topic 8

as a managing partner for iPoint advisors, I would have selected the following sites as my top choices for the company web site.

1. http://www.maryenvall.com/ipoint/index.htm

2. http://mat.miracosta.edu/MAT165/studentwork/kon/midterm/index.html

3. http://mat.miracosta.edu/MAT165/studentwork/ouyang/midterm/

I found these 3 to have a generally more professional appearance. The design of the sites is sleeker and more successful than the rest.

1. Mary Envall

i think this is the most successful iPoint site. The design is very successful. It does a good job of adding depth to the content, and distracting the user from the grid structure of the html. The color scheme is nice--it again adds depth to the site, and also serves to highlight the content in an inviting, clean way. The use of fonts is tasteful, and the titles are successfully contrasted from the rest of the content material. The incorporation of the same visual motif throughout the site serves to add cohesion to the site.

2. Yoshiko Kon

this site is also successful. The overall design is clean and effective. The color scheme is vivid, yet professional. The navigation is unconvential and incorporates pictures, yet it works and is successful in drawing the user in and creating a visual link b/n point A and point B. The logo is effective and proffesional. Also the incorporation of strong business-related imagery serves to create depth and add visual appeal to the site.

3. Klarence Ouyang.

Klarence's site is simple yet effective. The design is sleek and professional. The navigation works logically, and the content is presented in a way that is interesting but predictable. The color scheme is successful, and the photos are all effective, and add to the site.

These sites all have redeeming qualities, but in my opinion they fall short of fulfilling the iPoint vision.

1. http://mat.miracosta.edu/MAT165/studentwork/aoyagi/midterm/
2. http://mat.miracosta.edu/MAT165/studentwork/mountain/midterm/
3. http://mat.miracosta.edu/MAT165/studentwork/cardarelli/midterm/

1.Aoyagi

this site is very interesting looking and would probably be an effective design for an artist, a cologne, or a personal site. The text is all presented in interesting ways, and is in many ways unconventional. I especially like the contrast in size of fonts, but it doesn't give a very serious image for a corporate firm. The color scheme is bright and light-hearted, but doesn't seem to say 'this is an advising firm'. Overall, I think this site could be very successful if applied to the right business. But for an advising firm, it just sends the wrong message.

2. Mountain

I feel like this site falls short of the iPoint ideal for an internet presence. The logo is too small, and it feels out of place in the white space. The sizing of the navigation is too big, and the content material feels cramped and stuffed into the bottom corner of the front page. Also there is a prevalence of fonts that don't seem to relate to eachother effectively. I think the bio and services pages are semi-successful. the content boxes in these pages are tasteful and effective, but in the context of the rest of the site, they don't fit. If the site was revised with the content in mind, I think it could be much more successful.

3. Cardarelli

This site is almost successful and has a lot of redeeming characteristics. The color sheme and the logo are very good. The header and navigation are successful, but I feel like the content is incoherent looking, and generally it has the look of a template site. The pictures are misaligned with the content as well. I feel like the weakness of this site is primarily in the presentation of hte content. If it were made more consistent, with more attention to the relation of the photos to the text, the site could be very successful.

My Site.

I feel like this site has a lot of redeeming qualities as well. I think the site is visually interesting looking and the navigation has a lot of interesting things going on. At times it is distracting, and could probably be toned down. The reliance on photoshop effects is heavy, and the shadows don't always work. The color scheme is drab and needs some brighter contrasting colors to make the site pop. The content is presented effectively, though it could probably benefit from some color changes to draw the user to it.

topic 7

net neutrality is an interesting and controversial topic that has far reaching implications in communication. the original idea that the internet is a decentralized network, not allowing any organization or entity to have a monopoly over content control is being challenged by internet providers such as comcast. comcast fought in court over their ability to regulate traffic based on the type of traffic content--for example, peer to peer traffic was being limited. Although the FCC won that battle, the course of internet has shown that the future of net neutrality is unclear. The once decentralized network that was an ideal for free communication is being challenged by corporations that have the power to limit content. Ultimately the power of censorship on the internet is technology based, and that is why it is such a difficult terrain to regulate. If an entity can develop the technology to create a specific result, it may take time for users or the FCC to even understand what it is doing or who created it. This gives companies an enormous amount of power, and if left unchecked, will mean less and less net neutrality.

topic 6

experience design is an interesting trend in web design, primarily utilizing flash to create an interesting user experience. Usually the site uses emotional cues such as music in the background and compelling imagery to create a more interesting experience. Monoface.com is an example of a site that does this, without necessarily violating the principles of usability. It has a very simple interface visually, but includes a very compelling flash page that allows you to morph different characteristics of faces together. By doing this, the user is connected to the page in a different way than a site that strictly presents content relevent to the company. The monoface application presents the skills of the advertising agency in a way that is compelling to users, without being removed from the purpose of the web site, which is to generate interest and business!

topic 5

Usability refers to the idea that web sites are primarily designed for users, so it becomes essential to understand the patterns of behavior that most users exhibit. Web sites following usability principles are simple, straight-forward and effective. They are create with the knowledge that users are impatient, scan instead of read, and are turned off by gimmicky catch-phrases. Usability also uses convention to achieve its means because people trust familiar things. It is a practical principle oriented methodology that creates real results in web design. this is an interesting article about usability:

http://www.bls.gov/ore/htm_papers/st960150.htm

blog topic 3

RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. It basically enables anyone to publish content for others to access in a convenient way. For example, you can choose several feeds from different sites and combine them together so you can easily view them all on the same page.

blog topic 2

I use w3 schools constantly to find out new things about scripting languages. it has information on every language used in web design/development. lately it's been very helpful with learning AJAX and php/MYSQL database programming.

website fav

i really like the designs on this site:

www.singingserpent.com

On the singing serpent site, I think the buttons are awesome--they push the envelope as far as what a button can be (to me the fact that snakes are slithering out of the button makes wherever i'm being linked to more interesting.) I also think the site has a sense of humor in how it conveys information. The colors and the type of illustration convey a sense of 'fun' and creative spirit even in the context of a professional sound design firm.

I also think this site is stunning:

www.grotesk.fi

the main problem is also what makes it great: the high quality of the images. The swf file is pretty huge and it takes too long to load.

beside that, the quality and vibrant color in the images conveys the quality of the food. It makes me want to eat it. The other thing i notice is the way images blend into eachother as you're navigating through the pages. There are also some cool naviagation hover effects.