The URL is http://www.gracefest.org.uk/
I email the website to someone else who uploads it on my behalf. I am hoping that he will have done this by the time this project is assessed. As soon as it is uploaded, it will appear on the above URL. Currently, it hosts the old Gracefest site.
I email the website to someone else who uploads it on my behalf. I am hoping that he will have done this by the time this project is assessed. As soon as it is uploaded, it will appear on the above URL. Currently, it hosts the old Gracefest site.
I feel that this end of year Major Project has allowed me to develop my skills as a visual communicator considerably. Most notably, I have developed skills significantly in the software I am able to use, as well as the way that I use software. This is applicable to Flash, Dreamweaver, InDesign and even Photoshop.
I am now able to execute simple procedures in Flash to produce simple animations for things like interactive adverts. I developed further independence by largely learning how to use this by doing video tutorials, something I also started doing for After Effects. I did however learn to seek help from tutors and technicians. I knew how to build HTML websites in Dreamweaver from the Future Technology project, but I applied this knowledge to developing skills in CSS, which I also largely learnt from video tutorials. By challenging myself to build a CSS site, I was able to produce a much higher quality site than I otherwise would have done. I also incorporated InDesign into this project, something I learnt from the Visual Exploration project at the beginning of the year. Additionally, I had to use Photoshop to edit images before placing them in Dreamweaver. Therefore, I see this project as a culmination of skills from the last year.
The major project has given me an ideal chance to work on a live project. I was able to combine my extra-curricular activities with course work by doing Gracefest promotion work.
Although I drew up a schedule at the beginning of the project, it was very rough as I did not know how long it would take to learn software like Flash. If I had known the timings more accurately, I believe I could have used the time more efficiently, which would have allowed me to push boundaries even further. I intended to use After Effects in the project at some point but this did not happen- mostly because there was no need to use it.
I looked at many different websites before I started designing the website, particularly festival websites, however I did not look at a wide enough range of sites that I could have gained more ideas from. Despite this, I needed to be ambitious but not unrealistic in what I could do. I like the Flash splash page of ‘The Secret Garden’ website, but I doubt I would have been able to create such a page in my site on this project as it was the first time I had used Flash. There were technical problems, but these were expected and I was able to work them out.
In conclusion, I believe this project has rightfully been the most successful project I have undertaken this year by far. I have developed skills considerably and pushed myself in several areas, while working on a live brief. The project has acted as a springboard into the second year where I hope to learn how to use more software more effectively so that I can improve my practice.
I am now able to execute simple procedures in Flash to produce simple animations for things like interactive adverts. I developed further independence by largely learning how to use this by doing video tutorials, something I also started doing for After Effects. I did however learn to seek help from tutors and technicians. I knew how to build HTML websites in Dreamweaver from the Future Technology project, but I applied this knowledge to developing skills in CSS, which I also largely learnt from video tutorials. By challenging myself to build a CSS site, I was able to produce a much higher quality site than I otherwise would have done. I also incorporated InDesign into this project, something I learnt from the Visual Exploration project at the beginning of the year. Additionally, I had to use Photoshop to edit images before placing them in Dreamweaver. Therefore, I see this project as a culmination of skills from the last year.
The major project has given me an ideal chance to work on a live project. I was able to combine my extra-curricular activities with course work by doing Gracefest promotion work.
Although I drew up a schedule at the beginning of the project, it was very rough as I did not know how long it would take to learn software like Flash. If I had known the timings more accurately, I believe I could have used the time more efficiently, which would have allowed me to push boundaries even further. I intended to use After Effects in the project at some point but this did not happen- mostly because there was no need to use it.
I looked at many different websites before I started designing the website, particularly festival websites, however I did not look at a wide enough range of sites that I could have gained more ideas from. Despite this, I needed to be ambitious but not unrealistic in what I could do. I like the Flash splash page of ‘The Secret Garden’ website, but I doubt I would have been able to create such a page in my site on this project as it was the first time I had used Flash. There were technical problems, but these were expected and I was able to work them out.
In conclusion, I believe this project has rightfully been the most successful project I have undertaken this year by far. I have developed skills considerably and pushed myself in several areas, while working on a live brief. The project has acted as a springboard into the second year where I hope to learn how to use more software more effectively so that I can improve my practice.
Although I think that the internet is now, and will be the future, hard copies of documents are still largely necessary amongst many groups. I have not ignored this through the promotion work for Gracefest.
The website is just one element of a wider promotion, but they are all interlinked. I have designed and distributed flyers, posters, booking forms, information sheets and information packs. The website is the portal to Gracefest for those who have not received information through the post, or need extra copies.
The information pack was designed after I held consultations with 22 youth leaders from across the area, who were all asking broadly similar questions and raising similar concerns. I compiled an information pack that details all the important information in a downloadable and printable format. It is a large document though, so I produced an information sheet that could be printed and distributed more easily. The information pack has therefore not been printed in bulk, but is available for those concerned about intricate details.
I asked the printers (Paperworks Harrogate) for 500 copies of the information sheet which were distributed to 320 Anglican churches across the Diocese. The remainder went to other churches in the area- notably the Methodist and Roman Catholic churches and youth groups. They were double sided with a poster on the other side.
I have recently sent an order for 1000 flyers to Paperworks, this time in black and white to save money. They will be printed in standard blue 160gsm paper. On the back will be booking forms so that people will be able to send booking forms straight back.
I have designed hard copy promotional material in InDesign and Photoshop, which I converted to PDFs for download from the website. Therefore, although it does not make up a core part of the project, they are indeed still part of it.
All of the hard copy work is uploaded to the website for download, and all the hard copy information directs people to the website.
The website is just one element of a wider promotion, but they are all interlinked. I have designed and distributed flyers, posters, booking forms, information sheets and information packs. The website is the portal to Gracefest for those who have not received information through the post, or need extra copies.
The information pack was designed after I held consultations with 22 youth leaders from across the area, who were all asking broadly similar questions and raising similar concerns. I compiled an information pack that details all the important information in a downloadable and printable format. It is a large document though, so I produced an information sheet that could be printed and distributed more easily. The information pack has therefore not been printed in bulk, but is available for those concerned about intricate details.
I asked the printers (Paperworks Harrogate) for 500 copies of the information sheet which were distributed to 320 Anglican churches across the Diocese. The remainder went to other churches in the area- notably the Methodist and Roman Catholic churches and youth groups. They were double sided with a poster on the other side.
I have recently sent an order for 1000 flyers to Paperworks, this time in black and white to save money. They will be printed in standard blue 160gsm paper. On the back will be booking forms so that people will be able to send booking forms straight back.
I have designed hard copy promotional material in InDesign and Photoshop, which I converted to PDFs for download from the website. Therefore, although it does not make up a core part of the project, they are indeed still part of it.
All of the hard copy work is uploaded to the website for download, and all the hard copy information directs people to the website.
I intended to use the Major Project as an opportunity to push boundaries and learn new software. I am aware that Flash has limited use, and its popularity is declining somewhat. However, I felt that I needed to add a dynamic element to the site, as well as learn more about how other programs can plug into Dreamweaver.
Like CSS, I learnt simple Flash by following online tutorials on YouTube, as well as seeking help from tutors at college. I quickly became used to the interface and was able to produce a banner.
The storyboard above was my original plan, however I've discovered it is a little ambitious! I need more time to develop skills in Flash before I'm able to work out more complicated animations, but I have been able to use the motion tweens to create an animation sequence where elements fly onto the stage.
I have created two banners, both relatively similar. These can be seen embedded on the final website. I have resolved a few technical problems I had with the Flash banners. The first was that it snapped to 900px wide on every Dreamweaver page. I noticed that all elements did this when I added them, so assumed there was an overarching command to go to 900px wide. I found this in '*' and deleted it. The second problem was that the banner did not appear when I previewed the page on other computers. There was simply a small bit of script missing that needed inserting into the CSS page.
One technical problem, which is also a design problem, is that the banner is not clickable. I discovered that it was not possible to make Flash banners clickable in the same way images are clickable. Dreamweaver also wouldn't allow me to use hotspots over it. The solutions to this problem seemed rather complicated, so I have had to accept they are not clickable unfortunately.
Like CSS, I learnt simple Flash by following online tutorials on YouTube, as well as seeking help from tutors at college. I quickly became used to the interface and was able to produce a banner.
The storyboard above was my original plan, however I've discovered it is a little ambitious! I need more time to develop skills in Flash before I'm able to work out more complicated animations, but I have been able to use the motion tweens to create an animation sequence where elements fly onto the stage.
I have created two banners, both relatively similar. These can be seen embedded on the final website. I have resolved a few technical problems I had with the Flash banners. The first was that it snapped to 900px wide on every Dreamweaver page. I noticed that all elements did this when I added them, so assumed there was an overarching command to go to 900px wide. I found this in '*' and deleted it. The second problem was that the banner did not appear when I previewed the page on other computers. There was simply a small bit of script missing that needed inserting into the CSS page.
One technical problem, which is also a design problem, is that the banner is not clickable. I discovered that it was not possible to make Flash banners clickable in the same way images are clickable. Dreamweaver also wouldn't allow me to use hotspots over it. The solutions to this problem seemed rather complicated, so I have had to accept they are not clickable unfortunately.
The main elements of the site are complete. I encountered one major problem, but discovered CSS was much easier than I thought it would be! The only major problem I found was that I couldn't work out how to get a three column site.
After a bit of googling around, it became clear that this was a common problem in CSS. I worked it out by 'cheating' a little and floating the left and central column left, and the right one right. The central column was floated left with a margin the same width as the left column to get round the problem.
I have also added a footer; something I hadn't intended to do originally. The footer closes off the site at the bottom and gives framework to the site so it doesn't float unanchored on the page. It also provides useful contact information on every page that may have otherwise been hard to find.
After a bit of googling around, it became clear that this was a common problem in CSS. I worked it out by 'cheating' a little and floating the left and central column left, and the right one right. The central column was floated left with a margin the same width as the left column to get round the problem.
I have also added a footer; something I hadn't intended to do originally. The footer closes off the site at the bottom and gives framework to the site so it doesn't float unanchored on the page. It also provides useful contact information on every page that may have otherwise been hard to find.
I found this tutorial on YouTube. It is helping me to get going in CSS, but the site tutvid builds is vastly different to what mine will look like, so I am having to adapt his tutorial quite radically to what I want.
CSS is not build using tables, but it has user-created elements that are either fixed in place, or floating left/right. CSS rules are created for each element, and these apply over the entire site.
To create the background, I have created a 13x13 pixel tile in Photoshop that will be repeated across the site.
During my tutorial, I presented the designs above and why I liked/disliked certain ones. Joe Gilmore approved of the design I had chosen, but also expressed his like for the green colour scheme on the grey series. Knowing the nature of Gracefest myself though, I stuck with my decision. The next step is to build the site. I know I'm able to build HTML sites as I have done two before; one about future holidays and another for Gracefest- the current site.
The current site is alright, but that is about it. It is somewhat boring and bland, and the quality of the images varies greatly. Many elements do not line up, and the thing that annoys me most is that it sticks to the top left hand corner of the screen. I find this frustrating as there are a range of screen sizes out there, so I ideally want a site that can be centred and fill a page.
After voicing these concerns in both my crit and tutorial, Joe mentioned that HTML tables are not really used any more, but CSS is the primary method of web design. I will attempt to build the site in CSS, because I believe I should push myself and learn new technology rather than sticking within a known comfort zone.
The current site is alright, but that is about it. It is somewhat boring and bland, and the quality of the images varies greatly. Many elements do not line up, and the thing that annoys me most is that it sticks to the top left hand corner of the screen. I find this frustrating as there are a range of screen sizes out there, so I ideally want a site that can be centred and fill a page.
After voicing these concerns in both my crit and tutorial, Joe mentioned that HTML tables are not really used any more, but CSS is the primary method of web design. I will attempt to build the site in CSS, because I believe I should push myself and learn new technology rather than sticking within a known comfort zone.
I have done extensive experimentation, broken conventions and pushed boundaries. Originally, I was leaning towards the brighter coloured designs with the mustard yellow backgrounds. However, design five demonstrates the strongest elements of the blog look while taking on board the colourfulness of the mustard yellow series. It has a clean and fresh appearance, it's friendly and doesn't appear too 'childish'. But equally, the grey series did not convey the themes of Gracefest well, and as stated before, was better suited to a more mature audience. So taking these points into account, I have settled for the below design.
I particularly like the pink striped background, which draws it's colour from the mountainscape at the top. They add an edge to the site and bring a subtle buzz to the site.
This design will allow me to learn simple Flash, as I intend the banner embedded on the right to be produced in Flash. I would also like the header to be rendered in Flash.
I particularly like the pink striped background, which draws it's colour from the mountainscape at the top. They add an edge to the site and bring a subtle buzz to the site.
This design will allow me to learn simple Flash, as I intend the banner embedded on the right to be produced in Flash. I would also like the header to be rendered in Flash.
I have modified the last design as shown below. The most notable change is the addition of a 'features' column that eats into the main copy column. This makes the text much more legible and adds a stronger visual element to the site. The text 'Christian Aid' and 'Sounds of Salvation' are mounted on backgrounds whose colours are picked from the banner that heads the page, giving continuity of design throughout the page and a uniform colour scheme.
I have experimented with colours and layouts a little more, simply to exhaust the possibilities. I've found a way I could accommodate content in the design below, but again I feel the aesthetic of the site would be better suited to an older age range or a different use.
The final experiment I have tried is to use the mountains- or 'triangles' in a different way. I have taken samples of them and duplicated them diagonally across the whole page. It gives a very dynamic and to an extent, a psychedelic feel to the site. I also like it because it is slick and clean.
The final experiment I have tried is to use the mountains- or 'triangles' in a different way. I have taken samples of them and duplicated them diagonally across the whole page. It gives a very dynamic and to an extent, a psychedelic feel to the site. I also like it because it is slick and clean.
I think that the mountains create a strong visual identity for Gracefest, especially as they have already been used in some of the promotion that has been sent out. However, it is healthy for the experimentation process to try some designs without them.
If I were to add the mountains back in, a result such as the one below could be the outcome. I like the toned down colours and the fine white baseline that echoes the font. I love this design and think it has a real aesthetic to it, and a cool yet confident feel to it. However, I do not feel it represents Gracefest that well; nor do I think it appeals to the 14-21 year old age range (or at least not the lower end of that spectrum; our focus).
This design is visually engaging, but how well does it accommodate information? I have added text in several positions to see how it might work. I do not feel it gives enough structure for the text, so I think if I were to go through with this design I would need to use it as a splash page built in flash, with the elements moving to the top/sides in order to make room for content on the main site pages.
If I were to add the mountains back in, a result such as the one below could be the outcome. I like the toned down colours and the fine white baseline that echoes the font. I love this design and think it has a real aesthetic to it, and a cool yet confident feel to it. However, I do not feel it represents Gracefest that well; nor do I think it appeals to the 14-21 year old age range (or at least not the lower end of that spectrum; our focus).
This design is visually engaging, but how well does it accommodate information? I have added text in several positions to see how it might work. I do not feel it gives enough structure for the text, so I think if I were to go through with this design I would need to use it as a splash page built in flash, with the elements moving to the top/sides in order to make room for content on the main site pages.
The design below is rather similar to the previous, but I've changed the font from 'Pointy' to 'Neon' for two main reasons. The first is simply to try a different font. The second was to look for a cleaner, more muted font that suited the grey colour scheme better. I have also added a reflection. I think this adds an interesting visual effect, but it certainly disrupts the content below the header.
I have produced several designs as shown above, and although they each have their advantages and disadvantages, the structure remains largely the same with the standard headers, footers and columns. Perhaps most websites follow this convention because it is the easiest to use and most recognisable, however is it the most visually engaging? To break this convention, I have produced a family of designs that take a different approach to websites.
This is the first of the new designs. It is the most 'undeveloped' of this series, but I have taken a radical step of abandoning the bright colours and adopting a much more sober approach. The menu has also moved to a right alignment, with disjointed lines to draw borders.
This is the first of the new designs. It is the most 'undeveloped' of this series, but I have taken a radical step of abandoning the bright colours and adopting a much more sober approach. The menu has also moved to a right alignment, with disjointed lines to draw borders.
I have laid out several possible website designs, all covering different themes and ideas. The first to show is a series of designs that are based upon a blog. I have created several versions of this, experimenting with the colours, positioning and outlining. The design is clean and simple, but is very structured and therefore facilitates a limited amount of information. I also do not feel it allows for enough dynamism in the design; an element of key importance in my opinion.
I therefore took this design and modified it significantly to create a new design, shown below. This design is much more advanced and more complicated. It looks more like a website than a blog, but the blog element can still be seen in the blue-highlighted section in the centre. A patterned background could be repeated easily across the screen, as could a banner for the header. This design allows for a greater amount of information.
One downfall of the design so far is that the optimum line length for text is grossly exceeded. It fails to attract attention and comes across as rather 'wordy'. A possibility therefore is to create a new column where features can be placed. This have two advantages as it would narrow the central column as well as facilitating more information space. An example of where this has been done is on the Guardian website, which can be seen in the 'Organising Information' post.
I therefore took this design and modified it significantly to create a new design, shown below. This design is much more advanced and more complicated. It looks more like a website than a blog, but the blog element can still be seen in the blue-highlighted section in the centre. A patterned background could be repeated easily across the screen, as could a banner for the header. This design allows for a greater amount of information.
One downfall of the design so far is that the optimum line length for text is grossly exceeded. It fails to attract attention and comes across as rather 'wordy'. A possibility therefore is to create a new column where features can be placed. This have two advantages as it would narrow the central column as well as facilitating more information space. An example of where this has been done is on the Guardian website, which can be seen in the 'Organising Information' post.
Although on the face of it the below design would appear as relatively similar to the previous one, this design actually has very different origins. Unlike the previous that was based upon a blog, this stuck to the conventions of standard HTML websites much more. I have added the improvements that I added to the last one to this such as the column changes, but a notable difference of this design is that the underlying structure is hidden. There are no boundaries to be seen; simply a continuous yellow background. This has been done in an attempt to integrate the banner with the rest of the page better- note how the background feeds into the banner by adding a new layer.
This design is the most colourful of the designs, but perhaps the yellow is overbearing and 'engulfs' the page somewhat. There is no white space in which the design can breathe. The ultimate example of where the importance of letting designs breathe can be seen on the Google homepage. Both the logo and homepage are icons, having changed little since it went online. The key to Google's success over rival search engines is arguably its clarity and ease of use. Despite having changed little, it remains clean and fresh, with the colourful logo catching the eye. At the moment, I do not feel that the Gracefest logo anchors the page.
This design is the most colourful of the designs, but perhaps the yellow is overbearing and 'engulfs' the page somewhat. There is no white space in which the design can breathe. The ultimate example of where the importance of letting designs breathe can be seen on the Google homepage. Both the logo and homepage are icons, having changed little since it went online. The key to Google's success over rival search engines is arguably its clarity and ease of use. Despite having changed little, it remains clean and fresh, with the colourful logo catching the eye. At the moment, I do not feel that the Gracefest logo anchors the page.
An average website. It's relatively easy to use and find the information you need to find, but the layout is hardly awe-inspiring. Clearly, the designers are going for the grungey look, but it looks rather unfriendly and is undermined by the use of Trebuchet MS on the slideshow feature, as well as for the general text. Having said that, the website is indefinitely better than the Reading website- a truly dreadful piece of work (notice how the banner is identical down to the sillhouettes- someone has simply photoshopped the name!).
The thing I really like about this website is the way the wrapper integrates with the background through its translucency. I have yet to figure out how to do this in HTML, but it improves the visual quality of the site when used well immeasurably. Additionally, I like the palette of colours used, and think that the font works very well with it. There are also quirky little features such as the arrows from the navigation bar to the page, further helping the site to 'join up'. At the bottom is a picture slideshow that can be scrolled through.
This is a high quality website where I am struggling to find criticisms. If there is one trivial criticism, it could be that the image feature in the centre of the page does not add much to the site as it is not a photo, but it doesn't contain content either. In terms of function, it is pointless. But on arguments in terms of form, it adds a new dimension to the site.
This website has a feature I'd like to incorporate into my site. This is the flash element at the top that is integrated perfectly into the background. There is a nice font used; perhaps Century Gothic. It's interesting to note that the font sites on the boxes that it is a header for too.
Other colours aside from green are light and faded, which works well as it emphasises the green. If there is a criticism of this site, it could be that it is necessary to scroll on every page. A disadvantage on the line up page is that there are no names with the images. I expect this is done on purpose with the aim of hightening the aesthetic, but it provides little help to people who do not recognise an artist/band.
Antic Banquet is the only festival site I have found so far that is built using PHP. I have yet to learn how PHP can be used, but I can tell that this site has not optimised that well. It may as well have been built in HTML as the site layout is essentially based upon tables throughout. It's not a 'bad' website persay, but it certainly doesn't break any barriers. The image qualities appear very low, and the font is awful. Interestingly, 'antic' sounds rather like 'antique', which suits the site well!
Google is now the world's largest corporation- bigger than McDonald's, Coca Cola and Microsoft. And what is it essentially? A search engine- a window with just 33 words on it. Google is worth around $150bn USD- that's $5bn per word! And I believe it is this simple fact that makes it so succesful- the absolute simplicity of the site.
Unlike other search engines, Google has kept it's homepage clear and clean; the latest addition is for extra information to fade in after the main search has appeared. Compare the page in 2001 with today, and the resemblance is extraordinary when most things in cyberspace are transforming daily.
An interesting feature of this website is that the wrapper background seems to stretch across the whole broswer window. I would be intruiged to see how this site works on a larger screen. I'm not a fan of the colour scheme that I think is garish, and I also don't think the logo works well as it appears as just 'Pale'.
More positively, the site is easy to navigate and there are clear navigation bars. There are also clear columns which are again easy to use, but a little bland. The columns badly mix rounded corners and right angled corners badly, but it doesn't affect the user experience greatly. The majority of content is contained within a box which separates the background and information well. A final advantage of this website is purely from a practical point of view; it is trilingual. As the internet is global, I believe websites should reflect this by being available in several languages where possible.
This is the first website where the wrapper is the same colour as the background, giving a coherent and consistent look across the browser window. The colour is also very 'washed', giving a neutral canvas for the colours to be highlighted within.
The font works well with the imagery, while information is organised well. Although the information that is available is organised well though, the site design does not give much leeway for more content- most of it is restricted to the blog feed on the right. A click onto another page brings you to a page of text- there are no images other than the banner available, undermining the initial visual standards of the site. On the whole though, the site is well thought out and consistent, if a little bland in places.
The Greenbelt website takes on a rather different approach to Bestival and the Big Chill websites. It has a much more structured and organised look, and importantly isn't Flash. There is a feature image on the homepage, and both horizontal and vertical navigation bars. There is a great deal of information on all pages, an important factor in website design. This is an area where the Big Chill and Bestival websites fail I believe. The Greenbelt website seems to take inspiration from the Guardian website with it's strong use of columns and features. Despite containing a huge amount of information, the website is succesful in being visually appealing and easy to use. It's function is equal to form.
Similar to the Bestival website, the splash page is entirely built in Flash. A click of one of the options takes you to the regular HTML website (shown below), where the details are posted. I like the series of speech bubbles that are identical save colour, although some of them contain the same content so have clearly been added simply to complete the visual effect. I believe this is bad as form has been placed over function.
Once again, form comes before function in terms of it being Flash. A major flaw of the website is that the viewer must click at least once to another page beyond the splash page to find out the dates of the website. Normally this would be acceptable for a splash page, but the Big Chill website adds a lot of detail for a splash page, which I feel is unnecessary.
A further criticism is that the text at the top doesn't work as the desginer intended. The sentences don't fit the lines, while links are posted inbetween them in different colours. The menu on the right is also far too large and results in the user having to scroll simply to navigate.
One advantage of the site is that it has a coherent colour scheme, even if it is not used effectively.
The creative and bohemian vibe of Bestival intruiged me as I was interested to find out how they promoted this visually. Their website is very strong visually, and appears to have an interactive background that looks illustrated. Floating on top are standard toolbars. An interesting aspect of this site is that it is completely built in Flash.
There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The disadvantages are that the site lags somewhat, and doesn't run smoothly on the average computer. It uses a lot of memory, and is at the cost of content. It is not particularly easy to use, and a user assumes the background is clickable because of the attention given to it, but it is infact just an image.
Having said that, there are advantages to this. The attention given to the image over the content reflects the creative vibe of Bestival. A visit to the Bestival website is an experience of the festival itself and clearly aims to give a taste of Bestival. An interesting feature is the music player, which I generally like. It can be rather annoying and disruptive if you already have music on though, so I paused it almost immediately when I visited the site.
The Vimeo site combines elements of both HTML and Flash into one well integrated website. There is a creative vibe to the website as it includes bright colours and block colours that somewhat parallel the style of the Gracefest site.
There is a footer that works well. I would be interested to find out how this has been created and built into the coding as I have had to edit my site so that the banner has to be at the top for maximum flexibility.
The first thing to say about this website is that the introduction is excellent. It acts as a splash page while not actually being one. The flash animation transformed into the site page from which the menu appears. I don't like the fonts used, but the overall visuals are excellent.
This is the current Gracefest site; a site I built using simple HTML that I learnt from the Future Technology project. It does the job, but there are several problems with it that can be seen clearly.
From a design point of view, the colours aren't great. The menu bar on the left changes it's size depending on the page, and many of the boxes don't line up. I was aware of this, but my technical ability provided a stumbling block. So there are already many issues that I need to rectify in the major project, but I would like to build an altogether better site.
A general point about this site is that it clings to the top left corner of a broswer. I do not see the point in restricting space for anything when most people have wide computer screens that are forever getting larger. I therefore want a site that can be flexible and centred on a screen.
Rationale
I have decided to promote Gracefest using new media for several reasons. I decided to promote Gracefest as it was a project that I was already undertaking. I therefore know the full details of its target audience and the nature of the event so I know exactly what is needed and who it will be going to.
In the past, the majority of promotion in churches has been concerned primarily with printed material, with little representation in cyberspace. I believe this is one reason as to why many churches have been failing in connected countries such as the UK. Considering this, I have decided to build a website as it is clear this is the primary method of communication between people aged 14-25. In fact, 87% of 14-21 year olds use the internet regularly (American Life Survey, 2006), and this is bound to have increased since then.
The website will encompass several elements for three reasons. The first is that just a website may not sustain me for the duration of the project. The second is that I do not feel a website on its own would push me enough, and I would not learn as much if I constrained myself so much. Therefore, I will attempt to expand greatly upon the Future Technology project to start to learn how to use Flash and After Effects. I think that it would be important to learn these programmes now so that I can use them in projects to come, as well as in my own work outside college. Carrying on from this is the third reason; the user experience. I want a visitor to my website to be able to have a dynamic and engaging experience to excite them about Gracefest. On the practicality side, I want to have PDF downloads available so that they can be printed off, and ideally videos that can be shown to youth groups/churches offline.
I want to work with new media in order to show a contextual understanding of Visual Communication, and communication as a whole. It has become clear to me that digital and virtual communications are now the most important form of communication and information sharing. Usage of the internet has increased seven-fold since 2000, particularly with the arrival of Web 2.0, and the future of communication lies in the internet more than anything else. I feel I must reflect this in my work and projects.
I have gained an extensive contextual understanding by following a number of blogs including The Guardian’s detailed technology pages. I have also been following the BBC’s Superpower season which took place across TV, radio and the internet last month. As it can be hard to filter information on the internet sometimes, I have used books such as ‘The Internet Revolution’ (Firth, L 2008) to get some specific statistics and facts that could help me in developing promotional material.
It is my aim to graduate with extensive ability in design for web and new media, and indeed it is in my statement of intent for this academic year to have learnt some web design by the end of first year. I have already accomplished this, but I don’t want to ‘sit on my laurels’; I need to push the boundaries further.
I have decided to promote Gracefest using new media for several reasons. I decided to promote Gracefest as it was a project that I was already undertaking. I therefore know the full details of its target audience and the nature of the event so I know exactly what is needed and who it will be going to.
In the past, the majority of promotion in churches has been concerned primarily with printed material, with little representation in cyberspace. I believe this is one reason as to why many churches have been failing in connected countries such as the UK. Considering this, I have decided to build a website as it is clear this is the primary method of communication between people aged 14-25. In fact, 87% of 14-21 year olds use the internet regularly (American Life Survey, 2006), and this is bound to have increased since then.
The website will encompass several elements for three reasons. The first is that just a website may not sustain me for the duration of the project. The second is that I do not feel a website on its own would push me enough, and I would not learn as much if I constrained myself so much. Therefore, I will attempt to expand greatly upon the Future Technology project to start to learn how to use Flash and After Effects. I think that it would be important to learn these programmes now so that I can use them in projects to come, as well as in my own work outside college. Carrying on from this is the third reason; the user experience. I want a visitor to my website to be able to have a dynamic and engaging experience to excite them about Gracefest. On the practicality side, I want to have PDF downloads available so that they can be printed off, and ideally videos that can be shown to youth groups/churches offline.
I want to work with new media in order to show a contextual understanding of Visual Communication, and communication as a whole. It has become clear to me that digital and virtual communications are now the most important form of communication and information sharing. Usage of the internet has increased seven-fold since 2000, particularly with the arrival of Web 2.0, and the future of communication lies in the internet more than anything else. I feel I must reflect this in my work and projects.
I have gained an extensive contextual understanding by following a number of blogs including The Guardian’s detailed technology pages. I have also been following the BBC’s Superpower season which took place across TV, radio and the internet last month. As it can be hard to filter information on the internet sometimes, I have used books such as ‘The Internet Revolution’ (Firth, L 2008) to get some specific statistics and facts that could help me in developing promotional material.
It is my aim to graduate with extensive ability in design for web and new media, and indeed it is in my statement of intent for this academic year to have learnt some web design by the end of first year. I have already accomplished this, but I don’t want to ‘sit on my laurels’; I need to push the boundaries further.
Brief
Build a website to inform youth leaders and young people aged 14 – 21 about Gracefest.
This brief is a live brief that I have set. I made significant progress in Communication Technology 1, and this enabled me to build the first website http://www.gracefest.org.uk/. There are many imperfections with it though, and it is essentially only a very basic website. I intend to fully deepen my practice and contextual understanding by building a more advanced and more ambitious website. As I am currently undertaking Gracefest at the moment anyway, it seems appropriate to use Gracefest to facilitate this as a live brief.
Context
We are at the dawn of perhaps the biggest revolution in history that is already changing not just the way we communicate, but the way we live, work and think. The internet gives us a technology whose power is unrivalled among other mediums of communication. For the very first time in history, anybody can publish anything, to anyone, anywhere. And most incredibly, it can be done within seconds.
It is changing the way we live. We are connected twenty four hours a day. When we are not at home on the computer, we are carrying mobile internet around with us on our phones.
It is changing the way we work. Many teachers and lecturers still advocate libraries as the best place to research, whereas those of the younger generations turn to the internet before any other method. How does one reach a balance; if there is one at all? We are also not commuting as much as we once were. The internet has opened up ‘e-business’, where one can host online meetings and conferences while each person works from home.
It is also changing the way we think. Younger generations no longer associate themselves with their county, but with the network they are part of on Facebook. They are less often associated with their country, but the online community they are part of. Friends have been redefined to mean the number of connections you have- even if it is to total strangers. Our concentration spans have shortened too. We do not think linearly anymore, but associatively. Surfing the web using hyperlinks hopping around information is a completely different way of researching to reading a book from cover to cover, working through chapters.
As society only starts to get to grips with this incredible new power, how do we embrace it to become an increasingly useful element of our day to day lives?
Written work to support project:
The BBC is currently running a series named ‘Superpower’, investigating the question ‘Is the internet the most powerful thing the world has ever seen?’ This is an article from that series:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8568681.stm
World wakes up to digital divide
By Jane Wakefield
Technology reporter, BBC News
The digital divide, like many other economic or social problems, is a global issue.
From the most switched on countries such as Sweden to the poorest nations in Africa there is a widening gap between those with access to technology and those without. The gap between countries on the same continent is also getting wider.
According to figures from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Sweden has a mere 12% of its population offline compared to 56.5% in Greece.
The scale of a country's digital divide reflects the condition of its economy, says ITU analyst Vanessa Gray.
"In Sweden there is a population that is highly educated and a culture of trying new things whereas in Greece income levels and educational levels are lower," she said.
League tables are important to keep nations on their toes, she thinks.
"Being able to compare gives them the incentive to do better. Governments need to know where they stand and learn from other countries," she says.
Finland, which currently has around 13% of its population offline, is so confident it can solve its digital inclusion problems it has recently declared internet access to be a basic human right.
Its public libraries have moved beyond being places where people can gain their first experiences online to offering laptop doctors who trouble-shoot a wide range of technology issues.
Wi-fi villages
Eastern Europe has traditionally lagged behind its western counterparts in terms of economics but countries such as Hungary are investing heavily in high-speed fibre-optic cables.
Despite the blue sky thinking on infrastructure, Hungary has no national e-inclusion policy and there are concerns that the networks will be far more sophisticated than citizens' understanding or use of them.
There are some efforts to conquer the problem and a wi-fi village programme is reaching out to those of its population living in rural poverty, 80% of whom are Roma or Gypsies.
So far 115 rural villages have been provided with wi-fi, offering internet access to 2,000 families living below the poverty line. The target for this year is to reach 30,000.
As well as providing the infrastructure, the project also sells recycled PCs to local Roma people for about 80 euros.
The PCs run Linux and users are trained to user Google's web applications such as Gmail and Google Docs.
One villager managed to make contact with an old friend and secured temporary jobs for himself and 20 other villagers on a construction site for a new road.
Others have started e-learning programmes while one resident used his new-found skill to make a movie about Roma culture which is on YouTube and has been watched by 90,000 people.
Barren deserts
Keeping people that are part of minority communities in touch with their culture is an invaluable service that the internet can perform.
As one of the world's most advanced economies, the US is often held up as a weathervane for the state of the internet. While internet access is high in America in general, use among Native Americans stands at less than 10% according to a study conducted by the New America Foundation (NAF).
Even analogue phone lines only reach one in three families in many tribal communities, while less than 10% of respondents to a major NAF survey had universal mobile phone coverage in their community.
"Tribal homelands have stood like barren deserts in pockets across the technology-rich lands of the United States," says report author Sascha Meinrath.
The NAF study drew together views from more than 120 tribes living in 28 states across America.
It found that connected Native Americans paid substantially more for their internet access but those who are connected, use their connection more widely than the national average.
RezKast, the first Native American YouTube is currently sweeping through the community and the internet has had some more life-changing impacts too.
Five clinics in Leech Lake, a reservation with 16 villages and 4,079 residents, is using telemedicine.
It allows individuals from remote communities to access specialised health care
"This is saving peoples' lives," said network director Frank Reese.
Mr Meinrath thinks the example of the Native Americans can be replicated around the world as long as there is a willingness to teach skills alongside making kit and access available.
"It is incredibly rare that broadband connectivity won't improve the lives of those who use it effectively, in much the same way that books improve the lives of the literate. However, providing books to everyone doesn't help those who cannot read in the first place," he said.
It could be time for a major rethink on how to deal with the digital divide he thinks.
"When it comes to broadband connectivity, the era of 'if you build it, they will come', is rapidly drawing to a close in industrialised countries," he said.
"Now we need to begin far more holistic interventions to reach those remaining offline. And if some folks claim to simply not want to be online, that's their choice - though I view it as akin to pridefully claiming that you don't read books."
Research:
Most of my research will be undertaken using the internet; when conducting a project about it, it seems the most appropriate place to start. There is also far more information available on the internet compared to other media. Some initial research I have undertaken includes the following:
BBC Superpower
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specialreports/superpower.shtml
Guardian Technology
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology
BBC’s ‘The Virtual Revolution’- a four part documentary series looking at the power of the internet. Aired February 2010: currently on iPlayer; also on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPD4Ep_J81k
Firth, L (2008) ‘The Internet Revolution’, Independence Publishing, Cambridge
Donnellan, C (2005) ‘Our Internet Society’, Independence Publishing, Cambridge
Build a website to inform youth leaders and young people aged 14 – 21 about Gracefest.
This brief is a live brief that I have set. I made significant progress in Communication Technology 1, and this enabled me to build the first website http://www.gracefest.org.uk/. There are many imperfections with it though, and it is essentially only a very basic website. I intend to fully deepen my practice and contextual understanding by building a more advanced and more ambitious website. As I am currently undertaking Gracefest at the moment anyway, it seems appropriate to use Gracefest to facilitate this as a live brief.
Context
We are at the dawn of perhaps the biggest revolution in history that is already changing not just the way we communicate, but the way we live, work and think. The internet gives us a technology whose power is unrivalled among other mediums of communication. For the very first time in history, anybody can publish anything, to anyone, anywhere. And most incredibly, it can be done within seconds.
It is changing the way we live. We are connected twenty four hours a day. When we are not at home on the computer, we are carrying mobile internet around with us on our phones.
It is changing the way we work. Many teachers and lecturers still advocate libraries as the best place to research, whereas those of the younger generations turn to the internet before any other method. How does one reach a balance; if there is one at all? We are also not commuting as much as we once were. The internet has opened up ‘e-business’, where one can host online meetings and conferences while each person works from home.
It is also changing the way we think. Younger generations no longer associate themselves with their county, but with the network they are part of on Facebook. They are less often associated with their country, but the online community they are part of. Friends have been redefined to mean the number of connections you have- even if it is to total strangers. Our concentration spans have shortened too. We do not think linearly anymore, but associatively. Surfing the web using hyperlinks hopping around information is a completely different way of researching to reading a book from cover to cover, working through chapters.
As society only starts to get to grips with this incredible new power, how do we embrace it to become an increasingly useful element of our day to day lives?
Written work to support project:
The BBC is currently running a series named ‘Superpower’, investigating the question ‘Is the internet the most powerful thing the world has ever seen?’ This is an article from that series:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8568681.stm
World wakes up to digital divide
By Jane Wakefield
Technology reporter, BBC News
The digital divide, like many other economic or social problems, is a global issue.
From the most switched on countries such as Sweden to the poorest nations in Africa there is a widening gap between those with access to technology and those without. The gap between countries on the same continent is also getting wider.
According to figures from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Sweden has a mere 12% of its population offline compared to 56.5% in Greece.
The scale of a country's digital divide reflects the condition of its economy, says ITU analyst Vanessa Gray.
"In Sweden there is a population that is highly educated and a culture of trying new things whereas in Greece income levels and educational levels are lower," she said.
League tables are important to keep nations on their toes, she thinks.
"Being able to compare gives them the incentive to do better. Governments need to know where they stand and learn from other countries," she says.
Finland, which currently has around 13% of its population offline, is so confident it can solve its digital inclusion problems it has recently declared internet access to be a basic human right.
Its public libraries have moved beyond being places where people can gain their first experiences online to offering laptop doctors who trouble-shoot a wide range of technology issues.
Wi-fi villages
Eastern Europe has traditionally lagged behind its western counterparts in terms of economics but countries such as Hungary are investing heavily in high-speed fibre-optic cables.
Despite the blue sky thinking on infrastructure, Hungary has no national e-inclusion policy and there are concerns that the networks will be far more sophisticated than citizens' understanding or use of them.
There are some efforts to conquer the problem and a wi-fi village programme is reaching out to those of its population living in rural poverty, 80% of whom are Roma or Gypsies.
So far 115 rural villages have been provided with wi-fi, offering internet access to 2,000 families living below the poverty line. The target for this year is to reach 30,000.
As well as providing the infrastructure, the project also sells recycled PCs to local Roma people for about 80 euros.
The PCs run Linux and users are trained to user Google's web applications such as Gmail and Google Docs.
One villager managed to make contact with an old friend and secured temporary jobs for himself and 20 other villagers on a construction site for a new road.
Others have started e-learning programmes while one resident used his new-found skill to make a movie about Roma culture which is on YouTube and has been watched by 90,000 people.
Barren deserts
Keeping people that are part of minority communities in touch with their culture is an invaluable service that the internet can perform.
As one of the world's most advanced economies, the US is often held up as a weathervane for the state of the internet. While internet access is high in America in general, use among Native Americans stands at less than 10% according to a study conducted by the New America Foundation (NAF).
Even analogue phone lines only reach one in three families in many tribal communities, while less than 10% of respondents to a major NAF survey had universal mobile phone coverage in their community.
"Tribal homelands have stood like barren deserts in pockets across the technology-rich lands of the United States," says report author Sascha Meinrath.
The NAF study drew together views from more than 120 tribes living in 28 states across America.
It found that connected Native Americans paid substantially more for their internet access but those who are connected, use their connection more widely than the national average.
RezKast, the first Native American YouTube is currently sweeping through the community and the internet has had some more life-changing impacts too.
Five clinics in Leech Lake, a reservation with 16 villages and 4,079 residents, is using telemedicine.
It allows individuals from remote communities to access specialised health care
"This is saving peoples' lives," said network director Frank Reese.
Mr Meinrath thinks the example of the Native Americans can be replicated around the world as long as there is a willingness to teach skills alongside making kit and access available.
"It is incredibly rare that broadband connectivity won't improve the lives of those who use it effectively, in much the same way that books improve the lives of the literate. However, providing books to everyone doesn't help those who cannot read in the first place," he said.
It could be time for a major rethink on how to deal with the digital divide he thinks.
"When it comes to broadband connectivity, the era of 'if you build it, they will come', is rapidly drawing to a close in industrialised countries," he said.
"Now we need to begin far more holistic interventions to reach those remaining offline. And if some folks claim to simply not want to be online, that's their choice - though I view it as akin to pridefully claiming that you don't read books."
Research:
Most of my research will be undertaken using the internet; when conducting a project about it, it seems the most appropriate place to start. There is also far more information available on the internet compared to other media. Some initial research I have undertaken includes the following:
BBC Superpower
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specialreports/superpower.shtml
Guardian Technology
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology
BBC’s ‘The Virtual Revolution’- a four part documentary series looking at the power of the internet. Aired February 2010: currently on iPlayer; also on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPD4Ep_J81k
Firth, L (2008) ‘The Internet Revolution’, Independence Publishing, Cambridge
Donnellan, C (2005) ‘Our Internet Society’, Independence Publishing, Cambridge
The BBC website is one of the most interactive popular websites on the web. The homepage is almost completely customisable, with each section acting like a widget. Each box can be arranged as to how the user wants, and boxes can be added or removed depending on what the viewer wants to see. The user can also choose whether to see the boxes in their expanded state, or collapsed state when they arrive at the website. Within boxes, one can identify their regional preferences. This flexibility allows the user to filter information according to their needs.
The Guardian website shows a vast amount of information on each page and thus requires a well thought-out and well constructed design. A series of fixed toolbars allows easy navigation. The text is placed upon a rollover image that allows for interactivity as well as indicating one's location on the website. For example, the red arrowed box on 'news' indicates that the text following it are subsections of 'news'.
Below the taskbars are a system of four columns. The column to the left contains the headlines and is built like a blog or feed. The two central columns contain features, with a sports feature spanning both columns at the top. Less important information such as sponsors and links are listed in a narrow column on the right. In many ways, this system can be parallelled with the design of newspapers, but the concept has been optomised for web use.
SeeSaw is a Video On Demand (VoD) service that collaborates the programme archives of several UK broadcasters into one service. SeeSaw claims that any visitor to the site will be only two clicks away from viewing a programme, demonstrating that speed of navigation is an important factor in web design.The SeeSaw website is built around both HTML and Flash components. A complicated HTML base with embedded Flash elements allows the site to be detailed and informative, while remaining simple to use and minimalist.
One of the most interesting aspects of this website is that the bars at the top and bottom stay static as one scrolls up or down the page.
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