Learning How to make a Web Page?

Final Entry

2010-10-12T16:00:00.015+11:00

All done - finished - completed
THE END!!!!!

Well not really the end it is only the beginning!
My own first real website is under construction and can be found at http://www.makkblakk.com - please come and visit - all helpful feedback is welcomed!!

Module 6 Activity 2 Making my own web page

2010-10-12T09:09:00.003+11:00

Whooooo!!! finally we get to producing our own web site!!!
Now this is good and it is fun and it is not really that hard???
My first practice page is at: http://www.sevendeadlysins.makkblakk.com/
A work in progress and much more to do.......
Please let me know how you go with it?
All advice and help is much needed!

Update: 21 November 2010 -
thank you everyone for your helpful comments,
they have all been implemented now I am making my real website.

Module 6 Activity 3 Making web page

2010-10-12T09:01:00.004+11:00

Recreating Launceston Flood Control Report
Well.....I could fill 10 pages with bitching about the corrupted learning videos and inadequate Polytechnic learning recources!
But why both wasting more time - I have reproduced the page - its done.
BUT WITH MUCH PAIN!!!!!!
Proof it is completed can be found at http://www.ltonflood.makkblakk.com/

module 6 Learning Activity 1 research Web

2010-10-12T08:55:00.015+11:00

Question 1
How the internet got started and by whom:
"The concept of data communication - transmitting data between two different places, connected via some kind of electromagnetic medium, such as radio or an electrical wire - actually predates the introduction of the first computers. Such communication systems were typically limited to point to point communication between two end devices. Telegraph systems and telex machines can be considered early precursors of this kind of communication. The earlier computers used the technology available at the time to allow communication between the central processing unit and remote terminals. As the technology evolved new systems were devised to allow communication over longer distances (for terminals) or with higher speed (for interconnection of local devices) that were necessary for the mainframe computer model. Using these technologies it was possible to exchange data (such as files) between remote computers. However, the point to point communication model was limited, as it did not allow for direct communication between any two arbitrary systems; a physical link was necessary. The technology was also deemed as inherently unsafe for strategic and military use, because there were no alternative paths for the communication in case of an enemy attack.
As a response, several research programs started to explore and articulate principles of communications between physically separate systems, leading to the development of the packet switching model of digital networking. These research efforts included those of the laboratories of Vinton G. Cerf at Stanford University, Donald Davies (NPL), Paul Baran (RAND Corporation), and Leonard Kleinrock at MIT and at UCLA. The research led to the development of several packet-switched networking solutions in the late 1960s and 1970s, including ARPANET, Telenet, and the X.25 protocols. Additionally, public access and hobbyist networking systems grew in popularity, including unix-to-unix copy (UUCP) and FidoNet. They were however still disjointed separate networks, served only by limited gateways between networks. This led to the application of packet switching to develop a protocol for internetworking, where multiple different networks could be joined together into a super-framework of networks. By defining a simple common network system, the Internet Protocol Suite, the concept of the network could be separated from its physical implementation. This spread of internetworking began to form into the idea of a global network that would be called the Internet, based on standardized protocols officially implemented in 1982. Adoption and interconnection occurred quickly across the advanced telecommunication networks of the western world, and then began to penetrate into the rest of the world as it became the de-facto international standard for the global network. However, the disparity of growth between advanced nations and the third-world countries led to a digital divide that is still a concern today.
Following commercialization and introduction of privately run Internet service providers in the 1980s, and the Internet's expansion for popular use in the 1990s, the Internet has had a drastic impact on culture and commerce. This includes the rise of near instant communication by electronic mail (e-mail), text based discussion forums, and the World Wide Web. Investor speculation in new markets provided by these innovations would also lead to the inflation and subsequent collapse of the Dot-com bubble. But despite this, the Internet continues to grow, driven by commerce, greater amounts of online information and knowledge and social networking known as Web 2.0"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet)

Number of web pages online:
Nobody is in charge of the internet so nobody can exactly say. - but there are millions and billions.......and increasing every minute!
" According to the Netcraft Web Server Survey, as of December 2009 there are around 233,848,493 websites are available on world wide web. There has been an increase of 47 million hostnames and 7 million active websites over the last 12 months. In the month of December 2009 netcraft has received responses from 233,848,493 sites, which is an increase of 212000 since last month. This means that more than 2 lakh websites got added on internet in last one month. Netcraft is an Internet services company based in Bath, England. It provides web server and web hosting market-share analysis. However, the company is famous for its free anti-phishing toolbar for the Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers. (http://hottopicsonline.info/internet/how-many-websites-are-there)

Maintaining standards for publishing on the internet is done by:
World Wide Web Consortium, W3C.

The difference between Internet and Intranet.
There's one major distinction between an intranet and the Internet: The Internet is an open, public space, while an intranet is designed to be a private space. An intranet may be accessible from the Internet, but as a rule it's protected by a password and accessible only to employees or other authorized users.
From within a company, an intranet server may respond much more quickly than a typical Web site. This is because the public Internet is at the mercy of traffic spikes, server breakdowns and other problems that may slow the network. Within a company, however, users have much more bandwidth and network hardware may be more reliable. This makes it easier to serve high-bandwidth content, such as audio and video, over an intranet.
(http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/internet-technology/639-1.html)

A Web server is:
A Web server is a computer program that delivers (serves) content, such as Web pages, using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), over the World Wide Web. The term Web server can also refer to the computer or virtual machine running the program. ...
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_server)

An ISP is:
A service which provides access to a remote computer system. This access connects your personal computer to the Internet. Also called 'Access Providers'. ISPs that you access by modem are often called 'dial-up services.
(www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/ollc_glossary.phtml)

A host is:
Web host is in the business of providing server space, Web services and file maintenance for Web sites controlled by individuals or companies that do not have their own Web servers.
(www.bewebmaster.com/50.php)

HTML is:
HyperText Markup Language, a computer "language" used to define the appearance and functions of websites and their pages. When talking of websites, HTML is often referred to as "code" or "source code." Superset elaborations of such code include XHTML, XML, etc.
(www.writerswebsiteplanner.com/resources/glossary.html)

CSS is:
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheet. This is a document format which provides a set of style rules which can then be incorporated in an XHTML or HTML document. It is a means to separate web content from formatting and presentation information.
(www.joedolson.com/glossary.php)

Question 2
'The top ten best hosting' say these are Australia's best hosts:
(http://www.thetop10bestwebhosting.com/aug?gclid=CM6MoZmqn6QCF0mbwodnzKG4Q)
____________________

or

'Web Hosting Geeks' say the top ten Australian hosts are:

Independent reviews of the best web hosting providers. Cheap professional web hosting services under $10 a month; all webhosting plans include at least one free domain name registration and 30 day money back guarantee.

Rank Web Hosting Provider Features Bonus Features Hosting Review
1 Inmotion
Business Web Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $5.95 Free Domain Name,
Choice of Data Centers,
Top Technical Support Inmotion Review
Host Rating: 98%
Review Inmotion

2 iPage
Trusted Web Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $3.50 Host Unlimited Domains,
Anytime Moneyback,
$400 of FREE Extras iPage Review
Host Rating: 97%
Review iPage

3 WebHostingHub
Best Personal Web Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $3.95 Free Domain Name,
Host Unlimited Domains,
24/7/365 U.S. Support WebHostingHub Review
Host Rating: 97%
Review WebHostingHub

4 WebHostingPad
Cheap Reliable Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $1.99 Free Domain Forever,
Host Unlimited Domains,
$100 Marketing Bonus WebHostingPad Review
Host Rating: 96%
Review WebHostingPad

5 JustHost
Editor's Choice Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $3.45 Free Domain Forever,
Host Unlimited Domains,
$100 Marketing Bonus JustHost Review
Host Rating: 95%
Review JustHost

6 FatCow
Cheap Business Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $3.67 Free Domain Forever,
Host Unlimited Domains,
$75 Marketing Bonus FatCow Review
Host Rating: 95%
Review FatCow

7 GreenGeeks
300% Green Web Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $4.95 Free Domain Name,
Host Unlimited Domains,
FREE Site Builder GreenGeeks Review
Host Rating: 95%
Review GreenGeeks

8 Bluehost
Unlimited Web Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $6.95 Free Domain Forever,
Host Unlimited Domains,
$75 Marketing Bonus Bluehost Review
Host Rating: 94%
Review Bluehost

9 Hostmonster
Cheap Unix Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $6.95 Free Domain Forever,
Host Unlimited Domains,
$75 Marketing Bonus Hostmonster Review
Host Rating: 93%
Review Hostmonster

10 GoDaddy
Largest Web Hosting Space: Unlimited
Traffic: Unlimited
Price: $12.74 Free Domain Name,
Host Unlimited Domains,
Free SSL Certificate GoDaddy Review
Host Rating: 92%
Review GoDaddy

Editor's notice: Web hosting providers ranked by the best price-value ratio. Host reliability, uptime, key features, bonus features, customer support, past and current user feedbacks, user-friendliness and hosting awards have been taken into account as well.
(http://webpostinggeeks.com/)
___________________________________

Web Hosting Yes' says top 10 US hosts are:
(http://webhostingsyes.com/)

Question 3
Advantage of hosting overseas:
US hosting is cheaper for Australians than local hosting and cheaper again in UK
better customer support service in some other countries
legal advantages like tax evasion??

Advantage of hosting ISP:
upload is much faster
transfer of images much faster
easy, fast and cheap phone access to host
local search engines favours locally hosted sites when organizing search results

Question 4

This is a bad domain name because: it's too long to remember and type again right and not easy for search engines to locate first.

Question 5
Useful tips on choosing a domain name:
1. Keep it short and make it the same as your business name and all advertising, so it is easy to remember
2. Register as .com because it's what people think of first, but register .net, .org etc. as well to eliminate possible misdirection away from you
3.Don’t pay Large Amounts of money it is not necessary
4. Register Your Domain NOW to give yourself more chance of getting what you want
5. Also Register similar names and miss spelling of your name to optimism results from search engines

Question 6
See if my name is available:
'humanityinsanity.com' and ' insanityofhumanity.com' have both gone.
I am working on what I might want instead??

Search for my domain name registration cost:
$30 or $100.40 for 5 years or many more options - I am searching a free one????

Other peoples opinion of my name:
general consensus was that I am insane - so not much productive help there - I will ask some more informed peoples opinion when I have thought of something new?

Question 7
The difference between .com.au and .com and which is better:
"Basically, a .com.au domain name identifies you as an Australian business. This has a number of advantages if you are targetting Australian Internet users.
Probably the most important effect a .com.au domain has is that some search engines filter their results according to where the searcher lives. For example, if you conduct a search on Google, it is clever enough to work out where you are. And when it knows that you live in Australia, it will often make the assumption that you will be more interested in Australian websites, and so it may place Australian websites higher up the search results than international ones.
This isn't always the case, but over time you will find that depending on your product, .com.au domains may rank higher in Australia than international domain names. This is important if your market is solely in Australia.
What if your market is global? Then a .com may be more appropriate for you. For example, our domain name is a .com domain, because we can and do provide our services worldwide, even though we are an Australian business based in Australia. We want to be recognised as a global Internet business and so we chose the .com domain.
Having said that, there is no reason why you can't have both. It is certainly possible to purchase both the .com and the .com.au versions of your domain name and have them both point to the same website. Don't go overboard though. If you purchase too many domain names and have them all providing the same content, this can be seen by many search engines as "spamming", and could possibly penalise you as a result.
What about the price difference? There used to be a very big price difference between .com. and .com.au domain names, but in recent years the .com.au domains have dropped significantly in price, so that the difference is no longer so great. Using our prices as an example, a .com domain will cost you $20 per year. A .com.au domain will cost you $25 per year (.com.au domains can only be purchased for 2 year periods, so the cost will actually be $50 for 2 years, plus GST).
So the price is no longer a huge issue, and if you are trading in Australia it makes sense to get the .com.au domain name so that you are recognised as an Australian business and get the benefits of it within Australia's search engine market."
(http://domains.southwestecommerce.net.au)

Question 8
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a web site or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Other forms of search engine marketing (SEM) target paid listings. In general, the earlier (or higher on the page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search and industry-specific vertical search engines. This gives a web site web presence. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_Engine_Optimiser)

Strategies I would use on my site:
1.make a website title tag that has good visibility
2. good html structure that says everything I want to say without images or animations
3.good header tags for each page that describe content quickly
4.learn how to use robots.txt file to help direct spiders to the important information easily
5.test my web site with as many different browsers as possible

Question 9
Web site usability is: the ease by which a web site can be used
(www.philipclintmarketingservices.co.uk/glossary.html)

Quality components are:
1. Most users do not scroll so have all important information on screen size
2. Blue is the best color for links because it is most commonly used thus easily identified
3. White space improves comprehension
4. Labels work best above the field as we are use to the format from reading books
5. Most users are blind to advertising so don't let make your page look like an ad
(http://smachingmagazine.com/2009/09/24/10-useful-usability-findings-and-quidelines/

Question 10

Example of usable web site and why:
(http://www.nick-cave.com/)
you do not have to scroll down page to see what the site is about
white space improving comprehension is substituted by grey here providing the same result
all labels, links and menus are clearly marked in uniform style - easily recognized
this site is not all about advertising it is an information site

Example of unusable web site and why:
(http://www.anglefire.com/super/badwebs/main.htm)

This is named the worst website but they have still included some good usability??
- important information is on screen size
- blue color used for links and easily identified
- labels are above the field
- doesn't look like an add
the very worst problems with this page are:
- the constant flashing colour confusion
- the disgusting audio

Question 11
Accessibility is: Ease of use and ability to use the web-site - by as many users as possible (www.philipclintmarketingservices.co.uk/glossary.html)

Tips to make my web site accessible
1.follow official guide lines of WCAG
2.use standard code - XHTML or CSS
3.test everything thoroughly and regularly

Popular screen-reader solutions (software)
1.Jaws 6
2.Connect Out Loud 2
3.Lynx

FREE solutions that test website's accessibility
1.Cynthia Says
2.WAVE
3.WebXact

Name for the quality standards set by the US Government to ensure websites are accessible to everyone and that you have to apply for in your website to be eligible for US Govt. web contract:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) published by World Wide Web Consortium

Note: the link to MS Word doc (Sydney 2000 Olympics) in this assignment is broken.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
chris's comments after submitting
As for the hosting options I use bluehost/ justhost & lunarpages
for US based. All pretty good. Locally I use iinet for http://www.lsfaustralia.org.au
http://www.seat.org.au
and their hosting is fast. Transferring files up there is 10x
quicker than using US host. But it's 50% more expensive.
as for testing your site using as many different browsers as possible:
http://browsershots.org/
Nick Cave online; do they really need the "online" label in the title?
As for your URL, make it as short as you can. Make it memorable.
The US Govt. standard is missing hint: it starts with "Section ..."
re-submit your answer here then move on,
...................................................
last question resubmitted: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d)
and passed.

Module 6 - Assesment Activity 1

2010-10-12T08:53:00.001+11:00

Does this blog work?????

seems it does - got the okay move on sign from Chris - now to the web page???

Module 6 - learning activity 1

2010-09-22T20:29:00.055+10:00

Researching blogs

The word "blog" means:

The word "blog" means:
A shortened version of "Web Log" (Macquarie Dictionary,4th ed.,2006).
'The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger[4] on 17 December 1997. The short form, "blog," was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999.[5][6][7] Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog," meaning "to edit one's weblog or to post to one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger" in connection with Pyra Labs' Blogger product, leading to the popularization of the terms' (http://en.wikapedia.org/wiki/Blog)
What a "blog" is and what it does:
'A blog is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.' (http://en.wikapedia.org/wiki/Blog)
Types of "blogs" available:
'Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (Art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting.' (http://en.wikapedia.org/wiki/Blog/)
Example ! - Art blog: http://www.artnewsblog.com/
Example 2 - Photo blog: http://www.whitetulipblog.com/
Example 3 - MP3 blog: http://www.sixeyes.blogspot.com/2009/06/nick-cave-live-melbourne-australia-2009.html
Blogging system strengths and weaknesses:
This is a great table answering all questions and more, except for hacking? There doesn't seems to be a system that can really avoid it - best hints I can find are to change your passwords regularly and don't choose anything that might be found on your blog???
This table comparison from: http://www.blog-services-review.toptenreviews.com/

)

Module 5 assesment activity 2 - OH&S

2010-09-21T16:00:00.006+10:00

Occupational Health and Safety Presentation
Well I didn't stick exactly to the brief for this one because I could not fit in all sections of the 4 elements we had to address and include all 12 points of the assesment criteria in under 500 words and 20 slides??
Also it was not stated in the brief if this slide show would be presented by a speaker who would be elorating on slide text or if the slides had to tell it all alone?
So while Chris was holidaying I had to make an executive decision on my own.
I assumed - no speaker - the whole story had to be told by the slide show.

Module5 assesment activity5_oh&s_presentation

PROBLEM: when I upload this powerpoint presentation into slideshare I lost all my animations - totally? Still trying to work out why and how to fix it??
However, during my research I discovered an OH&S presentation on slideshare which was very nearly perfect for this activity because: great colour scheme - excellent timing of slide movement - great text placement for readability and graphic elements - and most importantly, concise easily understood content - check it out:http://www.slideshare.com.net/collectivesuggestion/occupational-health-safety-presentation

Module 5 OH&S Learning activity 2 - workstation

2010-09-21T14:00:00.007+10:00

My fanatastic studio
Just playing - creating a dream - wish it would come true!
the floor plan is published to the flicker stream at right......

Chris said: the brief was more about designing a custom workstation ie: the space in proximity to the computer rather than the studio itself?
My reply: Opps! Sorry Chris I got a bit carried away with my dream.....
Chris said: 9 fire extinguishers sounds excessive?
My reply: 9 fire extinguishers is not excessive if you have ever been trapped by fire before.......
Chris said: you are missing a security system?
My reply: On the paper plan I don't appear to, but! in my head plan there are 6 very large scary dogs laying around in the sun just waiting to eat intruders ........

Module 5 OH&S Learning activity 1

2010-09-20T16:46:00.016+10:00

Possible Perils working on the computer

Module 5 OH&S Learning activity 1

Problem with lower back pain and injury if:
wrong type of chair
no mechanism for lowering and raising chair to the right height
feet not flat on floor
back not in straight upright position,
sitting on the edge of the chair,
sitting cross legged
no removable and adjustable armrests
no contoured seat with rounded edges to distribute your weight
no breathable fabric on chair
do not do regular stretching exercises for body

Problem with neck pain and injury if:
use of wrong type of prescription glasses (like bifocals),
no document holder to restrict neck movement.
Screen’s height not adjusted parallel to eyesight

Problem with pain and injury to wrists & fingers if:
Striking the keys too hard.
grip the mouse to tightly
mouse is not close enough to the body.
mouse not placed right in front of the shoulder,
no wrist support for using mouse
elbow and wrist not parallel to keyboard
keyboard at wrong angle
keyboard too far away
do not do regular wrist exercise

Problem with strain or damaged eyes if:
too much glare from monitor from prolonged use
unnecessary glare from not adjusting brightness and contrast of monitor
sun glare on the monitor from windows,
wrongly placed internal lighting reflections and glare
no tinting coat on prescription glasses.
computer screen is not between 18 and 24 inches away from face
not blinking eyes enough to keep moist
do not have regular eye testing

More problems if:
room temperature is too hot or too cold
drink too much tea or coffee
do not drink enough water
stationery, cd's, files and other equipment not in easy reach distance
do not take regular hourly breaks to exercise
do not eat enough food for energy
do not restrict hours of work per day
continue working when stressed (physically or mentally)
do not do alternate work tasks regularly away from computer station
do not have sufficient leg room under desk
do not have rounded corners and edges of desk
do not keep the air around you clean
do not adjust the refresh rate of your monitor to stop it flickering
do not keep your monitor the screen clean
do not keeping the screen and document holder at the same distance from your eyes
do not service, repair or replace monitors that flicker or have inadequate clarity

Added safety measured to be taken:
keep spillable drinks away from equipment to avoid electrical short circuits and fires
secure lockable and unlockable doors and windows of room and building
fire extinguishers for paper flames and also electrical fires
easily reached exit in case of fire
alternate exit in other direction
don't over load power points with lots of power boards
keep all equipment connections in an orderly secure manner that is easily identified
use adapters to save equipment from power surges
install automatic circuit breaker on main power board to prevent equipment damage, electrocution and fires
regularly service and update all electrical equipment to prevent exposure to unsafe emissions

Must also maintain:
strict time management
well structured work routine
other curricula activities not related to computer

Module 5 assesment activity 1

2010-09-19T14:09:00.055+10:00

Brainstorming my business ideas
Well I don't want a Web designing business so I worked on ideas for my web page????
This was a very interesting exercise about where and when ideas come from!
I began with a very loose idea and by the end of the exercise, because of influences from other events in my life, I ended up with a very clear direction for the content I wish to develop in my web page!!!

<>To Do List for my new business:<><><><>1. Research appropriate name that will have good searchability properties on web: - I googled 'humanity insanity' and their is 1 web site, 1 blog page, 1 youtube video, 1 youtube song, so with further googling I found nothing for' surviving humanity insanity'. Therefore, my web page will be 'survive humanity insanity today.com' (I added today so the initials of the web site are shortened to 'SHIT' - which it basically is. I googled 'shit.com' and found a porno site - so that name is out!! - design corporate correspondence logo (this document is the beginning of the design) - find out how to register business name (found the site, bookmarked it and just have to fill it in) 2. Research Copyright laws and choices for: - web site and intellectual properties - content: art work, written theories, e-books, (all bookmarked to fill in later) 3. Research local and federal government legislation for: - licensing (bookmarked and read when final decisions are made) - taxation - GST - ( I have all these details from studying the MYOB modules) - ABN Number (I have ABN number just have to change the details of the business) 4. Research which is best Domain to host web page - cost - speed national and international (will find this information in last module) 5. Research Insurance companies for cost: - original art work (already insured) - studio equipment (already insured just need to extend when new equipment is purchased. - public liability (will add this when premises and web site is operational) 6. Talk to accountant about all the above plus - what records I will be required to maintain (I know what I will need but will check again when closer to being ready to start) - financing options (just mother) 6. Cost new hardware (know the basic prices and will pick the best deal when ready) - new monitor (for computer with 2 external hard drives I already have which will be the creative station) - digital camera - video camera - new desktop computer for be used purely to maintain web site on separate internet line - with external hard drive for backup - new printer/fax scanner - new laptop computer / wireless internet(so that I can work in other places than the studio) 7. Cost new software: (I am going to see if I can stay with student editions) - New Adobe Professional CS5 - MYOB Professional for bookkeeping 8. Cost infrastructure: (depends on decision about premisies) - rent - landline phone and internet and website and mobile and wireless thingy - Electricity - insurance 9. Cost to purchase new studio equipment (depends on premises and sale catalogues?) - new desks and work benches - new filing/storage system - new chair - new music system - new music keyboard - headphones/microphone - bulk stationery supply 10. Produce projected costs for 3 years using the information from above for loans and to work out how much money I need to make to make it all viable? 11. Research how I am actually going to make money from my work on this web page - what I will sell - e-books or printed books and painting downloads or painting prints??? - research how money payments happen on the web - set up accounts system - or am I going to offer a service of some kind as well such as publishing service? - how to make money from other peoples advertisement on my site (ad-sense)? 12. Finance - Produce a full projected profit and loss statement for 3 years and business plan - this will be hard if relying on internet sales alone as this is totally unpredictable territory? - take to accountant for advice and direction - If needed I can be obtain an interest free private loan but would still have to do all of the above to satisfy myself that I wasn't wasting the money or my time. - repayments of the loan would be made annually after the end of each financial year when a profit was obtained 13. Outsourcing: for work that I cannot do or an unable to at the time. - Editor first for all my creative writing - to be discussed how payment would occur - by page rate paid on completion - or as percentage of sale when article is sold (ongoing) - Proofreaders for everything - paid hourly - Photographer for specialised work I want to produce - paid on completion of each job - Music techno to advise and check my original music that I want to put on the web site. - Someone (?) who has similar creative style to me to do extra work I am unable to when a project needs to be completed - Web consultant to help with all the problems I am sure I will encounter. - Technical consultant for all those tricky hardware/software and glitch bits that happen all the time? 14. Mission Statement (after I have worked out exactly what my business is about) - A formal statement about the goals and aims of my business and the procedures on how I want to accomplish this...... 15. The Advertising Campaign for business promotion: - this will depend upon what I am selling and to whom? - if it is all sales on the web - all advertising will firstly be done on the internet - press releases with brief outline of business and photos of product to appropriate web sites such as: literary sites, art galleries, online magazines that would show my work and include free offer to entice viewers - more exact research on this after I decide what I am selling - if I am also doing local work face to face then this involves a campaign to make me physically visible in the community - press release of new enterprise to all major newspapers and magazines - Big launch function - offering freebies - and probably have include an exhibition of my original paintings (but not for sale) invite the 'money nobility', 'professional gurus', the 'intellectual snobs' and then tv people - yellow pages listing a MUST. - whether I do one or both ideas of marketing I would also - email everyone I have ever known socially and professionally and all appropriate associated professional institutions with link to my web page 16. Clients: how to get them and how to keep them. - The advertising campaign first to create high visibility - if selling e-books then I would give the first 2 chapters free and then charge for remaining 8. - it would be the content of the books that would keep clients - if it was good? - if selling prints (downloads or hardcopy) no freebies - but discount for buying whole series. (all my paintings comes in sets) - If selling a publishing service on the web then I would have to put in extra hours for free to produce site at minimum cost but gain the money back by charging for ongoing maintenance of the site for people who don't want to play with computers? - and if there are any problems - the client is always right? (maintaining goodwill) 17. Tracking clients and jobs: - MYOB Accounting is a good programme that can be adapted to any business which enables links to all aspects of each individual clients activities and provides the opportunity to click on a report at anytime and instantly see the details of their current and historical status with all contact information. - maintaining contact with clients is also priority so by setting up mailing list they would be regularly updated with new releases and related activities via email looking to create a more personal relationship for ongoing business. 18. Professional development: - this was discussed in last activity and I found the best idea was to constantly look at the list provided by goggling 'latest trends', in which ever field I am exploring, and following the links - also by Chris's suggestion, participate in appropriate forums related to my work - as for my creative writing content, when I have a thought or idea I Google that moment and see what other people have produced, compare with my thoughts, revaluate my thoughts, move forward or discard? - the painting content is not so simple, that creativity process happens by itself alone, I have no control, but it evolves.... - keep constantly updated with latest software and hardware to maximise best productive results - when there is something I don't know that I and want to know I enrol in another class - polytechnics university, or other relevant online courses - 19. Communication - this has been addressed in several sections written above 20. OH&S - the big one!!!! - when working from a creative impulse health and safety issues very often fly straight out the window when you are in 'the moment'. - I have tried lots of different strategies but all have failed..... - so once I have been into overdrive and stuffed myself I make myself stop by leaving the studio and going somewhere else for the next day, sometimes 2 days to come back to planet earth. - and 'earth' is the big word here because simply by sitting on the ground out in nature the body rejuvenates it's self to a relaxed equilibrium - for raining cold wet days I also have an 'exercise bike' that is good for stretching all muscles that have stupefied while sitting at the desk too long - I also regularly see an osteopath to align the skeletal and muscle system which gets stuffed by doing the same thing for too long (RSI) - when doing work that is routine such as accounts, filing, backups, communications, advertising, research etc. I designate a day per week with time limit and it is finished, then it is very necessary to go outside and sit on 'earth'. - time-management at the beginning of the day is something I can do; walking for 30 minutes, stretching exercises for 30 minutes, while drinking lots of water, eating good breakfast. - continue drinking lots of water all day, eating snacks (grazing) of the healthy variety - end of day, when ever that is, drink alcohol - very necessary to escapes reality? Too much time spent in the reality of today's society can cause major depression issues. - while drinking alcohol, cook sumptuous feast and listen to heavy metal music to take you to yet another place ....... - peace from the creativity or hard slog of the day is then attained and it is time to sleep? My routine summary: exercise minimum 1 hour beginning of each day, eat big breakfast, drink lots of water all day, eat by grazing during the day, get on the exercise bike or go outside and touch earth ( if you remember), imbibe alcohol and listen to load music at end of day, eat feast, sleep or stay resting in bed for 8 hours per night, see osteopath monthly. Brainstorming UPDATE: extra thoughts on 12 September. I have just applied for a job as a Peer Support Worker for people recovering from a mental illness - through my research on this position and conversations with different agencies about the work involved I have discovered more about what I want this web page to do and refined the ideas: - provide information for people who think in an alternative manner and are trying to stay sane in this insane world (this might be part of my mission statement?) - produce short, illustrated e-books FREE. Such as - how to: survive a healing, survive suicide, survive your mind, survive social stigma, survive and achieve and the list goes on....) - affiliate myself and link to credible sites such as 'beyond blue' for further structured information - not looking to make any money from ad-sense etc. on this site or from sales. - this web site is more an advertisement for my skills as a consultant for art-based therapy (I do have those skills and experience documented) - this will be a Viral Marketing exercise!!!! - so this web page is just one to begin with............ and I can do it all here and now without any extra dollar outlay for hardware or software, premises, insurance etc. The next web page project would be about marketing courses on-line for art therapy and that is a whole new exercise! I love brainstorming!!!!

Module 5 learning activity 1 - research

2010-09-03T14:11:00.052+10:00

Answers to research questions on web
Question 1:Award wage for 17 year old Junior Web Developer is $27,015 (70% of adult),
when turning 18 the wage will increase to $38,594 per annum.
reference: from link pdf, p.31

Question 2:
10 desirable qualities for a successful junior developer in multimedia development studio
1. Project Skills
Junior web developers should be able to assist in designing, coding, and testing of technical solutions. They should understand standard systems development and life cycle processes. They should be able to perform and execute the plans and coding standards as defined by management and work under deadlines.
2.Career Path Skills
Junior web developers should have good communication skills. They should be able to listen and accept input from other team members as well as articulate their ideas and thoughts verbally and in written form. Basic database knowledge is necessary including the ability to write basic SQL statements, knowledge of relational database concepts and methods of database access. Use of programming languages will vary depending on the standard used at companies. However, they should demonstrate proficiency in HTML, basic XML and at least one scripting language.
3. Understanding web and software architecture
It is important and they should have a basic understanding of object-oriented language including: classes, components, objects and interfaces. They should also understand the differences in various web browsers.
4.Professional Qualities
Junior web developers work in a team environment. Therefore, they should be able to work well with others and be able to collaborate on ideas and projects. Because of the high stress environment, developers should have a positive outlook on their positions and strive to work in harmony. They should be able to work well with clients and implement their requirements to the best of their ability.
5.Organizational Responsibilities
Some of the expectations for junior web developers are an ability to comply with all policies and procedures. They should be good with time management and also with organizational skills. They should be able to accurately complete and submit status reports in a timely manner.
Reference: "Junior Web Developer Job Description" By Rose Broyles, eHow Contributor updated: May 21, 2010,
6. Assist Senior Designers
First and foremost, junior designers assist senior designers. This can mean anything from replicating the senior designer's work to assisting on photo shoots to taking notes at meetings. Following the footsteps of a good senior designer is a fast way for junior designers to learn the design industry and develop her skills.
7. Small Projects
While senior designers handle large projects such as homepages and magazine covers, junior designers are often assigned to related small projects such as website banners, affiliate advertisements and logo variations. These smaller projects are usually modeled off large-scale projects previously completed by senior designers.
8.Asset Optimization
Coming up with innovative design is only the first part of a designer's job. Once a beautiful finished product is designed and approved, there is still plenty of work to be done. A web page, for example, has to be sliced into pieces and optimized for file size and space. Junior designers handle much of the grunt work when it comes to asset optimization. Though the work seems less than compelling, asset optimization thoroughly familiarizes junior designers with the production process.
9. Work with Copywriters
Even on small projects, junior designers will work with copywriters to develop creative solutions. Copywriters come up with project ideas and work with designers on the actual copy in the ad. Cultivating good working relationships with copywriters is an important skill for a junior designer to develop; the further a junior designer advances, the more face time will be spent with copywriters and creative directors.
10. Corrections and Updates
Once the main concept for a creative project has been designed and established by a senior designer, the project is often handed off to a junior designer for corrections and follow-up. Similarly, old advertisements or existing websites often need small updates, which are usually assigned to junior designers.
Reference: "Junior Designer Job Description" By Carrie Thorson, eHow Contributor updated: June 1, 2010,

Question 3:
Staff required to run a large multimedia studio:
Administration:
2 Receptionists
Accounts Manager + data input person + junior
The Manager + secretary + junior
Production
Market Researcher + junior
Graphic Artist + team
Journalist + team
Web Manager + team
Print manager + team
Sales
Sales Manager + team
Advertising
Advertising Manager + junior
Maintenance
IT person + junior
Tea-boy/cleanerQuestion 4:Responsibilities of personnel in multimedia office:
Administration -
The Receptionists responsibilities are to meet and greet the people at the front desk, on the phone, and the internet and direct them to the right department or personnel and take messages and never stop smiling.
The Accounts Manager's responsibilities are to maintain all sales and debtor ledgers and payroll in accordance with all current taxation laws to send to accountant. Provide a clear precise list of data to be entered by data input person. Instruct and teach the junior about all aspects of the manager's position.
The Data input person's responsibilities are to key in all the information the accounts manager provides, and double check carefully.
The Junior's responsibility is to do what the accounts manager says and gradually assumes parts of his work load as required.
The Manager of the company's responsibilities are to oversee and co-ordinates all departments in his office maintaining company prospectus. Attend to all the major PR appearances where required for clients, potential clients, company advertising, potential expansion and assessing the opposition. The Manager is the visible face of Company and is also liable for all the employees actions and work production. The Manager's foremost responsibly is to assure that the company makes a profit!
The Secretary's responsibilities are to screen all calls and visitors to the managers domain. Arrange the Managers timetable for everything, attends to all correspondence and prioritises before presenting to manager. The secretary is the Managers slave.
The Junior is the secretary's slave.
Production
The Market Researcher's responsibility is to look for information as directed by the sales manager looking for new opportunities and the oppositions status. The researcher also gathers information for the production team for their individual clients to begin shaping their campaign so that they produce the appropriate product that is also new and innovative and the best on the market. The market researcher is also checking for copyright tags and possible infringements - keeping the team proper and legal.
The junior's responsibility is to assist the market researcher in whatever task he is assigned - probably mostly scowling the net - while at the same time learning his masters job.
The Graphic Artist responsibility is to organise the team with brainstorming sessions for each client project to arrive at the best possible designs. Each member of the team is allocated the job to which they are best suited creatively and must produce to a timetable that the leader has provided. The team leader is also responsible for keeping updated with new software, new techniques, market trends, and everything else to do with graphic design and passing it on to his team so they are able to stay at the top of the pack!
The team, while doing everything directed by the leader, have a responsibility to present new and innovative ideas and creations to further their own careers' as well.
The Journalist + team, the Web Manager + team and the Print manager + team's responsibilities are the same as the Graphic Artist and team's responsibilities.
It is also the responsibility of all team leaders and managers to continually liaise and interact with each clients project to produce a time schedule for efficient production to obtain profitable monetary results for the company. All team leaders are also responsible for training and further education of their respective teams to ensure continual growth in creative productivity to maintain the viability of the company.
Sales
Sales Manager responsibility is to find new clients and sell them on becoming the companies new client. The manager is responsible for his team in the same manner as the production managers are, as are the team's responsibilities.
Advertising
The Advertising Manager's responsibilities is to make the company highly visible to the public to allow the Sales department to do their job. Therefore, the sales manager and the advertising manager must also continually liaise with each other to obtain maximum results.
The advertising junior's responsibility is to learn how to do the manager's job.
Maintenance
The IT person is responsible for keeping all the technical equipment in all departments running smoothly by routine maintenance and fixing all problems as they occur. Maintain the in-house networking system. Also adhering to company policy in replacement and renewal of all equipment as scheduled. To do this job successfully it is also the IT persons responsibility to stay informed on all new developments in the information technology world.
The IT juniors responsibility is to learn everything his senior knows and work as directed.
The Tea-boy/cleaner's responsibilities are to keep everyone well fed and hydrated while disposing of their waste to maintain a clean and tidy environment for all employees to work happily in.
It is the responsibility of all managers and team leaders to ensure all health and safety regulations and rules are adhered to by all employees, including themselves, to maintain healthy and happy people who will be more creative and productive while costing the company less money losses from 'sicky' days or workers compensation claims.
(If I had read this question before the last one I would have made it a smaller studio!)

Question 5
Advantages and disadvantages of sole operator to large studio:

The Sole operator is the boss with no one telling them what to do
- but the sole operator has to do everything themself.
- it is hard to switch from the creative side of the brain to the other side for administration duties constantly and maintain continuity in your creative design.
- then you have to learn the administration part first (another polytechnic course)
- and you will have to continually stay updated with admin laws and taxes so more time wasted.
The sole operator can work whenever they choose, day or night
- but you have to have very strong discipline as there are lots of temptations to take you away from work
- so you need more than just discipline you need a passion for your work to achieve results
- but then passion can consume you and if you are a sole operator you have no boss to tell you when to stop and if you don't then we move into health and safety issues
In a large studio there are lots of rules and regulations and all for good reasons - your health and safety first. ( well not really it is second to making money)
As a sole operator you may make more money on a particular account than if you were working in a large studio because you have less overheads
- but in a large studio you wage is set and regular every week on the dot with sick leave and superannuation included
As a sole operator you have to take out your own insurance for sick days (expensive) and maintain your own superannuation (got to think of old age and no work)
and you can't work creatively all the time because you have to spend a certain amount of time on advertising yourself to find those lucrative big accounts.
-but as a sole operator you probably wont get the really big accounts because corporate companies want security for their dollar spent which they can only get with a big studio.
The major problem with being a sole operator is that you can stagnate in your own little world
- in a large studio you constantly amongst the creative talents of others which is very good for everyone as it promotes growth and adventure and you progress
As a sole operator you have no one constantly ready on hand to offer critique or proofread your work......
Proofreading is the number one major MUST for every single part of the multimedia industry!
The spell checker is not enough!!!
Computer checks can miss things out of context, not pick up improper tenses and always forget to put 's' on the end of words that need them.
And if the message is incorrect in anyway - you don't get paid!
(And you can't get an insurance policy for that)
I could go on forever here but the bottom line from my experience is:
get a job in a big studio - its stable income, health safe, and creatively progressive.
at the same time set yourself up at home as a sole operator to take on work that you have a particular passion for and keep it small.
Over time the experience of both work situations will enable you to move higher in the larger studio situation to a manager spot - if that is where you want to go.
- because as a manager you have more administration duties than creative
So problems all round for both situations - I don't want to do either!

Question 6
Organisations regarding digital media industry in Australia:
1. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
is a statutory authority within the federal government portfolio of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
The ACMA is responsible for the regulation of:
• broadcasting
• the internet
• radiocommunications
• telecommunications.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is responsible for monitoring online content, including internet and mobile phone content, and enforcing Australia’s anti-spam law.
Its role includes:
• investigating complaints about online content and gambling services
• encouraging the development of codes of practice for internet service providers and online content service providers and monitoring compliance with these codes
• informing the community about internet safety issues, particularly those relating to children
reference:
_______________________________
2. The Australian Broadcasting Authority
The administration of the Broadcasting Services Act is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA). The Corporate Plan and Annual Reports of the ABA are available from this page. The latter contain detailed descriptions of the activities of the Authority, which cover the following broad areas:
 ownership and control;
 planning and licensing;
 program content and complaint handling;
 research into broadcasting issues;
 online services; and
 digital broadcasting and datacasting.

3.The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts administers Commonwealth media and communications policy.
4.The Communications Law Centre is an independent, non-profit, public interest
organisation specialising in media and communications law and policy.
5.The La Trobe University Online Media Program investigates the social and economic implications of Internet-based communications.
6.Network Insight is an RMIT University research group that deals with the future of media, telecommunications and on-line services with a focus on convergence in East Asia, especially Australia.
reference:
_____________________________________________________________
7. AIMIA is the peak industry body for interactive content and digital media in Australia.
AIMIA's membership represents the full spectrum of the digital media industry in Australia. Our members range from Australia's top digital media powerhouses, including the ABC, Sensis, Yahoo!, Google, BigPond, Foxtel, Disney, ninemsn and Fairfax Digital, to the country's best known interactive advertising, mobile content, web development, games design, and special effects companies. Members include developers, creators, producers, investors, service providers, educational institutions and students.
AIMIA EXISTS TO:
• Deliver services and initiatives that help AIMIA members grow their businesses in the Digital Media industry
• Develop and grow the markets for AIMIA member's services and products
• Identify and develop export opportunities in Digital Media for AIMIA members
• Represent AIMIA members and the Digital Media industry nationally and internationally with government, education, media and the broader business community
AIMIA MEMBER SERVICES INCLUDE:
• Digital Media Industry development initiatives and activities
• Business and consumer market development
• Education and training
• Industry standards, guidelines and codes of practice
• Consumer education
• Industry and consumer research
• Export assistance (TradeStart)
• International trade missions
• Forums, seminars, and conferences
• Networking events
• Annual AIMIA Awards program
• Government lobbying and policy development
• Insurance and legal services
reference:

Question 7
specialist roles in multimedia industry:

Mobile developer/designer
iPad/ iPhone developer/ designer
Web designer
Web developer/programmer
Database developer
Social network consultant
SEO consultant
Web marketer
Flash developer
PHP developer
Server administrator
Copywriter/ Editor
Illustrator
Animator 2D
Animator 3D
eLearning developer
eBusiness consultant
reference: 2010 Cert3Media - Forum - Workplace Skills: OH&S/ Industry Knowledge
(thanks Chris)

Question 8
How to maintain industry skills:
Number one is keep updated with the latest software you are using - which of course means you will be continually be updating your hardware to be able to use the software.
check online tutorials for new software usage - (some listed in the next question)
Sign up on line and link to sites that are continually showcasing all the new work, ideas, software, plug-ins, trends, legal bits.... all that is new -
then experiment - continually experiment with your creativity to find the new and innovative
if you find something you want to do and can't then maybe sign up for another learning course
and always keep a check on the opposition!

Question 9
Learning resources for Web Design (and all free):
http://www.adobe.com/training/recources/ (because this is the software I am using)
http://www.odannyboy.com/video5/ (excellent list of sites links for everything)
http://www.smartwebby.com/free_tutorials/ (tuts for everything too)
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/12/15/10-useful-techniques-to-improve-your-user-interface-design/
http://www.psd.tutsplus.com/articles/web/50-totally-free-lessons-in-graphic-design-theory/
If I wanted an accredited certificate in Web Design I would sign up for Cert IV - ?

Learning resources for Web Authoring: (all free)
http://w3schools.com/
http://www.webdesign.about.com/
http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/
http://www.e-learningcenter.com/free_html_course.htm
If I wanted an accredited certificate in web authoring I would complete the Polytechnic Cert IV Info Technology with Henry that I am already signed up for?

Question 10
How I would keep updated with industry trends:
Well I have bookmarked some special ones you gave us, smashing magazine and sitepoint for everything, panetone for colour trends, hongiat and cssshowcase for more of the latest.
I googled 'latest trends' and found some more interesting ones, which you I am sure you have already seen,
http://www.webtrecker.com
http://www.webdesignledger.com/tips/web-design-trends-for-2010
http://www.readwriteweb.com/trends/
......... and there are heaps in the list so I would just be checking out a few any time I got bored with myself?
Question 11
Employability Skills

1.Communication that contributes to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers
Listening and understanding
Speaking clearly and directly
Writing to the needs of the audience
Negotiating responsively
Reading independently
Empathising
Using numeracy effectively
Understanding the needs of internal and external customers
Persuading effectively
Establishing and using networks
Being assertive
Sharing information
Speaking and writing in languages other than English

2.Teamwork that contributes to productive working relationships and
outcomes
Working with people of different ages, gender, race, religion
or political persuasion
Working as an individual and as a member of a team
Knowing how to define a role as part of a team
Applying teamwork skills to a range of situations, e.g. futures
planning, crisis problem solving
Identifying the strengths of team members
Coaching, mentoring and giving feedback

3.Problem solving that contributes to productive outcomes
Developing creative, innovative solutions
Developing practical solutions
Showing independence and initiative in identifying problems
and solving them
Solving problems in teams
Applying a range of strategies to problem solving
Using mathematics including budgeting and financial
management to solve problems
Applying problem-solving strategies across a range of areas
Testing assumptions taking the context of data and
circumstances into account
Resolving customer concerns in relation to complex project
issues
Loyalty
Commitment
Honesty and integrity
Reliability
Personal presentation
Commonsense
Positive self-esteem
Sense of humour
Balanced attitude to work and home life
Enthusiasm
4. Initiative and enterprise that contribute to innovative outcomes
Adapting to new situations
Developing a strategic, creative, long-term vision
Being creative
Identifying opportunities not obvious to others
Translating ideas into action
Generating a range of options
Initiating innovative solutions

5. Planning and organising that contribute to long-term and short-term strategic planning
Managing time and priorities – setting timelines, coordinating
tasks for self and with others
Being resourceful
Taking initiative and making decisions
Adapting resource allocations to cope with contingencies
Establishing clear project goals and deliverables
Allocating people and other resources to tasks
Planning the use of resources including time management
Participating in continuous improvement and planning
processes
Developing a vision and a proactive plan to accompany it
Predicting – weighing up risk, evaluating alternatives and
applying evaluation criteria
Collecting, analysing and organising information
Understanding basic business systems and their relationships

6. Self-management that contributes to employee satisfaction and growth
Having a personal vision and goals
Evaluating and monitoring own performance
Having knowledge and confidence in own ideas and vision
Articulating own ideas and vision
Taking responsibility

7. Learning that contributes to ongoing improvement and expansion in employee and company operations and outcomes
Managing own learning
Contributing to the learning community at the workplace
Using a range of mediums to learn – mentoring, peer support,
networking, information technology (IT), courses
Applying learning to ‘technical’ issues (e.g. learning about
products) and ‘people’ issues (e.g. interpersonal and cultural
aspects of work)
Having enthusiasm for ongoing learning
Being willing to learn in any setting – on and off the job
Being open to new ideas and techniques
Being prepared to invest time and effort in learning new skills
Acknowledging the need to learn in order to accommodate change

8. Technology that contributes to effective execution of tasks
Having a range of basic IT skills
Applying IT as a management tool
Using IT to organise data
Being willing to learn new IT skills
Having the occupational health and safety knowledge to
apply technology
Having the appropriate physical capacity

reference: Employability skills for the future, Commonwealth Government, 2002, pp. 46-7.;

Module 4 Writing for Multimedia

2010-09-01T13:25:00.000+10:00

Nothing to show in for this module of creative thinking writing because I applied for credit.
Reason being is that I keep continual journals of all my creative endeavours - writing, painting, photography, doodle bits - everything.
I took to Chris a couple of these journals, 2 essays and a project I did at uni with the lecturers remarks, a duties description of an editing job I once held plus a bit of brainstorming crap for the content I want to put on my web page.
Got the 'move on' sign - so I did.

Module 3 assesment 'flash advertisment'

2010-08-07T23:08:00.019+10:00

PLEASE NOTE:
There is NO free molecule awaiting you at this linked URL - this is an exercise only.........
AND... I am not sure what you will find when you click this advertisment as it is a new blog page I have just begun for a friend and now she too is learning by experimenting?????

This was fun, and again I have spent like 4 days more on this than the advised time you should take - but also learning much more.
I need to spend a couple of months on Flash to really understand how it works - and all the shortcuts ....
BUT by then a new version would have been released and the learning begins again????

Module 3 assesment '7 deadly sins'

2010-08-05T18:32:00.015+10:00

More uploading from youtube because I have spent way too much time trying to add more buttons in Flash to control this movie.
To see how it is done poperly visit greg's blog
http://gregorymacdonald.blogspot.com/
Greg has worked out how to add the extra button controls thus no more youtube clutter and he has explained it all in the Animation, Video and Audio forum - CHECK IT OUT!!!

And thank you again to Nine Inch Nails for yet another brilliant track from their Ghost Album (http://www.nin.com/)

Module 3 assesment 'thought for the day'

2010-08-05T11:31:00.008+10:00

Uploaded through youtube and not liking the effects much???
This is the point of compromise:
Easy to publish on youtube but you loose quality
And you get all this surrounding clutter of advertisments from youtube.

This was a great learning exercise while trying to get the text in sinc with the voice?
I did everything the long way - of course - and found the shortcuts later?
I like the programme Audacity and spent even more time playing with that because I want to add my own audio tracks to my web page - if I ever get there!!!!

Module 3 activity 9

2010-08-04T14:25:00.011+10:00

How to embed videos with sound track into Flash?
well that wasn't so hard
but it did take some time to work out how to get it into you tube
then back here to blog.........

Thank you Nine Inch Nails for music from their Ghost Album (http://www.nin.com/)

Module 3 activity 8

2010-07-27T22:51:00.016+10:00

Hey this was fun!
Animating a verb....
So many more things to do to this -
drawing graphics to make flush look real - more graphics to create the splash landing - bubbles as they sink - adding sound - that would be interesting??? -
But this is only one step in the learning process and therefore I can not spend the rest of the year on this one activity!!!
(that's me being disciplined)

Module 3 activity 7

2010-07-26T23:11:00.028+10:00

Well.....
this didn't go as well as could be....
As Chris commented: the movement of text should have been slower to give a better feel of relaxation - and should have stayed on the screen longer to give people time to see all the details.
And I agree.
I did think about both these aspects as I was constructing the ad -
However....
On this particular activity I was trying to get my first one completed on time!!!!
I started at 1pm and worked until 12 midnight to meet the deadline.....
I failed.
Had to call it quits at 12.20am.
AND
in doing this I broke all and every one of the heath and safety rules for working on computers.
Its a tricky space when you are creating, in any medium, the mind takes over and totally disregards the body.
Very Wrong and if you continue to work this way your body will fall to bits.
I know this because this has happened to me before -
BUT
I just did all the wrong things again in this activity!!!!!!
More discipline required by me!

Module 3 activity 6

2010-07-26T23:09:00.005+10:00

Playing with the motion curve tool.......?

Module 3 activity 5

2010-07-26T23:02:00.010+10:00

The more mistakes you make...
The more you learn....

This was a fun activity and slowly, very slowly learning more about Flash.

Changing colours

Movement using x y

Changing opacity

Rotating

Scale zoom and stretching

Module 3 activity 4

2010-07-21T15:10:00.019+10:00

Very basic animation this one but all learning.
And learning the hard way when the short cut keys in the tutorials don't work - I had to do each frame seperately - laboriously slow.......

Module 3 activity 3

2010-07-21T15:04:00.013+10:00

Fucking Brain Strain Extreme!!!!

working out how to upload this from my hard drive to blog was a ridiculous riddle.
3 Simple little steps but so many options on the way that went wrong!

See http://www.aleosoft.com/flashtutorial_blogger/

Points to check:
1. when choosing template for google page (free) make sure it has gadget box for documents so that there are buttons to allow uploads.
2. when looking for the url address of your .swf file when viewed on google site, ignore all the numbers that appear before your site info
3. important to get that equation they give you in the 'aleo' tutorial exactly correct.

Module 3 activity 2

2010-07-21T15:03:00.006+10:00

Researching Flash Activity

So what is Flash good for?
There are about a million terrific uses for Flash in internet marketing.
Here are just three:
Online training videos. Currently, I am developing a number of online training videos for a client. The videos are in Flash. Many of the training videos at my other internet marketing site are also in Flash. My stats show that people like short, online video tutorials. They spend minutes or hours watching these Flash movies — and they frequently bookmark them as a reference — and they come back again and again. Done well, online training videos in Flash are very effective for marketing and customer service as well as training.
Online games. Flash games can be tremendously fun and they can spread like viral wildfire. They are great for branding when you associate your site with something positive – a place where people want to hang out and play. And because fun games often generate a wealth of inbound links to your site, Flash games can help with search engine traffic as well as with bookmark, word-of-mouth, and other inbound referral traffic.
Other interactive tools. Design tools. Quizzes. Surveys. Show and tell. These kinds of Flash components let your audience interact with your site or your product. You can increase the amount of time people spend at your site when you provide them with interesting, useful, interactive tools.
So what do these three good uses for Flash have in common?
In a word, permission.
Give your audience a choice — i.e., ask for permission. You can generate excitement for your online Flash component with benefits-driven direct marketing web copy. Tell your audience what to expect — if you have a Flash game, tell them how fun the game is and what the rules are. If you have an online tutorial, tell your audience what they will learn and how long your lesson is. The point is to use your words to sell your audience on experiencing your Flash component. Get them excited about clicking that link!
Provide a strong call to action. Next, tell your audience that by clicking on the link, they get to play the game, watch the video, or work with the online tool. That way, they get to decide whether they want to experience your Flash component. You can even use your copy to provide other calls to action — bookmark this video, tell-a-friend, etc. This simple marketing technique can make your Flash component go viral!
*from: http://battractive.com/blog/2007/03/26/what-is-flash-goodl-for/

What is Flash bad for?
Flash tends to degrade websites for three reasons: it encourages design abuse, it breaks with the Web's fundamental interaction principles, and it distracts attention from the site's core value.
Encourages Design Abuse
Splash pages were an early sin of abusive Web design. Luckily, almost all professional websites have removed this usability barrier. However, we're now seeing the rise of Flash intros that have the same obnoxious effect: They delay users' ability to get what they came for. On the upside, most Flash intros feature a "skip intro" button. However, their very existence encourages design abuse in several ways.
First, Flash encourages gratuitous animation: Since we can make things move, why not make things move? Animation clearly has its place in online communication. However, as my 1995 guidelines discuss, that place is limited.
Second, one of the Web's most powerful features is that it lets users control their own destiny. Users go where they want, when they want. This quality is what makes the Web so usable, despite its many usability problems. Unfortunately, many Flash designers decrease the granularity of user control and revert to presentation styles that resemble television rather than interactive media. Websites that force users to sit through sequences with nothing to do will be boring and pacifying, regardless of how cool they look.
Third, many Flash designers introduce their own nonstandard GUI controls. How many scrollbar designs do we need? Actually, we probably do need a new scrollbar design for online content; the current scrollbar was designed for office automation content that users wrote themselves. However, the specification of a new GUI widget is a major human-factors exercise. The current Macintosh and Windows scrollbars emerged after the world's best interaction designers worked for years testing numerous design alternatives. A new scrollbar designed over the weekend is likely to get many details wrong. And, even if the new design was workable, it would still reduce a site's overall usability because users would have to figure out how it worked. They know how to operate the standard widget. When you use standards, users can focus on content and their reasons for visiting your site. Deviate, and you reduce their feeling of environmental mastery.
None of these usability problems are inherent in Flash. You can design usable multimedia objects that comply with the guidelines and are easy to use. The problem is simply that current Flash design tends to encourage abuse.
Breaks Web Fundamentals
The second set of issues relates to the very notion of using a plug-in rather than standard Web technology. In the future, multimedia features may well be better integrated with browsers and thus these problems will be solved. For now, though, the fact that Flash is not standard HTML creates a host of nasty usability issues:
• The "Back" button does not work. If you navigate within a Flash object, the standard backtracking method takes you out of the multimedia object and not, as expected, to the previous state.
• Link colors don't work. Given this, you cannot easily see where you've been and which links you've yet to visit. This lack of orientation creates navigational confusion.
• The "Make text bigger/smaller" button does not work. Users are thus forced to read text in the designer-specified font size, which is almost always too small since designers tend to have excellent vision.
• Flash reduces accessibility for users with disabilities.
• The "Find in page" feature does not work. In general, Flash integrates poorly with search.
• Internationalization and localization is complicated. Local websites must enlist a Flash professional to translate content. Also, text that moves is harder to read for users who lack fluency in the language.
Distracts from a Site's Core Values
Perhaps the worst problem with Flash is that its use consumes resources that would be better spent enhancing the website's core value by:
• Frequently updating content (Flash content tends to be created once and then left alone).
• Providing informative content that answers users' key questions at all depth levels (Flash content is typically superficial).
• Identifying better ways to support customers by task analyzing their real problems (Flash is typically created by outside agents who don't understand the business).
If Flash was cheap to produce and if all content creators could make a Flash object as easily as they write a standard Web page, then perhaps many of these problems would be alleviated. For now, they remain serious issues. I thus recommend that Web designers interested in enhancing usability and their site's overall business presence use Flash sparingly.
* from: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/2001029.html

Module 3: activity 1

2010-07-20T19:51:00.005+10:00

Finally!!!!
I have done something in Flash?????

Could have done more but then there are those bloody apples to contend with next -

And major brain strain to figure out how to get the image up here - hope I can remember what I did?

time to move on........

Module 2: Bringing it all together Assesment

2010-07-15T15:36:00.007+10:00

So now the question is whether we have bought this altogether correctly???

(waiting for Chris to assess - this entry could change dramtically???)

19 July 2010
OKAY!
No changes to make......
The move on sign has been given!!!!!

Module 2: activity 11

2010-07-15T14:36:00.026+10:00

Well I don't know how Chris estimated this activety to take only 6 hours?? Took me that long to work how to change my camera settings! Then the 1 million phtos taken to get the right one!!!

I totally gave up on the toast - that could have taken years to achieve?

So now I have my 3 favourite photos submitted for assesment.

Silky Water, The Jogger and Moving Vehicle

Then I have a couple of rejects that I also like which took forever to capture with a million thow aways!

And yes Chris cats are very hard to capture when moving but I nearly got one pouncing and half of one running?

Not so much silky water in this one but I love the bubble details.

'Manna falling from heaven' I thought was a good idea - which also entailed a lot of laughing BUT my very helpful assistant Lucy was not so impressed by having to climb ladders, fences and trees to achieve the image I wanted.

Good problem solving day!

2010-07-12T16:46:00.003+10:00

Some times the smallest little detail done wrong can waste so much time trying to fix.

I now have a flickr stream that works - problem was that when uploading the images I pressed privacy button, WRONG! must be able to be viewed by everyone.....

So I had to go back and change each upload individually - wasted time.

I have also fixed the camera settings problems I was having so I can taking moving images with blurred background for module:2 activity 11 ...

thanks to Chris:

who examined the camera and explained that not all cameras use the same language which was why I couldn't get the same settings as he had suggested in the activity details.

Sometimes there are disavantages to distant learning - this problem would have been solved on the day if I had been in a classroom and talked to Chris straight away -

And it is not one that could have been solved in the forums either because nobody could see my camera or the instuction book.

right time to go take these photos and get this module finished!

Module 2: activity 10

2010-07-07T18:37:00.014+10:00

Whoooo Hoooo!!!!!

Didn't think I would ever get this done????

Thank you Greg for all your help!

More Krap to follow later.......

Module 2: Activity 9 Part Two

2010-07-07T12:36:00.022+10:00

Having trouble with this one!!

Method 1 was simple enough

as was method 2.

Method 5 was simple too once my tiny brain realised how to turn an image into a pattern to use as a tile??? Very slow mind today.

I confused myself when saving as jpg or gif - I couldn't decide which was better image?

This was my first effort and jus all wrong. - but fun to do.......

Method 4 is just a shit exercise. My computer is not letting me unzip the widebg file to do the exercise??????? There has to be a simple answer - I have had no trouble before. So after wasting half a day trying to work this out myself I have had to ask Chris. Still didn't work. Now have downloaded new programme to unzip - '7zip'.

It opens!!!!

I have made the page in photoshop but it doesn't come up on my browser like this -

I only have one thin line -

but Chris says move on and we learn more latter in the course?

Module 2: activity 9

2010-07-05T15:51:00.012+10:00

This is my favourite:

Darktechdj background image:
http://www.myspace.com/darktechdj.

I like because: the actual piece of art work its self first. Then it has great dynamic movement displayed in a very clean clear monotone hue. All creating an exciting feel that you are about to experience some great dynamic music on this site.

The following two I also like - but a bit less purely from an artistic point of view?

Kanvas Interior Art background image:
http://www.kanvas.com.au/.

I like because: The minimal background is great use of white space and monochrome while quietly showing that this is a designed artistic site. Wisely used to allow the individual pieces of art work to stand out when viewed.

ThinkQuest background image:

http://libary.thinkquest.org/3120.

I like because: The image of out in space/the universe/infinity is similar

to the feeling you perceive when you are thinking deeply in your mind probing the universe on your quest for answers - it is infinity. Good connecting theme of visual and text.

Also interesting that although the 'thinkquest' background appears dark black and dense on screen it is only 2kb in file size where as the minimal background of Kanvas Interior Art file size is 21kb. 'Darktechdj' background is largest file of all - 120kb.

Module 2: Activity 8

2010-07-05T15:40:00.012+10:00

It appears to me that the "green lifestyle" is nothing more than a "notion" obtained while sitting on green grass, ingesting other green grass under green trees while also drinking copious amounts of alcoholic liquid from green bottles which will probably make you feel green the next day.

The 'gif 256 colours' (670 kb) file looked like the contrast button had been turned up to 100% - and very grainy - so dismissed immediately even though the file size was similar to the 'jpg'.

I didn't see much difference between the 'jpg 50 quality' (617 kb) and the 'png 24' (2.84 mb) images only the size of the file, therefore I have chosen the 'jpg 50 quality' file to upload so that the web site would open quickly.

Had to resubmit this one to change the text on green mans head. Chris suggested it needed to be curved around - I agree and had thought about it but hadn't yet worked out how to do that in my new version of photoshop -now I have read the photoshop support tutorial I know how.
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials/jennifer/text-wrap.html

.

Right I am back at work!

2010-06-28T14:28:00.003+10:00

and recovered from my little hissy fit last week.
Resubmitted all the wrong things -
got them fixed -
and updated changes to the offending activities on this site.
Now its back to working out how to add comments box and flicker steam
(after I have uploaded latest images)
while I am thinking about what I think this 'being green' notion is?

DEPRESSING DAY

2010-06-24T12:29:00.004+10:00

I have only just discovered where to find out what Chris says about our submission activities and find I have lots of resubmissions to do! Very frustrating having to go back to the beginning to do corrections at this stage. System error evidently - we are suppose to receive automatic email to let us know he has assessed our work.
I might give up for the day and go to the pub!

Selling my prized possession (mates) using layers, masks, type and all the other stuff

2010-06-23T17:49:00.003+10:00

Well I went slightly off track with this one - and didn't use the gradient tool.

Once I started putting things in place a story began and well, there was no place for it - I tried - but it made the story less dramatic which is what I felt it needed.

Hopefully chris doesn't make me do another one?

Making selections and combining images

2010-06-21T17:38:00.006+10:00

Woops I think I might have done this wrong?

I have been watching all these tutorials on how to use things and now instead of using the rubber_stamping thingy for this activity I was playing with masks?

I don't remember watching a tutorial on rubber stuff?

YES I DID DO IT WRONG!

Chris said: very ratty edges on edges of car

and

I forgot about the reflections of the car windows.

So have redone the car and darkened the car windows because of brightsunlight (thank you for tip Greg)

But: couldn't get the little beatstie back in the water in the same place at the same angle as the first one????

Time to move on......

altering image using adjustment layers of curves and levels

2010-06-20T11:46:00.005+10:00

Bitching moment

2010-06-17T18:45:00.003+10:00

While playing with my settings today the box to change the colour of my posting heading has disappeared?

I have looked for this in help and thought I had a solution but then it only changed a couple of headings - and then not to white but to apricot?? - more reseach needed.

Also have been tying to rearrange the sequence of my posting so that they are in numerical order. After much searching found this can be done by editing the date of your posting - but if you have several on the same day then you need to change the time also.

and have found answer to big problem I had about adding text to new post by using paste tool???? fuck so simple now - get out of compose and into Html tag at top of screen and you can paste pages!!!! yes!!! then back to compose to upload images.

Now I am happy.

Advertisment for Blog Page

2010-06-17T16:22:00.009+10:00

My design in words - which is difficult to describe as I just do it -
it is the moment of inspiration and it happens - as I am sure everyone else does too.
So words of description after the creating event:
minimal text with lots of white space to convey simple and easy.
black and white image to let text stand out: 'Website FREE' .
coloured text 'go now!' as action to do now.
blue hue for action text to convey education/safe/positives

Construction of page:
eye flow of top left to bottom right of page.
grid alignment pulling text and image together
cats tail off page linking it to action text 'go now!' also off page
hopefully conveying the idea to motion - do it now!

DEFINATELY GOT THIS WRONG -
Chris said:
Good effort on the blog promo artwork Mary.

Love the cat's eyeline; it's looking right at the URL.

Watch out for using too many typefaces. A layout loses unity as a result.
The flow is good, the clarity of the type is good, the message is mixed however...is this a site where you can get a free website? What's it got to do with cats? What are the instructions for and why do we need them?

All this can be addressed by asking yourself what the purpose of the site is and conveying this in your message.

Also watch out for introducing "tension" where the artwork hits the edge of the layout.

The kerning between W and e in "Website" is awkward and might need tweaking.

Re-submit to my polytechnic email with these changes.

____________________

So now here is my revised advertisment

But:
cat has to stay -
the cats I am hoping to develop as integral part of my final web page
so this is practice for me in how to use them
and practice for them posing in the correct position
and doing what they are told????

Altering image compositions (cropping)

2010-06-16T18:11:00.001+10:00

Altering image compositions - (cropping)

2010-06-16T17:50:00.001+10:00

using flatbed scanner to create image

2010-06-16T17:47:00.001+10:00

re-sampling (changing sizes of images)

2010-06-16T17:12:00.001+10:00

comparing the difference in image quality when changing size by altering width by pixels and dpi

Scaling digital Images in photoshop size menu

2010-06-16T17:08:00.000+10:00

Research on colour

2010-06-16T17:04:00.027+10:00

All this could be total shit because it has not been marked yet??????? and very frustrating when you organise text then when you publish it reverts to single line and no spacing??? I don't like this blogging I want to get to the Web page where I can have more control and thus freedom - templates are so restrictive.

<><><><>

Answer these short questions to demonstrate your understanding of colour theory and use. Use MS Word. Name it, date it and save into your account, then email it to your teacher for feedback.

1. Your client whose Sydney-based business is import/export of training textbooks in the engineering field needs a new business identity/ brand. What could you suggest would be the colour scheme for this client for their website?
Gradient Blue and Chrome:Explain why you chose these colours.
Educational facts - delivered efficiently.

2. Your client whose business is producing rugged outdoor footwear for the domestic (Australian) market needs a new corporate identity. Their product line is chiefly aimed at teens to mature adult. What could you suggest would be the colour scheme?
Mustard-Yellow to shades Brown and Black contrast.
Explain why you chose these colours.
These are some of the colours from army camouflage in Australia - which denotes tough boots.
If the boots this company produced were the same colours? and
If they were worn in an advertisement?
The tough outdoor boys could be shown that they still look good in their rugged boots whatever kind of shit they land in from either baby calf shit (which is mustard-yellow) to large sloppy bullshit (with is dark brown).

3. A client who runs a govt. sponsored agency to support drug rehabilitation services needs a new corporate identity. What could you suggest would be the colour scheme for this client?
Black/Light Blue/ Mid Orange
Explain why you chose these colours.
Black for strength - conveying this is a good solid service/ Light blue to represent education that isn't too hard to follow / Orange to add playful to this hard learning curve.

4. How many colours can be represented by a 24-bit RGB display system ? 16,777,216
Why is it the most popular setting for computer displays?
Because it has the largest range of colours available

5. How many colours can be represented by the Pantone CMYK process for print?
Depends which swatch you are looking at but much less than RGB (between 1000-4000)

6. Draw a diagram representing the rgb gamut (label the axes). Take a digital photo or scan it in and embed it into your document.

7. On the same diagram draw a superimposed cmyk gamut. What does this diagram suggest about the limitations of the cmyk colour model for screen-based (multimedia) design?

I had this image (along with many others) already saved before speaking to you on the phone - and after our conversation I now understand what was required from question. So have posted this web site into forum for this activity too as is very good site for lots of info:

8. What does this mean when a client needs their traditionally print-based corporate logo carried-over to the web?
The logo details with have to be reconfigured into RGB to maintain integrity and detail on computer screen and might not look exactly the same as the hardcopy version so compromises might have to be made by client or new suggestions made by the computer artist/company.

9. When developing for DVD (Standard definition, PAL TV) what are “safe colours” What’s a good rule-of-thumb for choosing “safe” colours.
You generally need to adjust the black and white points. Add a levels adjustment layer and, in the output area, set black to 16 and white to 253 (or you can set your black point and white point to these values). Photoshop also include an NTSC filter under filters>video which can be used to restrict the gamut.

What happens to artwork that uses colours on PAL TV that aren’t safe?
Grey Edges - fuzzy

10. List 3 free-to-use online software tools to help you develop colour schemes. List their URLs and briefly describe how they work.
1.
Interactive colour wheel showing combinations (same as beforeandafter wheel) with complement/split complement and other combinations to try. Free.
2.
Colour Blender tool - select two colours and a list of the blend inbetween is produced with numbers that can be easily exported to photoshop pallette.
3.
shows the colour gamuts of Adobe RGB with multiple changes such as saturation/rotation and zoom features to test your colour combinations.

11. The BAM (Before & After Magazine) colour wheel is based on which colour wheel?
Sir Isaac Newtons
But: Newton wanted to show that speed makes things invisible and mixes colours because of the rotation speed of "newtons wheel" all the seven colors of the rainbow in newtons wheel mix showing white colour. Thus white colour is mixture of the seven colors in a rainbow.
Yes I agree the Prism.
And But:
All colours mixed together on the paint palette make black?
So in philosophical theory is white the same as black in terms of definitions - containing all the colours of the rainbow?

12. According to “Western” perception of colours, describe the emotion associated with the following colours and provide an example of its use in contemporary culture.

Colour emotion example

Red danger red fingernails

Blue honesty policeman

White restful hospital

Black strength business suit

Yellow sickly smiley type face

Dark Green bored save the wilderness groups

Lime-green energetic gyms

Chrome efficient guns

Orange playful kittens

Pink childish girls clothes

Grey tired hair

Purple rich royal robes

Brown manly thick and stinks

My perceptions to colours today are slightly off when I am not smoking cigarettes.

What’s the meaning of the following colour terms:

• Hue colour
• Lightness how much added white
• Saturation how much added grey
• Tint white added to hue
• Shade black added to hue
• Tone intensity of the hue
• Gamut range of a group of colours: in rgb or cmyk
• Warm colours yellow/orange/red
• Cool colours green/blue/ purple
• Gradient lineal black to white with a colour graded in the middle
• Value darkness/lightness
• Primary colours red/yellow/blue - can't be made from any other colour
• Secondary colours colour 1/2 way between each primary colour
• Tertiary colours colour 1/2 way between primary and secondary colour

I am adding this note in September (3 months later)and now I love blogging as I have just found this text scroll bar to post my large documents with - Yeah!!!!!

research assignment on text

2010-06-16T17:03:00.011+10:00

If you set your web site type using Photoshop or Flash then your web page can only be found or read by other computers who have the same fonts and programmes as yours -greatly limiting searchability and assessability.

Standard html typefaces for mac:
Arial, Helvetica
Arial Black, Gadget
Comic Sans MS5
Courier New, Courier6
Georgia,
Impact5, Charcoal6
Monaco5
Lucida Grande
Palatino6
Geneva
Times
Helvetica
Verdana, Geneva
 (Symbol2)
Webdings2)
( Zapf Dingbats2)
Geneva

Standard html typefaces for PC:
Arial
Arial Black,
Comic Sans MS
Courier New
Georgia1
Impact
Lucida Console
Lucida Sans Unicode
Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua3
Tahoma
Times New Roman
Trebuchet MS1
Verdana
(Symbol2)
(Webdings2)
(Wingdings2)
MS Sans Serif4,

Typeface Changes in html:
bold, condensed, light, italic, underline, colour, size, upper/lower case,

conveying the meaning of a quote through type alone

2010-06-16T17:02:00.001+10:00

quote representation by colour and typeface:
'tell me the past': to speak of the past we use memory and that fades with time and becomes less distinct - thus the large light grey type in the background representing past diminishing

'the future': an unknown space with infinite possibilities - thus a font that has curves, points, straight, diagonal, circular, thin, fat and slightly abstract in style - black in colour because black is obtained by mixing all the other colours together - black is infinity.

quote representation by position:
'the past' is behind and 'the future' in front
- but also overlapping to represent the recognition that Confucius says we shall find?

'and I will recognise': is an action - to be done - in this moment - not the past or the future.
So it stands separate to the other text - also it is slanted forward (or italics) encouraging momentum to do action.

unity of composition
shades of grey are all that life is, was, or will be.

grid base
determined by first placing the background 'tell me the past'
and all other text positioned in line with these text shapes

focus point
the shape black tight lines of 'the future' text as this is where we are all going - like it or not?

finding typeface that doesn't work the best for the product

2010-06-16T16:58:00.001+10:00

Badtype1: Radox Muscle Soak - Herbal Bath.
When I buy radox products it is for relaxation of body and hopefully then the mind. Therefore, to advertise this to a new consumer I would use fonts that were rounded and more fluid - no sharp edges or straight linear fonts. And then I would have used a circle as the background in the logo which is know in philosophy doctrine to promote a sense of wellbeing and calm?

Badtype2: Night Queen Incense.
To emphasise the 'queen' aspect of this type of incense I would have used a more regal script font or even an 'old english' style. Then there is the colour???? - night would be more appropriately represented by black - background or typeface - and definitely NO yellow - that is sunny or just plain cheap! (That's probably why it smells so bad and I binned it).

Badtype3: Born to die Live to suffer.
Now I totally believe this is the reason essence of human existence, therefore, the typeface I would have chosen would not have been rounded and loose - denoting humour. I would have used one of those gory ones with jagged edges that have red running from the top down into the black base? (can't find it my new programmes - but it does exist in my old ones).

Badtyye4: dm4 business card.
I know the person this card was designed for - printed and purchased online without personal contact. This typeface is so not representational of this person! the 'dm4' font is bitty/untidy/scattered/messy/disorganised and a very childish scribble denoting incompetence in all areas! This is definitely not what this person is or what her business is about - very bad typeface!!!

Badtype5: 'Signal to Noise" a book title.
The book is about everything that is not straight or linear! Therefore I would have used a more abstract type - definitely not straight and plain and pure boring. The placement of the type should have also been more interwoven together to indicate signalling or else totally separate rotating the typeface to indicate a movement of signalling to connect. Then black type on a white box dumped on top of a very intricate mystical interstellar background image totally contradicts that mystic. It looks more like a sale price sticker stuck on by the retailer.

finding good typeface in the right place

2010-06-16T16:54:00.001+10:00

Goodtype1: Doritos Corn Chips.
thick bulky typeface with sharp edges - crunch.
strong contrasting colours: black/white/red - crunch.
cornchip shape and colour for dot on i is sharp - crunch.
Italic font is forward momentum to crunch!

Goodtype2: Ballantines Whiskey.
Tight, strong, script font in royal blue colour states 'Ballantines' as regal.
Spaced, serif font in the demanding colour of red used for 'finest' as fact.
Sampling of the product will prove the typefaces used to be correct!

Goodtype3: MYOB Accounting Manual.
line 1: 'A Step by Step Approach to' - spaced/thin - easy to do, colour/yellow - friendly/easy
line 2: 'Setting up and Operating' - tighter spacing/bold white against background - a stated fact that can be done.
line 3: 'a Computerised Accounting System' - more compressed spacing - denoting the efficent/quick use of computerised accounting.
line 4/5: back to friendly/easy using colour yellow but with thin typeface - efficient.

Goodtype4: Alumni Newsletter.
Minimal font/ metallic grey on black - denotes the cold, aloof individuals that perceive intellectual achievement superior to friendly humanitarianism.

Goodtype5: Captain Black Cigars.
Solid script font denoting authority of a Captain - the boss!
Emphasised by the strong colour contrast of white on black and red - pure male authority.
If you don't smoke these cigars you are a woos!

finding the right typeface for the right product?

2010-06-16T16:53:00.001+10:00

Well got this wrong the first time
this - the second image is the correct way.

Exploring typefaces

2010-06-16T16:52:00.002+10:00

I am using Platypus today but I would prefer Papyrus (it is similar) but I have not yet put it in Photoshop yet. And I prefer to work in Photoshop because it has more flexibility and options.
Platypus only has one font therefore, you can't make it italic - but in Photoshop you can transform it with 'skewing' to appear to be italic.
I like it because:
it is light and airy and only half there with obscure edges - that's me
makes me feel creative
I would use it on my business card and letter heads to represent my business as an artist.
I would use the text in a very light hue of blue based grey on white textured paper.

sketching layouts remembering what we have learnt?

2010-06-16T16:46:00.000+10:00

identifying grid layouts

2010-06-16T16:35:00.005+10:00

The first 2: ArtGrid1LINES.jpg and ArtGrid2LINES.jpg both demonstrate very clear but simple grids in their placement of text and slightly offset images which is a common style with most art journals.

HarveyNormanLINES.jpg adheres to a very obvious but strict and more complicated grid pattern as do most catalogues with a lot of product to display.

Woolworths do get a bit more creative often using a lot of white space however they still adhere to a grid in the placement of the text and images.

We all know there is no such thing as a layout that does not contain a grid of some kind. We are creatures that have a mind that processes everything to make meaning, and we can always find points of reference that make a grid in the most primitive layout.

The MinimalAbstractLINES.jpg image shows a more complicated grid. I have indicated with circles the similar line spacing grid at the junction of image placements. The red X's indicate the line similar line spacing of a larger grid that contains the whole page.

I like the AbstractLINES.jpg image the best as at first glance it appears to have only one grid line in the placement of text to the left. However when you begin drawing lines using the corners of the images a grid begins to appear that also encompasses the text. I could have drawn more lines using the colour contained within each image but I hope I have demonstrated that I understand the concept of grids and layouts enough because I need to get on with the next activity.
These are all good exercises for me to familiarize myself with all the new tools in my recently updated version of Photoshop - but it is taking more time than I thought?

References:
ArtGrid1LINES.jpg, 2008, Frieze Magazine, Issue 112, pp. 196-7.
ArtGrid2LINES.jpg, Autumn 2008, art&australia Journal, vol.45, no.3, pp. 466-7.
HarveyNormanLINES.jpg, 2010, Half Yearly Flooring Clearance, Cambridge Park Publishing, Cambridge, Tasmania, pp. 6-7 .
WoolworthsLINES.jpg, 2010, WC070610/Tas, p.9.
MinimalAbstractLINES.jpg, Autumn 2008, art&australia Journal, vol.45, no.3, p 388.
AbstractLINES.jpg, Autumn 2008, art&australia Journal, vol.45, no.3, p 338.

100 apples - endurance exercise!

2010-06-16T16:32:00.000+10:00

Whitespace used effectively

2010-06-16T16:24:00.000+10:00

Positive and negative space

2010-06-16T16:23:00.000+10:00

Using space and shape to convey meaning

2010-06-16T16:22:00.000+10:00

Identifying elements and principles

2010-06-16T15:58:00.000+10:00

Idenfifying focus and hierchy

2010-06-16T15:54:00.000+10:00