I’m Back! I know in the last post I said my goodbye to y’all, but I have exciting news…My website is live! Over the course of this semester I have done readings after readings and worked on multiple projects…all that were leading up to THIS MOMENT! All the projects I have done are on the website, as well as this blog! Additionally, there are a couple of other projects I have created that I published on the website which are new! So go check out my website here! Hope you enjoy it!
Opportunities Await…
As you know this semester we have been working on a bunch of different projects that all relate to a major topic we chose to focus on. My topic was studying abroad and this the final project that we are doing this semester related to our topic!
Peace Out Clutter!
Clutter, clutter, clutter…Clutter is everywhere. It’s in rooms, cars, houses, and even people’s writing styles. For class this week, we were assigned to read two more chapters of Krug and a chapter of Reddish. However, since the final chapter of Krug and the chapter of Reddish aren’t uploaded yet, this post will be a little shorter and focus just on Krug’s chapter 5 from his book, Don’t Make Me Think, “Omit Needless Words,” which you guessed it, focuses on clutter.
Garrett Readings
Over Thanksgiving break, along with the four chapters of Krug we were assigned to read, we were also supposed to read two chapter from Garrett. This Garrett reading draws on the ideas that contribute to the users experience and how they interact.
The mains idea from these readings are Garrett’s five planes of usability that are it’s foundation – all of which everything else is placed and built upon.
Strategy: this is the goal of the website- Scope: these are the features and functions within the site and how they interact with each other
- Structure: this relates to how the user navigates through the site and deals a lot with the site’s interface
- Skeleton: this is the information beneath the surface of the site
- Surface: this refers to the information seen on the webpage by its viewer
While these might get a little confusing, or seem like they overlap, each of them plays an important role when it comes to creating a website.
For our final in the class, we are creating a website that includes all of our projects and blog posts, as well as an infographic resume, I think this reading will be especially helpful to keep in mind when trying to figure out how to make my website as user friendly as possible, and display all the information I want to viewer to see as accurately as possible.
Krug’s Guide To Usability
For this week and over break, we were assigned to read four chapters of Krug’s book and 2 chapters of Garret’s. In this post I will discuss the Krug section of the reading, and I will do a separate post on Garrett.
The Aesthetics of Editing
“Editing is now something almost everyone can do at a simple level and enjoy it, but to take it to a higher level requires the same dedication and persistence that any art form does” (Walter Murch). This quote, taken from the first page of the reading today by Osgood and Hinshaw explains that good editing for a purpose needs more than just a few quick Instagram filters of cropping of the frame. A good edit is similar to a work of art.
Editing has the ability to change everything. It can make something that is less mediocre and turn it into something spectacular. Additionally, it can take something great and turn it into something less than desirable. It all depends on what you do, what you plan to do, and how you do it.
Vectors In Our Slideshows
Vectors are everywhere! They are the viewers guide to looking at the image and helping the viewer focus on what is important. When looking at our slideshow assignments, MacKenzie, Micaela, and I have complied a few pictures that demonstrate the nature of vectors and how they help the viewer.
Graphic Vectors:
This picture is representational as a graphic vector because highlights the line the fountain and flowers create against the upward movement of the fountains. Additionally, the sign “Welcome Home” creates more graphic vectors throughout the image.
Motion Vectors:
This image of the fire is a demonstration of a motion vector because it captures the rising quality of the fire and moves the viewer from the bottom the fire centered around the sticks, upward toward to the top of the image where the fire is at its smallest point.
Index Vectors:
The placement of the subjects body and eye line is what makes this picture show the nature of an index vector. Since we are able to notice the subject and her line of eyesight, we are able to follow it throughout the image, almost as if it was our guiding force to the look out into the woods.
Z-Axis Vectors:
This picture is an example of a Z Axis vector because it makes represents lines that could be followed. Additionally, it makes the viewer feel as though they have a path to follow or director to move throughout the picture.
Study Abroad Slideshow
Our project due this week was to create a slideshow that housed 20 images that conveyed a message about the topic for our semester long project. My topic is studying abroad and why it is beneficial to study away. One of the challenges with this project was that we were only allowed to use 5 pictures that we did not take specifically for this assignment, therefore, through the twenty images I had to use a lot of local areas around South Carolina in contrast to Furman in order to fulfill this requirement. I hope you get a sense of the idea of study abroad bringing new experiences and the beauty that comes from studying in new areas when looking at my slideshow.
Figures
The reading for today was all about images and figures, especially the decisions we make while taking those images. Zettl argues that we make multiple decisions when taking pictures and creating images. Some of these decisions are made consciously and evoke what it is we are trying to capture, but others are less obvious to us and deal with out subconscious.
Let’s Get Personal
In class today, we were told to take a few minutes and record our taste over a few categories. Some categories that I chose that showed different parts of my taste are clothes, music, TV/movies, and food. All of these categories tap into different aspects of my personality and taste and show the uniform, but still differently style that is my taste!
Oohh The Places You'll Go... 