FINAL PROJECT

HOW DID YOUR FINAL PROJECTS DIFFER FROM THE INITIAL STOYBOARDS?

My final project was somewhat close to my storyboarding. The contents are the same. The graphics are somewhat different.  I started using Weebly but switch to using Wix.  I could not find a template that worked for me in Weebly. Creating my website in Wix was easy it was all about drag and drop. There were so many templates to choose from compared to Expression. Wix was user friendly compared to Expression which was harder. In expression you had to know codes and I had no prior knowledge of codes so the task was hard and frustrating. I was able to create a photo gallery in Wix but was no able to do so in Expression.

REFLECT ON WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED IN CLASS AND HOW IT WILL HELP YOU IN THE FUTURE

I had never been interested in websites designing before.  I just needed to get some electives done and had to choose between art and website design and I thought that website was the easier of the two.  During the first night of the class I kept wondering if I have made the right choice   I felt so terrified.  But with the help from Michelle I kept to the task. I spend hours, week after week and here I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  Having the opportunity to design and develop my own web site was a roller coaster experience.  I have learned so much  

·         Create a blog

·         Saving in JPEGs or GIFs

·         Crop pictures  

·         File Size  

·         HTLM

·         Add links to other pages

·         CRAP Principles  

·         Writing for Web/Usability /Accessibility    

I will now be critical of websites because I know the principle that goes with making a good website.  I will continue to practice developing web pages and perfecting the art. This might motivate me getting into business one day building websites. I love photo shop I am sure that it can be of some advantages to my future business.   I can assure you that all of what I have learned to date will help me when I have established my future business.

What is the purpose of using storyboards? How will they help you with your final projects?

Storyboarding help me to visualize the final result. Storyboarding will serve has a guide for me.  In order to have a good organized structure, It is important to plan out every step of your website before starting.  It will also help by making the design process easier seeing that I am a non-techies first time website designer. This will also save me a lot of time and frustration. Website storyboarding will help me with my final project by helping me to identify potential website structure and flow problems.

Why writing for the web differ than writing for print? Cite at least 5 specific examples and tips on how you should write for a website vs. print.

When writing for the print we write from introduction and carefully build arguments as we proceed.  When we write for print we present information in a logical sequence.  Writing for the print is formal.  When we write for web we write information that will quickly get the attention of the web reader. Web users skim contents, they ignore details to read content faster. Web reader read the web in F – shaped pattern.   

·         Use lists instead of paragraphs.

·         Include sub headings.

·         Write short sentences.

·         Address your reader directly

·         Proofread your work. 

Review Webnode, Weebly, Wix, and Webs. Which will you choose for your site? Why did you choose this particular program?                             

I chose Weebly because it is free to use and it is user friendly. This is a great tool for non- techies who want to build their own websites. It allows you to pick a design, then drag and drop elements onto each page you create. You can also add texts, pictures, links and contact forms.

ANYONE CAN CREATE A WEBSITE.

Is it always a good thing?

YES it is a good thing to create your own website as it gives you the platform to interact with millions of people throughout the world. It is more economical, and allows you to add your own creativity, share your own taught, vision, and experience without the use of a professional. If one build a website for business purposes it will help to grown your business, and sell your products and services.

Advantages of creating your own website rather than hiring a professional

·         Cost effective - Cheaper

·         Generate extra income   -  Advertising

·         You can add your own personal touch - Your creativity.

Drawbacks

·         The main drawback in creating your own web site is to be able to do so and bringing it to a great level of success. You need to have the know-how or have the knowledge to create a web site. Without this knowledge problems are created.  The professional may come in handy, he or she may be able to give your page a professional look and attract millions to your site.

·         Time consuming

Difference between Usability and Accessibility. Why are they both important.

Usability is the ability for website visitors to do what they want to do quickly and easily. Usability is necessary for the survival of a web. Is your website efficient to use? Does it   allow rapid recovery from errors? And is it easy to remember?  If your answer to all questions is yes then your web site satisfies the characteristic for usability.  Associability is defined as how one is able to access the web, despite their disability. The difference between the two is usability is how easy it is for users to use or interact with the web site. And accessibility is how one is able to access the site despite their disability. There for a website is not usable unless it is accessible.  They are both important because they can reap hugh benefits. They are both important for the survival of a website.

Additional comments

Chapter three covered how web pages are put together and some of the different web authoring software packages that are available. These packages let you create a web page as easily as you make a world processing page. The chapter covered previous topics we have done. The chapter explained how to input information by just typing in information. Then you go in and format the text, change the colors, create links, make tables, and graphics. Chapter four covered the actual things you need to do and know before you begin your web site. What does a browser do? What is a server? How to find a sever. You need to organize your file, naming your file, saving and titling pages, etc.

OH BOY, IT’S A QUIZ?

Example B web page has better interface and navigation. It is also clearer and has a great interface.  The visual of the background is very appealing to the eyes and the content is easily readable. The page is very interactive, and easy to access. With example B web page you were able to view the entire page in one window.  The primary navigation system, the concept and the visual impression was contained within the 800x600 space.

In example A web page you had to scroll down to see the entire page, while in example B all places to be click by the  viewers were obvious, you are can also  see the navigation bars a lined to the left. While in example A the navigation bars are not visible.

EVALUATING WEB PAGES

The criteria that I have used to evaluate my two websites chosen are:

1.    The purpose that it hopes to execute

2.    The currency that it is written in

3.    The clarity that is portrait

4.    How accessible it is to get from one point to another.

http://www.readinghospital.org/  

The website of the Reading Hospital was the first one on my list of evaluation. I was very quick to discover that the purpose of this website was very clear. This was quite evident in the web address, the graphic and the text.  The information was current, clearly presented and easy to read. In terms of the accessibility, I did not have any problem navigating the website.

http://www.jncb.com/

My second choice was that of Jamaica National Commercial Bank.  The outlined in the text and multimedia make the purpose very cleared. The information on the website is also up to date and clearly presented. The text was legible and formatted for easy reading. The webpage loaded very quickly and the navigation is easily executed throughout the website.

Additional Comments

This exercise has made me pledged to be critical of websites in the future.  I will use the different criteria listed above has a guide to evaluate other websites. It will also help me to pay very careful attention to these details has they will definitely help me to create good websites.

As the weeks go by, there are so many things that I am learning, I will definitely be putting them into practice. I came to this class with no knowledge of webpage design or photo shop and base on what I have learned so far I was able to complete html lab project. This achievement makes me proud of myself.

Polling Questions

I did not find the polling activity hard to do. I found some of the polling interesting and others uninteresting. My favorite was crime and justice this, was my favorite because we shared the same interest. And as the saying goes great minds think alike.

WEEK  2 BLOG ACTIVITY 

CROP

To cut out or trim unneeded portions of an image or a page is to CROP.  One basic way to modify images is to crop them remove some part of the image. Cropping changes the appearance of photographs and clip art in order to better fit the layout, make a statement, or improve the overall appearance of the subject matter. In this case we can crop out the tourists on the right side of the image since we do not want them in the picture.

RESIZEING

Making images web-ready first requires a basic understanding of digital image resolution.  Make sure that the image is set at 72 to 100dpi. The size of an image is actually a combination of a physical dimension (8x10 inches, for instance) and a pixels-per-inch resolution.  But that’s way more than you need for screen resolution, which are only 72 to 100dpi. That’s the target area you want to get to in order to have a truly web-ready, email able image file.  So we will make the necessary changes in our case with our 8 megapixel camera.

SAVE FOR WEB

Save for web converts your images into 72dpi images. This also has some tools to help optimize your images. If you have an earlier version of Photoshop or using another program you must at least make sure the dpi is not higher than 72 before you save as jpg or gif. Not much lower is recommended either or else you risk your image becoming pixilated.

COMPRESSION

After resizing your image correctly for the web, save it as a JPEG. That’s the most common, most viewable, most web-ready format for displaying your photographs online.  Compression is what allows you to make JPEG files high-quality or lesser quality, making them either tougher to email and longer to load on a web page, or smaller and faster to email and load. It’s a give and take: less compression makes for a larger file size and a better image with minimal pixilation and JPEG artefacts. But more compression makes files smaller and easier to distribute online with some sacrifices to image quality. The trick is finding the right balance for your needs. In this case I would use the highest-quality JPEG files with the least compression because I want my client to be able to see the image.                                                                           

READABILITY VS LEGIBILITY

Readability refers to how easily it is to read a lot of text, extended text, pages and pages of text. Legibility refers to how easily one letter can be distinguished from another, or a typestyle’s clarity.

TYPOGRAPHY                                                                                                                   Typography is the design and use of typefaces as a means of communication. Typography is a set of rules for applying text in all forms. Typography encompasses everything from calligraphy through digital type and type on Web pages. Typography subtly combines communicative and artistic elements to create a print both pleasing and easy to read. Sticking to the rules will definitely help with designing my website project.