Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Simulated Client Project-Feedback
so the Simulated client project is over and on a whole i think it was ok the feedback i got from my tutor was kind of what i i expected he liked the fun feel of my site but he thought it would be better as a game. this i agreed with as i was trying to make the site as fun as possible to keep the audience engaged. as i noted in the proposal i would have liked to do a sgame i beleive it is the best way to keep an audience of that age range engaged. so overall i think it went well but there is always room for improvement.
Practise Based Research
For the next part of our research module we have a practise based section that we have to create a number of artifacts, in order to gain knowledge and a deeper understand of the the subject area that we have chosen, we had to answer the questions below
Please state the ‘question’ that the ‘research via practise’ (terms 2 and 3) will try to answer or explore?
How effective are various accessibility methods and techniques used in WEB site design?
(b) What type of artefacts/experiments that will be produced/conducted (e.g. short video clips, short animation sequences, building visualisation, audio listening tests with focus groups e.t.c.)? Note it is accepted that this may change as the research progresses past the first few artefacts.
I will create 5 small websites each exploring a different area of accessibility e.g colours, links, text size and multimedia. I will create a focus group containing a mixture of able bodied and people with different disabilities and impairments.
(c) Have you checked that the research meets the university ethical guidlines and will not require approval (if NOT checked or it requires approval then state the date on which you expect to obtain approval)? IF UNSURE WHAT THIS MEANS TALK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR!
Yes, although I will be asking people with disabilities for there opinion I will ensure that it meets the ethical guidelines. This means I will ensure that I do not ask children under 18 or people over 65.
(d) Have you checked that appropriate resources and facilities exist for you to produce/conduct the artefacts/experiments (If NO then explain how you will obtain the required appropriate resources and facilities)?
Yes all of the facilities are available for me to create my websites. I will use dreamweaver to create all of my artefacts which is available to me at home and at uni.
(e) How will you evaluate and/or reflect on the artefacts/experiments produced/conducted in (b) above (e.g. reflection, survey, focus group, statistical analysis e.t.c.)?
For each one of my artefacts I will write a 300 word reflection of of the artefact itself and how I think it can be used in order to answer the question. I will also use a focus group to gain statistical data, then analysis it.
(f) Please write down below the preparatory work you will do for the first artefact over the Christmas period:
I will read more what I have to do to meet all of the accessibility guidelines, for example I will look on what colours work best for people with sight impairments and what text size e.t.c. I will also begin designing my non-accessible site as this is the starting point of my research.
(g) What is the detail of the first artefact that will be demonstrated to the supervisor?
My first artefact will be a website that has limited or no accessibility. Although it will be a very simple site it will not meet any of accessibility guidelines or requirements. This will then be reflected on and compared with the next 5 websites to check ease of use and look at how it is inaccessible for disabled user. I will also people can use and navigate the non accessible website compared to the accessible one.
(h) On what date will the first artefact be shown to the supervisor? Please remember that on this date you will also provide a short 300 word evaluation and/or reflection summary as well as the actual artefact.
I will be presenting my first artefact along with the 300 evaluation on Thursday 29th of Jan 09
(i) How will you present the research conclusions from the artefacts/experiments and evaluations during week 43 (e.g. written document, slides and/or documentary film)? PLEASE NOTE THAT THE RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS MUST BE IN A FORM THAT CAN BE HANDED IN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PRESENTATION i.e. a permanent record of your conclusions and arguments needs to be submitted immediately after the presentation in week 43.
For my research conclusions I will be presenting a written document. This will contain all of my findings and conclusions of all of the artefacts and how they helped answer the question I set to explore.
(j) On what date will you be presenting your draft research conclusions to the supervisor for review (it is suggested 2 weeks before week 43 presentations)?
I will be presenting my first draft of conclusions Week 41 Thursday 7th May 2009
Please state the ‘question’ that the ‘research via practise’ (terms 2 and 3) will try to answer or explore?
How effective are various accessibility methods and techniques used in WEB site design?
(b) What type of artefacts/experiments that will be produced/conducted (e.g. short video clips, short animation sequences, building visualisation, audio listening tests with focus groups e.t.c.)? Note it is accepted that this may change as the research progresses past the first few artefacts.
I will create 5 small websites each exploring a different area of accessibility e.g colours, links, text size and multimedia. I will create a focus group containing a mixture of able bodied and people with different disabilities and impairments.
(c) Have you checked that the research meets the university ethical guidlines and will not require approval (if NOT checked or it requires approval then state the date on which you expect to obtain approval)? IF UNSURE WHAT THIS MEANS TALK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR!
Yes, although I will be asking people with disabilities for there opinion I will ensure that it meets the ethical guidelines. This means I will ensure that I do not ask children under 18 or people over 65.
(d) Have you checked that appropriate resources and facilities exist for you to produce/conduct the artefacts/experiments (If NO then explain how you will obtain the required appropriate resources and facilities)?
Yes all of the facilities are available for me to create my websites. I will use dreamweaver to create all of my artefacts which is available to me at home and at uni.
(e) How will you evaluate and/or reflect on the artefacts/experiments produced/conducted in (b) above (e.g. reflection, survey, focus group, statistical analysis e.t.c.)?
For each one of my artefacts I will write a 300 word reflection of of the artefact itself and how I think it can be used in order to answer the question. I will also use a focus group to gain statistical data, then analysis it.
(f) Please write down below the preparatory work you will do for the first artefact over the Christmas period:
I will read more what I have to do to meet all of the accessibility guidelines, for example I will look on what colours work best for people with sight impairments and what text size e.t.c. I will also begin designing my non-accessible site as this is the starting point of my research.
(g) What is the detail of the first artefact that will be demonstrated to the supervisor?
My first artefact will be a website that has limited or no accessibility. Although it will be a very simple site it will not meet any of accessibility guidelines or requirements. This will then be reflected on and compared with the next 5 websites to check ease of use and look at how it is inaccessible for disabled user. I will also people can use and navigate the non accessible website compared to the accessible one.
(h) On what date will the first artefact be shown to the supervisor? Please remember that on this date you will also provide a short 300 word evaluation and/or reflection summary as well as the actual artefact.
I will be presenting my first artefact along with the 300 evaluation on Thursday 29th of Jan 09
(i) How will you present the research conclusions from the artefacts/experiments and evaluations during week 43 (e.g. written document, slides and/or documentary film)? PLEASE NOTE THAT THE RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS MUST BE IN A FORM THAT CAN BE HANDED IN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PRESENTATION i.e. a permanent record of your conclusions and arguments needs to be submitted immediately after the presentation in week 43.
For my research conclusions I will be presenting a written document. This will contain all of my findings and conclusions of all of the artefacts and how they helped answer the question I set to explore.
(j) On what date will you be presenting your draft research conclusions to the supervisor for review (it is suggested 2 weeks before week 43 presentations)?
I will be presenting my first draft of conclusions Week 41 Thursday 7th May 2009
Catalogue Entries
As part of our SPP3 module this year we have to had in 6 images to the entered into the catalogue at the end of year exhibition these are the images i have chose and why.
In this report I will look at the images I have chosen for the catalogue entry and how they reflect on me as a multimedia practitioner. I have chosen 8 images to enter ino the final year catalogue that will be given out within the exhibition. So these images are very important to show my skills as a practitioner. In this report I will write about why I have chose the images that I have and where I think my work reflects on me as a practitioner. I will also think about where I think my work will position me as web practitioner.
The first image I'm going to add to the catalogue is my flash banner that I did in the second year. I have chose this image as I think it shows my skills in the latest version of flash and ActionScript. I think it also shows my design and marketing skills which I think will help me when trying to get into the multimedia industry.
The second image I have chosen is my other flash banner that I did in the second year. I have chose this image as I think it shows my skills in the latest version of flash and ActionScript. I think it also shows my design and marketing skills which I think will help me when trying to get into the multimedia industry.
The third image I have chosen to add to the catalogue is an image of a page that is part of my social network project. For this I created a website called Date My Mate. This is the registration page, this page allows the user to enter data into the site then into a database. I have chose this image as I think it shows my skills in PHP and MySQL. It also shows I have design skills and I think these skills will put me in a good position as a web practitioner.
I have also chose the an image of the profile page from the date my mate website for the catalogue. This page would display the text from the database and display them using html. Again this will show my skills in PHP, MySQL and html. Also I think it shows my design and creative techniques. I have chose this I think its a good way in which for potential clients and employers to see my skills.
Another piece of work I have chose for the catalogue is a piece of group work we did. I have chose this as it again as it shows my skills in flash and php. For this piece of work we worked in groups and had to create a flash application with php that was then viewed in html. Which again shows all of my skills in this area.
Lastly I have chose to add an image of my portfolio, Pixl Dust I have chose this image to show mainly my design and CSS skills. I think this is one of my best pieces of work at the moment and its a really good piece of work to show off my design flare as I was set free on this to just do what ever I liked so it shows a little bit of my personality too. I think this is my best piece of work so far and if I had to choose one piece of work to show the most it would be this one.
Looking at all of the images I think my position as a multimedia practitioner is still at a junior level. Although my work shows that I have learnt a lot over the last few years I dont think that my work is at a high enough level in order to enter at a higher position as a multimedia pactitioner however thoughout this year I am hoping to create a higher standard of work that would show my more potential to be a successful multimedia practitioner.
In this report I will look at the images I have chosen for the catalogue entry and how they reflect on me as a multimedia practitioner. I have chosen 8 images to enter ino the final year catalogue that will be given out within the exhibition. So these images are very important to show my skills as a practitioner. In this report I will write about why I have chose the images that I have and where I think my work reflects on me as a practitioner. I will also think about where I think my work will position me as web practitioner.
The first image I'm going to add to the catalogue is my flash banner that I did in the second year. I have chose this image as I think it shows my skills in the latest version of flash and ActionScript. I think it also shows my design and marketing skills which I think will help me when trying to get into the multimedia industry.
The second image I have chosen is my other flash banner that I did in the second year. I have chose this image as I think it shows my skills in the latest version of flash and ActionScript. I think it also shows my design and marketing skills which I think will help me when trying to get into the multimedia industry.
The third image I have chosen to add to the catalogue is an image of a page that is part of my social network project. For this I created a website called Date My Mate. This is the registration page, this page allows the user to enter data into the site then into a database. I have chose this image as I think it shows my skills in PHP and MySQL. It also shows I have design skills and I think these skills will put me in a good position as a web practitioner.
I have also chose the an image of the profile page from the date my mate website for the catalogue. This page would display the text from the database and display them using html. Again this will show my skills in PHP, MySQL and html. Also I think it shows my design and creative techniques. I have chose this I think its a good way in which for potential clients and employers to see my skills.
Another piece of work I have chose for the catalogue is a piece of group work we did. I have chose this as it again as it shows my skills in flash and php. For this piece of work we worked in groups and had to create a flash application with php that was then viewed in html. Which again shows all of my skills in this area.
Lastly I have chose to add an image of my portfolio, Pixl Dust I have chose this image to show mainly my design and CSS skills. I think this is one of my best pieces of work at the moment and its a really good piece of work to show off my design flare as I was set free on this to just do what ever I liked so it shows a little bit of my personality too. I think this is my best piece of work so far and if I had to choose one piece of work to show the most it would be this one.
Looking at all of the images I think my position as a multimedia practitioner is still at a junior level. Although my work shows that I have learnt a lot over the last few years I dont think that my work is at a high enough level in order to enter at a higher position as a multimedia pactitioner however thoughout this year I am hoping to create a higher standard of work that would show my more potential to be a successful multimedia practitioner.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Online Shopping Basket Research
For my live client project my client requires a website that she can sell her illustrations and fashoins. this is a big thing fro me but i am willing to take on the challenge. firstly i thought i would have to create a shopping basket myself but iafter asking the boys and my tutors i soon realised that this would not only be project that is far tooo big for the time period that i have also that it could be alot more dnegerous than i thought so both the boys and the tutors informed me that i could find simple shopping basket software online either for free or for a small fee so i thought id look into this further than i can explain to my client with knowledgeable and clear advise on how these things work.
the first one i found that i liked the look of was the Boss Cart JVS Series. this is a uk based company and offers a free shopping basket service.
how it works
it is shopping basket software containing php and using a msql database
there are 3 files for you to download or you can enter a link into your webpage
features
Template driven for easy customisation
Search engine friendly pages
Search engine friendly images
Support raw flash movies as images
Built in CRM system
Upload multiple products at the same time
No limit to number of items you can sell
Easy to set up
Integrates with all UK payment provider gateways
Money off web hosting from leading hosting companies
Free technical support
advantages and disadvantages
it seems pretty simple but because it is free there are no garantees that it will work but its worth a try
i think you would have to have alot of experience with php and mysql in order to use this one.
this company also offer another servise that is not free
this is called Cart Boss Premieum and it is £110
i think it works like the other but it is alot more helpful
features
Quick and easy to set up.
Powerful catalogue manager, manages over 10,000 products.
Create your store look-and-feel or use one of our pre-designed templates.
Integrate your online store with a payment gateway of your choice.
Host your shop with the web hosting company of your choice.
Extensive marketing and merchandising features, including social networking/marketing plug-in.
Bulk product upload to make populating your store with products easy.
Export your products to Google base.
Easy order management.
Multiple language support.
Multiple currency support.
Additional features
Drag and drop interface for quick access to products and product attributes.
Extended product image upload, add additional seven images per product.
Define header and footer for each product category and sub category.
Crate links to external URLs.
Specify shipping and weight for each product.
Import data to or export data from Boss Cart in CSV format.
Automatic email confirmation of orders.
Powerful product search feature.
Built in Contents Management System (CMS).
advantages and disadvantages
theres is alot more design and layour flexiblity with this package compared to the other one.
it seems alot more secure and proffessial
alot more easy to use and update
the main disadvantage is the cost
the first one i found that i liked the look of was the Boss Cart JVS Series. this is a uk based company and offers a free shopping basket service.
how it works
it is shopping basket software containing php and using a msql database
there are 3 files for you to download or you can enter a link into your webpage
features
Template driven for easy customisation
Search engine friendly pages
Search engine friendly images
Support raw flash movies as images
Built in CRM system
Upload multiple products at the same time
No limit to number of items you can sell
Easy to set up
Integrates with all UK payment provider gateways
Money off web hosting from leading hosting companies
Free technical support
advantages and disadvantages
it seems pretty simple but because it is free there are no garantees that it will work but its worth a try
i think you would have to have alot of experience with php and mysql in order to use this one.
this company also offer another servise that is not free
this is called Cart Boss Premieum and it is £110
i think it works like the other but it is alot more helpful
features
Quick and easy to set up.
Powerful catalogue manager, manages over 10,000 products.
Create your store look-and-feel or use one of our pre-designed templates.
Integrate your online store with a payment gateway of your choice.
Host your shop with the web hosting company of your choice.
Extensive marketing and merchandising features, including social networking/marketing plug-in.
Bulk product upload to make populating your store with products easy.
Export your products to Google base.
Easy order management.
Multiple language support.
Multiple currency support.
Additional features
Drag and drop interface for quick access to products and product attributes.
Extended product image upload, add additional seven images per product.
Define header and footer for each product category and sub category.
Crate links to external URLs.
Specify shipping and weight for each product.
Import data to or export data from Boss Cart in CSV format.
Automatic email confirmation of orders.
Powerful product search feature.
Built in Contents Management System (CMS).
advantages and disadvantages
theres is alot more design and layour flexiblity with this package compared to the other one.
it seems alot more secure and proffessial
alot more easy to use and update
the main disadvantage is the cost
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Story So Far (client project)
we are a good few weeks into the live client project now so i thought id rite a blog in order to show how i think its going so far.
So far its been full of ups and downs, as working with a client will be
From not turning up to meetings and not produsing her side of the bargin i think ive had it all so far and the hard work hasnt even started yet but hopefully we will get there in the end and i will produce a good piece of work in order to get a good peice of work out of it at the end
So far its been full of ups and downs, as working with a client will be
From not turning up to meetings and not produsing her side of the bargin i think ive had it all so far and the hard work hasnt even started yet but hopefully we will get there in the end and i will produce a good piece of work in order to get a good peice of work out of it at the end
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Live Client Project
For the live client part of our assessment this year we have to work with a live client in order to create a professional piece of work as well as getting experience of working with a live client and all of the ups and down that can bring.
My client is an artist illustrator Hannah Morrison. i approached hannah through an another artist that has a small shop down the road. Soon after i arranged a meeting with hannah to discuss what she required and how i could help her solve her problems using multimedia.
she requires
- A website
- Displaying her work
- Displaying her fashion work and illustrations
- Infomation about her and contact details
- Facilities to sell her work
- She site needs to be easy for her to update
- She also would like to be able to put her own stamp on it
we also discussed some of the design that she would like and the feel of the website, we discussed that she would like each section of her site to be represented with an image for example her logo would represent the about me section of her site in the same way that the one of her illustration images would represent the her illustation section of the site.
My client is an artist illustrator Hannah Morrison. i approached hannah through an another artist that has a small shop down the road. Soon after i arranged a meeting with hannah to discuss what she required and how i could help her solve her problems using multimedia.
she requires
- A website
- Displaying her work
- Displaying her fashion work and illustrations
- Infomation about her and contact details
- Facilities to sell her work
- She site needs to be easy for her to update
- She also would like to be able to put her own stamp on it
we also discussed some of the design that she would like and the feel of the website, we discussed that she would like each section of her site to be represented with an image for example her logo would represent the about me section of her site in the same way that the one of her illustration images would represent the her illustation section of the site.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Domain Names
for our next project as part of spp3, we have been given the task to create a portfolio and as we are 3rd years we have finally sat up and listerned.
we now understand that as we are almost at the end of our course and about to enter the big wide world of industry it is more imporant that ever to have a good portfolio not only to show off our skills but also our unique selling point that makes us stand out from the rest.
so the first place to start when thinking about a a profolio is a domain name. its one of the most important things when thinking about creating a website as it can mean the difference between a sucessful site and a site that just sits in the backgrown and is unnoticed.
so when thinking about my own domain i have to think of something unique and memorable so that i can just say it someone once and they will remember it. so the first thing i thought of was my name as that is pretty unique, i mean how many leatherdays do you know?
so i googled my name and all it came up wiv really was this and facebook of course. so i had a few ideas
www.hannahleatherdaydesigns.co.uk (too long)
www.hannahleatherday.co.uk (doesnt really say much)
www.hannahleatherdayonline.co.uk (too long and serious)
www.hannahlonline.co.uk (not catchy enough)
www.hannahldesigns.co.uk
then i thought about a name that isnt based on my name sonething that is a bit more catchy and fun. so then i thought i want sometime girly fun and pink.
www.pixelfairy.co.uk or maybe www.pixeldust. then i founfd that that was taken and used by too many web companies already this means people would have to look thrugh all of the other sites to get to mine and i would end up in the background.
i had got loads of good ideas for these domain names already so i decided to go for pixldust.co.uk it was a slight variation on pixeldust and it was unique and catchy.
From simply looking at domains i got so many ideas and i realised just how important a good domain name is and i now have some understanding of the competition and the value of the perfect domain name.
we now understand that as we are almost at the end of our course and about to enter the big wide world of industry it is more imporant that ever to have a good portfolio not only to show off our skills but also our unique selling point that makes us stand out from the rest.
so the first place to start when thinking about a a profolio is a domain name. its one of the most important things when thinking about creating a website as it can mean the difference between a sucessful site and a site that just sits in the backgrown and is unnoticed.
so when thinking about my own domain i have to think of something unique and memorable so that i can just say it someone once and they will remember it. so the first thing i thought of was my name as that is pretty unique, i mean how many leatherdays do you know?
so i googled my name and all it came up wiv really was this and facebook of course. so i had a few ideas
www.hannahleatherdaydesigns.co.uk (too long)
www.hannahleatherday.co.uk (doesnt really say much)
www.hannahleatherdayonline.co.uk (too long and serious)
www.hannahlonline.co.uk (not catchy enough)
www.hannahldesigns.co.uk
then i thought about a name that isnt based on my name sonething that is a bit more catchy and fun. so then i thought i want sometime girly fun and pink.
www.pixelfairy.co.uk or maybe www.pixeldust. then i founfd that that was taken and used by too many web companies already this means people would have to look thrugh all of the other sites to get to mine and i would end up in the background.
i had got loads of good ideas for these domain names already so i decided to go for pixldust.co.uk it was a slight variation on pixeldust and it was unique and catchy.
From simply looking at domains i got so many ideas and i realised just how important a good domain name is and i now have some understanding of the competition and the value of the perfect domain name.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Finished Product
this is the main page from my simulated client project. this is the final product i think on a whole the progect was successful. my designs are bringht and colourful to keep people of a yuong age engaged for as long as possible.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The Story so far
the image below the show the main problem i was having with the layout of this project.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Research
quote "a quick Google search for web accessibility benefits6 returns over 37 million results!"
http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-accessibility/future.shtml
http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-accessibility/future.shtml
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
research
http://www.usabilitynews.com/news/article3163.asp
"Mouth or Head Wands
These wands are either held between the teeth, or positioned in the middle of the forehead and held in place by a head band. They are used to activate keys on a keyboard and in rare cases a track-ball mouse.
People who use these devices will have a physical disability, for example quadriplegia (full body paralysis), or under developed limbs perhaps as a result of the Thalidomide drug.
Designing webpages with internal navigation (skip links), clean and simple content and minimal links, will assist people using mouth and head wands.
Speech Enabled Websites
Websites that are speech enabled allow people to listen to the content of the site being spoken aloud. The site owner pays a fee to a service provider for their site to be speech enabled. People can then access the spoken word through a link on the website or through a freely available application.
Speech enablement is not intended for people with severe visual impairments, but rather for people with reading difficulties such as Dyslexia, or people for whom the language of the site is not their own first language.
Designing a website with well formed HTML code, which conforms to the official programming language specification, will enable speech enablement to work with greater efficiency and accuracy.
Screen Magnifiers
These are software applications that work with the operating system to enlarge a selected portion of the screen. The magnified area works like a conventional magnifying glass, with much improved capability, and can be tracked around the screen to enable fluid reading of on-screen content.
People with mild to medium visual impairments will use screen magnification, including those with tunnel vision or Age Related Macular Degeneration.
Designing a site with clear indicators for different content areas, sufficient colour contrast between background and foreground colours and well structured pages will benefit people using screen magnification.
Voice Recognition Software
Software of this kind enables people to control their computers through voice commands, without the need for a keyboard or mouse. Voice recognition is a mainstream technology, but one which has assistive characteristics.
People using voice recognition software may have a physical impairment which prevents them using a keyboard or mouse, including people with Muscular Dystrophy and Parkinson’s Disease. In addition, people suffering temporary conditions such as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) might use such technologies for the duration of their recuperation.
Designing a website with concise link text, which is independent of surrounding page content, and good structure of information will help people using voice recognition navigate pages more easily.
The Browser
All browsers have in-built features which allow colours to be customised and font sizes to be changed. Many have additional features that allow custom stylesheets to be used, portions of the page to be magnified, or pages to be self voiced. Whilst not a conventional assistive technology, they are undoubtedly the one application that almost everyone will use to improve their browsing experience.
People will make use of these features if they have mild eye conditions such as short or long sight, if they have colour blindness or more persistent sight conditions such as early onset Diabetic Retinopathy. People with motor control difficulties may enlarge text size to provide a larger clickable area on text links, people with Photo Sensitive Epilepsy may turn off images to prevent fast moving visual content from being displayed. The list is extensive and ongoing.
Designing pages to be fluid, so that the user can impose heir own choices on the way they view page is key to utilising browser functionality. Using CSS to control presentation, relative unit of measurement (such as %) to control font size and page widths and ensuring that information conveyed with graphics is also available when images are switched off will help people make the most of their browser."
Léonie Watson
Nomensa
"Mouth or Head Wands
These wands are either held between the teeth, or positioned in the middle of the forehead and held in place by a head band. They are used to activate keys on a keyboard and in rare cases a track-ball mouse.
People who use these devices will have a physical disability, for example quadriplegia (full body paralysis), or under developed limbs perhaps as a result of the Thalidomide drug.
Designing webpages with internal navigation (skip links), clean and simple content and minimal links, will assist people using mouth and head wands.
Speech Enabled Websites
Websites that are speech enabled allow people to listen to the content of the site being spoken aloud. The site owner pays a fee to a service provider for their site to be speech enabled. People can then access the spoken word through a link on the website or through a freely available application.
Speech enablement is not intended for people with severe visual impairments, but rather for people with reading difficulties such as Dyslexia, or people for whom the language of the site is not their own first language.
Designing a website with well formed HTML code, which conforms to the official programming language specification, will enable speech enablement to work with greater efficiency and accuracy.
Screen Magnifiers
These are software applications that work with the operating system to enlarge a selected portion of the screen. The magnified area works like a conventional magnifying glass, with much improved capability, and can be tracked around the screen to enable fluid reading of on-screen content.
People with mild to medium visual impairments will use screen magnification, including those with tunnel vision or Age Related Macular Degeneration.
Designing a site with clear indicators for different content areas, sufficient colour contrast between background and foreground colours and well structured pages will benefit people using screen magnification.
Voice Recognition Software
Software of this kind enables people to control their computers through voice commands, without the need for a keyboard or mouse. Voice recognition is a mainstream technology, but one which has assistive characteristics.
People using voice recognition software may have a physical impairment which prevents them using a keyboard or mouse, including people with Muscular Dystrophy and Parkinson’s Disease. In addition, people suffering temporary conditions such as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) might use such technologies for the duration of their recuperation.
Designing a website with concise link text, which is independent of surrounding page content, and good structure of information will help people using voice recognition navigate pages more easily.
The Browser
All browsers have in-built features which allow colours to be customised and font sizes to be changed. Many have additional features that allow custom stylesheets to be used, portions of the page to be magnified, or pages to be self voiced. Whilst not a conventional assistive technology, they are undoubtedly the one application that almost everyone will use to improve their browsing experience.
People will make use of these features if they have mild eye conditions such as short or long sight, if they have colour blindness or more persistent sight conditions such as early onset Diabetic Retinopathy. People with motor control difficulties may enlarge text size to provide a larger clickable area on text links, people with Photo Sensitive Epilepsy may turn off images to prevent fast moving visual content from being displayed. The list is extensive and ongoing.
Designing pages to be fluid, so that the user can impose heir own choices on the way they view page is key to utilising browser functionality. Using CSS to control presentation, relative unit of measurement (such as %) to control font size and page widths and ensuring that information conveyed with graphics is also available when images are switched off will help people make the most of their browser."
Léonie Watson
Nomensa
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Research
For my simalated client project i have decide to base my ideas on healthy eating with this targetted at 5 - 11 year old children. i have decided to do this as looking on the web i have found that there is a gap in the market for healthy eating information aimed at children, it is all simply aimed at adults. so for this project i thought the first thing to do was to look into this area in more detail in oder to get a better understanding.
the video below shows the way that food can be fun for kids, this program is shown on the bbc as is aimed to get children into the kitchen to experiment and have fun with food. however it does not have any information about healthy eating.
the video below shows the way that food can be fun for kids, this program is shown on the bbc as is aimed to get children into the kitchen to experiment and have fun with food. however it does not have any information about healthy eating.
Simulated Client Project-Proposal
Introduction
I have been contacted by a local school who would like me to create a new piece of multimedia that will teach the pupils about public information. in this proposal I will cover these areas subject area, target audience, requirements, design solution, justification and a design schedule that will show a week by week breakdown of the tasks and also include a contingency. This with then ensure that the client can clearly see of my design solution in order to solve the multimedia problem.
Chosen subject area
the subject area that I have chose for this project is Healthy Living, within this vast subject area I have decided that the scope of my project will be based healthy eating. I have made this design choice for a number of reasons these include; my knowledge in this area is greater than in other areas and I think there is a gap in the market for healthy eating promotions on the web targeted at children. From the research on healthy eating, I have come to realise that there is a lack of information for children about being healthy eating. There is a lot of information about getting children to eat healthy but there a lot less information based on the children themselves. After all I think that if you are going to make children eat healthy then it is useful for them to know a little about it and why they should do it. not only do they then understand why it is important but also are more likely to want to have a healthy lifestyle in the future.
Target Audience
for this project my target audience will be children aged 5 to 11 as I think this is a key age to teach them about healthy eating so that they can then make the right choices as they become teens and young adults. Through my research I have learnt that
“In the UK an estimated one in four 11 to 15 year olds are overweight or obese - and the problem is growing every year. Based on this I have aimed my target audience a lot younger in try and help with this growing issue.”
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/child_obesity.html
Requirements
for this project the client requires me to design and create a piece of multimedia that will inform children about healthy living. This has to inform children about the importance of eating healthily but also keeping them engaged. It needs to be fun bright and interactive to appeal to children aged 5 to 11 years old. It also needs to be easy to use and accessible at school or at home. It needs have simple and clear navigation throughout. With a clear message about healthy eating.
Design Solution
to solve this multimedia problem I will design and create a mini site, which will enable the children engage in games and interaction at the same time giving them clear information about healthy eating. This will be based around the balance of health plate, it will use simple colour codes to identify good foods, OK foods that can be eaten regularly but not a large amount and bad foods. The first page will start off with the simple food groups that when a child clicks on a colour code it will then list all the food related to that. For example if the child clicks on green it will give then a list of foods that are good for them. The next page will have the same colour code but be based around portion sizes. It will tell children that they should only eat a small amount of the bad foods and a large amount of the good food. It will do this in the same way previously using colour codes and the healthy balance plate. The third and final page will them be a simple game based on this the children will use a mouse to drag and drop the foods onto the colour coded plate until they get it into the right place. I think this will be a fun and interactive way to teach children about what is good for them to eat on a regular basis. To create this multimedia mini site I will use dreamweaver to create the first two webpages then use flash for the game. The child with navigate this site in a simple linear way it will enter thought the first page, learning about the foods that are good and not so gud then once completed the two information pages they can then be rewarded ny playing the game this way it will give a the information first so they are not distracted by the game.
Justification
throughout my research into this area I struggled to find any websites that were targeted at the children not at the adults as shown below. This sites however show the use of colour when sited area based around children.
However the image is an example of a website used to encourage children to cook and experiment with foods. It uses bright colours, coloured characters and lots of interaction to keep children engaged.
Schedule
Week 1 13/10/08 – 17/10/08 Design
Week 2 20/10/08 – 24/10/08 Proposal
Week 3 &4 27/10/08 – 31/10/08 Production
Week 5 3/11/08 – 9/11/08 Testing
I have been contacted by a local school who would like me to create a new piece of multimedia that will teach the pupils about public information. in this proposal I will cover these areas subject area, target audience, requirements, design solution, justification and a design schedule that will show a week by week breakdown of the tasks and also include a contingency. This with then ensure that the client can clearly see of my design solution in order to solve the multimedia problem.
Chosen subject area
the subject area that I have chose for this project is Healthy Living, within this vast subject area I have decided that the scope of my project will be based healthy eating. I have made this design choice for a number of reasons these include; my knowledge in this area is greater than in other areas and I think there is a gap in the market for healthy eating promotions on the web targeted at children. From the research on healthy eating, I have come to realise that there is a lack of information for children about being healthy eating. There is a lot of information about getting children to eat healthy but there a lot less information based on the children themselves. After all I think that if you are going to make children eat healthy then it is useful for them to know a little about it and why they should do it. not only do they then understand why it is important but also are more likely to want to have a healthy lifestyle in the future.
Target Audience
for this project my target audience will be children aged 5 to 11 as I think this is a key age to teach them about healthy eating so that they can then make the right choices as they become teens and young adults. Through my research I have learnt that
“In the UK an estimated one in four 11 to 15 year olds are overweight or obese - and the problem is growing every year. Based on this I have aimed my target audience a lot younger in try and help with this growing issue.”
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/child_obesity.html
Requirements
for this project the client requires me to design and create a piece of multimedia that will inform children about healthy living. This has to inform children about the importance of eating healthily but also keeping them engaged. It needs to be fun bright and interactive to appeal to children aged 5 to 11 years old. It also needs to be easy to use and accessible at school or at home. It needs have simple and clear navigation throughout. With a clear message about healthy eating.
Design Solution
to solve this multimedia problem I will design and create a mini site, which will enable the children engage in games and interaction at the same time giving them clear information about healthy eating. This will be based around the balance of health plate, it will use simple colour codes to identify good foods, OK foods that can be eaten regularly but not a large amount and bad foods. The first page will start off with the simple food groups that when a child clicks on a colour code it will then list all the food related to that. For example if the child clicks on green it will give then a list of foods that are good for them. The next page will have the same colour code but be based around portion sizes. It will tell children that they should only eat a small amount of the bad foods and a large amount of the good food. It will do this in the same way previously using colour codes and the healthy balance plate. The third and final page will them be a simple game based on this the children will use a mouse to drag and drop the foods onto the colour coded plate until they get it into the right place. I think this will be a fun and interactive way to teach children about what is good for them to eat on a regular basis. To create this multimedia mini site I will use dreamweaver to create the first two webpages then use flash for the game. The child with navigate this site in a simple linear way it will enter thought the first page, learning about the foods that are good and not so gud then once completed the two information pages they can then be rewarded ny playing the game this way it will give a the information first so they are not distracted by the game.
Justification
throughout my research into this area I struggled to find any websites that were targeted at the children not at the adults as shown below. This sites however show the use of colour when sited area based around children.
However the image is an example of a website used to encourage children to cook and experiment with foods. It uses bright colours, coloured characters and lots of interaction to keep children engaged.
Schedule
Week 1 13/10/08 – 17/10/08 Design
Week 2 20/10/08 – 24/10/08 Proposal
Week 3 &4 27/10/08 – 31/10/08 Production
Week 5 3/11/08 – 9/11/08 Testing
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Simulated Client Project
one of our first projects for this year is the simulated client project. for this we have 6 weeks have a simulated project that we have to write and design a project to solve the problem using a piece of multimedia whether its a website, a piece of interaction, film or animation.
the project options include
Healthy living
Global warming
Sustainability
Sexual health
once we have chosen a project title then we have to i then have to write a proposal to pitch to the client about our design ideas and solutions to the multimedia problem. the subject area i have chosenis healthy eating as a i feel i know more about this topic than the others.
the project options include
Healthy living
Global warming
Sustainability
Sexual health
once we have chosen a project title then we have to i then have to write a proposal to pitch to the client about our design ideas and solutions to the multimedia problem. the subject area i have chosenis healthy eating as a i feel i know more about this topic than the others.
First week of year 3!!
well its the end of the of the first week back and we are all so scared of what is to come. Theres also a buzz of excitement going around too. theres also a lot of focus on not just what's happening this year but also when we go into the real world of industry and where we want to be after this year so wish me luck and lets go for it!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Where do i want to be
i no i no huge question but having just started year 3 thats the key question that will enable me to progress enough this year to then be able to step out into the big wide world of web!! As i look back at where ive come i really believe that if i can get my head around what feels like a huge question then it wil really help me not only achieve the very best that i can this year but also get where i want to be. in college i started the final year with the attitude that i was going to get 3 A's at the end of the year and with alot of work i did but havin that focus helped me throughout the year. by no means am i saying that if i say i want to get a first so i will get one but if i have a realistic focus i think it will help me reach my goal and get to where i want to be (with a little help from the boys of course).
the next bit is the hardest im going to try and figure out what i want to do after. im goin to be goin into the big wide world with so many areas
i could be web design (front end/interface design)or work behind the scenes
the next bit is the hardest im going to try and figure out what i want to do after. im goin to be goin into the big wide world with so many areas
i could be web design (front end/interface design)or work behind the scenes
Monday, September 29, 2008
Inspiration
As i was doing some reasearch on accessability for my final year when i found out about this inspiring man called John Benson.
John Benson is an american web designer who disbite having Cerebal Palsy which stopped him form being able to use his arms and legs was able to forfill his dreams of being a web designer.
After guaduating with a Internet Webmaster Technician Associate Degree he used a hands free keyboard called LUCY. He did this by aiming a laser pointer which was attached to a pair of lensless glasses. then when he has to use a mouse he uses his chin to manipulate a trackball.
this is crazy to think that he could use his face to be so creative and productive it must have took alot of determination to get him where he is today i think it is amazing and very inspiring
John Benson is an american web designer who disbite having Cerebal Palsy which stopped him form being able to use his arms and legs was able to forfill his dreams of being a web designer.
After guaduating with a Internet Webmaster Technician Associate Degree he used a hands free keyboard called LUCY. He did this by aiming a laser pointer which was attached to a pair of lensless glasses. then when he has to use a mouse he uses his chin to manipulate a trackball.
this is crazy to think that he could use his face to be so creative and productive it must have took alot of determination to get him where he is today i think it is amazing and very inspiring
CS4???
Ok Ok Ok Ok slow down im just getting used to Adobe CS3 and now when i was looking to buy the software for my mac i dicovered that the new CS4 is out on pre-order and i cant help being scared and wherey about what is to come.
From what ive seen so far of it theres not much change so hopefully ill be ok
but as always ill keep you posted
From what ive seen so far of it theres not much change so hopefully ill be ok
but as always ill keep you posted
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Principles of Web Design
Right ok so i've learnt about layouts now and I think I have more of a clear idea now to think bout the basic principles that differntionate between good design and bad
Emphasis
Emphasis is all about the important things that you want to draw attention to. therefore the most important things are the most prominent on the page. the first mast important thing would be the most prominent on the page then the second most prominent would be next and so on.... this can also help usability as the most important things are highlighted and can be found easily. when thinking about what is important on the page it is key to think about what your client wants to achieve and the message they want to send out though there site. therefore they are the most important areas to emphasis. another area where emphasis is used is the area that the client will find most appealing on the site; there they will stay there longer. some sites emphasis the logo as that is another key area. there are few ways in which you can emphasis these include bold, bigger, italics, different colours, drop shadows and borders.
Sense of Balance
hmmm balancing isn’t really one of my strong point anyways and now I have to try in on the web too!!
this sounds pretty simple but is hard to get right. you need to be able to divide a page down the middle both ways and it should be balanced. things such as images, colour, shapes and text. things should not lean to one side. this does Not mean that everything has to be symmetrical.
Arrangement
this is all about the way in which the elements connect with each other on the page, also about how they line up with other so in the end they are all aligned with each other making the page very neat and tidy. the best way to do this is using a grid or ruler on the page in order to make sure it is accurate and lined up perfectly.
Contrast
Contrast is essential within a webpage, without contrast your website would be boring. not only that but it is used to guide the users eye around the page. contrast can be used on areas such as logos, text and navigation these are areas that you would want to set apart from apart from the rest of the page. ways in which to contrast include reverse text, larger text, italics, drop shadows, glows textures, different shapes and borders
Repetition of Elements
Good repetition within a websites helps to maintain a theme. a theme is key as users become familiar and know there way around. the trick is to keep it simple repeat areas such as navigation logo and colours.
Visual Direction
this is all about the way the users eye moves through your website. its all about making the user go through the way that you want. it also helps pick out the most important things. the key is to look at what your eye is drawn to. A U shaped flaw line is easier on the eye.
Emphasis
Emphasis is all about the important things that you want to draw attention to. therefore the most important things are the most prominent on the page. the first mast important thing would be the most prominent on the page then the second most prominent would be next and so on.... this can also help usability as the most important things are highlighted and can be found easily. when thinking about what is important on the page it is key to think about what your client wants to achieve and the message they want to send out though there site. therefore they are the most important areas to emphasis. another area where emphasis is used is the area that the client will find most appealing on the site; there they will stay there longer. some sites emphasis the logo as that is another key area. there are few ways in which you can emphasis these include bold, bigger, italics, different colours, drop shadows and borders.
Sense of Balance
hmmm balancing isn’t really one of my strong point anyways and now I have to try in on the web too!!
this sounds pretty simple but is hard to get right. you need to be able to divide a page down the middle both ways and it should be balanced. things such as images, colour, shapes and text. things should not lean to one side. this does Not mean that everything has to be symmetrical.
Arrangement
this is all about the way in which the elements connect with each other on the page, also about how they line up with other so in the end they are all aligned with each other making the page very neat and tidy. the best way to do this is using a grid or ruler on the page in order to make sure it is accurate and lined up perfectly.
Contrast
Contrast is essential within a webpage, without contrast your website would be boring. not only that but it is used to guide the users eye around the page. contrast can be used on areas such as logos, text and navigation these are areas that you would want to set apart from apart from the rest of the page. ways in which to contrast include reverse text, larger text, italics, drop shadows, glows textures, different shapes and borders
Repetition of Elements
Good repetition within a websites helps to maintain a theme. a theme is key as users become familiar and know there way around. the trick is to keep it simple repeat areas such as navigation logo and colours.
Visual Direction
this is all about the way the users eye moves through your website. its all about making the user go through the way that you want. it also helps pick out the most important things. the key is to look at what your eye is drawn to. A U shaped flaw line is easier on the eye.
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