Daryl's blog

Goodbye!

2011-09-22T22:36:00.005+01:00

Probably going to be my last post on here now since university is long gone...

But before I go thought I would give a quick update.

I'm currently working for the creative agency 2am Media, where I have been working around 3/4 months and already built well over 10 various websites and learnt a ridiculous amount! Busy, busy, busy...

Saying that though, I love my job and this is what I've been working towards in the past 3+ years.

One last thing... here's my favorite site I've built so far :)

www.blackorchidinteriors.co.uk

Cya!

Happy Days

2011-06-25T11:51:00.000+01:00

I got a first!

Bye Bye Blogger...

Artefact 6 - Interactive Story - Evaluation

2011-04-25T11:54:00.000+01:00

In my previous artefact I created a voting system. The thought of an individual making a difference to the specific community undoubtedly motivated them to contribute and vote, consequently getting them involved within the community. Providing the community with a clear direction to move in and “solving their problem” is unquestionably one way to improve a specific community. From doing this you must understand what the community’s purpose and requirements are, taking time to comprehend the community.

For this artefact I created an interactive story using the Facebook comment plug-in. People could post and continue the story on, developing it in their own unique style.

My intention was to pursue the idea of reducing Lurking via the Motivational category opposed to using a restrictive approach. As I believed that people need motivation most and a restrictive approach could put people off/annoy them. I also believed this area would be most interesting to investigate and I could involve a lot more creativity into my Artefact. I aimed to use this artefact as if it was a “widget” within a real community forum, focusing on people’s level of engagement with the application. Understanding if an interactive feature like this would influence people to contribute and become more active within their communities, the thought of an individual making a difference to the community would push them to contribute.

I received a good response from this and the story developed quite a lot, people got involved without me having to hassle them to do it. Getting involved to “make a difference”, seemed to be the general idea behind this. They could also add their personal touch to the story. Overall I believe it was very successful and has given my argument further backing, regarding the motivational area I have discussed.

Artefact 6 - Interactive Story

2011-04-25T11:49:00.001+01:00

Here is my 6th Artefact...

http://db-designs.eu/artefact6/

Client project finished!

2011-04-16T12:10:00.001+01:00

This project was really interesting to work on as I not only created various fully functional products but I learnt a vast amount in the process, such as HTML5, CSS3, App Development, Mobile Browsing and further PHP/JavaScript.

http://www.db-designs.eu/test/doggydaycare

Android App

2011-04-16T12:04:00.002+01:00

As I have never looked into Smartphone application development previously, it was something that I wanted to look into and learn about for this project, to push the Doggy Daycare brand to its limits.

I planned out and designed the App after learning what features I would be able to include without making it too difficult to create, as I didn’t have the time to learn how to hard code for the Andoid phone, I used the Google App Inventor. This has an easy to understand interface that allows you to create simple yet effective Apps and test them by connecting your Android phone or emulating one on your computer.

My aim was to create an application that allowed the user to take a picture of their dog through the App and every time you patted the dog it would make a friendly bark. Here are some screen shots of the development of my application and the final product in use.

Type in “doggy daycare android app” into Youtube and click the top result, alternatively you can use this address http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1smlqoGZbHY

I was extremely impressed with the outcome and although it might not be the most sophisticated App around, it was very interesting to learn about and to play around with.

Artefact 5 - Voting System - Evaluation

2011-04-07T15:26:00.001+01:00

http://multimedia2011.co.uk/vote/

The previous artefact made me aware that motivational aspects within online communities and the thought of an individual making a difference will motivate them to contribute more within the community.

In this Artefact I created a voting system for the various Multimedia Exhibition ideas that had been put forward on our community forum. 3^rd Year students could then vote on all the ideas, rating each idea from 1-10 and going on to answer a questionnaire to allow me to gather a more detailed response.

My primary intention was to investigate: if understanding communities; purpose, requirements and direction would assist me to improve them. Confidently this would provide a clear path and direction to move in, advancing the community as a whole. Through research and past Artefacts I believe people need motivation to influence them to be more active and the thought of an individual making a difference to a community would push them to contribute.

I used feedback from my previous Artefact to improve upon this one; Rating 1-10 rather than 1-5, using numbers to vote and involving the communities own ideas to motivate members.

This voting system providing the community with a clear direction to move in and “solved their problem”, which is unquestionably an important aspect to improving an online community. From doing this you must understand what the communities’ purpose and requirements are, taking time to comprehend the community. The thought of an individual making a difference to this specific community has undoubtedly motivated people to contribute and vote, therefore getting them involved within the community.

Next I will attempt to pull together various ideas, methods and systems that I have researched and tested in my Research Document/previous Artefacts, in an attempt to further understand and gain knowledge of the best methods to improve online communities.

Artefact 5 - Voting System

2011-03-22T23:16:00.004Z

Here is my 5th Artefact, a voting system to assist the 3rd year multimedia students to decide upon a theme for the end of year exhibition. Along with a questionnaire at the bottom of the page to provide me with more specific and detailed results.

Link to the Voting System - http://multimedia2011.co.uk/vote/

"So it's time we decided exactly what our exhibition theme will be! So everyone can have their say, we are going to have a vote on all 14 of the ideas that have been discussed so far. Please rate every idea as the top 4 will go through to the final round where one will be chosen, click the images to enlarge."

Mobile Site Advertising

2011-03-16T19:34:00.004Z

The client asked if I could advertise the mobile site from the main desktop website. I created this image that will go into the Jquery image fader at the top of each page. It also includes a QR code which handhelds can scan to open up the mobile site in their smart phone browser.

Mobile Site

2011-03-16T19:26:00.004Z

With the website more or less completed I moved onto creating a mobile site for Doggy Daycare. I used very clean & basic HTML/CSS to create the mobile site.

Looking at various articles on how to create the best mobile site possible it helped me to build this site correctly. I managed to create a simplified version of the main website that loads in around 5 seconds on an average smart phone connection.

This mobile site still has all the relevant information and also pulls the latest news articles from a database.

Here is a screen shot of the mobile website on an iphone...

Client Project - Site complete

2011-03-16T19:12:00.001Z

I haven't posted about my Client project for a while now as there wasn't much to show whilst the main website was in the initial build stages.

The website was built using html/css (including CSS3), I included various JQuery scripts and CSS3 to increase the functionality and interactivity of the website.

I moved on to create a custom built CMS using PHP to insert, edit and delete from a database. The CMS works really well for what i wanted to achieve. The client will be able to post News, Pictures, Videos, Dog of the Week and view the mailing list from the Admin Panel.

Artefact 4 - Rating System - Evaluation

2011-03-16T19:09:00.002Z

Content of the Week – focusing on reducing Lurking

http://www.db-designs.eu/artefact4/

The previous artefact made me aware of two clear categories in which my ideas to reduce Lurking fell into. These were ‘Restrictive’ and ‘Motivational’. An example of restrictive would be: not being able to access certain areas of a community until you have made 50 posts/contributions. The following is an example of the motivational category: I created a Content of the Week feature which could be implemented into various online communities. People chose their favourite area and went on to browse the latest media/content of the week. Rating each piece of media from 1-5 and went on to answer a questionnaire to allow me to gather a more detailed response regarding their experience.

I believe that people need motivation most as a restrictive approach could put people off/annoy them. I wanted to understand if an interactive feature like this would influence people to contribute more and become more active within their communities.

I received a really good response from this Artefact, a total of 401 ratings were made on the various media and 87 People completed my questionnaire.

After reviewing the questionnaire results it was clear that an interactive feature like this, when integrated into an online community would possibly influence people to contribute more and reduce Lurking. This Artefact was noticeably interesting to the majority, as nearly 50% of people said they were going back to the home page to browse the other sections, even though they were not particularly interested in the other media.

From this I will go on to investigate other motivational methods of influencing members to interact and reduce Lurking. Or develop this current Artefact further, creating a more functional rating system and allowing members to upload their own content of the Week. Permitting users to become more involved within the community.

Artefact 4 - Rating System - Development

2011-03-10T16:48:00.003Z

I don't normally show written notes and ideas etc, but I just wanted to upload this to show the lecturers what I do on a daily basis.

This is my planning and quick ideas for Artefact 4, including a few daily work/to do lists (I'm addicted to lists...)

Artefact 4 - Rating System

2011-03-08T22:13:00.003Z

For my 4th Artefact I have created a “Content of the Week, Rating System” along with a questionnaire to understand if the interactivity of this feature would influence people to contribute more within online communities.

Link to the Artefact - http://db-designs.eu/artefact4

Artefact 3 - Interview - Evaluation

2011-03-07T11:56:00.002Z

Artefact 3 – Evaluation

Interview with Mick Brooke – focusing on eliminating Lurking

Initially I was unsure what the outcome of this artefact would bring to my Personal Research Project but in the end it proved very vital to the advancement of my artefacts.

I undertook this interview as my fist two artefacts had been a success and I had improved an area of online communities, the comment system. I believe it’s not possible to take the area of comment systems any further, so I focused back to my initial artefact which was the questionnaire. From this questionnaireand my research document it was clear to me that Lurking is a serious problem within online communities, so for this artefact I focused my interview on ideas to reduce/eliminate lurking.

I specifically chose Mick Brooke to interview as he’s had firsthand experience with several online communities and is the MD of the Web Design and Hosting Company, Eclipse.

I decided to conduct this interview as I was unsure as to what I could do for my next artefact, I had numerous ideas and theories but nothing that could be developed into a practice led component. Therefore I chose to interview Mick in an attempt to understand more about online communities and Lurking, hopefully to collaborateand produce various ideas for my upcoming artefacts.

I received a really good response from this interview, providing me with a much needed viewpoint about Lurking within online communities. Learning much more about previous and current methods used to reduce lurking and ideas on how to generally improve online communities.

Post interview we collaborated various ideas related to reducing Lurking. These ideas which will undoubtedly lead onto my next artefact as I now have a much clearer idea of what I want to produce and achieve throughthe artefacts.

Artefact 3 - Interview

2011-03-07T11:50:00.003Z

It cant be included in my evaluation so I may as well show it on here as evidence. Here is the written version of the interview that took place with Mick Brooke.

Artefact 3 – Interview with Mick Brooke

The interview took place on a voice over IP programme.

What’s your basic opinion about online communities?

I think online communities are a very good way to connect people together, in all areas of the internet, online communities are very good to learn from other people and obviously to help other people with their problems. A good example is obviously many tutorial websites, in relation o web design and programming and I think online communities will be here for a very long time, especially the free communities that have a very good user ability, and they are just nice friendly places to be in.

What online communities have your built/run?

Online communities I have been involved in, I have created a few other the years mainly related to online gaming. Me and a few friends as pet projects we have build online gaming leagues and ladders for other players of specific games to take part in. Kind of like an online league like the fantasy premier league website. These leagues is where people can sign their team up, win some prizes maybe even a new computer laptop some money. Get involved, also in these communities we give them the opportunities to administer the ladders and get involved, like match refs even programming the side of the leagues. In regards to non gaming communities I have been involved in some tutorial based communities where people can share their designs, mainly adobe Photoshop to ask for tweaks and info also uploading tutorials. Just to name a few.

I go onto explain my first 2 artefacts what I did and why and tell him about my research document. I explain my next artefact and what I plan to do, trying to remove or reduce Lurking in online communities, I explain lurking and what it is...

Are you aware of any current methods to keep Lurking to a minimum and what methods have you previously used in your online communities?

To avoid unnecessary lurking we have always found it really good to provide a free membership, so people would have to register a free account. Another good way is to if it is a public forum board, they have to have a set post limit to see a certain board. Example if they want to view the tutorials or the advanced programming section of a forum, they have to have a certain post count, of maybe 20-50 so that then gets them used to posting and replying back, saying thank you to people that are helping them out. Also basic things like a premium free month membership if you submit an article what will make it to our front news post, the most interesting article or interesting tutorial will win. Finding ways to get them involved in the community so they feel like they are making a difference, we found them the best effective ways, the easiest and most user friendly ways.

I go on to explain that I need to do a practice led component; it wouldn’t be necessarily theories about reducing lurking. But more a physical thing I could create. I explain I am struggling to think of my next artefact and say some current ideas of what I can develop... Star rating/rankings more posts more stars also tag lines – newbies/experienced members, also leader boards (top posters). These are commonly used things though.

Do you believe it’s a bad idea to block content to non members, forcing them to sign up before they actually get to see the content? So people can’t actually go on and browse around before becoming a member.

Obviously people want to simply get on the internet, submit their search and go to the website. Be on the site and be of the site in 5 minutes. What we found was quite a good idea, was to create a free section with some really cool stuff in there. Not obviously that basic, what appeals to users. Then linking off them products the content etc, if you want to see an advanced article/tutorial then please make a free account. So in a whole I think that it’s bad to block content for non members in a way. But it’s also a good thing because if you do it correctly where you offer some very good free content, for them to use to give them the incentive to make a free account, then it’s not a bad thing. But if you block the content for free users and there is no content for the free users to start with then it could be disastrous for the website.

Do you believe that some online communities seriously need improving as a whole?

I think every website has room for improvement, there is always going to be room for improvement be it community or non community. Communiti4es I think the key is trying to keep it fresh, trying to improve, keeping the user friendly factor into it. So it’s very easy to use for people who are no specifically good with computers. A good break down would be, a 3-6 month forecast and every 1-3 months add one or a few new features, or update and tweak these features. Keep the content fresh.

Do you have any other un-tried and un-tested ideas to remove Lurking, anything you have thought of but never got round to trying out, or is it basically tried and tested methods you have used?

We have always stuck with tried and tested methods in any web projects we have developed created or been involved with. But I have always liked the idea of a really interactive community section of the website. So you would have the main website which is advertising everything. Then you have a specific community section so it could be /community. Then when you are in this section for this website it could have interactive games with online ranking leader boards, user polls, lots of stuff there. A really good example is Facebook, the amount of people that just use Facebook just for the games. They go onto add friends then within an hour or 2 they are chatting away on Facebook. Things like the web games are a really big hitter at the moment. Just anything to get them hooked and get them interacting within the website. Ideas wise i know i keep saying it but I would look into the online games because it is a tried and tested method which works.

Thanks for your time

After the interview we continued to discuss improving online communities and we spoke about these ideas briefly...

Content of the week polls (depending on the site: frag, design, one liner, tutorial, etc - of the week). This could then be shown on the homepage for the next week. Influencing people to contribute – upload/vote.

Interactive storey board related to the site maybe? “Take part in our interactive storey now and see where you could end up...”

Rules... Clean, related(ish), only allowed 1 post every 10 to keep fresh posters and cannot finish a sentence – e.g. “I was walking down a...” Then Include on the homepage a “Recently on...” tag to preview latest posts uploaded.

Google Ranking and 2nd Term Update

2011-02-25T13:45:00.002Z

Ill start of by saying... Pretty happy! I managed to get db-designs.eu to 5th in Google when searched for 'db designs', not bad considering there are 10+ pages of various db designs!

Meaning over a 100 dbdesigns.

Now for the update, Iv completed Artefact 1, 2 and 3. My client website is well underway! SPP complete and handed in. Things are looking good! happy days...

Artefact 2 - Comment System - Evaluation

2011-02-17T20:28:00.001Z

Artefact 2 – Evaluation

Article Comment System

For my second artefact I created an article and comment system aimed at football community members. The comment system allowed ‘nested comments’, meaning people could directly reply to each other’s posts creating sub discussions from the main comment section. This was produced as a result of my initial practice led component; which was a survey asking BBC 606 members a variety of questions related to their online community.

I chose to create this comment system as my initial artefact returned a strong result for members wanting an improved comment system. Stating they would like to have the option to directly reply to other peoples comments, as their messages can sometimes become lost between other contributions. This artefact analysed how people made use of the ability to directly reply to others comments. Learning if this feature can generally improve a community and the way they members communicate with each other.

I only invited the BBC606 football community to take part as they comment on articles regularly and their comment system doesn’t allow them to directly reply to others.

I received 22 comments which is a really good response as the average number of comments on a 606 article is well under 10. From gaining so many comments it allowed me to observe how well nested comments work. It appeared that as more people contributed, the nested comments seemed to help much more. Mainly because it permitted people to reply to earlier posts made rather than posting at the bottom of the list. It also seemed to steer people into having a more intimate conversation/discussion within the comment section, appearing to sway people into posting, when under other circumstances they might just Lurk and not contribute. Ultimately this comment system showed big improvements as opposed to other conventional methods of commenting.

Artefact 2 - Comment System - Results

2011-02-13T18:49:00.005Z

Quick post to show the results of the article and comment system I created including all the comments people posted.

Note how people make use of the feature that enables them to reply directly to other comments, creating separate conversations within the comment section.

http://www.db-designs.eu/artefact2/was-that-offside

You have to love the randomly generated monster avatars!

Commenting has been disabled as the link is now public to everyone. This is because I only wanted members of online football communities to be able to post, keeping this artefact very niche hopefully to show strong results!

Evaluation coming soon...

Artefact 2 - Comment System

2011-02-13T18:24:00.003Z

Leading on from my first artefact, I decided to set up an online article and comment system to view how people communicate with each other.

Here is my original request to members of various online football communities to participate in my discussion...

Hi, I'm a student at Nottingham Trent university studying Website Design. I'm in my final year and creating a Research Document/Dissertation focused on how online football communities (such as 606) communicate and function. I'm asking you guys as I'm a Bolton fan and hope you can all help me out!

I have created a comment system that allows people to not only comment on the article but to reply to other peoples comments directly underneath. I have set this up as part of my university degree so i can study how football fans interact and would really appreciate it if anyone could spare a few seconds to leave their comment on the article, whether you reply to someone or post your own comment it would help massively. I will be looking at how the comment system works and it will help further my university research work.

The article can be found here - http://www.db-designs.eu/artefact2/was-that-offside

Hope you think it’s a good talking point and don’t forget to check back to see the latest comments! Thanks again for your time I really appreciate it.

Here are the other communities I asked... As you can see I asked quite a few!

As this was asking people for a little more than to just fill in a simple questionnaire, it took some serious effort to get people involved and join the discussion. From 200+ website hits in a period of days, I only received 22 comments. However it's still a good number and allowed me to analyse the comment system and review how people used it.

Latest Design Work - Fish, Foot Spa!

2011-02-09T16:26:00.002Z

Here is a quick glimpse of my latest design work.

HeadHunters in Dewsbury have introduced a new treatment, where hundreds of tiny fish eat/suck the dead skin off your feet.

They asked for a bright vector based poster to represent the new fish treatment and basically catch the publics attention.

headhunters.co.uk
01924 451287

Original Design...

Developed Design...

Artefact 1 - Survey - Evaluation

2011-02-03T05:54:00.004Z

The Research Document I created helped me to focus on particular aspects of online communities that would be interesting to examine more in depth. I then took these engaging points and included them into my questionnaire to understand if they affected online communities. The key areas of concern I addressed in the questionnaire are; communication issues with comment systems, if LPP is active within online communities and if Lurking is a problem.

I restricted the people that can answer my survey by only allowing a specific group to complete the questionnaire. The group I permitted to answer my questionnaire was the BBC 606 online football community. The reason for this being the members have a good knowledge and understanding of online communities. Furthermore, although BBC 606 is a thriving community, it has a very outdated comment system and could be improved.

I believed the most important question was, “Do you think the comment system would function better if it allowed you to directly reply to someone else’s comment by posting underneath theirs? (Regardless of when you post it)”

98 people responded:

Yes – 72.4%

No – 11.2%

This confirmed my original theory from my Research Document, that certain community’s comment systems could be improved by allowing members to directly reply to others. All questions were relevant but due to this short evaluation it is not possible to assess them all thoroughly, although they will come in useful for my future artefacts.

This initial research allowed me to focus more on the second artefact I will be producing and has guided me towards the most important and interesting area within the online communities of today. This is the method of how members communicate within their online communities. As this is clearly an important area I will be creating my own comment system allowing people to directly reply to each other’s posts, examining the benefits and issues.

Client Project further design progress

2011-01-23T17:37:00.006Z

Here is the very final design for Home Page of the client project (Doggy Daycare). This has been created through a close feedback process between myself and the client. Including outside feedback/criticism from fellow practitioners and website designers.

The main change is the 3 sub boxes and the footer. With the website lacking something at the bottom, I have created a footer that is much more interesting and pleasing on the eye. Once coded it will also include some CSS3 to make it slightly more interactive!

Another change I am currently working on is creating a unique vector dog for each area of the website to give it that more "friendly" feel. Home - Dog in a kennel, Contact - Dog on a phone... and so on.

Artefact 1 - Survey - Analysis

2011-01-23T17:31:00.003Z

- Straight away it was apparent how many Lurkers there are in this community, with an average of 20% of people never making a single post. However 62% of people believe their community has enough contributors, regardless of how many people have never made a post.

- 72% of people believe that community would function much better if it allowed members to reply to other comments directly beneath them. Yet around 50% of people are happy to put up with it and didn’t actually find it a serious problem. Never the less they believe it would improve the community. Which again backs up my Research Document findings.

- As I found from my research Document, the majority of people found communicating online to be more convenient than communicating in an offline context. With nearly 50% of people checking the community several times a day!

- A massive 94% of people recognised certain individuals to be the experienced members/old-timers who have been around the longest and contribute the most. Proving that LPP functions in an online context as well as offline.

- Many questions revealed an even spread over the possible answers such as: length of being a member, How often do you contribute and how long did you read articles for before you made your first contribution.

Artefact 1 - Survey - Results

2011-01-23T17:12:00.008Z

¢ Why did I create this survey?

> This artefact will help to confirm theories made from the Research Document.

> Focusing on specific areas/questions brought up in my Research Document.

¢ Why did I choose this specific community? (BBC 606 Online Football Community)

> Only asking people who have specific knowledge in the area and experience

> Instead of the first question being “are you part of an online community?”, It’s “how long have you been part of this online community?”

> Instead of asking irrelevant questions, I am automatically focusing on certain people in a certain group which will strengthen my findings

> Although the community is thriving I am aware the communication system is outdated and it will be interesting to see members views of improving it

Here are the full results for my first Artefact...

Final Client Design

2011-01-18T14:38:00.003Z

Here is the final design for the Doggy Daycare website. Aspects that have been improved after initial feedback are...

Background gradient
Spacing of the navigation vertically
Reducing the footer visibility
Removed inner content box
Improving the 3 sub category boxes
Shadows less visible on the logo and main content box

Further Client Progress

2011-01-17T18:39:00.003Z

This is my latest version of the design for the Doggy Daycare. I still need to make a few improvements to finalise this design, after receiving feedback from a variety of sources. I will be posting up the final design soon.

Client Project design progress

2011-01-17T18:00:00.003Z

After completing the research, logo and wire frames I moved on to creating the initial design of the Doggy Daycare website.

Key words - Professional, friendly, soft colours, caring.

I apologise how bad the initial designs are but they do get better! Don't worry... It was all about pulling the website design together slowly. It still needs a lot of work though.

HTML5 and CSS3 Browser Support

2011-01-08T22:32:00.002Z

From... http://www.deepbluesky.com/blog/-/browser-support-for-css3-and-html5_72/

David Smith has taken all the A-Grade browsers and tested them one-by-one for their feature support . Needless to say it's produced some interesting results...

There is now a consistent level of support for many of the CSS3 and HTML5 features that the average developer might use for progressive enhancement. From my survey the most widely supported features were:

rgba()
hsla()
opacity()
border-radius (except Opera)
canvas

Outside of these however, support is patchy and is largely dependant on the whim of the browser manufacturer. Some browsers are way ahead of the game (Safari), whilst others have a intermediate (Firefox) or even poor(?) support (Opera).

It should be noted however, that findmebyip is not perfect and as a result doesn't report on all advanced features. We'll be upgrading the site in the near future to include a full range of tests for Web Forms and even SVG graphics, so perhaps another test will be in order then.

Finally a request to you Mac geeks out there. Unfortunately, we don't run Mac's so I can't comment on OSX versions of these browsers.

Wire Frame and Plan

2011-01-08T17:48:00.002Z

Background Research for Client Project, Existing Websites

2010-12-28T16:39:00.006Z

It is obvious that the easiest and most effective way to get a better understanding of the area is to research good and bad existing websites. This not only gives you an idea of what works and doesn't, but also allows you to discuss the existing websites with the client. Seeing what websites they found compelling or they disliked and why.

Here is the current list of existing websites created by myself and the client.

Research - Websites found compelling

Daycare 4 Dogs...........http://daycare4dogs.co.uk

Citi Dogs......................http://www.citidogs.co.uk

Playful Paws...............http://playfulpaws.co.uk/

Doggy Day Care..........http://www.doggiedaycareuk.co.uk/

Swinton Dog Care.......http://touchmanchester.co.uk/business/website/value/2902139

Research - Websites disliked

Waggy Tales...............http://www.waggytales.com/

Home Boarding...........http://www.nhbr.co.uk

Mutley Crew................http://www.mutleycrew.co.uk/

Doggy days................. http://doggydayscreche.co.uk/

Pet Go.........................http://www.petgo.co.uk/

Client Project

2010-12-28T16:01:00.005Z

To assist me with a better understanding of what the client's opinions and requirements are, I created a Project Enquiry Survey for the client to fill in.

Here is the Survey...

Project Enquiry Survey

What is the name of your Company and your current URL?

Puppy Play School (TBC)

Who is the primary contact from your organisation? Please list name, phone number and email.

Name Here – 07999999999

What is the intended launch date for the project?

15/04/11

Audience

Describe what you think a typical visitor will be to your site? Try to give as much detail as possible.

Leaving dog at home, don’t have time, busy people, 17+, middle class.

What is the primary action the site visitor should take when coming to your site? E.g. register, complete contact form, search for information etc.

Searching for information (costs, opening times, equipment on site, staff, services, T&C,).

What are the key reasons your target audience should choose your products/services over your competitors?

Location, price, staff competence, range of equipment.

Perception

Try to describe using a few adjectives, how your visitors would like your site to look? E.g. - Friendly, professional, prestigious, fun, casual etc.

Clean, professional, friendly, modern (web2.0), informative. – Simple.

Content

What elements or content that you already utilise should be used in the new website? E.g. - Logo, Colour scheme, style etc.

None – Colour scheme open.

Do you have a set layout and page structure in mind? E.g. – Home, About, Contact, Services etc.

Home, Services, Contact, Rules, Location, Gallery, Dog of the month, facilities.

Technology

Would you like us to provide monthly updates for the website content? Or would you prefer a content management system allowing you to update the website manually?

CMS.

Do you require any specific programming needs? Such as a photo gallery, newsletter sign ups, search capability etc.

Gallery, Newsletter, back end PHP.

Do you currently have dedicated server space and/or a hosting package that you are happy with? Would you like us to include this in the package?

Yes.

Marketing/Advertising

How will most people find out about your website? What methods of distributing your website already exist or will soon?

Leaflets, word of mouth, affiliate websites.

Do you have an existing or planned marketing strategy in mind to promote this website? If so please describe.

Leaflet distribution, linking to companies within the same area e.g. vets etc.

Early start on the Client Project

2010-12-21T15:56:00.003Z

As my Personal Research Project is near completion and my SPP-3 is well under way I decided to have a little play around with some early designs for my Client Project.

Here are a few logo designs for the "Doggy Day Care".

Communities of Practice

2010-12-19T18:58:00.005Z

As I am very interested in the concept of Communities of Practice (CoP), it was clear to me that I should include this into my Personal Research Project. Over the past several months I have been heavily researching into this area and gathering additional information to help me push my document onwards.

My Personal Research Document aims to analyse and improve Online Social Interaction, where users engage through text based, Computer Mediated Communication. The discussion has been framed through the lens of Communities of Practice, looking at how these groups function and reproduce. Two theorists that will be of great importance to this document are Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, the duo that created and developed the theory of CoP

This is an extract off Wenger's personal website, where he provides a brief introduction to CoP explaining what a single Community of Practice could be...

"Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning: [...] a tribe learning to survive, a band of artists seeking new forms of expression, a group of engineers working on similar problems, a clique of pupils defining their identity in the school, a network of surgeons exploring novel techniques" (Wenger, 2006).

The notion of Communities of Practice is not an unfamiliar one...

"We all belong to communities of practice. At home, at work, at school, in our hobbies – we belong to several communities of practice at any given time. [...] In fact, communities of practice are everywhere" (Wenger, 1998).

1st Term Update

2010-11-07T18:24:00.002Z

Just a quick update to explain where I am up to this term.

Simulated client project - Completed - http://db-designs.eu/test/piracy.

PRP - Begun the research document and just need to complete the discussion section.

Client Project - Met my client and filled the form out, just need to write the proposal.

SPP - I have found 4 jobs and 4 courses, so I need to choose one of each and write an application form and covering letter for both.

Piracy Site Design

2010-10-15T16:08:00.004+01:00

I have decided on this design for my piracy site and will begin coding it up.

If your wondering about the design ideas and target audience... It's aimed at the younger generation, hopefully grabbing their attention with the vector based graphics and keeping them interested. I'm not trying to push to much information in their direction, as I think its not the most interesting subject and can easily bore if not conducted correctly.

Year 3 Progress

2010-10-13T23:21:00.003+01:00

I'm really happy with my current progress and time management in all areas of my final year: SPP (Successful Practice & Principles), PRP (Personal Research Project) and the Client Project.

Although I am progressing in each area, the most important is currently the Simulated Client Project which is part of the Client Project module. This is due to the dead line being in only 2 weeks. I have begun designing various mock ups for the project and and quite happy with one of the designs, I intend to finalize this within the next few days and then begin coding the website.

If the project continues in the right direction as it is currently, I believe this will be a really successful project which I can be very happy with.

Design Screenshots to come soon!

Simulated Client Project

2010-10-06T19:55:00.002+01:00

So we have received our Simulated Client Project which is to "Produce a short multimedia piece that informs about or illustrates Digital Piracy".

I have begun by conducting various research on Piracy to provide me with detailed information about what I will need to include in my final piece. The result of researching this area has brought to my attention that the majority of people who download illegally are classed as the younger generation. From this I have decided to create an informative website which is straight to the point and aimed at the younger generation. This will be a very vibrant and visually pleasing end product that will grab the attention of the younger generation and make them want to look around the site.

I found it difficult to find a website on piracy that was not produced by a large company, e.g. Microsoft and Adobe. I'm guessing its because this type of website wouldn't be profitable.

Here are Microsoft's and Adobe's website on piracy.

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/

http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/antipiracy/piracy.html

There are a few sites related to Copyright which do have similar views. "To help promote copyright and all the good stuff it does." Here is the only one I found that didn't have a generic boring look to it.

http://www.copyrightaware.co.uk/

End of summer update

2010-09-21T19:07:00.002+01:00

So what have I been doing?

Well.... (as I'm short of time tonight I will just list and edit later!)

Started to seriously learn WordPress, which I'm actually finding really fun... (thats not a joke).
Created a website for Rejuvenation Garden Services along with a whole new branding package for them.
Created a website for EclipseDesign which is near completion very soon! link to the Design here.
Begun some research on my Personal Research Project (PRP) which is focused around the area of Communities of Practice (CoP).
Tweaking and updating my personal online portfolio which can be found here - db-designs.

Now here is my to do list for the first few weeks/months this term.

Loads of research for my PRP on CoP.
Plan out my PRP in depth and speak to Simon about the best way of going starting it.
Continue to learn WordPress.

Rejuvenation Garden Services

2010-09-09T02:29:00.003+01:00

Today we saw the completion and launch of the new Rejuvenation Garden Services website which can be viewed here.

For the past few weeks I have been working closely with the founder of RGS to complete the design to his requirements. From doing this I believe it has really pushed me to create an all round clean and professional website though both visual and functional aspects.

I have now also uploaded the new Eclipse Design preview to my portfolio on db-designs.eu

For Jools...

2010-08-18T02:54:00.006+01:00

Over the last few weeks I have begun research on my chosen question for the final year research project. Which is...

"How can knowledge of communities of practice be used to develop tools for promoting rich user engagement within an online context?"

With this is mind, I'm gathering together bits and pieces to gain a better understanding of the chosen area and will soon start to write up a rough plan to get the wheels in motion.

In other news I am well underway with the construction of the new Eclipse-Design website which should be complete by the end of the month. After having a good old full browser check I have discovered that it works 100% perfect in all browsers... even Internet Explorer 6!!! I must be improving... Check back for the final version for the website before the end of the month.

Eclipse Design

2010-08-07T12:08:00.001+01:00

Here is a sneak preview of the new Eclipse Design home page.

Feedback would be really good, thanks.

Eclipse Design

2010-08-06T14:07:00.003+01:00

For the past few weeks apart from working lots... I have been designing the Eclipse Design site.

Eclipse is the company I am currently doing contract work for as a web developer and have done so now for several years. I really enjoy working for them because its allowing me to develop my skills within the area I love, whilst being paid!

Eclipse Design is technically new as in the past it has been run through Eclipse Hosting. So the design side of things will now be run through the new site which I am currently producing.

Today I have finally finished the actual designing of the new Eclipse site and must now begin the coding... how exciting! (you think I'm joking don't you...)

Anyway once I get given permission I will post up the new design and let you all check it out.

Summer Update

2010-07-25T12:44:00.007+01:00

Not posted for quite some time now as Ive been on holiday to Tunisia (which was a brilliant holiday by the way), so thought it would be best to update my blog with whats been going on and the rest of my summer plans.

I am currently working on a project for a friend who is starting a Gardening Service company called "Rejuvenation Garden Services". I have already created business cards and an A3 leaflet. I will also be designing and building the website when the ideas get finalized.

The current holding page can be found at bringlifetoyourgarden.co.uk.

For the rest of the summer apart from working 40+ hours a week, (which is ridiculously to much) I'm trying to plan out my time with the following list.

Keep blog up to date
Rejuvenation Garden Services website
Update personal portfolio with latest work and blog
Communities of Practice research and planning of my Research project (throughout the summer)
I also intend to fully learn WordPress by the end of summer, not only as a blogging system but using it as a functional CMS for clients.

1st blog post for db-designs

2010-06-22T10:37:00.001+01:00

Welcome to my new re-vamped portfolio where you can see all my latest work and projects. Not forgetting my really interesting Blog which you must to keep up to date with!

If you have anything to say about the new website I would love to hear it, just leave a message in the contact form. It will take you literally seconds!

For now im going to keep it short and sweet and celebrate with one of my most favorite videos ever on the web.

Video Link

db-designs Link

HTML5 and CSS3...

2010-06-22T10:36:00.001+01:00

HTML has become a very powerful markup language, when backed up by (its brother) CSS, can be used to create visually stunning and interactive Web sites.

I want to share some of the tutorials and articles that have served as a hands-on introduction to HTML5 and CSS3 for me. They provide information about the functionality and syntax for many of the new elements and APIs that HTML5 has to offer, as well as the new selectors, effects, and features that CSS3 brings. Allowing you to put them to use and see what you can do.

Basic Techniques

Combining CSS3 and HTML5 Techniques

HTML5 Globals

Although these new techniques will not be fully functional until every browser used is compatible with HTML5 and CSS3. Its good to get to grips with the new features and slowly ease it in... got to love the CSS drop shadows!

the new db-designs site now live!

2010-06-05T01:46:00.005+01:00

I have now completed my personal online portfolio and am really happy with the outcome.
you can find the website here - db-designs link

Any related feedback would really help. Thanks

Slicing the design

2010-05-15T19:38:00.003+01:00

Just spent the past few hours planning, slicing and measuring my design. Due to the amount of ripped edges and other graphics it took some time to get the different backgrounds and rips to repeat correctly and smoothly.

This will definitely be the most complex HTML/CSS I have had to code to date, so I'm making sure I code it perfectly so everything works correctly.

Finished the planning and structure layout, bring on the coding!

New Portfolio Design

2010-05-15T18:29:00.002+01:00

After about 10 different designs I have decided on this specific one to use as my future portfolio.

Term 3 Group Project

2010-04-16T09:23:00.003+01:00

Over the next term all the group work produced between me, Sam, Steve C and Ste G will be presented on this Blog:

Lambley Riding Club Blog

The Hype website now live!

2010-04-13T00:13:00.002+01:00

After finishing my university project the band decided that they really liked the website I created and would like to use it. So over the easter period I have been finalising the website, filling it with content and including various tweaks. The website can be found here...

http://the-hype.co.uk/

enjoy.

IE9 actually looks good!

2010-03-18T02:36:00.001Z

Check out a IE9 preview here - http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/

Including HTML5 Demos and CSS3 selector rules.

The Hype - Complete!

2010-03-13T15:04:00.004Z

Yesterday I finished the entire website and all brief requirements.

I finished the general website a few days back, but still had some serious php scripting to complete. Including a blog and gigs section. Both fully editable by the "admin" who has a login panel to edit these areas.

You can see a non php version of the website here - http://db-designs.eu/thehype/

The Hype - 1st page finally completed!

2010-03-08T01:00:00.006Z

So after about 10 million hours of fixing stupid bugs and errors from flash and the social networking feeds. I have finally completed the first page of The Hype website, including two of my three flash elements: Banner/Nav, Mp3 Player.

I created a flash twitter feed widget but due to the security from twitter I couldn't access the .xml feeds. So I ended up just using a simple feed twitter provides which was very frustrating to use after spending so much time on the Flash...

So here it is please note any problems so I can iron them out before I continue further. Thanks

Link to the website

The Hype - update

2010-03-03T03:08:00.007Z

Just another quick update to keen all you keen people on track of where I'm up to with the latest uni project.

- Website Link -

It took a while to figure out how to insert flash with a transparent background but its very simple to do compared to what I originally thought...

Just some basic html/css with my Facebook fan page widget in there and a flash banner.

To do...

- Mp3 player interface in flash

- Finish 1st page

- Create a flash twitter feed

- Youtube video on homepage

Then onto the other pages and the php. Woo

The Hype - Flash Banner

2010-03-01T02:39:00.002Z

Iv now finished designing my page layouts and am 100% happy with them, after speaking to my client who is very pleased with the progress and cant wait to see it working. From my earlier post I have modified the logo which looked messy and over crowded also changing the page names, making it more personal and less corporate.

I have begun work on the flash banner and would really appreciate feedback of which is best and why. Thanks

http://db-designs.eu/bannerbird/

http://db-designs.eu/bannerbar/

The Hype - update

2010-02-26T00:22:00.005Z

After knocking up several different designs and developing them, I have narrowed it down to one design which I really like. It still needs a lot of tweaking and smoothing out, but hopefully I will be able to begin coding soon... and get the wheels in motion!

Im really looking forward to creating this website as there are quite a few areas which I'm new to and am looking forward to learning. Such as using php and mysql databases to create news/events sections.

Here are some screenies, feedback would be really appreciated, thanks.

Brilliant

2010-02-22T14:07:00.003Z

My blog may look broken but its only because raycreations.net (the creator of my template), has disappeared of the face of the earth... hopefully it will be back online soon, other wise that's one more thing to sort out!

The Hype

2010-02-22T13:49:00.003Z

After thinking about what would work best for my latest project which is to...

"Design and build an artist/arts organisation website. A site which acts as a promotional website for an individual/organisation and will increase both profile and online traffic. This can include musician, craftspersons, writer etc etc."

I have decided to build my website for a band named "The Hype" a local four piece lady fronted rock band, in my home town.

I decided this about a week ago but have only just posted as I have been collecting various ideas and liaising with the lead organiser of the band. The band intend to use my finished design which is much more of an inspiration to create something special.

Electric Redtheme

2010-02-09T18:44:00.003Z

I have now completed the Electrical Redtheme site template which you can preview here -
http://www.db-designs.eu/electricred

Using html/css, including a php contact form.

Design Exercise 12

2010-02-05T14:45:00.007Z

For this design exercise, I was asked to review http://www.carbonica.org/. Here is a screenshot of their Homepage.

"Carbonica is a global brand with a mission to combat global warming by the planting of trees. Carbonica as a company believes the only way to combat global warming is by combining a low-carbon economy with a programme of managed forestry on an unprecedented scale." (www.creative-jar.com)

The second I entered the website you really got a feel for what Carbonica was all about, as the creators of this website (Creative-Jar) did an amazing job of reflecting their mission and role in the world. You can clearly see the Web-2.0 style with the large, bold text used for important headings. They also use various icons and images to give the website a well presented and polished feel. This website promotes an environmentally friendly feel and their main aim is to lower the worlds Carbon Footprint.

The website really shows this style by including what seems to be re-cycled cloth and paper as the backgrounds. The textures used really give it the "Green" feel, making it unique and stand out.

From looking at this website I think I can take a lot from it in terms of creativity, style and personal touches. The use of the hand drawn text and images is something I will defiantly look into more when building future websites.

After looking at Carbonica I next looked at another piece of work created by the same company "Creative-Jar", they also designed http://www.canoe-england.org.uk/.

Although this website is not specifically in the style of Web2.0, you can really see how the creators "Creative-Jar" want to make their clients designs that are very unique and specific to them. As on the website you can see how it relates to canoeing, with the blue and white colour scheme and the water effects in the banner. This is something I need to start doing more by integrating what the website is about and give the layout and design more feeling.

Electric Redtheme - Index

2010-02-04T22:29:00.005Z

Here is the index page for Electric RedTheme which you can see a live preview Here.

Electric Redtheme

2010-02-04T21:51:00.004Z

Personal project I started earlier to boost my knowledge within basic html/css. I think I can safely say I'v got the hang of it now, after creating this in just a few hours which is a big improvement on my last few projects.

Working in all browsers (I think...) and the best thing is, it passed the W3C validation the very first time with no errors!

I will upload and post after skins!

Once I'v completed all pages, if it looks to a reasonable standard I intend on trying to sell the website on ThemeForest. For those of you that have never heard of ThemeForest check it out! Well worth 2 minutes of your day.

ThemeForest

Apple ipad

2010-01-30T17:42:00.004Z

After all the big fuss about the brand new Apple ipad, which in my opinion is total crap... mainly due to the fact its just a bigger ipod touch for $500. I thought people might enjoy this which I read in the Sun yesterday.

The thing is its so true!

January Project Complete

2010-01-26T18:00:00.006Z

I completed my latest project today which had to be based on a retail establishment. I chose The Hawksley as Shaun said we could push it to a pub/bar.

Overall I'm very pleased with the final outcome of this design and I seem to be getting the hang of creating basic websites with html/css. In the website I also used a php contact form which I did not create, but I wanted to learn more about how it works and how to use php correctly. This is the second time I have used LightBox2 in a design, as I really like how it displays the images not forgetting the ease of use.

The Hawksley - Project link

The Hawksley

2010-01-26T01:23:00.004Z

I completed my design for The Hawksley last week but have only just got round to uploading it here.

I think this design complements the style of the pub with a elegant and modern feel to it. I played around with a few different layouts but decided this was the best after asking receiving the most positive feedback overall.

I have begun coding and am not far from completing the overall project. I still need to add the gallery and contact page, whilst revising what I have created already and how I can improve it.

Retail Establishment Website

2010-01-20T00:09:00.009Z

For this project it took me quite a long time to decide what I was going to base my website around and I was pretty stuck for ideas...

Then when I was in The Hawksley watching footy last Sunday, it suddenly clicked that I should do this place! Its very modern, stylish, serves cask ales, home made food and its a very relaxing place to be. So I thought it would be a very interesting place to build a website around.

I went in earlier today and asked for permission to take some pictures and explained what I wanted to do, which they were totally fine with.

Wordpress Blog

2010-01-12T15:24:00.004Z

I set up my Wordpress blog today which can be found at http://darylbrunsden.wordpress.com and after having a brief look at how it works, I really like how easy they made it to modify the page layout/css etc. At the moment I will carry on using Blogger but I can see myself transferring over to WP in the near future...

Well its all set up now so I can begin learning how to use WP within web design.

Finished portfolio

2010-01-06T23:50:00.008Z

Finished my online portfolio today which is really nice to see up and running! After about 9999 browser problems I finally got there bar the tinyest error with Chrome which hopefully no one will notice as I'v given up trying now!

www.db-designs.eu - Let me know what you think, Thanks.

Waterfall and Whirlpool, software development models

2009-12-30T14:24:00.011Z

The Waterfall software development model has been in use for a number of decades and it is still commonly used in software development projects today. It is a sequential model where the development process goes through a number of phases in a certain order.

While it has been replaced to a large degree by the iterative models of software development, Waterfall still has its place in today's IT world. Basically, it requires that any project goes through the stages of requirements analysis, design, implementation (coding), verification, and maintenance.

In comparison to iterative models, the Waterfall model is seen as inflexible and linear—though it's preferred by many who feel iterative software development methodologies lack discipline. Although there are variations, in the true Waterfall model, the project only moves from one phase to the next when a phase is completed in its entirety. Therefore, no work will begin on the design phase until requirements analysis is complete. Also, there is no room for backtracking, so when a phase is complete it has to be right.

reference

‘Whirlpool’ projects embrace the fact that requirements are volatile. Instead of trying to deliver a system that satisfies 100% of the requirements in one go, the focus is on delivering an agreed

subset of the requirements at intervals.

Use cases are the building blocks of requirements and provide a convenient basis for risk assessment and prioritising. The riskiest and most significant use cases are tackled first, within the context of a clearly understood architectural vision. Tackling risk early identifies problems before they become too expensive or threatening, and helps lead to more stable architectures. The system evolves as a sequence of increments, each one an enhancement to the already-delivered functionality.

reference

Unlike the waterfall, the whirlpool model can focus on completing several tasks simultaneously. For example while still designing and constructing the main page continuous testing can take place to iron out any early mistakes before its to late. This can be brought into web design much more easier instead of having to complete each stage individually then tic it off. Furthermore with web design a slight change of code can mean a total change in design! So by using the whirlpool model it would allow chance to go back and edit the original design to work correctly.

A good explanation of both models can be found here.

Finished Home Page for db-designs

2009-12-07T17:09:00.011Z

Finally found some time to complete my Home Page, the other pages shouldn't take to long now and I expect to have it finished with content by the start of next term.

link to db-designs

W3C validation

2009-12-06T14:20:00.002Z



My Website is now fully w3c validated which I found fairly easy to do, I think that's
because I kept my code pretty neat so it was easy to follow and re-read.

I'm pretty much ready to submit, going to run over the code once more to neaten it up
and then it should be completed!

Nottingham Square, Finished!

2009-12-04T18:00:00.003Z

So I have now finished my website and it is fully W3C validated on all pages! including 3 JavaScript elements and one JQuery.

Enjoy!

Nottingham Square Link

Feedback would be much appreciated!

Latest update on my project

2009-12-01T01:38:00.004Z

I have created all the pages now apart from the Java Script gallery which I will be completing soon.

My website runs well in all major browsers, including Internet Explorer 6, which apart from not allowing transparency all the web pages are still viewable and neat.

Nottingham Square

JavaScript game finished

2009-11-26T16:24:00.004Z

Today me and Steve ironed out some of the problems from the original game and modified it with the help of David. We also made the layout look much better by using some html/css and inserting a Christmas background.

Spot The Difference

As far as Java Script games go I am happy to say this is pretty good, so enjoy and Merry Christmas (a little early but hey!)

Enjoy

Nottingham Square, Update

2009-11-24T01:09:00.006Z

I have begun the html/css coding which I have found fairly easy so far, but I have still learnt a lot along the way and still have a huge amount to learn. Also I know which 3 JavaScript functions I will be adding but they still need doing along with the other pages.

Nottingham Square

Its still under construction, id like criticism and to know your loading times along ...with if there are any errors on your browser. As I imagine one of you chumps is using internet explorer 6/7 haha.

Nottingham Square, Final Design

2009-11-23T23:29:00.004Z

So Iv now finished my final design for the first year project which I'm really happy with, I decided to add a large background image instead of the gradient. I did this because I thought the website was generally lacking a bit of detail due to the simplicity of the design.

Spot the difference?!?

2009-11-22T22:20:00.008Z

Today me and Steve finished our Java Script game; Spot the difference - "Christmas edition". It was very challenging for us to create, mainly because of our basic knowledge of Java Script. Once we started though we soon worked out how we were going to complete it and put everything together.

Obviously its very basic as its hard to create a nice looking game using just Java Script. There are a few problems with the game though, the main one being you can click a single difference more than once and it will continue to count upwards, even past 8. We do need to modify this and correct it but for now we are happy with the game.

Play the latest craze here: Spot the difference - "Christmas edition"

My Network Map

2009-11-19T21:14:00.004Z

Here is my personal network map that I have been working on recently. It is still under construction and will change as I progress through my essay, adding relevant details about my network. Never the less I think this is a good starting point to build my essay around.

Next I must look at numerous companies around my local area that are involved in Web Design.

Nottingham Square Mock Up

2009-11-19T11:24:00.005Z

Here are a few mock ups for my website on the Nottingham Square. I continued to play around with the logo untill I was happy with a final design which is the one you see below.

For both logo and website design I wanted to keep a smooth, modern and professional feel to the design, along with soft pastel colours that are easy on the eye.

More updates to come once I decide on the java script elements that i will be adding.

Nottingham Square, wireframes/ideas

2009-11-19T11:03:00.006Z

These are my initial sketches for the project, giving me an idea about various layouts for how I can present the website to the user.

There are also few logo ideas on the same page to help me produce my final logo designs for Nottingham Square.

Sorry for the poor quality but i done have a scanner at home...

Logo Colour Change

2009-11-13T10:47:00.005Z

Task, Change the colours of a brand/logo. How do you feel about the logo before and after?

In my opinion, the new logo removes the safe feel of facebook they try to portray with the soft coloura and gives it a more unsafe and dangerous feel. The new colours dont contrast as well as white on a blue background but still allows the red to stand out from the dark.

Colour Wheel

2009-11-13T10:04:00.008Z

In today's seminar we have been looking at colour wheels. How colours contrast with each other, creating different perspectives and views.

My personal favourite colour harmony is #3080b2 which is a light blue, with a very light grey around #dedede.

The main reason for choosing this colour combination as my favourite is because the colours are not to intense and in your face, instead they are easy on the eye and allow each other to stand out well.

Website Wireframe

2009-11-06T19:14:00.004Z

Here is a rough wireframe design for my 1st year project of designing a 5+ page website related to a space or environment.

I am not 100% yet on how I will be going about creating the different features yet and still need to decide on how I'm going to tackle the community page, how much interaction etc...

My Chosen Environment

2009-10-26T13:44:00.007Z

For my environment that really inspires me and will be a good base design and build a 5 page website around is the Nottingham square.

"Historically the Square forms a meeting place for the people of Nottingham and is also the location for local events, civic protests, royal visits, celebrations and public mourning and many of Nottingham's most defining moments have occurred here."
nottinghamcity

The reason I have chosen this place to research and create a website around is because the square is used by me and the general public to enjoy the open space and relax. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of the busy centre to enjoy my lunch is one of my favourite times in the town square.

The environment is known as a public landmark and is used for numerous events and occasions from the Christmas ice skating arena to the big wheel. When the market square is not host to an event it is a very spaced out and modern area, with the fountains and flat (infinity) pool allowing a very tranquil feel, letting you breath.

I believe a website would really benefit the square and the public that use it, allowing the community to openly discuss their views and opinions whilst socialising. Maybe even organise times to meet and hold their own unofficial events. Along with the community side I think this would be great promotion for the events that are held in the square, displaying news posts and upcoming events.

I have not decided on how I will be going about this as of yet but along the lines of these pages...

Home - News
Upcoming Events
Community - Forum
Gallery - send in your own photos of the square
About
Contact
Location

I will have to decide on what 5 pages unless I create them all but I will have to see the guidelines of the brief. I look forward to starting this project!

Hierarchical map of the internet

2009-10-23T09:51:00.003+01:00

Last friday we created a hierarchical map of the internet to show what we believed as a group were the most used and important websites around.

Logo's

2009-09-20T19:31:00.003+01:00

A few logos I did for a friend when I had a bit of time spare...

I will evaluate them at a later date as im to busy right now, but have a look at them and see what u think yourself.

Summer Work

2009-08-04T02:38:00.005+01:00

So not posted for a very long time now, mainly due to working 40+ hours a week over summer to earn a bit of dollar to support me in my second year.

Although on the other hand... along with working 40 hours a week, I have set up a turnkey company with a friend selling pre-designed e-commerce websites at low prices.

Here is a preview of the design I created which is currently being coded...

I have also completed the design of my own personal website to advertise myself and will now begin coding, here's a sneak peak...

So yeah actually done just a little bit of work! up next is:

- learning further basics of coding
- coding my personal design
- creating various e-commerce web designs
- sort my Blog template out!

Identities Package Complete

2009-05-01T00:29:00.003+01:00

I have finally finished my identities package and Steven has kindly lent me some space from his own domain as saying I'm strapped for cash is a massive under statement...

http://sjcwebsitedesign.com/flash/daryl_brunsden

All that's left to complete now are my questionnaires and the self evaluation form which will be done asap to allow myself bags of time to get this essay out the way. Then bring on summer!!!

Update

2009-04-29T20:26:00.009+01:00

All my Elements are now complete bar the Audio Visual piece which only needs a few tweaks, Im really happy with how I have progressed up to this point and the hours of work have paid off.

Here are a few of my elements up to date:

Help!

2009-04-28T01:46:00.004+01:00

Just a quick question to anyone who is willing to help me.

Which do you think looks better? as im unsure as to if the second one is a little over crowded... I know its not much difference but its is to me! =) thanks.

Identities Box Showcase

2009-04-28T01:19:00.006+01:00

I have now finished the design to my Identities Box Showcase which I am really pleased with. A while back now I created a post about designing a notice board style effect as my Box Showcase. I have slowly developed this idea over the past few months and looked in more depth at how I would go about it. As each one of my elements is more or less complete it was now time to design my box.

The main reason for choosing a notice board style is because they allow you to keep various things on, from memories to little details about the individual. As well as showing my 5 elements with an interactive button allowing the user to look in much more depth at each one. I am very pleased with the outcome of the design, as its exactly gives of the effect I wanted to achieve. Well spaced out with 5 clear sections but also busy giving lots to look at without over crowding the window.

Click to view fullsize image

Update of remaining tasks:

Covert the Box into flash creating clickable buttons and videos.
Import my Pixilation images into adobe Premier and edit.
Re-render and edit my skittles animation.
Render a rotating camera around the chair.
Render my Avatar's camera pan.
Intergrate all elements into the Flash design.
(off topic - Start and complete Copywright essay).....

Audio Visual element

2009-04-27T11:38:00.004+01:00

Myself and Steven Carrol have been planning our audiovisual piece for quite a while now, discussing various things and how we will be producing it. The main reason for deciding to complete this task together was due to the use of "collaboration" and working together as a team. As we have all learnt from this first year that it is hard to complete an audio visual piece single handed. Not forgetting what better way to show your identity within this project, than including the friends you have made whilst at uni.

So yesterday...

Me, Steve, Sam, Andy, James, Diana

met up to complete the audio visual piece that me and Steven had planned. I am really happy with the outcome, all thats left now is to edit the footage to my own style.

Many thanks for helping guys. x

Here is the plan me and Steven created...

Final Avatar

2009-04-25T14:59:00.006+01:00

Finally completed my avatar after what seems so many hours! Not got much to say at this point as I have fully analysed each stage up to this point. All that's left to do now is rig the avatar to enable movement and create a rotating camera shot. Then finish my box showcase integrating all the elements into flash.

Avatar Jeans

2009-04-24T00:08:00.004+01:00

I can honestly say these jeans took me a very long time! Found it so difficult to texture them correctly, and after about 6 attemps I got the look I wanted (I hate being a perfectionist).

Avatar Shoes

2009-04-21T21:01:00.008+01:00

So here are my DC shoes that I wear rather a lot, I thought it would be easiest to create the shoes first then jeans etc. as they lay over the top of the trainers. They took quite a while to get them looking how I wanted but I got there in the end and am very pleased with the outcome.

My Avatar is now coming along very nicely and is taking shape, I am more than happy with how it is progressing. With my target being to make it look as realistic as possible for my ability within 3ds max.

Tattoo

2009-04-21T20:53:00.006+01:00

Pretty much self explanatory... I have a tattoo so for my avatar to represent me then it pretty much needs to be on there. I found it fairly difficult to complete as the tattoo bends around my arm, so it was hard to unwrap the polygons and lay them flat to import the image onto. Also I know the middle tattoo is currently none existent but it will be complete soon, hopefully before the end of the project.

Avatar Progress

2009-04-19T15:42:00.006+01:00

So I have finally finished my head and textured it. I think it looks reasonable, nothing to brilliant but the best I could do with my own skills.

Next ill start creating cloths and texture the body.

Off Target slightly

2009-04-19T01:20:00.004+01:00

Just thought id share my tattoo design with you all, which i plan on getting within the next few weeks hopefully :D

Your thoughts and ideas would be nice, cheers.

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Final Logo Design

2009-04-14T15:38:00.010+01:00

So as it says in the title this is my Final logo design for my identities package, I haven't changed to much compared to my inital design but just cleaned it up a little and neatened out certain areas.

The main reason for choosing this specific logo and its style is because I believe it looks professional yet modern. The very simple use of a dark colour and a light colour allows the opposite to stand out making it visually eye catching and attractrive for the viewer, making them remember the name.