Well here it is, the final week of Web Design. It almost feels as though it just started. It was a good ride however, so much was learned. Seven weeks ago I would have never thought that I could even remotely do any kind of web design. Much to my surprise I am leaving with more knowledge than I expected.
I will never look at web pages the same way again. My mind goes right behind the scenes when I see a web page. I no longer have the fear that I started this class with. I actually have somewhat of a comfort level in that I can do some design on my own. I am sure that this is just scratching the surface yet I feel safe enough that I could dig in and do some work own my own.
Just yesterday I was approached by a very good friend and asked if I would assist in the website design for his business. With some nervousness I agreed feeling comfortable in that I will be able to work through it with him and his designer/employee.
Digging in even deeper, I found html more of a friend to me than photo shop was at first. I was very intimidated by photo shop, feeling that I could never retain all of the know how that was needed to navigate through it. On the other hand, using html came to me so much easier. I fumbled with it at first but, began to understand and become more fluent with it than I was with photo shop.
When it came to the final project of designing a web site of my own I found that working with Expressions more of a challenge than working with than with Wix, my choice of web 2.0 design. Wix made things quite easy. I choose an already laid out template which was exactly what I had envisioned for my project from the start. Oddly I had joined Wix prior to starting this class because of a random advertisement I came across that offered a free photography web site. Of course photography is a huge hobby of mine. It was fairly easy to go in and add or delete things as needed. Rewriting the text was also a fairly easy process. Now that I have a more casual friendship with photo shop and understand how to re size an image it made uploading photos the template very easy.
I have to admit that even though Expressions was more difficult to navigate through I did enjoy the depth at which I was involved in while coming up with a design. I liked the fact that I could split the screen and see the html at the same time as the design. And it made it rather exciting to be able to go in and work with the html as well. Still can't explain why I like html but , I'm just going to go with it.
The two sites that I designed differed quite a bit in design and layout. First, of all the templates were very different from each other making the appearance from one site to the other very different. Also text, font size and colors all differ from one site to the other. My storyboards were very similar to my site design on Wix mainly because I had been on Wix prior to class and already knew in my head what my site design would look like.
To some it all up, this was a fantastic class with so much knowledge coming out of it. Time went by so quickly, which to me indicates that it was a very engaging and enjoyable class. Kudos to the professor for providing us with a truly excellent learning experience.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Week # 6 Reflections
After reading this week I have a general understanding of the use of images on a web page. Will I successfully be able to utilize this feature remains to be seen. I have an understanding now for using images as a background which is something I was hoping to do with my web page design. I also have a much better understanding of the design of the page and how it is laid out. It simply has to be pleasing to the eye and easy to understand and navigate. I know for myself that if I come across a page that is uninviting or not easy to navigate I simply x out and move on to the next web site. Cascading style sheets (CSS) are going to be key in the design of the website. Currently I am highly stressed and nervous about this whole process as I recently discovered that Photo Shop and myself do not share much likeness for each other and it makes me shaky about everything else.
Storyboarding is helping to visualize what I want the web site to look like and also how it will function. They are allowing me to lay it out and make easy changes as needed as well as providing a foundation for the web site as it will be designed on the computer.
I do believe that I will be going with Wix as the choice to build my site. Wix has several layout that I would like to use and they are free. I had signed up to use Wix prior to starting this class so I may as well follow through with my original actions.
Storyboarding is helping to visualize what I want the web site to look like and also how it will function. They are allowing me to lay it out and make easy changes as needed as well as providing a foundation for the web site as it will be designed on the computer.
I do believe that I will be going with Wix as the choice to build my site. Wix has several layout that I would like to use and they are free. I had signed up to use Wix prior to starting this class so I may as well follow through with my original actions.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Week # 5 Blog
It is true that anyone with Internet and a computer can create a website.
This is good in that a rather savvy designer could create a website that is visually pleasing as well as being quite user friendly, and one that is usable on most browsers. On the other hand, a not so savvy designer could create a horrible website. It could be rather unpleasant to look at and very non-user friendly. It also could be difficult to load and view in many of he different browsers causing people to move on and not view the site.
Some advantages to creating your own website could be that it would not cost you very much if anything. You would be able to design the site exactly how you wanted it and you could also updated it as frequently as you would like. You would have control over the site ability to be user friendly to people with disabilities as well.
When hiring a professional to design your site the first difference is that you are going to incur monetary costs in building the site. You also will not have complete control over the design of the site. You may not be given all of the features and usability that you had hoped for.
A disadvantage to designing the site yourself will be the time involved and the time it takes to create the site. Doing it yourself could take quite a bit of time and energy where as by hiring a professional your time involved will be minimal and the site will be created much quicker by the hired professional.
Usability in web design refers to overall ease of the site in regards to navigation, colors schemes, font size and readability. It is very helpful that clickable buttons are easily identified and that they take you to the correct place and also that the page is not to big so that you have to scroll up and down as well as side to side to read the page.
Accessibility in web design refers to all users having equal access and use of the website regardless of any disabilities that the individual might have. Everybody should have equal access and be able to freely use the website and compliance with the Disabilities Act or 1990.
This is good in that a rather savvy designer could create a website that is visually pleasing as well as being quite user friendly, and one that is usable on most browsers. On the other hand, a not so savvy designer could create a horrible website. It could be rather unpleasant to look at and very non-user friendly. It also could be difficult to load and view in many of he different browsers causing people to move on and not view the site.
Some advantages to creating your own website could be that it would not cost you very much if anything. You would be able to design the site exactly how you wanted it and you could also updated it as frequently as you would like. You would have control over the site ability to be user friendly to people with disabilities as well.
When hiring a professional to design your site the first difference is that you are going to incur monetary costs in building the site. You also will not have complete control over the design of the site. You may not be given all of the features and usability that you had hoped for.
A disadvantage to designing the site yourself will be the time involved and the time it takes to create the site. Doing it yourself could take quite a bit of time and energy where as by hiring a professional your time involved will be minimal and the site will be created much quicker by the hired professional.
Usability in web design refers to overall ease of the site in regards to navigation, colors schemes, font size and readability. It is very helpful that clickable buttons are easily identified and that they take you to the correct place and also that the page is not to big so that you have to scroll up and down as well as side to side to read the page.
Accessibility in web design refers to all users having equal access and use of the website regardless of any disabilities that the individual might have. Everybody should have equal access and be able to freely use the website and compliance with the Disabilities Act or 1990.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Website Evaluation
The first website that I chose is www.twiddy.com. My first reason for this site is that it is the site that I use to book my vacations in the Outer Banks, which I actually booked while on the page.
The site loads up very quickly and you are not sitting there waiting and waiting for it to load. When looking at the page the first thing I would want to do is search for the perfect place to vacation in. This is very easy to do on the page because of the options bar that is located right across the top of the page with the icons and font all being similar and in colors accordingly. The links are listed so that you are able to click and search directly according to your search criteria.
There is also a quick search area in the center of the page with full color photographs of the possible house you will be renting. You can also link very easily and quickly into a window that offers a virtual tour of the property. There is also a nicely worded section that gives a nice description of the rental company along with some of the many amenities that are offered.
They allowed for plenty of white space on the page which does not make it feel crowded and cluttered. There is a section of links that link you to media promotion and articles about the company. Across the bottom of the page are three evenly aligned block areas. One of them gives a link for testimonials from prior renters. One offers links to all of the company information, services, FAQ's and requests for literature. And the last block gives the company address and contact information.
Considering that I just booked my vacation on this site I am slightly partial to it, but overall it is a very user friendly site.
After doing a Google search for poorly designed websites I had to chose www.arngren.net. This has to be one of the worst websites that I have ever seen. It gave me an instant headache as soon as it loaded. The page is like a crap shoot. It has pictures, font, links, etc. just thrown everywhere on the page. There is not one area where something isn't plastered on. You have to scroll to the bottom and across just to see the entire page. And once you real the bottom you will see a ridiculous animated Christmas scene. There is animation tossed here and there throughout the page. Some of the animation does at least invoke a smile and an almost chuckle.
The font scattered around in a multitude of colors. There lack of consistency in size and color makes the eye just bounce from one side of the page to the other. You almost get a dizzy feeling in your head. There is no alignment of anything on the page either. Things are sectioned off in all different sizes and shapes.
They appear to be advertising the sale of a little bit of everything on the website. There is no proximity placing of the items for sale also. A few items maybe close to each other but then as you scroll down and across the page you come across more of the same or similar items for sale. Its really just a jumbled mess of everything thrown onto one page.
The page is also in a typed in the Norwegian language. However it does have a translation button that is still attempting to translate since I first went to the page. I think it is time for me to go before the headache worsens.
This is helping me to be more mindful of a page and its design layout as I look it over. I have noticed that the more I'm on the web, the more I focus on the C.R.A.P. when looking at the various web pages. I hope that all of this will help me with my own page as in not to load to much information or making it to big. I do not want the viewer to have to scroll just to read the entire page. I will be thoughtful with the font colors and sizes as well as the background color and design. I will also be consistent with my alignment and spacing of things on the page.
The site loads up very quickly and you are not sitting there waiting and waiting for it to load. When looking at the page the first thing I would want to do is search for the perfect place to vacation in. This is very easy to do on the page because of the options bar that is located right across the top of the page with the icons and font all being similar and in colors accordingly. The links are listed so that you are able to click and search directly according to your search criteria.
There is also a quick search area in the center of the page with full color photographs of the possible house you will be renting. You can also link very easily and quickly into a window that offers a virtual tour of the property. There is also a nicely worded section that gives a nice description of the rental company along with some of the many amenities that are offered.
They allowed for plenty of white space on the page which does not make it feel crowded and cluttered. There is a section of links that link you to media promotion and articles about the company. Across the bottom of the page are three evenly aligned block areas. One of them gives a link for testimonials from prior renters. One offers links to all of the company information, services, FAQ's and requests for literature. And the last block gives the company address and contact information.
Considering that I just booked my vacation on this site I am slightly partial to it, but overall it is a very user friendly site.
After doing a Google search for poorly designed websites I had to chose www.arngren.net. This has to be one of the worst websites that I have ever seen. It gave me an instant headache as soon as it loaded. The page is like a crap shoot. It has pictures, font, links, etc. just thrown everywhere on the page. There is not one area where something isn't plastered on. You have to scroll to the bottom and across just to see the entire page. And once you real the bottom you will see a ridiculous animated Christmas scene. There is animation tossed here and there throughout the page. Some of the animation does at least invoke a smile and an almost chuckle.
The font scattered around in a multitude of colors. There lack of consistency in size and color makes the eye just bounce from one side of the page to the other. You almost get a dizzy feeling in your head. There is no alignment of anything on the page either. Things are sectioned off in all different sizes and shapes.
They appear to be advertising the sale of a little bit of everything on the website. There is no proximity placing of the items for sale also. A few items maybe close to each other but then as you scroll down and across the page you come across more of the same or similar items for sale. Its really just a jumbled mess of everything thrown onto one page.
The page is also in a typed in the Norwegian language. However it does have a translation button that is still attempting to translate since I first went to the page. I think it is time for me to go before the headache worsens.
This is helping me to be more mindful of a page and its design layout as I look it over. I have noticed that the more I'm on the web, the more I focus on the C.R.A.P. when looking at the various web pages. I hope that all of this will help me with my own page as in not to load to much information or making it to big. I do not want the viewer to have to scroll just to read the entire page. I will be thoughtful with the font colors and sizes as well as the background color and design. I will also be consistent with my alignment and spacing of things on the page.
Oh Boy, a Quiz on 154
I'm going to go with option number 2 Johnny. This page is much easier to read and navigate. Everything is on the page to see unlike option A, where the page rolls and you have to scroll to read everything. The GIF's are more pleasing to the eye on option B compared to option A that has one that is rather unpleasant to look at.
The font style and size is more consistent and uniform on option B. It is rather difficult to read on option A because of the white font against a black background. The color choices on option B make for a much easier read.
The click able links are all nicely lined up vertically on the left side of option B making them easily accessible as opposed to option A where they are very large and cannot all be seen when looking at the page without scrolling down.
The font style and size is more consistent and uniform on option B. It is rather difficult to read on option A because of the white font against a black background. The color choices on option B make for a much easier read.
The click able links are all nicely lined up vertically on the left side of option B making them easily accessible as opposed to option A where they are very large and cannot all be seen when looking at the page without scrolling down.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Niagara Falls and Photo Creepers
I suppose that Niagara Falls is a national landmark and yes, you do get lots of photo ops while visiting. Of course you are always going to get those photo creepers when taking pictures at a big tourist attraction such as this place.
First thing you will need to do is upload the photo into your computer via usb connection or with a digital memory card. You should save it into a Photo Shop Element program saving it as a psd file. I suggest making a copy of the photo so that you will always have the unedited original. From this point, working with the copy, start by cropping out those crazy creepers in the photo. The photo also will need to be saved as a jpeg file making the photo fit the screen better and load much faster. Jpeg is also the best choice because of the lighting and subtle color changes in the photo. Jpeg also offers you 16.7 million colors to use.You will also want to set the resolution to 72dpi and a medium compression. Image size may also be changed. I suggest saving the web version of the photo as well.
From here you can make other changes with added layers. You may want to change the sharpness or coloring in the photo. You can feather around your photo or possibly change the background color. These steps will be done by adding new layers. Remember to turn off the eye in the original so that you do not accidentally change it, once its changed its changed.
You should be pretty much ready for an upload to your web site at this point.
Readability and Legiblity
What is the difference between readability and legibility, the spelling ??
Actually there is a big difference. Readability is how easy it is to read a lot of text, extended text, pages and pages of text. Legibility is how easy it is to recognize short bursts of text, such as headlines, buttons, signs and so on. Generally we will use a serif font for readability and a sans serif font for legibility. We don"t want to make the font to big or to small and never have large amounts of text bold, italic, all caps, etc. Use small lines of text instead of long lines of text that may be spread across the entire page. For the reader long lines of text make it very difficult to distinguish between the beginnings and the ends of the lines. You will also want to provide contrast between the text and the background. Lack of contrast will not keep the reader focused or interested.
There is a lot to keep in mind here. You will need to put a great deal of thought into your design so as to keep fonts and styles well proportioned and flowing in your layout so that the readers will stay focused and interested. It needs to be well contrasted and easy to read.
Polling Around
Viewing and voting on all of the polls was fun and interesting. My favorite would be the beach because for me there is no better place to be. And its that time of year !!! A close second would be in my choice of foods, because I love to eat !!! And it shows.
The polls give some insight as to what people are currently doing, involved with and or thinking about. My poll about wireless carrier choice was made as I sat researching and pondering as to which carrier I would like to use in the event that I opted for a new one.
The polls give some insight as to what people are currently doing, involved with and or thinking about. My poll about wireless carrier choice was made as I sat researching and pondering as to which carrier I would like to use in the event that I opted for a new one.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
So this is the end of week #1 and all of it's crazy homework assignments :) It's really not that crazy on the homework assignment end of it, for me though, yea, it's crazy.
In a nutshell, Short staffed and very busy at work equals lots and lots of unwanted hours. Not to mention a home to take care of with a very needy yard that I have become convinced grows larger every year. This all gives me a lot less personal time as I would like, so after doing my homework in small doses throughout the week I have simply taken a much needed vacation day today so that I could get all of these thoughts out of my head and into these electronic files.
Yeah for class tonight !!! Here we go into week #2
Stay tuned........................
In a nutshell, Short staffed and very busy at work equals lots and lots of unwanted hours. Not to mention a home to take care of with a very needy yard that I have become convinced grows larger every year. This all gives me a lot less personal time as I would like, so after doing my homework in small doses throughout the week I have simply taken a much needed vacation day today so that I could get all of these thoughts out of my head and into these electronic files.
Yeah for class tonight !!! Here we go into week #2
Stay tuned........................
The Quiz On 112 It Is
- Print it, This way all stockholder will receive and read it with or without the Internet.
- Web it, Send out a brochure showing off what you can do and include your web address.
- Web it, You can send out a mass email that covers all customers.
- Web it, It's a minimal cost to change information on the web.
- Web it, just because everyone should be able to share in these booklets.
- Print it and Web it, Everyone loves a nice coffee table book and everyone in the connected world can see your work on the web.
Exploring Web Design, With An Endless Array of Videos
These videos, and a lot of them, were very informative. I learned many things such as the enormous amount of information exchange that goes on with just the click of a mouse so that you can be provided with the information you are looking for.
The amount of information that is needed to design for the web is astronomical, yet it all seems to actually make some sense. The designer must have a firm understanding of all of these fundamental skills for the front and back end of web design. From the professional all the way down to the hobbyist there has to be good interaction with the various web tools needed to produce a successful design.
I was also pleasantly surprised to know that I was going to learn the meaning of so much of the terminology on the web. For example URL - Uniform Resource Locator (no need to remember), DNS - Domain Name Server, RSS - Real Simple Syndication and DOM - Document Object Model just to name a few. One video spoke of the 1998 Web Standards Project as well.
Here are some of the fundamental skills needed for a successful website....
These videos, and a lot of them, were very informative. I learned many things such as the enormous amount of information exchange that goes on with just the click of a mouse so that you can be provided with the information you are looking for.
The amount of information that is needed to design for the web is astronomical, yet it all seems to actually make some sense. The designer must have a firm understanding of all of these fundamental skills for the front and back end of web design. From the professional all the way down to the hobbyist there has to be good interaction with the various web tools needed to produce a successful design.
I was also pleasantly surprised to know that I was going to learn the meaning of so much of the terminology on the web. For example URL - Uniform Resource Locator (no need to remember), DNS - Domain Name Server, RSS - Real Simple Syndication and DOM - Document Object Model just to name a few. One video spoke of the 1998 Web Standards Project as well.
Here are some of the fundamental skills needed for a successful website....
- Determine your goal
- Clearly define content
- Architect the site: define, organize, plan
- Generate mock-ups
- Build it
- Test it
Designing for the Web vs. Designing for Print, And the Winner is............
S0 yea, there is much more than one realizes when you put designing for the web up against designing for print. I am quite sure that the list could go on and on, however, I will just go ahead and point out a few of the this versus thats.
Cost is one of the key factors involved in design. When desiging for print the costs can be quite large and overwhelming, for instance, when designing for a nation publication you are going to spend a lot of money to get that design out there for all to see. Another huge cost would be in adding color to your design, the more color you add the more expense you incur. Designing for the web on the other hand is much easier on the bank account. Typically web sites will charge you a set monthly fee and allow you more than ample storage for all of your design. And of course an ad on the web can be reached by everyone with Internet service. You will find that you have unlimited color usage with web design also.
Another issue may arise from time to time in that with print publication you aren't given much allowance for changes and or updates, it is what it is unless you decide to reprint at yet another large expense. Web publication is simple, it can be changed and updated as much as you choose.
When a publication that gives the reader an opportunity to respond to questions or even make a purchase you will find that in print you typically will fill out a form and then you will need to send it snail mail, waiting quite some time for a response of any kind. Then you have a web publication, if you are answering questions or purchasing something you simply fill out the form and click send. Poof, instant answers and or purchase.
When designing the publication for print you are pretty much going to be grounded in a set location. On the web end of it, you can design the publication anywhere that you can connect to the internet.
So that covers some of the Q & A when it comes to web vs. print design.
S0 yea, there is much more than one realizes when you put designing for the web up against designing for print. I am quite sure that the list could go on and on, however, I will just go ahead and point out a few of the this versus thats.
Cost is one of the key factors involved in design. When desiging for print the costs can be quite large and overwhelming, for instance, when designing for a nation publication you are going to spend a lot of money to get that design out there for all to see. Another huge cost would be in adding color to your design, the more color you add the more expense you incur. Designing for the web on the other hand is much easier on the bank account. Typically web sites will charge you a set monthly fee and allow you more than ample storage for all of your design. And of course an ad on the web can be reached by everyone with Internet service. You will find that you have unlimited color usage with web design also.
Another issue may arise from time to time in that with print publication you aren't given much allowance for changes and or updates, it is what it is unless you decide to reprint at yet another large expense. Web publication is simple, it can be changed and updated as much as you choose.
When a publication that gives the reader an opportunity to respond to questions or even make a purchase you will find that in print you typically will fill out a form and then you will need to send it snail mail, waiting quite some time for a response of any kind. Then you have a web publication, if you are answering questions or purchasing something you simply fill out the form and click send. Poof, instant answers and or purchase.
When designing the publication for print you are pretty much going to be grounded in a set location. On the web end of it, you can design the publication anywhere that you can connect to the internet.
So that covers some of the Q & A when it comes to web vs. print design.
A Day in the Life of Graphic Design
Graphic design is everywhere, It is designed, printed and published just for me. I use it to do everything from the moment I wake until I sleep again. Throughout my day I will use graphic design for many things. In the morning I read articles in the newspaper, or on my computer to keep me abreast of current happenings around the world. I use certain sites to view the upcoming days weather report so I know what clothes I should be wearing for the day. I may choose a certain meal to eat because the image printed on a menu is visually appealing.
When I go shopping for items that I need or just have to have I will choose the what, where and how based on how stimulating the advertisement is to me. I will do my browsing on the infinite websites on the world wide web or I will simply page through a flyer from the newspaper. I myself tend to like the flyer ads because I can simply fold them up, stick them in a pocket and carry them right into the store with me so that I have a physical reference right in front of my face. Why, how often does the store not have the advertised item(s) ?
So again, Graphic Design is just for me. My day would be dysfunctional without all of the visually stimulating and enticing displays to prompt me along.
Graphic design is everywhere, It is designed, printed and published just for me. I use it to do everything from the moment I wake until I sleep again. Throughout my day I will use graphic design for many things. In the morning I read articles in the newspaper, or on my computer to keep me abreast of current happenings around the world. I use certain sites to view the upcoming days weather report so I know what clothes I should be wearing for the day. I may choose a certain meal to eat because the image printed on a menu is visually appealing.
When I go shopping for items that I need or just have to have I will choose the what, where and how based on how stimulating the advertisement is to me. I will do my browsing on the infinite websites on the world wide web or I will simply page through a flyer from the newspaper. I myself tend to like the flyer ads because I can simply fold them up, stick them in a pocket and carry them right into the store with me so that I have a physical reference right in front of my face. Why, how often does the store not have the advertised item(s) ?
So again, Graphic Design is just for me. My day would be dysfunctional without all of the visually stimulating and enticing displays to prompt me along.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
First Post
First night in Web Design, oh what a crazy night. It's going to be a lot to digest and dissect, however it's going to be a great experience. Good times ahead !!
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