"Your About Page is a Robot"

For a portfolio, or any website that I would create for this class, information concerning me is going to be my main subject. Therefore, this A List Apart reading is very helpful.

Things to remember when creating an About page:
-provide visitors with essential facts they need to interact with you
-give visitors context for information they find elsewhere on the site
-differentiate you (or your organization)from others like it
-give visitors a reason (several) to come back to the site or complete the task you wish

Robots to look out for:
-Dum-bots: bland, pitching the sterile information and little else
-Sales-o-matic: littering the page with "subjective superlatives and self-congratulatory descriptions", delays the visitor from receiving information
-Law-bot: "overwhelming the reader with information that's irrelevant or unimportant to the vast majority of visitors"

The first code fail...

Still technically in class, but it makes sense to do a journal entry. Today we created our first websites in class, and I had my first fail. Well, maybe fail is too harsh a word. Hiccup.

Changing the color of links and styles seems to be too much to take on for this first day of websites. Dreamweaver and I aren't apparently speaking the same language. Since I've already created "my first website" before, I have to say that this one is a little more impressive than the last. Good to know I've retained some of the information I learned. Not all, just some.

Overall, I'm feeling positive about creating a website this semester. I don't think it's going to be very 'cool', and I highly doubt it will wow any designers, but hey, I want to go to law school. Not the place where creativity reigns supreme. So a website I create should do just fine.

Design isn't just for the web...

As I sit in 317, at the corner computer, I can't help but notice that design is surrounding me. Maybe in this room more than others on campus because Danielle takes the time to make it spectacular.

But what I'm really noticing is that bad design just doesn't work. This room setup for instance. By sitting in my beloved corner, I get the shaft. I'm right next to a projector that I'm pretty sure no one has used in years, next to a window that no one can open. It screams poor design.

On a more practical level, bad design just doesn't work. Its not only ugly, but it doesn't do what its supposed to. I'd like to keep this in mind while doing work for this class. Bad design is more than poorly chosen fonts or colors. Its a fatal flaw in the usage of a site as well.

Just something to keep in mind.....

Designing a Web Page

The two articles on A List Apart were very helpful. They helped me to understand what components a good website should have, and how to make best use of them. As with most things, content isn't usally my problem. I have a harder time figuring out how I want "it" to look, and which colors make the most sense.

With the web pages I've made in the past, I haven't known how to do much, so they always came out looking simple. Pretty sure 3rd graders have made more complete web sites than me. You've seen the Window commercials. That little girl is a whiz kid. So, for the sake of my website and hopefully my grade, I want to list and discuss the points these articles make. Much easier than rereading both articles as I design my web page.

-Remember who the audience is, and keep in mind the reason they would come to your site
-Make content interesting i.e. tell a story not only in text
-Create a sensory experience with design and moving parts (if I can pull that off)
-Create a brand cohesive with the web site and the content
-Use the design to also convey a message--drive the point home
-Take the time to try different designs out--live testing?
-Be cognizant of the amount of white space

Oh crap...CODE?

While doing the readings for Monday and Wednesday, I got the distinct feeling that we're going to be diving head first into code very soon. CODE?! Say it isn't so. Now I've taken CSE 101, and half of this class once already, and I'm still not feeling too chipper about this whole code experience. I barely know how to use the software that writes code for me, let alone doing my own.

Apparently people like me just don't make websites. And hey, that works fine for me. At one point last semester I even considered hiring one of my fellow PW majors to create a website for my portfolio, so I wouldn't embarrass myself. Nothing I do in my post-collegiate life will hopefully have to do with web site creation, and I sure as heck wouldn't claim to know my way around Dreamweaver.

So I guess as we go into this week I'll have to keep an open mind, and hope for the best. Website are one of the few things I really don't get, no matter how many times I try. And yes, websites with articles on different aspects of the creation process are helpful (like the one listed in the readings) but I can't seem to get a grasp on those either.

Either way, I'm making it out of this week, and hopefully this class, ALIVE.

Zeldman

Reading the Zeldman intro vaguely reminds me of reading a handbook to the apocalypse. "You're screwed, don't fight it." Between discussing the cost of creating a new website, the failing of subsequent website, and the best return on an investments, I don't have much faith in my ability.

This chapter seems to talk a lot about getting web sites to work in different browsers, which means its obviously a problem, though I may not have known about it. Being a mac person, I know all about cross-platform issues. Creating a website, even a very small and completely insignificant one, seems a very daunting task.

I have to say I've very thankful for that list of terms we defined that first week of class. I've been referring back to it as I complete different readings because, let me be honest, not all those acronyms can stay in my head.

Or more importantly, who are these "purists" Zeldman continuously speaks of, and why don't they think Flash and QuickTime belong on the web? Apparently I'm missing out on a sub culture. How does one become a web "purist"? Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? For some reason I seem to equate it with being a vegan who sneaks out for Big Macs every once and awhile--someone with a cause, but no real idea whats even going on.

Suffice it to say, I think I'm over my head here.

C.R.A.P.

Though its been discussed in every PW class I've ever taken, CRAP never seems to lose its importance. Especially when discussing aspects of website design, CRAP can be helpful for addressing the different areas.

Contrast
Repetition
Alignment
Proximity

As I use websites in my daily life, I try to remember the principles of CRAP. I've found that once you are tuned into web site design however, it makes it more difficult to go about your daily internet routine, and not notice the design flaws. Makes me wonder about the companies I frequent, and who they have sitting up in headquarters, creating their web pages.

I was discussing with my friend earlier how potentially easy it will be for us to get jobs in any market, because of our PW majors. Especially in companies that have no one devoted to the professional writing aspect. It's just good business. I feel like every major corporation should be more concerned with how their website functions, and who will be using it. Audience is extremely important.

PowerPoint Presentations

I've learned about how to create a "correct" PowerPoint presentation in several of my PW classes. When I start creating the PowerPoint for Module 1, I want to make sure and keep these tenants in mind. For the sake of my memory, and the upcoming presentation for Module 1, I've decided to create a list from the readings on things that make a good PP presentation.

- Keep slides simplistic. No elaborate flow charts or diagrams.
- Keep text short and bulleted.
- Make slides interesting, something for the audience to look at while you're talking.
- Nothing smaller than 24 pt font, in a legible type face.
- Make sure to keep to the time allotted
- Don't use too many animations--can confuse the message, and make the audience dizzy.

I think that there is never too much to be said about making a good PowerPoint presentation. In some respects it is an art form. Keeping the audience interested, while presenting the information your professor would like you to get across can be very challenging. As a side note, I like to remember that the projector in 317 can sometimes skew colors, so it's always best to try out slides before presentation day.

OWL at Purdue

For Module 1, Laurel and I have decided to use the OWL website, which was created by Purdue. Choosing a website for this module was difficult, because I wanted something that pertained to my interests, and my major. I am a PW major, so obviously this site helps me on a daily basis.

But also, I'm thinking about going to law school. The OWL website would also be beneficial for law students, because they also need to be able to cite sources. Law school is a big point of consternation for me, but I would like to keep it in mind.

On the whole, I think Module 1 was a great start to the class. I was able to fully analyze a website in a comfortable way. I am very comfortable using websites, but not necessarily with deconstructing them and discussing their components. Also, Module 1 was a good chance for me to re-remember how to take screen shots on a Mac, and to brush up on my PowerPoint skills.

Audience

"Human needs should be the guide for our technologies." —Ben Shneiderman

An audience is necessary for every web page. Without an audience, there is nothing to design, no one to communicate with. Therefore, the more information that can be collected about an audience, the easier it is to make predictions about.

This information can come from demographics. "Gender, income level, age, religion, geographic location, and more, all provide valuable information about your audience -albeit in a rather sterile manner." After that information has been collected, psychological information can help figure out the motivations behind the audience--what they might be interested in, what goals they could have.

It would seem that more time should be spent on figuring out who the audience is, than on the design of the website. The two aspects obviously go hand in hand, each with equal importance.

Once the audience has been figured out, a good way to communicated with them also has to be handled. A fine line has to be discerned, between concise writing, and informational writing. From the readings, it seems the most important thing to remember is the intended message. From there, the rest of the website can be created.

Blogging

I have to say that this is my first real foray into blogging. I'm not one of those people who finds my thoughts so interesting that I feel the need to catalog them online. Although, some would consider Twitter a blog. I guess that's a blog more my speed.

Blogging really is a revolution. For the first time in the history of our society, anyone can publish their thoughts, and anything about themselves, with really no filter. Unlike publishing houses of yesteryear, now anyone can produce a digital copy, and sell it. And it has been known to happen.

Blogging has become a part of television shows, the news media, and even a way to keep tabs on political figures. Blogging eliminates the middle man, allows for the public and one person to interact.

The internet really is an amazing thing.

Writing for the Web

Petersen:
Once the audience has been decided and information gathered, writing for them can be easier. As most college students, 80% of readers look at only the summary instead of the entire article. By remembering that readers scan websites for information instead of reading long paragraphs of content, it would seem that a presentation style of listing information in bullets and short sentences would better convey the information. In the same vein, all graphics will need captions with the same concise language.

The inverted pyramid design is definitely something to take away from this reading. Start with the conclusion, then the more important content.

Nielsen:
This article brings up several very good points about writing for the web that I had not thought of. First of all, not using words that are specific to web use came as a surprise to me. It does make sense, however, because not using these words adds a sense of professionalism to the website. Also, at least half of all users of a site will come from a search engine. This means they will already have some knowledge of the site's purpose and content.

Online Activity

The "Pew" article on the decline of the internet population was eyeopening. I've grown up with the internet, but it does make sense that there is a decline. "There was almost no growth over the course of 2002 and there has been only a small uptick in recent months to leave the size of the online U.S. adult population at 63% of all those 18 and over."

I think this statistic makes sense. The internet has reached the height of its popularity, so there aren't as many new people signing on. However, 63% of the US using the internet is an enormous number, and certainly nothing to laugh at. As we talk about designing websites in class and their audience, I'll have to keep in mind this percentage. Some websites are for everyone's use, and those are the hardest to design, I think.

"Nearly three-quarters of Internet users have at least three years of experience." This idea follows my earlier thought that the internet has reached the height of its popularity. The internet has been around long enough now that children are using it for basic functions. In terms of audience, a great number of the US's population is experienced with the internet, so design doesn't necessarily have to be simplified.

3 Websites

The three websites exercise was interesting, especially on the first day of class. It seemed like an ice breaker, because we found common interests, but it also got me into the mindset to analyze websites for not only design, but content and audience. I don't spend enough time thinking about the websites I commonly use, just what information I can glean from them before I move onto the next. Maybe this class will help me to "stop and smell the roses," and figure out what the heck I'm looking at.

Overall, I'm looking forward to this class. However, I do have a little hesitation. I took this class last Fall, with a different prof, and lets just say things didn't go so well. Already I feel more comfortable in the classes organization, and I believe module 1 went well. And though I am fairly comfortable with computers, the idea of making a web page has me a little nervous.

I'm hoping we gradually work our way into web site design, so I don't feel entirely overwhelmed. Guess we'll just have to see!