Processish

It’s finally done! haha...refer to my previous blog if you need more links! It is best viewed in Firefox…

Check it out here!!

I know I don’t have much process for along the way because I wasn’t documenting it as I went. I was just going and going to get it done. For never ever dealing with HTML and CSS until a couple days ago, this site looks halfway alright. I am proud of it because I generated it all from code – no templates. Of course I had Mr. Lincoln helping me through the bugs of the site today.

My processes could just be easily described as mass chaos, at least for the first part. I was giving myself a crash course in this and creating it at the same time. I had no idea what I was doing, I was just trying to figure out what did what. As time went on, it was much more trial and error format. A lot of the things I was trying I didn’t even know if it would work or not, some did and some didn’t. I moved away from my original idea because that had too many pages to create. In that same idea, I wanted a site that was very neutral so that the images of the site could pop and draw attention. I created a new site map which is at the end of this blog.

One of the websites I critiqued was Blind.com and I was inspired by how they layout their navigation, I did my own take on it with a double navigation in the critique section (click here to see). I just wanted it to be easy to move through and to the point without too much overlap.

If I had a better understand for CSS and HTML I would go back and fix some of my kinks. I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of the “Motion” title and I would have made another review image that goes all the way to the top. I was having issues getting that to align with the top of the page. There were many other small problems along the way, but I worked through them and some I just had to leave for now.

Even though working on this project was such a struggle for me, I actually liked it in the end. It was good for me. I was amazed myself by how much I could learn in such a small amount of time, I feel I have a general grasp of coding now. Its still very confusing, but its fun to pick up something new. I definitely plan on taking advanced New Media next year because I think it’s an important skill set to know and I have so much to learn.

I wish everyone the happiest of Holidays – and I will see you next year! :^D

WEBSITE!

HERE
HERE
HERE
HERE
and
HERE

Website look...

Click here to see! Then go to the website pdf in the list.

Site Map

This is an idea of what I have working. I have tried to put my stuff into website form and its proving to be much harder for me than I thought...I think I will get some help tomorrow in class...

Website TRES

EATING SANDWICHES
http://eatingsandwiches.com/

NAVIGATION:

Is it easy to navigate or difficult?
Its pretty easy if you understand what it’s for. On the homepage it doesn’t have the side bar with all the categories of items. But if you click into any of the work posted it comes up in the next page. So if you were wanting to search something that would be a little tricky unto you got to the second page. Also, they don’t have a button that says home, you just have to know to click on the eating sandwiches word at the top.

Does the designer use a metaphor to get you to move through the website?
Its in chronological order on the home page, but then after that page you can control the subject of artwork in the side bar.
What kind of metaphor are used?
1. Organizational metaphors = organized by type, kind, ect.
2. Functional metaphors = performs a “real world” function (in Photoshop you can
figuratively “cut” and “paste”)
3. Visual metaphor = common graphic elements familiar to most – the traditional
“play,” “fast forward,” and “rewind” buttons found on CD player.

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE:

Does the information in the site make sense?
Yeah, it just displays some neat happenings in the art relem.

Can you access the content you want easily?
Semi easy, you have to click into a poster work on the first page and then it will go into the side bar with the categories and search bar.

How is the content organized? (by location, alphabet, timeline, category, ect.?)
Chronologically, so maybe time line?

Is there visual and content hierarchy that allows you to easily understand and access the information presented to you?
Not really, its just in the chronological order and then seperates into cetain cadigories.

USABILITY

Is this site easy to use?
Pretty simple to use, I think if you were new to it and were searching for a posted work it would be hard to find the search bar unless you knew where it was.

How do the two above concepts, (navigation and information architecture) work in terms of making the site usable or not? So the metaphors make sense with the content?
Yeah they are trying to get across a chronological, alphabetical, orderly message about the work.

Overall, does the site sustain your interest and engagement?
Yeah it would be good to see what’s going on in the world of design.

MEANING-MAKING:

In what was is the designer creating meaning in this site?
Not really, just trying to get up artwork in a neutral, nonhierarchical, fair way for people to view.

Are they using metaphor?
Organizational metaphor

Is there a narrative story or event that unfold over time?
Not really all all.

Is this narrative linear, non-linear, or multi-linear?
Its linear because the worked is ordered by which is was posted in time.

REFLECTION OF THE USER:

Is there a reflection of you, as the user, on this site? Does it change according to your specific visit? Do you receive mouse feedback? Text feedback? Does the site store any choices you have made? Are you engaged enough in the site to linger and explore?
There isn’t any reflection of the user shown in this site, I am engaged in this site because it host a variety of work and by category so I can view what I like.

TRANSPARENCY OF DESIGN:

Does the design of the site lead you to pay more attention to the content or to the design itself? Does the design feel transparent or “natural,: leading you to focus on the content and forget the design completely or is attention called more to the design itself?
The site is so neutral to accommodate for the work being posted. They want to work to be highlighted not the website - so they have to have a neutral work that fits for everything that gets posted.

Does the transparency or lack of transparency of the design make sense with what the site is intending to do?

Yes, it does for the reason exampled one question ago

Website DOS

BLIND
http://www.blind.com/

NAVIGATION:

Is it easy to navigate or difficult?
Extremely easy, everything was very clear on what it does.
What visual clues are given to tell you how to interact?

Does the designer use a metaphor to get you to move through the website?
I think they use to functional metaphor because every button is exactly what it is, and under that they have submenus when you go into the actual page.
What kind of metaphor are used?
1. Organizational metaphors = organized by type, kind, ect.
2. Functional metaphors = performs a “real world” function (in Photoshop you can
figuratively “cut” and “paste”)
3. Visual metaphor = common graphic elements familiar to most – the traditional
“play,” “fast forward,” and “rewind” buttons found on CD player.

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE:

Does the information in the site make sense?
Yes, because they are a design company and have their work in blog form on their home.

Can you access the content you want easily?
Yes, yes yes! Laid out very well, I know where to click for what I want.

How is the content organized? (by location, alphabet, timeline, category, ect.?)
Its by category and what you are looking for, or what umbrella what you’re looking for would be.

Is there visual and content hierarchy that allows you to easily understand and access the information presented to you?
Yes, the main headline says in no matter what page you’re in, but it changes colors.

USABILITY

Is this site easy to use?
I think so, I think anyone who can use the internet can find what they are looking for pertaining to this company in their website. You can even their portfolio things to be displayed in alphabetical or chronological order.

How do the two above concepts, (navigation and information architecture) work in terms of making the site usable or not? So the metaphors make sense with the content?
This is an example of very clean design, easy to use and easy to understand the point. They even have thumbnails of work so you can preview ahead of it before clicking on it and its organized by date, so you know their most recent work. Then in the work they list the agency and other information about their work.

Overall, does the site sustain your interest and engagement?
It does, because it’s a design site. Also, their work interested me, and I even went into their designer bios which was cool to see they had.

MEANING-MAKING:

In what was is the designer creating meaning in this site?
I guess that they get to root of the design problem and solve it.

Are they using metaphor?
The functional metaphor

Is there a narrative story or event that unfold over time?
Not really, just as you get farther into the site you get closer to viewing their work.

Is this narrative linear, non-linear, or multi-linear?
I think its linear, it get down to a certain point. It ends up leading you to what you are looking for.

REFLECTION OF THE USER:

Is there a reflection of you, as the user, on this site? Does it change according to your specific visit? Do you receive mouse feedback? Text feedback? Does the site store any choices you have made? Are you engaged enough in the site to linger and explore?

It doesn’t have reflections of the user, but that would be cool if they did. Everything stays the same but it engages me to look at their portfolio.

TRANSPARENCY OF DESIGN:

Does the design of the site lead you to pay more attention to the content or to the design itself? Does the design feel transparent or “natural,: leading you to focus on the content and forget the design completely or is attention called more to the design itself?
The design of the site was notice about because it was a piece of art in itself, but what they had posted on their site called attention to itself because it was beautiful too.

Does the transparency or lack of transparency of the design make sense with what the site is intending to do?
I think so, I think this site is wanting you to notice their great design, both in their portfolio and their website.

Website UNO

UBIQ
http://www.ubiqlife.com/

NAVIGATION:

Is it easy to navigate or difficult?
It was pretty easy, but on certain pages they didn’t have the home button which I think is key for how I navigate through a space, but most of the links were along the side bar. I guess I liked flipping though products on the home page.

What visual clues are given to tell you how to interact?
On the homepage there were pictures that when you scrolled over they lit up, so it made we want to click on them. Also the side bar had that same effect applied. In addition, quite a few elements reacted by moving in some way, so it made me want to know what was going on.

Does the designer use a metaphor to get you to move through the website?
I know understand the metaphor idea really, but if I had to guess on the provided guidelines I would say it’s more organizational based.
What kind of metaphor are used?
1. Organizational metaphors = organized by type, kind, ect.
2. Functional metaphors = performs a “real world” function (in Photoshop you can
figuratively “cut” and “paste”)
3. Visual metaphor = common graphic elements familiar to most – the traditional
“play,” “fast forward,” and “rewind” buttons found on CD player.

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE:

Does the information in the site make sense?
For the most part it does. On the homepage if the main image gets changed to some of the other pictures in the viewer I would be a little confused on what the site was about because it says apparel / footwear at the top so it makes me think that’s what the site is about and if you have a picture highlighting a logo or image not related to footwear or apparel I would get confused. Also, I wish this site would have said upfront it was a men’s clothing store because that would be nice to know.

Can you access the content you want easily?
Yeah its has the main points highlighted, except there are to links to account on the homepage and only one works, which I think is weird and something that should be fixed immediately because this site is for buying clothing.

How is the content organized? (by location, alphabet, timeline, category, ect.?)
Its more in a category format, you click the headline and in goes into that cadegory.

Is there visual and content hierarchy that allows you to easily understand and access the information presented to you?
Yes, I can get to want I want easily.

USABILITY

Is this site easy to use?
For the most part, they have a lot of repeat links throughout the site - as in three links on one page to the same page (the homepage has 3 links to the account page, only one works though). Also if you click contact, there are two side bars on the left and right of each side and they have close to the same information. So they could get rid of one and make another longer.

How do the two above concepts, (navigation and information architecture) work in terms of making the site usable or not? So the metaphors make sense with the content?
If its organizational based, which I believe this is – the navigation should be organized and easy to use, which is it.

Overall, does the site sustain your interest and engagement?
For a little while, I can’t buy anything here for myself so it doesn’t make me want to look for anything. If I was shopping for something for my brother this might be a good place to get some ideas or even buy something.

MEANING-MAKING:

In what was is the designer creating meaning in this site?
It has an About page, so it lets you know what the company is about. I wish they would have said more on the homepage, like how it’s a men’s clothing site. Also, it looks like they feature artists, I would like to know more about the artists.

Are they using metaphor?
Just the organizational.

Is there a narrative story or event that unfold over time?
Not really, it just shows you what they sell, but you can go into the blog and read about what their up to, so their story could unfold in there.

Is this narrative linear, non-linear, or multi-linear?
I would say non-linear.

REFLECTION OF THE USER:

Is there a reflection of you, as the user, on this site? Does it change according to your specific visit? Do you receive mouse feedback? Text feedback? Does the site store any choices you have made? Are you engaged enough in the site to linger and explore?

It isn’t a reflection of me I would say. I am engaged to look at some neat men’s clothing ideas though.

TRANSPARENCY OF DESIGN:

Does the design of the site lead you to pay more attention to the content or to the design itself? Does the design feel transparent or “natural,: leading you to focus on the content and forget the design completely or is attention called more to the design itself?

I think it’s a good mix of both because they show some design showcase on the homepage, but other pages like the clothing focus on the product.

Does the transparency or lack of transparency of the design make sense with what the site is intending to do?

Yeah I think it does.