article on the process of Redesigning a Logo, I guess I really had no idea how much time and effort has to go into this process. Obviously, this designer was starting from scratch, but it just goes to show you how much thought and time and effort must go into this process.
The point that the author made about identifying the audience, I thought, was very important. This probably isn't a point that I would initially think of, however, when really considering this fact, particularly for the Digital Web Magazine logo, certain factors such as readability, would undoubtedly be important.
It would be tough trying to design a website with no audience in mind, and it would appear to be just as difficult to try to design a logo for a certain brand or website without an audience in mind.
For future reference when doing anything... Keep your audience in mind!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Color Theory for the Color-Blind
I liked the idea behind this article. If color blind web designers can create successful websites, then other web designers (without colorblindness) should be able to create websites using the same, or similar, techniques.
Its true that even web designers who are not color blind sometimes have trouble telling which colors go well together. The authors mention of the color wheel could come in handy when designing websites, however, I do agree with his statement:
"Personally, I wouldn’t use a triad unless I was designing for a children’s Web site."
I think that the color triad should probably be used in moderation, and only to help identify which colors might work well together. Too much use of the color triad could get too colorful, and definitely ruin any professional look of a website.
What I really liked was looking up color psychology online. Unfortunately, I learned that the color palatte that I chose to use for my final project may make children cry... :(
Its true that even web designers who are not color blind sometimes have trouble telling which colors go well together. The authors mention of the color wheel could come in handy when designing websites, however, I do agree with his statement:
"Personally, I wouldn’t use a triad unless I was designing for a children’s Web site."
I think that the color triad should probably be used in moderation, and only to help identify which colors might work well together. Too much use of the color triad could get too colorful, and definitely ruin any professional look of a website.
What I really liked was looking up color psychology online. Unfortunately, I learned that the color palatte that I chose to use for my final project may make children cry... :(
Business of Blue.
I liked the point that the author made about using a hierarchy of colors.
"The first is the primary colour, used in major washing of objects and blocks to give the first "punch." The second is the subordinate colour, which is used to substantiate the claim the primary colour holds on the viewers attention. The third the accent colour, which should be used sparingly within reason so that the viewer's eye can jump from place to place to ascertain what is truly important about a particular project."
I think that this is definitely something that I can, and should keep in mind when designing my final project. The only possible issue is the fact that on my module 4, I seem to have a lack of colors. So far the first website that I've been working on has a lot of white, with a little bit of red... the red could have some variation,
however, I'm not exactly sure what to do with it just yet.
This article definitely caters to the website designer. Obviously, the main focus of the article is on the color blue, however, the idea of finding colors which work well together can be used across many different platforms.
"The first is the primary colour, used in major washing of objects and blocks to give the first "punch." The second is the subordinate colour, which is used to substantiate the claim the primary colour holds on the viewers attention. The third the accent colour, which should be used sparingly within reason so that the viewer's eye can jump from place to place to ascertain what is truly important about a particular project."
I think that this is definitely something that I can, and should keep in mind when designing my final project. The only possible issue is the fact that on my module 4, I seem to have a lack of colors. So far the first website that I've been working on has a lot of white, with a little bit of red... the red could have some variation,
however, I'm not exactly sure what to do with it just yet.
This article definitely caters to the website designer. Obviously, the main focus of the article is on the color blue, however, the idea of finding colors which work well together can be used across many different platforms.
Why Color Matters!
This article did a better job of explaining the importance of using color. The author provided many helpful examples and statistics which only helped to further emphasize the point of the article. They provided me with many facts that I can use when designing web pages.
Although they didn't really go into great detail (if at all) about which colors produce which particular emotions in people, the point of the article didn't really seem to flow with this issue. Mainly, this article was about why colors are important to people, and how much they can effect certain products when used correctly (or even incorrectly).
The examples of color and marketing and color and brand identity were probably the most valuable to my web design skills. Some of the things that the article mentioned could probably be used in a positive fashion when designing websites, however, I worry that it could take a lot of time to simply think of a way to associate a website with a particluar color or brand which provokes positive emotions from users.
Although they didn't really go into great detail (if at all) about which colors produce which particular emotions in people, the point of the article didn't really seem to flow with this issue. Mainly, this article was about why colors are important to people, and how much they can effect certain products when used correctly (or even incorrectly).
The examples of color and marketing and color and brand identity were probably the most valuable to my web design skills. Some of the things that the article mentioned could probably be used in a positive fashion when designing websites, however, I worry that it could take a lot of time to simply think of a way to associate a website with a particluar color or brand which provokes positive emotions from users.
Color: An Investigation
The article written by McClurg-Genevese is an extremely thorough, in-depth piece about color and color theory. From reading this piece, I have learned far more about color and its possible origins than I have ever desired to know.
While some things were relatively interesting, (for example, the bit about ancient Egyptians,) overall, I still am unsure as to how reading this article will help me with web design. Sure, color is more than just how well my outfit goes together in the morning, but I expected this article to either be a about color for web layouts, or something about catering to the color blind...
I'm not really sure what to think.
It was interesting, but I don't know what I can do with this information.
While some things were relatively interesting, (for example, the bit about ancient Egyptians,) overall, I still am unsure as to how reading this article will help me with web design. Sure, color is more than just how well my outfit goes together in the morning, but I expected this article to either be a about color for web layouts, or something about catering to the color blind...
I'm not really sure what to think.
It was interesting, but I don't know what I can do with this information.
Friday, March 27, 2009
deaf vs. Deaf
The article by Lisa Herrod about Deafness and the User Experience was enlightening in many ways. She provided many examples and reasons as to why simple subtitles are not enough to consider a website accessible for a Deaf user. There were a lot of things that I learned that I didn't know before, for example, I had never really thought about the possible difficulty presented to the Deaf by phonetics and slang used in our everyday language. The examples she used explained the issue very well.
Also, her definitions of captioning and subtitling, and of transcription and translation were quite helpful as well. She also presented many valuable real world situations, for instance, the curbs used for wheelchair users are also very valuable to other people as well.
Overall, I enjoyed this article.
Also, her definitions of captioning and subtitling, and of transcription and translation were quite helpful as well. She also presented many valuable real world situations, for instance, the curbs used for wheelchair users are also very valuable to other people as well.
Overall, I enjoyed this article.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Class Journal Entry
1. Since the target audience for my Module 4 (and final project) is extremely limited, it should, in theory, make it easier for me to design my site to meet their needs. The audience will consist mainly of potential employers; possibly those in the journalism field, or from elsewhere. Given this, I suppose a good way to draw these users in and give them what they want would be to make the appropriate information easy to find, as well as to give the site good, clear navigation.
2. & 3. To chart out my audience for this site would be a significantly easier task than what Ragle-Davis gave as an example. Given that the audience will consist mainly of potential employers, the only real difference among audience members will be the different purposes for which they are looking at my online portfolio. The only real differences might be the type of job for which I am applying, so it may be beneficial for me to tailor the website to suit different employers. A good idea might be to have one unified homepage for all users, with navigation allowing them to choose a different area of the website to suit their needs.
4. -Verba talked about prototyping, mainly highlighting the pros and cons of this method. I think that prototyping could be a good idea for me, considering the fact that I am attempting to tailor my website to fit a particular audience. It could be tough for me to test that audience's needs, however, the overall idea of prototyping would likely be more beneficial than not. Prototyping could work well for Modue 4, but definitely would be helpful for my final project.
-Boulton talked mostly about idea sessions (brainstorming), this doesn't really apply to my projects because I am working alone, however, I can see how it might be beneficial to me to bounce ideas off of others, and to ask others to take a look at my final site to determine whether or not it is easy to use, and if it fits the ultimate purpose.
5. I suppose that with my final project, as well as my Module 4, I will mostly be addressing the issue of accessibility. Given the purpose of my site, I would have to say that this is probably one of the most important elements of the website. If the navigation does not work properly, or is not clear, or if there happens to be an error present on the website, it could easily defeat the whole purpose of having an online resume by discouraging potential employers from attempting to take a look at me, and my website.
6. I think that my idea of the role of web authors has changed only slightly since taking this class. I have realized just how much work goes into creating a website. Not only is the time necessary for creating the webiste itself, but all of the time that must go in to forming ideas for a good website, coming up with new original ideas, and simply creating a usable site without too many errors can take an extremely long time, and a lot of hard work. As we learned from Zeldman, there are also numerous standards that web authors must adhere to when creating a website. For instance, they need to make the website usable for disabled users, etc. I would have to say that web authors are not the exact same as coders. I feel as if the title of "web author" indicates a different type of work that is necessary. Web authors design web pages, and coders create them.
2. & 3. To chart out my audience for this site would be a significantly easier task than what Ragle-Davis gave as an example. Given that the audience will consist mainly of potential employers, the only real difference among audience members will be the different purposes for which they are looking at my online portfolio. The only real differences might be the type of job for which I am applying, so it may be beneficial for me to tailor the website to suit different employers. A good idea might be to have one unified homepage for all users, with navigation allowing them to choose a different area of the website to suit their needs.
4. -Verba talked about prototyping, mainly highlighting the pros and cons of this method. I think that prototyping could be a good idea for me, considering the fact that I am attempting to tailor my website to fit a particular audience. It could be tough for me to test that audience's needs, however, the overall idea of prototyping would likely be more beneficial than not. Prototyping could work well for Modue 4, but definitely would be helpful for my final project.
-Boulton talked mostly about idea sessions (brainstorming), this doesn't really apply to my projects because I am working alone, however, I can see how it might be beneficial to me to bounce ideas off of others, and to ask others to take a look at my final site to determine whether or not it is easy to use, and if it fits the ultimate purpose.
5. I suppose that with my final project, as well as my Module 4, I will mostly be addressing the issue of accessibility. Given the purpose of my site, I would have to say that this is probably one of the most important elements of the website. If the navigation does not work properly, or is not clear, or if there happens to be an error present on the website, it could easily defeat the whole purpose of having an online resume by discouraging potential employers from attempting to take a look at me, and my website.
6. I think that my idea of the role of web authors has changed only slightly since taking this class. I have realized just how much work goes into creating a website. Not only is the time necessary for creating the webiste itself, but all of the time that must go in to forming ideas for a good website, coming up with new original ideas, and simply creating a usable site without too many errors can take an extremely long time, and a lot of hard work. As we learned from Zeldman, there are also numerous standards that web authors must adhere to when creating a website. For instance, they need to make the website usable for disabled users, etc. I would have to say that web authors are not the exact same as coders. I feel as if the title of "web author" indicates a different type of work that is necessary. Web authors design web pages, and coders create them.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Developing Ideas.
This article about developing ideas was relatively straightforward, although it did provide some very insightful ways to look at idea development.
The author's description of idea sessions was very thorough and helpful. Brainstorming can be disastrous, however, I thought that the author provided some helpful solutions for making an "Idea Session" more productive.
Some of the jobs that he described seem very helpful, and they are not jobs that I would normally think of having people do during an ideas session such as this. For example, a facilitator, essentially, to help pull ideas from the group members. This seems like a good idea, particularly if group members are hesitant to express the ideas that they may have.
I could also appreciate his list of rules. "All ideas are equal," seems to be a particularly important rule to have.
The author's description of idea sessions was very thorough and helpful. Brainstorming can be disastrous, however, I thought that the author provided some helpful solutions for making an "Idea Session" more productive.
Some of the jobs that he described seem very helpful, and they are not jobs that I would normally think of having people do during an ideas session such as this. For example, a facilitator, essentially, to help pull ideas from the group members. This seems like a good idea, particularly if group members are hesitant to express the ideas that they may have.
I could also appreciate his list of rules. "All ideas are equal," seems to be a particularly important rule to have.
More Prototyping!
This article on prototyping went into much further detail than the previous article that we had to read a few weeks ago about Paper Prototyping, but I was able to use some of my knowledge gained from that experience to better understand this article.
(But I'm still not sure what a wireframe is!)
While some of the benefits of prototyping are rather obvious; allowing us to see problems more clearly, makes it easier to receive feedback from users, there are other less straightforward benefits. For instance, it fosters collaboration, helps designers and developers consider what is possible to create, and it helps clients and users to gain similar understanding.
What I really appreciated about this article was the negative aspects of prototyping that the author provided. These are things that I wouldn't normally think of. The idea of fidelity, which I found a bit confusing at first, seems rather important. Particularly if paper prototyping is being used, the final product could end up looking quite different than the prototype, leading to possible misconceptions.
(But I'm still not sure what a wireframe is!)
While some of the benefits of prototyping are rather obvious; allowing us to see problems more clearly, makes it easier to receive feedback from users, there are other less straightforward benefits. For instance, it fosters collaboration, helps designers and developers consider what is possible to create, and it helps clients and users to gain similar understanding.
What I really appreciated about this article was the negative aspects of prototyping that the author provided. These are things that I wouldn't normally think of. The idea of fidelity, which I found a bit confusing at first, seems rather important. Particularly if paper prototyping is being used, the final product could end up looking quite different than the prototype, leading to possible misconceptions.
Design Decisions vs. Audience Considerations
I loved the author's definition of audience!
"What distinguishes your audience from visitors and users? Visitors include everyone who happens upon your site. Users are intentional visitors who are looking for something specific.
Your Audience are the visitors you are trying to reach, to whom you are trying to deliver your message, and with whom you are most likely trying to establish an ongoing relationship. They are made up of groups of individuals with certain characteristics, needs, and desires in common."
For some reason I never felt like I had received such an appropriate definition of what an audience really is, until I read this paragraph. I never realized the true importance of knowing this.
The author provides so many valuable ideas for creating your website to tailor to user's needs. I particularly liked the ideas for 'Customizing the Experience.' The idea of a mailing list (while annoying for the user to sign up for...) is actually a good idea. Learning your customer's preferences and tailoring to them as much as possible is basic customer service.
"What distinguishes your audience from visitors and users? Visitors include everyone who happens upon your site. Users are intentional visitors who are looking for something specific.
Your Audience are the visitors you are trying to reach, to whom you are trying to deliver your message, and with whom you are most likely trying to establish an ongoing relationship. They are made up of groups of individuals with certain characteristics, needs, and desires in common."
For some reason I never felt like I had received such an appropriate definition of what an audience really is, until I read this paragraph. I never realized the true importance of knowing this.
The author provides so many valuable ideas for creating your website to tailor to user's needs. I particularly liked the ideas for 'Customizing the Experience.' The idea of a mailing list (while annoying for the user to sign up for...) is actually a good idea. Learning your customer's preferences and tailoring to them as much as possible is basic customer service.
"Sexy CSS"
The article on Smart and Sexy CSS was, interesting...
Some parts of the author's point I understood, while others were a little tougher for me to grasp. I understand the need that he points out for clean CSS code as opposed to 'sexy' CSS code, but it is still difficult for me to understand how CSS code could be sexy. (I obviously don't mean sexy in the traditional sense, but nonetheless..)
I agree with the author's point about always being specific, particularly when it comes to choosing and labeling colors. Given what I know about CSS (which is minimal) I do believe that I understood this rather important point. From what we have done with CSS on Dreamweaver in class, I have reailzed that there are many different colors (and shades of colors), each with its own different, and confusing name. So this point made sense to me.
I also understood the importance of avoiding 'sexy' CSS when working with co-workers or clients. The coding would most definitely be to have clean and understandable.
While I believe that I understood the overall point of this article, I don't really feel as if it applies to me. I'm really not all that concerned with making my CSS sexy. CSS that actually works is my first goal.
Some parts of the author's point I understood, while others were a little tougher for me to grasp. I understand the need that he points out for clean CSS code as opposed to 'sexy' CSS code, but it is still difficult for me to understand how CSS code could be sexy. (I obviously don't mean sexy in the traditional sense, but nonetheless..)
I agree with the author's point about always being specific, particularly when it comes to choosing and labeling colors. Given what I know about CSS (which is minimal) I do believe that I understood this rather important point. From what we have done with CSS on Dreamweaver in class, I have reailzed that there are many different colors (and shades of colors), each with its own different, and confusing name. So this point made sense to me.
I also understood the importance of avoiding 'sexy' CSS when working with co-workers or clients. The coding would most definitely be to have clean and understandable.
While I believe that I understood the overall point of this article, I don't really feel as if it applies to me. I'm really not all that concerned with making my CSS sexy. CSS that actually works is my first goal.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Mod 4
Now that I'm beginning to get a real idea of what we are supposed to do for Module 4, it is starting to seem a bit easier. The fact that I can use this project to help me begin really focusing on my final project helps to relieve some of the stress and worry.
I'm thinking of making the first page my introductory page, which tells the user about myself and the purpose of this site. The second page will probably just link the user to my resume. I don't want to get too elaborate for this project, so I'm hoping that this will be adequate.
However, the fact that we have to create this project using CSS is a little unnerving. Since I thought I had decided on using the Blue Robot website for my layout, it is creating a bit of a problem for me because this site was not written in CSS. I'm sure that I will find a solution to this problem, even if I have to choose a different layout. It might actually make this project a bit easier if I were to attempt to find a layout which was slightly more related to the actual goal of this project... perhaps I could find a layout used by someone who already created an online portfolio and steal and alter theirs?
... nonetheless, I'll have to think of something.
I'm thinking of making the first page my introductory page, which tells the user about myself and the purpose of this site. The second page will probably just link the user to my resume. I don't want to get too elaborate for this project, so I'm hoping that this will be adequate.
However, the fact that we have to create this project using CSS is a little unnerving. Since I thought I had decided on using the Blue Robot website for my layout, it is creating a bit of a problem for me because this site was not written in CSS. I'm sure that I will find a solution to this problem, even if I have to choose a different layout. It might actually make this project a bit easier if I were to attempt to find a layout which was slightly more related to the actual goal of this project... perhaps I could find a layout used by someone who already created an online portfolio and steal and alter theirs?
... nonetheless, I'll have to think of something.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
User-Centered Design
I think that the concept of user-centered design seems pretty basic, and it is obvious that the ideas that the author talks about in this article are vitally important to anyone considering web design.
I think that the second point that the author made, about knowing your users pinpoints some very important ideas and asks some valuable questions. Even the main question, which asks how much experience users have, is an important one... definitely one that I would not think of.
The point that the author makes about constantly testing for usability is also important. Getting user feedback is important, because its the only way you can really know if your website is meeting its purpose.
I liked these articles, they were basic, straightforward, and easy to read.
I think that the second point that the author made, about knowing your users pinpoints some very important ideas and asks some valuable questions. Even the main question, which asks how much experience users have, is an important one... definitely one that I would not think of.
The point that the author makes about constantly testing for usability is also important. Getting user feedback is important, because its the only way you can really know if your website is meeting its purpose.
I liked these articles, they were basic, straightforward, and easy to read.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Further FInal Project Ideas
First I'll start out with an idea that I thought of for my final project, just adding it here quickly so I don't forget about it. I was thinking that in addition to creating an online portfolio for myself which is purely work related, I could also add a few details about my personal life. Since I'm running a 5k this weekend, I was thinking about adding some of my 5k times, and other stuff just as kind of a personal reference for myself, and to also show that I do participate in outiside activties apart from school. Of course, I would not make this the most important part of my website... and would be sure to make it very clear that the user would be trailing off into less important areas.... (After writing all of this out, I am now not positive that I still want to use this idea, but, I suppose writing it down for later reference was still a good idea.)
One problem that I wrote about in my final project in the proposal, the issue of locating all of my old newspaper articles from high school, is slowly becoming a larger issue. Over break I forgot to look for the print versions of these articles, so it is becoming more and more likely that I will have to find another solution. I'm not even really sure that I want to put up links to all of my old articles, because, frankly, some of them were really badly written! Hopefully I can find the print versions relatively soon, and just pick some of the better quality articles to put online.
Other than that, I am both excited and extrememly nervous to get started working on the final project.
One problem that I wrote about in my final project in the proposal, the issue of locating all of my old newspaper articles from high school, is slowly becoming a larger issue. Over break I forgot to look for the print versions of these articles, so it is becoming more and more likely that I will have to find another solution. I'm not even really sure that I want to put up links to all of my old articles, because, frankly, some of them were really badly written! Hopefully I can find the print versions relatively soon, and just pick some of the better quality articles to put online.
Other than that, I am both excited and extrememly nervous to get started working on the final project.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
CSS Tutorial
I really liked the CSS Tutorial video, it showed you a lot of the same things as the readings, but it was easier for me to follow because I could actually see what was going on. A lot of the time I find that its easy for my mind to wander because I don't recognize all of the terms that the authors talk about in the articles, but when I was watching a video which showed step-by-step basic CSS, it was much easier for me to follow along, and really feel like I was beginning to understand what was going on.
I'm still not sure if I'm convinced yet that learning CSS would be easier in the long run than just using HTML... but I guess if that's what everyone says, it might be true...
I'm still not sure if I'm convinced yet that learning CSS would be easier in the long run than just using HTML... but I guess if that's what everyone says, it might be true...
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