Chapter 7: The first step in recovery is admitting that the Home page is beyond your control
There are many items that are accommodating on the homepage. They are the site identity and mission, site hierarchy, search, teases, content promos, feature promos, timely content, deals, shortcuts, and registration. When creating a homepage you want to use as much space as necessary.
There are a few ways to get the message across on a homepage. First is the tagline. This is the most valuable bit of piece that is important on a homepage. If the phrase is right next to the Site ID, it is considered to be the tagline. Second is the welcome blurb. The welcome blurb is a brief description that tells about the site. The blurb is visible without scrolling on the homepage.
http://www.kaneworks.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-homepage-that-is/
Kane Works shows the bad, the ugly, and a good homepage.
http://uxmovement.com/content/bad-design-practices-to-avoid-on-your-home-page/
Website discusses seven bad design practices to avoid on a homepage.
http://www.topdesignmag.com/20-examples-of-bad-web-design/
This website has twenty examples of bad web design for a homepage. Most of these examples have too much information for the homepage.
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34006/15-Examples-of-Brilliant-Homepage-Design.aspx
Hub Spot showed fifteen examples of brilliant homepages.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
P2 Research
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/books/review/the-yellow-birds-by-kevin-powers.html
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316219363
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers is about two soldiers, twenty one year old Private Bartle and eighteen year old Private Murphy. The two privates were bound together since basic training when Bartle promises Murphy a safe trip home.
No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0525953728
In No Easy Day a Navy Seal team is assigned to kill Osama Bin Laden at his home. This Seal team confronted the terrorist mastermind and witnessed his final moments.
The Innocent by David Baldacci
http://www.amazon.com/The-Innocent-David-Baldacci/dp/0446572985
The Innocent is a book that tells a story of a man who the government calls upon to kill targets in America. He is not called an assassin but he is a hitman that the government trusts. Will Robie plays the hitman in this book, when the government calls for him he never questions the orders and always nails his target.
After researching the Internet for examples of good quality book promotional websites, I soon realized there are lots of those. But to find examples of a good quality website for promoting a book there would be something about that website that would make it good. I found few that I liked viewing, I would first analyze the website to see what the overall feel of the page was.
http://www.goodreads.com/
At goodreads.com I was just scanning the main page and I was drawn into the website. What drew me into this website was the top of the page that reads, "Meet your next favorite book." This was inviting to me since it drew my attention and curiosity into the page. Viewing the page I soon found questions that could help people find what they are looking for next to read. What will you discover, was a section on the first page that drew my attention because of the types of books that were being shown.
http://www.wattpad.com/
Watt pad drew my attention because of how simple the general layout of the pages were. The overall look and feel of the pages were simple and easy to find your way around. In the middle of the page was a scroll through section to look at the different types of books. What I liked on the homepage was there was a section that show where this website has been featured in.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/books/review/the-yellow-birds-by-kevin-powers.html
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316219363
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers is about two soldiers, twenty one year old Private Bartle and eighteen year old Private Murphy. The two privates were bound together since basic training when Bartle promises Murphy a safe trip home.
No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0525953728
In No Easy Day a Navy Seal team is assigned to kill Osama Bin Laden at his home. This Seal team confronted the terrorist mastermind and witnessed his final moments.
The Innocent by David Baldacci
http://www.amazon.com/The-Innocent-David-Baldacci/dp/0446572985
The Innocent is a book that tells a story of a man who the government calls upon to kill targets in America. He is not called an assassin but he is a hitman that the government trusts. Will Robie plays the hitman in this book, when the government calls for him he never questions the orders and always nails his target.
After researching the Internet for examples of good quality book promotional websites, I soon realized there are lots of those. But to find examples of a good quality website for promoting a book there would be something about that website that would make it good. I found few that I liked viewing, I would first analyze the website to see what the overall feel of the page was.
http://www.goodreads.com/
At goodreads.com I was just scanning the main page and I was drawn into the website. What drew me into this website was the top of the page that reads, "Meet your next favorite book." This was inviting to me since it drew my attention and curiosity into the page. Viewing the page I soon found questions that could help people find what they are looking for next to read. What will you discover, was a section on the first page that drew my attention because of the types of books that were being shown.
http://www.wattpad.com/
Watt pad drew my attention because of how simple the general layout of the pages were. The overall look and feel of the pages were simple and easy to find your way around. In the middle of the page was a scroll through section to look at the different types of books. What I liked on the homepage was there was a section that show where this website has been featured in.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Unit 3 Reading
Chapter 6: Street signs and Breadcrumbs
When designing a website it is important to make the navigation of the website simple and easy to understand. A good example in the layout of a website is a layout of a mall. When entering a store in the mall a person is often determining where the product they are looking for is located. In some cases the product is easy to find or it's hard to find. This is related to a layout of a website by the viewer is searching for something. Whatever they are searching for could take them a few clicks or it can take them awhile to find.
A good way to see whether a website has a good navigation system on it is to just go and search for something on that website. What I would do if I am searching for something on a website is to draw a mental site map or can be drawn out and see how the layout is done. Sometimes the website will be a perfect and easy to understand layout or the layout is just garbage and is hard to understand.
Website discusses 10 principles of navigation.
http://www.onextrapixel.com/2009/07/03/10-principles-of-navigation-design-and-why-quality-navigation-is-so-critical/
In this website describes the usage of hierarchy when creating a web design.
http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/design-theory/understanding-visual-hierarchy-in-web-design/
In the web style guide it shows and explains a site structure and how it works. In a site structure it can be very complex or it can be simple, it all depends on what the website will be used for and how much context will be used.
http://webstyleguide.com/wsg3/3-information-architecture/3-site-structure.html
Media contour blog has an article about hierarchy. There are six simple ways to structure a website. When creating a website it is nice to understand what hierarchy is and how it can improve a website. Color contrast, typography, space, shapes and containers, and images play a role in making a good website.
http://www.mediacontour.com/blog/2012/05/the-importance-of-hierarchy-on-your-website-6-simple-roi-increasing-ways-to-structure-your-website/
When designing a website it is important to make the navigation of the website simple and easy to understand. A good example in the layout of a website is a layout of a mall. When entering a store in the mall a person is often determining where the product they are looking for is located. In some cases the product is easy to find or it's hard to find. This is related to a layout of a website by the viewer is searching for something. Whatever they are searching for could take them a few clicks or it can take them awhile to find.
A good way to see whether a website has a good navigation system on it is to just go and search for something on that website. What I would do if I am searching for something on a website is to draw a mental site map or can be drawn out and see how the layout is done. Sometimes the website will be a perfect and easy to understand layout or the layout is just garbage and is hard to understand.
Website discusses 10 principles of navigation.
http://www.onextrapixel.com/2009/07/03/10-principles-of-navigation-design-and-why-quality-navigation-is-so-critical/
In this website describes the usage of hierarchy when creating a web design.
http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/design-theory/understanding-visual-hierarchy-in-web-design/
In the web style guide it shows and explains a site structure and how it works. In a site structure it can be very complex or it can be simple, it all depends on what the website will be used for and how much context will be used.
http://webstyleguide.com/wsg3/3-information-architecture/3-site-structure.html
Media contour blog has an article about hierarchy. There are six simple ways to structure a website. When creating a website it is nice to understand what hierarchy is and how it can improve a website. Color contrast, typography, space, shapes and containers, and images play a role in making a good website.
http://www.mediacontour.com/blog/2012/05/the-importance-of-hierarchy-on-your-website-6-simple-roi-increasing-ways-to-structure-your-website/
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Unit 2 Reading
Chapter 3: Billboard Design 101
Creating a billboard there are some design elements that need to be done correctly. When the viewers are speeding by there are five important things you need to remember when creating a billboard. The first is you want to have a clear visual hierarchy on each page that is created. The second is to take advantage of conventions. Third is to break up pages into clearly defined areas for the viewer. Fourth is to make what is clickable obvious to the viewer. Fifth is to have minimal noise on the page. When creating a hierarchy you want to make sure it is even throughout the page. The most important information should be at the top of the page that is in bold and so forth down the page.
Chapter 4: Animal, vegetable, or mineral?
Chapter describes why users like mindless choices on websites. Over the years web designers have figured there should be a specific number of clicks on each page to get to any page. Web designers have figured it should be about three to five clicks.
Chapter 5: Omit needless words
When writing on the web, the designer doesn't want to have unwanted wording in a paragraph or in sentences. In most cases when the viewer is looking at the website he or she isn't reading all the words on the page. They are most likely just scanning through the text. Having the right amount of wording on a page reduces the noise level on the page. Another reason is it makes the page shorter.
Three links that are related to the readings:
This billboard below shows how bad some billboards can be. The name of the inn is just ridiculous and the amount of different hierarchy that is on the billboard is annoying. On the bottom right corner has two different phone numbers that the person reading the billboard doesn't know if one is the phone number and other is a fax number. Too much going on with this billboard.
http://www.lovelyish.com/767902359/10-hilariously-bad-billboards-/6/
The image below shows us what a good billboard will look like. Billboard has very little type and the billboard shows what that message is showing.
http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/use-electricity-wisely.html
Billboard shows simplicity and easy to recognize the company, Snickers.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arfrank/3392936699/
Creating a billboard there are some design elements that need to be done correctly. When the viewers are speeding by there are five important things you need to remember when creating a billboard. The first is you want to have a clear visual hierarchy on each page that is created. The second is to take advantage of conventions. Third is to break up pages into clearly defined areas for the viewer. Fourth is to make what is clickable obvious to the viewer. Fifth is to have minimal noise on the page. When creating a hierarchy you want to make sure it is even throughout the page. The most important information should be at the top of the page that is in bold and so forth down the page.
Chapter 4: Animal, vegetable, or mineral?
Chapter describes why users like mindless choices on websites. Over the years web designers have figured there should be a specific number of clicks on each page to get to any page. Web designers have figured it should be about three to five clicks.
Chapter 5: Omit needless words
When writing on the web, the designer doesn't want to have unwanted wording in a paragraph or in sentences. In most cases when the viewer is looking at the website he or she isn't reading all the words on the page. They are most likely just scanning through the text. Having the right amount of wording on a page reduces the noise level on the page. Another reason is it makes the page shorter.
Three links that are related to the readings:
This billboard below shows how bad some billboards can be. The name of the inn is just ridiculous and the amount of different hierarchy that is on the billboard is annoying. On the bottom right corner has two different phone numbers that the person reading the billboard doesn't know if one is the phone number and other is a fax number. Too much going on with this billboard.
http://www.lovelyish.com/767902359/10-hilariously-bad-billboards-/6/
The image below shows us what a good billboard will look like. Billboard has very little type and the billboard shows what that message is showing.
http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/use-electricity-wisely.html
Billboard shows simplicity and easy to recognize the company, Snickers.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arfrank/3392936699/
Monday, April 8, 2013
Unit 1 Reading
Chapter 1: Don't make me think!
When creating a website it should be easy to follow. When a person looks at a page, the page shouldn't make them think. If the page makes the viewer think and have questions then the website isn't well done. When creating a website you want the job of the website to get rid of the question marks the viewer may receive. Websites should be effective and easy to navigate through them.
Chapter 2: How we really use the Web
When a webpage is cluttered with information, it makes the page harder to read and very unorganized. There are some parts the page the reader doesn't even read. A fact about reading pages are people think we read each page but the reality is we scan them.
While reading these two chapters I knew some of the information that was being told. In some areas I didn't think that would matter. I knew that we didn't read all the information on a page and knew that we scanned instead. When I look at web pages I see whether or not if the creator put too much information onto the page. In some cases there were to much information, while other times there wasn't enough information.
Why Mood Boards Matter:
When creating a mood board it doesn't have to be a beautiful mood board. As for being a designer it is seen by others that we know all the answers. But we don't, it is our job to know what looks good and we take that responsibility serious. Being a designer and being very talented in our work it is sometimes easy to misread what a client wants.
Mood boards are sometimes called inspiration boards. Mood boards are used by many people in the world in different types of businesses. They can be used to show fabric swatches and paint chip samples.
When creating a web site a mood board is very useful for establishing the feel of the web site. A mood board usually fits into the process after the wire frames and before the designing process. In a mood board the designer can show color palettes, typography, and patterns that will help the client see the overall look and feel of the web site.
There are two styles of a mood board. Style one is a loose collage. If the client are big thinkers and don't really care about detail, they would most likely love this kind of mood board. A loose collage will work to show the type of look and the feel of the site.
A loose collage is the easiest way to create a mood board because it can be thrown together really quickly. This type of mood board doesn't force the designer to make any decisions. When creating a mood board grab inspiration from anywhere you may desire.
The second style is the refined template. This is useful if the client hasn't worked with many designers or if they are very detailed oriented. This approach will be the best way to present to the client. In a refined template, a template is created to show many different elements. A color palette can be shown using this template, fonts, headings, and button styles.
Some good reasons in making a mood board are its faster to make, and they are less frustration and more fun to make. When designing a mood board it allows the designer to brainstorm ideas. It also allows designers to explore with different elements such as color, typography, font sizes, and different layouts.
Inspiring Portfolio Websites:
When creating a website it should be easy to follow. When a person looks at a page, the page shouldn't make them think. If the page makes the viewer think and have questions then the website isn't well done. When creating a website you want the job of the website to get rid of the question marks the viewer may receive. Websites should be effective and easy to navigate through them.
Chapter 2: How we really use the Web
When a webpage is cluttered with information, it makes the page harder to read and very unorganized. There are some parts the page the reader doesn't even read. A fact about reading pages are people think we read each page but the reality is we scan them.
While reading these two chapters I knew some of the information that was being told. In some areas I didn't think that would matter. I knew that we didn't read all the information on a page and knew that we scanned instead. When I look at web pages I see whether or not if the creator put too much information onto the page. In some cases there were to much information, while other times there wasn't enough information.
Why Mood Boards Matter:
When creating a mood board it doesn't have to be a beautiful mood board. As for being a designer it is seen by others that we know all the answers. But we don't, it is our job to know what looks good and we take that responsibility serious. Being a designer and being very talented in our work it is sometimes easy to misread what a client wants.
Mood boards are sometimes called inspiration boards. Mood boards are used by many people in the world in different types of businesses. They can be used to show fabric swatches and paint chip samples.
When creating a web site a mood board is very useful for establishing the feel of the web site. A mood board usually fits into the process after the wire frames and before the designing process. In a mood board the designer can show color palettes, typography, and patterns that will help the client see the overall look and feel of the web site.
There are two styles of a mood board. Style one is a loose collage. If the client are big thinkers and don't really care about detail, they would most likely love this kind of mood board. A loose collage will work to show the type of look and the feel of the site.
A loose collage is the easiest way to create a mood board because it can be thrown together really quickly. This type of mood board doesn't force the designer to make any decisions. When creating a mood board grab inspiration from anywhere you may desire.
The second style is the refined template. This is useful if the client hasn't worked with many designers or if they are very detailed oriented. This approach will be the best way to present to the client. In a refined template, a template is created to show many different elements. A color palette can be shown using this template, fonts, headings, and button styles.
Some good reasons in making a mood board are its faster to make, and they are less frustration and more fun to make. When designing a mood board it allows the designer to brainstorm ideas. It also allows designers to explore with different elements such as color, typography, font sizes, and different layouts.
Inspiring Portfolio Websites:
Sketches for Interface
Interface layouts of what website could look like. Images below show the first page could look like. Bottom image shows other layouts as well as a pop down menu showing contact information.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Mood Board
Board consists of fonts that I like and would consider using on my website. The images correspond to the colors I would use. Colors consist of black to grey.
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