The course readings are complete! I really, really, really liked the MacDonald book and would definitely recommend it to a friend. I will also absolutely keep it for future reference in web design. Great text.
This week's web reviews:
Website 1: http://www.flashvista.com/
This site offers several flash web sites. Not the fanciest or prettiest site. Crowded and complicated. I like the way the topics are organized. Makes searching easy.
Website 2: http://flashexplained.com/design/creating-a-cool-hi-tech-draggable-floating-menu/
Flash tutorials. Very useful. Explains how to make a floating menu.
Website 3: http://www.sitepal.com/
Flash avatars? This is a really cool idea, especially in web design for libraries. This makes websites usable for patrons with disabilities because the voice guidelines from the avatar can help make navigating the page useful. Great idea.
Website 4: http://www.adobe.com/products/flash/
Adobe's Flash site. It shows what Flash is meant to do, and advertises the product. Gotta love Adobe.
Website 5: http://www.erain.com/Products/swift3d/
Another animation software. I would probably still use Flash, because I trust Adobe.
Website 6: http://www.swishzone.com/index.php
This site has some really cool templates.
Website 7: http://www.hotscripts.com/
This site also has templates and a great discussion forum which offers answers to questions web designers may face.
Website 8: http://www.soundstageav.com/mastersonaudio/20050201.htm
MP3 information.
Website 9: http://musicovery.com/
This is a cool site. It organizes music based on mood. Interesting substitute for Pandora.
Website 10: http://www.pandora.com/
Ahhh...Pandora! I love Pandora! I listen to it at work all the time. What a brilliant idea! It takes the info you give about music you like and suggests other music for FREE! Love it!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Week 8: Imagery
This week we are reading chapters 15 and 16 in MacDonald's text.
Chapter 15: "Fancy Buttons and Menus." Menus are very important elements of web design--they help with navigation and make connecting sites possible. Last week's chapter on JavaScript was great, too. In my web design project, I use a menu that uses Java. This chapter offers more information about that. Particularly useful in this chapter's discussion starts on page 458 and presents how to make rollover buttons in Dreamweaver. There's also a great discussion of "Do it Yourself Collapsible Menus" (p. 460). Also great is the discussion of third party menus (p. 464). This is what I used for my menu.
Chapter 16: Audio and Video
Audio and video seem complex, but MacDonald makes them approachable in this chapter. Embedding!!! I embedded a youtube video in my site (it was a video I participated in as an undergraduate as a part of a preservation course).
MacDonald presents sound options for websites, like continuous playing background music. I think this might be tacky on many sites, but effective on music related or promotional sites. It all depends on what the site's purpose is!
As discussed in the last post, it is really important that web designers consider copyright and ownership when using images. There are several sites that offer free images as long as they are used within the intended guidelines and credit is given. On my web design project, I used images from http://sxc.hu. This site has istockphoto (pay for images) on the top of the search, but then there are free images below that; as long as you use them within the guidelines and give recognition, it's OK. On my site, I give the web address and recognition on the "reflections" page.
I used Photoshop to edit the images to make them smaller so that page load time would be shorter. This is a tool that is essential for web design! Adobe products (Dreamweaver, Photoshop) are basically awesome. Sometimes they can be hard to use, but once you get the hang of it it's great. I will admit that I referred to Dreamweaver as "Nightmareweaver" several times throughout the course of this class and web project because sometimes it got really frustrating, but overall it is a great tool that I will definitely consider and continue to utilize in the future.
Weekly website reviews:
Website 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Public_domain_image_resources
This site took a really long time to load on my computer, and then actually didn't load. Maybe the image sizes are too big? :)
Website 2: http://www.libraryspot.com/images.htm
This is a great, great site!!! Not only for web design. I think this site would be great for librarians to know about when helping kids with school projects. For example, if a kid needs a picture of Benjamin Franklin, this site has links to the Library of Congress image sites! Absolutely a great resource. Not overly complicated.
Website 3: http://www.readwriteweb.com/
This is an interesting site that shows the connections between popular websites and social networks. Great articles and utilizes tagging really well, so if someone is searching for something specific, it's a great site.
Website 4: http://www.footnote.com/
As a soon-to-be librarian who works in digital collections, I obviously think this site is awesome! It has historical documents!! I looked through the WWII Collection. Also I like the site's name. Clever.
Chapter 15: "Fancy Buttons and Menus." Menus are very important elements of web design--they help with navigation and make connecting sites possible. Last week's chapter on JavaScript was great, too. In my web design project, I use a menu that uses Java. This chapter offers more information about that. Particularly useful in this chapter's discussion starts on page 458 and presents how to make rollover buttons in Dreamweaver. There's also a great discussion of "Do it Yourself Collapsible Menus" (p. 460). Also great is the discussion of third party menus (p. 464). This is what I used for my menu.
Chapter 16: Audio and Video
Audio and video seem complex, but MacDonald makes them approachable in this chapter. Embedding!!! I embedded a youtube video in my site (it was a video I participated in as an undergraduate as a part of a preservation course).
MacDonald presents sound options for websites, like continuous playing background music. I think this might be tacky on many sites, but effective on music related or promotional sites. It all depends on what the site's purpose is!
As discussed in the last post, it is really important that web designers consider copyright and ownership when using images. There are several sites that offer free images as long as they are used within the intended guidelines and credit is given. On my web design project, I used images from http://sxc.hu. This site has istockphoto (pay for images) on the top of the search, but then there are free images below that; as long as you use them within the guidelines and give recognition, it's OK. On my site, I give the web address and recognition on the "reflections" page.
I used Photoshop to edit the images to make them smaller so that page load time would be shorter. This is a tool that is essential for web design! Adobe products (Dreamweaver, Photoshop) are basically awesome. Sometimes they can be hard to use, but once you get the hang of it it's great. I will admit that I referred to Dreamweaver as "Nightmareweaver" several times throughout the course of this class and web project because sometimes it got really frustrating, but overall it is a great tool that I will definitely consider and continue to utilize in the future.
Weekly website reviews:
Website 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Public_domain_image_resources
This site took a really long time to load on my computer, and then actually didn't load. Maybe the image sizes are too big? :)
Website 2: http://www.libraryspot.com/images.htm
This is a great, great site!!! Not only for web design. I think this site would be great for librarians to know about when helping kids with school projects. For example, if a kid needs a picture of Benjamin Franklin, this site has links to the Library of Congress image sites! Absolutely a great resource. Not overly complicated.
Website 3: http://www.readwriteweb.com/
This is an interesting site that shows the connections between popular websites and social networks. Great articles and utilizes tagging really well, so if someone is searching for something specific, it's a great site.
Website 4: http://www.footnote.com/
As a soon-to-be librarian who works in digital collections, I obviously think this site is awesome! It has historical documents!! I looked through the WWII Collection. Also I like the site's name. Clever.
Week 7 websites
This week's websites are all about typography. Typography is really interesting and allows web designers to employ a lot of creativity and lets them play with something that otherwise could be boring or not noticeable.
Website 1: http://ilovetypography.com
This site has everything you'd want to know about typography, including discussions about popular fonts, articles about font trends, and instructions.
Website 2: http://ilovetypography.com/2007/09/19/15-excellent-examples-of-web-typography/
Same site, but focuses on examples of good typography. Particularly interesting on this site is that it shows great examples which illustrate not only great typography, but ways in which this is employed. For example, one of the sites is a professor's, another is a professional illustrators. Depending on the creativity of your field, your website topography should reflect it.
Website 3: http://typographica.org/
This site looks great! Initially, upon opening this site, I thought it looked cool. It has a great visualization of different fonts. Also has book reviews.
Website 4: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/default.mspx
This site has some very useful information about Microsoft. Since many people use Microsoft, this is relevant.
Website 5: http://abc.planet-typography.com/
This site is a "museum" of fonts. I really like the way it separates the collections. It is a really cool looking site.
Website 6: http://www.alistapart.com/topics/design/typography/
This tutorial presents tons of information regarding fonts. Great info about fonts and CSS.
Website 7: http://www.rsub.com/typographic/
This site is a lot like the museum of fonts (website 5) because it offers a lot of history of fonts and background information. Who would have thought there was such a font following? I like the gallery of fonts featured on this site.
Website 8: http://www.digital-web.com/articles/css_typography/
Ahh...the challenges of CSS! This presents CSS and typography, which is an issue that web designers face. This site shows how even when utilizing CSS, web designers can have some control over their sites. Typography is one of these ways.
Website 1: http://ilovetypography.com
This site has everything you'd want to know about typography, including discussions about popular fonts, articles about font trends, and instructions.
Website 2: http://ilovetypography.com/2007/09/19/15-excellent-examples-of-web-typography/
Same site, but focuses on examples of good typography. Particularly interesting on this site is that it shows great examples which illustrate not only great typography, but ways in which this is employed. For example, one of the sites is a professor's, another is a professional illustrators. Depending on the creativity of your field, your website topography should reflect it.
Website 3: http://typographica.org/
This site looks great! Initially, upon opening this site, I thought it looked cool. It has a great visualization of different fonts. Also has book reviews.
Website 4: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/default.mspx
This site has some very useful information about Microsoft. Since many people use Microsoft, this is relevant.
Website 5: http://abc.planet-typography.com/
This site is a "museum" of fonts. I really like the way it separates the collections. It is a really cool looking site.
Website 6: http://www.alistapart.com/topics/design/typography/
This tutorial presents tons of information regarding fonts. Great info about fonts and CSS.
Website 7: http://www.rsub.com/typographic/
This site is a lot like the museum of fonts (website 5) because it offers a lot of history of fonts and background information. Who would have thought there was such a font following? I like the gallery of fonts featured on this site.
Website 8: http://www.digital-web.com/articles/css_typography/
Ahh...the challenges of CSS! This presents CSS and typography, which is an issue that web designers face. This site shows how even when utilizing CSS, web designers can have some control over their sites. Typography is one of these ways.
Week 7: Typography
This week's reading: MacDonald, Chapters 13 and 14 and Beaird Chapter 5.
Chapter 13:
MacDonald presents "Making money with your site." While I am designing a professional website for the Web Design project, and I am thus not looking to make money, I do plan on utilizing the skills learned in this course in future professional endeavors which may include fundraising, organizing events, or even possibly selling something. This chapter offers really easy to follow guidelines about Google searches, Amazon, and PayPal. These are things that could be challenging to new web designers, but MacDonald presents them clearly.
Chapter 14:
Javascript! I utilized JavaScript on my web design project for the menu bar (pop-up) and the calendar because I thought it made the site look cool. This chapter offers guidelines about JavaScript and usability. Page 431 discusses collapsible text. I utilized this on my website. Page 440 shows how to use scripts from other websites, and discusses credit for the creators. Overall a good chapter with easy-to-use information.
Beaird Chapter 5:
Beaird presents imagery in this chapter. One important discussion is on page 132 about stock photography. I utilized stock images on my site, images of books, libraries, people reading, etc. I used free images. Beaird makes the important note of considering image usage guidelines even for free photos (p. 133), which I made sure to do. It is important that you are using the images in the ways that are allowed.
Beaird also presents important elements of copyright and ownership of images. This is really important, especially for librarians! We are very careful about copyright. So, it is appropriate to make sure the images are free, and that you are using them appropriately according to their usage guidelines.
Also interesting is the discussion of cropping (p. 141). This is a great chapter.
Chapter 13:
MacDonald presents "Making money with your site." While I am designing a professional website for the Web Design project, and I am thus not looking to make money, I do plan on utilizing the skills learned in this course in future professional endeavors which may include fundraising, organizing events, or even possibly selling something. This chapter offers really easy to follow guidelines about Google searches, Amazon, and PayPal. These are things that could be challenging to new web designers, but MacDonald presents them clearly.
Chapter 14:
Javascript! I utilized JavaScript on my web design project for the menu bar (pop-up) and the calendar because I thought it made the site look cool. This chapter offers guidelines about JavaScript and usability. Page 431 discusses collapsible text. I utilized this on my website. Page 440 shows how to use scripts from other websites, and discusses credit for the creators. Overall a good chapter with easy-to-use information.
Beaird Chapter 5:
Beaird presents imagery in this chapter. One important discussion is on page 132 about stock photography. I utilized stock images on my site, images of books, libraries, people reading, etc. I used free images. Beaird makes the important note of considering image usage guidelines even for free photos (p. 133), which I made sure to do. It is important that you are using the images in the ways that are allowed.
Beaird also presents important elements of copyright and ownership of images. This is really important, especially for librarians! We are very careful about copyright. So, it is appropriate to make sure the images are free, and that you are using them appropriately according to their usage guidelines.
Also interesting is the discussion of cropping (p. 141). This is a great chapter.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Week 6 tutorials
This week's tutorials focus on implementing web design techniques including texture. The Photoshop tutorial on creating textures was extremely interesting:
http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/photoshop-tutorials-textures/
I like Photoshop's usability. I've had to utilize Photoshop in my web site project to reduce photo sizes because the photos were making the page loading time take too long. Photoshop tutorials are essential, though, because otherwise it can be challenging to navigate. This tutorial has excellent methods for designing different texture backgrounds. While I don't think texture is appropriate as a background on a professional website (usually), I do think that texture elements help enhance the design of websites and help add to the technical appeal of the site.
Web 2.0 tutorial: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/03/10/web-20-tutorials-round-up/
This tutorial has some interesting input on design and texture, but again, they aren't necessarily that great for professional sites because they are mostly decorative or patterned. I think on a professional site, texture should be utilized in the navigation menu and maybe the banner but not directly on the background. Maybe I'm old fashioned?
http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/photoshop-tutorials-textures/
I like Photoshop's usability. I've had to utilize Photoshop in my web site project to reduce photo sizes because the photos were making the page loading time take too long. Photoshop tutorials are essential, though, because otherwise it can be challenging to navigate. This tutorial has excellent methods for designing different texture backgrounds. While I don't think texture is appropriate as a background on a professional website (usually), I do think that texture elements help enhance the design of websites and help add to the technical appeal of the site.
Web 2.0 tutorial: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/03/10/web-20-tutorials-round-up/
This tutorial has some interesting input on design and texture, but again, they aren't necessarily that great for professional sites because they are mostly decorative or patterned. I think on a professional site, texture should be utilized in the navigation menu and maybe the banner but not directly on the background. Maybe I'm old fashioned?
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Week 6 website reviews
1. http://urbandirty.com
This site offers free texture images for sites! While I'm not necessarily texture's best friend, I do think this is a cool resource, especially since it also offers a tutorial on how to use the textures.
2. The Flikr best textures pages is pretty awesome. I don't know if they are free access though or if you have to get OK to use them?
3. www.textureking.com
These free textures are pretty cool. I am beginning to change my mind about textures just a little bit because I think when they are used in moderation they could provide an element of cooleness to the site. Plus, they're kind of trendy. I especially think that the fabric and glass textures could be used on a professional site.
4. www.grungetextures.com
I especially like the "mud" textures on this site. These could be used to enhance an otherwise kind of boring page.
The tutorials for this week will get their own post as well.
This site offers free texture images for sites! While I'm not necessarily texture's best friend, I do think this is a cool resource, especially since it also offers a tutorial on how to use the textures.
2. The Flikr best textures pages is pretty awesome. I don't know if they are free access though or if you have to get OK to use them?
3. www.textureking.com
These free textures are pretty cool. I am beginning to change my mind about textures just a little bit because I think when they are used in moderation they could provide an element of cooleness to the site. Plus, they're kind of trendy. I especially think that the fabric and glass textures could be used on a professional site.
4. www.grungetextures.com
I especially like the "mud" textures on this site. These could be used to enhance an otherwise kind of boring page.
The tutorials for this week will get their own post as well.
Week 6: Texture
I already said how I feel about texture for the most part (see last post). I don't think ALL texture is bad, and I hope that this week's readings and websites will show me that they are, in fact, awesome. We'll see.
MacDonald, Ch. 11 and 12
Ch. 11: Attracting visitors. I am designing a professional site that I plan to use on my resume, when applying for jobs, or one day on my "about me" section of a school library website where I work. Other than that, I'm not interested in marketing my website. However, if you are, MacDonald has a section on that in chapter 11.
Search engines (p. 316). Will my web project show up if someone googles me? I just googled myself (eeek!!!) and in fact it does not. I think this is because I am using a secure server sponsored by my school? MacDonald says that you can introduce your site to Google (p. 317), but I'm not going that route. In fact, there's a section about hiding from search engines! (p. 321).
Overall, I think Chapter 11 is useful if you're in the market to market your site or product.
Chapter 12: Mailto Links! (p. 337). Here we go. Professional sites need this in case someone stumbles upon the site and instantly wants to hire you!
This chapter also has info about making forums and groups, which isn't necessary on a professional site, but will one day be useful if I ever design a library site. This info is on pages 350-.
Beaird, Ch. 4
Chapter 4: Typography!!! This chapter is cool. Especially if you want to make your page unique and fun. This would be a great chapter for someone designing a blog or fun personal site. I like the info on spacing (p. 106). Again, I think this would be best utilized by a site trying to sell something.
I'm going to review this week's websites in their own post--there's a lot of them.
MacDonald, Ch. 11 and 12
Ch. 11: Attracting visitors. I am designing a professional site that I plan to use on my resume, when applying for jobs, or one day on my "about me" section of a school library website where I work. Other than that, I'm not interested in marketing my website. However, if you are, MacDonald has a section on that in chapter 11.
Search engines (p. 316). Will my web project show up if someone googles me? I just googled myself (eeek!!!) and in fact it does not. I think this is because I am using a secure server sponsored by my school? MacDonald says that you can introduce your site to Google (p. 317), but I'm not going that route. In fact, there's a section about hiding from search engines! (p. 321).
Overall, I think Chapter 11 is useful if you're in the market to market your site or product.
Chapter 12: Mailto Links! (p. 337). Here we go. Professional sites need this in case someone stumbles upon the site and instantly wants to hire you!
This chapter also has info about making forums and groups, which isn't necessary on a professional site, but will one day be useful if I ever design a library site. This info is on pages 350-.
Beaird, Ch. 4
Chapter 4: Typography!!! This chapter is cool. Especially if you want to make your page unique and fun. This would be a great chapter for someone designing a blog or fun personal site. I like the info on spacing (p. 106). Again, I think this would be best utilized by a site trying to sell something.
I'm going to review this week's websites in their own post--there's a lot of them.
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