Week 8 Blog Assignment: Reflection
I have learned a lot about communication technologies this quarter that I believe can benefit me throughout my life and my career. Having the ability to use basic design programs such as Adobe InDesign or Photoshop and knowing how to design a website could benefit me in many different areas of life in the future. These skills are extremely beneficial if I wanted to start my own business or make my services known to the public. Having a little bit of knowledge about so many different kinds of technology, including podcasts, social media websites and design programs, will help me keep up in an ever changing and progressing world. For my Week 6 blog assignment I had the opportunity to create an account on a new social media website. I chose to create a LinkedIn account because I have heard that they are beneficial in the business world for making connections and getting my name out there. Many of my peers have LinkedIn accounts which is why I thought it would be a good idea to make one as well. Luckily I had an assignment in another class to make a LinkedIn account, but because of the blog assignment in Jason's 350 course I had already began making mine. I think that LinkedIn is a wonderful tool for making business connections and searching for employment.
Having a blog has been an interesting experience. I had never had one before Professor Lind's 350 course and I think it was another good experience in the technological and social media fields. While I might not continue with this blog because it pertains to a specific college course, I definitely might start another blog about my travels or personal anecdotes in the future. I think that it is a good way to get ideas out into the world and have others give you feedback. This course as a whole has very beneficial and applicable to real world experiences. I would recommend this course to anyone thinking about taking it!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Week 7 Blog Assignment: Basic Layout and Design Principles
A layout is the process of planning and arranging in detail something such as a book or webpage to be produced. There are two types of layouts, symmetrical and asymmetrical. Layouts can be designed by figures, forms, and colors to produce an aesthetically pleasing result. In relation to design, there are several principles that aid in producing a visually appealing outcome; proximity, visual hierarchy, repetition, unity, contrast, dynamics, and emphasis. These basic design principles are utilized to organize the structural elements of your website and will assist in communicating the key themes of your composition. Most sites from which I gained pertinent information stressed the importance of either symmetry or asymmetry. Just because you are not using symmetry does not mean you are using asymmetry; it is possible for the elements of your website to be completely unbalanced and turn out looking messy. Designing an aesthetically pleasing and easily navigable website is crucial to the success of what you are attempting to communicate. C.R.A.P. as discussed earlier in the quarter, refers to contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity. These elements, in accordance with the aforementioned elements as well, will produce a successful site that viewers will want to visit again and again. With these layout and design elements in mind, I can produce my own, successful website.
"Basic Layout Principles." Basic Layout Principles. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://www.slideshare.net/SherwinM/basic-layout-principles
"Basic Design Principles." Swinburne Multimedia Design Tutorials -. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://www.swinburne.edu.au/design/tutorials/design/design/
"Principles of Design and Page Layout." Principles of Design and Page Layout. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/graphics_design/mitchell_S96/chap1_3.htm
"How C.R.A.P Is Your Site Design? - Treehouse Blog." Treehouse Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. //blog.teamtreehouse.com/how-crap-is-your-site-design
A layout is the process of planning and arranging in detail something such as a book or webpage to be produced. There are two types of layouts, symmetrical and asymmetrical. Layouts can be designed by figures, forms, and colors to produce an aesthetically pleasing result. In relation to design, there are several principles that aid in producing a visually appealing outcome; proximity, visual hierarchy, repetition, unity, contrast, dynamics, and emphasis. These basic design principles are utilized to organize the structural elements of your website and will assist in communicating the key themes of your composition. Most sites from which I gained pertinent information stressed the importance of either symmetry or asymmetry. Just because you are not using symmetry does not mean you are using asymmetry; it is possible for the elements of your website to be completely unbalanced and turn out looking messy. Designing an aesthetically pleasing and easily navigable website is crucial to the success of what you are attempting to communicate. C.R.A.P. as discussed earlier in the quarter, refers to contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity. These elements, in accordance with the aforementioned elements as well, will produce a successful site that viewers will want to visit again and again. With these layout and design elements in mind, I can produce my own, successful website.
"Basic Layout Principles." Basic Layout Principles. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://www.slideshare.net/SherwinM/basic-layout-principles
"Basic Design Principles." Swinburne Multimedia Design Tutorials -. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://www.swinburne.edu.au/design/tutorials/design/design/
"Principles of Design and Page Layout." Principles of Design and Page Layout. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/graphics_design/mitchell_S96/chap1_3.htm
"How C.R.A.P Is Your Site Design? - Treehouse Blog." Treehouse Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. //blog.teamtreehouse.com/how-crap-is-your-site-design
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Week 6 Blog Assignment: social media & website builders
I recently joined the social media website LinkedIn, used for social networking for professionals. LinkedIn was founded in December of 2002 and launched in May of 2003. In 2013 LinkedIn reported having more than 225 million users in more than 220 countries throughout the world. LinkedIn is highly beneficial for professionals in search of employment and supplies a sort of virtual resume with the ability to add additional parts of user's lives. However a downfall with any social media site is that you may get requests to connect with individuals that you do not know personally and that may not reflect or support your business ventures. I have enjoyed my experience with LinkedIn thus far. I have the ability to put my professional profile on the internet for potential future employers to view, and I have the ability to connect with and follow the accounts of professionals and companies that share my desired business ventures.
Through building a group website on the various clubs at Western Washington University, we have been experimenting with the use of wix and weebly, personal website builders that you can use for free or pay for to get a more advanced set of tools to create a more advanced website. Wix is very user friendly and easy to use, however it does not offer the ability to use HTML code, so it is not geared to the more advanced website creators.
Key, J. R. (2012, Oct 04). Linkedin has pros and cons. Retrieved from http://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/business/article_018e1ab4-0e5f-11e2-843b-0019bb2963f4.html
General intsructions . (2011). Retrieved from wix.com
I recently joined the social media website LinkedIn, used for social networking for professionals. LinkedIn was founded in December of 2002 and launched in May of 2003. In 2013 LinkedIn reported having more than 225 million users in more than 220 countries throughout the world. LinkedIn is highly beneficial for professionals in search of employment and supplies a sort of virtual resume with the ability to add additional parts of user's lives. However a downfall with any social media site is that you may get requests to connect with individuals that you do not know personally and that may not reflect or support your business ventures. I have enjoyed my experience with LinkedIn thus far. I have the ability to put my professional profile on the internet for potential future employers to view, and I have the ability to connect with and follow the accounts of professionals and companies that share my desired business ventures.
Through building a group website on the various clubs at Western Washington University, we have been experimenting with the use of wix and weebly, personal website builders that you can use for free or pay for to get a more advanced set of tools to create a more advanced website. Wix is very user friendly and easy to use, however it does not offer the ability to use HTML code, so it is not geared to the more advanced website creators.
Key, J. R. (2012, Oct 04). Linkedin has pros and cons. Retrieved from http://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/business/article_018e1ab4-0e5f-11e2-843b-0019bb2963f4.html
General intsructions . (2011). Retrieved from wix.com
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Week 5 Blog Assignment: Podcasts
This quarter in Jason's class, Emerging Communication Technologies 350, we are learning about and making podcasts. Until this class I had never had any interest in podcasts or even what a podcast was. However after doing some research I learned that a podcast is short for iPod broadcast, mainly because iPods are so popular in today's society and whatever is recorded and published is usually downloaded onto an iPod. The broadcast part of the definition is because a podcast is like a short radio talk show, usually published in a series. The subject of a podcast can be anything, ranging from informational to persuasive. In many ways a podcast is like a blog, except that a user downloads it onto their computer or media player to listen to and just read online. When subscribing to a podcast, users can subscribe to an entire series so that when a new chapter comes out it will automatically download to their computer and be available for listening immediately. Podcasts are most often listened to, but occasionally videos will be attached as well. And anyone can make a podcast. Like a blog, anyone is able to make a podcast, all it takes is a computer, a microphone and internet access. Most podcasts are free, but some, probably produced by a more professional standpoint, can cost.
This quarter in Jason's class we are working with a program called Audacity. Audacity is a free recording program, compatible with most operating systems, for recording live audio. In addition to simply being able to record audio, Audacity can convert tapes and records to digital recordings and CDs, cut and paste sounds bites together, and edit your recordings. Attached is an informational youtube video on how to use Audacity, first on a Mac and then on a Windows operating system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w5L3gy9IJI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDwlJgmavNo
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
This quarter in Jason's class, Emerging Communication Technologies 350, we are learning about and making podcasts. Until this class I had never had any interest in podcasts or even what a podcast was. However after doing some research I learned that a podcast is short for iPod broadcast, mainly because iPods are so popular in today's society and whatever is recorded and published is usually downloaded onto an iPod. The broadcast part of the definition is because a podcast is like a short radio talk show, usually published in a series. The subject of a podcast can be anything, ranging from informational to persuasive. In many ways a podcast is like a blog, except that a user downloads it onto their computer or media player to listen to and just read online. When subscribing to a podcast, users can subscribe to an entire series so that when a new chapter comes out it will automatically download to their computer and be available for listening immediately. Podcasts are most often listened to, but occasionally videos will be attached as well. And anyone can make a podcast. Like a blog, anyone is able to make a podcast, all it takes is a computer, a microphone and internet access. Most podcasts are free, but some, probably produced by a more professional standpoint, can cost.
This quarter in Jason's class we are working with a program called Audacity. Audacity is a free recording program, compatible with most operating systems, for recording live audio. In addition to simply being able to record audio, Audacity can convert tapes and records to digital recordings and CDs, cut and paste sounds bites together, and edit your recordings. Attached is an informational youtube video on how to use Audacity, first on a Mac and then on a Windows operating system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w5L3gy9IJI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDwlJgmavNo
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Monday, October 14, 2013
Week 4 Blog Assignment: Dreamweaver, Photoshop and InDesign
I was a part of two advanced photography classes in high school, so Photoshop has been somewhat of a review and a refresher for me. However I was never introduced to Dreamweaver or InDesign until I enrolled in Jason's class this quarter. So far I have learned how to do things such as make a magazine cover, a business card, and other such things that would be useful in the work force. Even simple things, such as learning how to flip the page from vertical to horizontal or other such things have been taught in Jason's Emerging Communication Technologies 350 course this quarter. Below are some YouTube videos that teach how to use Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Dreamweaver.
Dreamweaver:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90-r_h9j3Bs
InDesign:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2HoCuE5MTM
Photoshop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=474Ij8JbWi0
Attached as well are URLs to some helpful websites for learning the basics of these Adobe computer programs. Enjoy!
Dreamweaver:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~hrallis/guides/DreamweaverGuide/basics.html
InDesign:
http://www.umass.edu/art/prospective_students/application_guide/indesign_basics.pdf
Photoshop:
http://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/
I was a part of two advanced photography classes in high school, so Photoshop has been somewhat of a review and a refresher for me. However I was never introduced to Dreamweaver or InDesign until I enrolled in Jason's class this quarter. So far I have learned how to do things such as make a magazine cover, a business card, and other such things that would be useful in the work force. Even simple things, such as learning how to flip the page from vertical to horizontal or other such things have been taught in Jason's Emerging Communication Technologies 350 course this quarter. Below are some YouTube videos that teach how to use Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Dreamweaver.
Dreamweaver:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90-r_h9j3Bs
InDesign:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2HoCuE5MTM
Photoshop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=474Ij8JbWi0
Attached as well are URLs to some helpful websites for learning the basics of these Adobe computer programs. Enjoy!
Dreamweaver:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~hrallis/guides/DreamweaverGuide/basics.html
InDesign:
http://www.umass.edu/art/prospective_students/application_guide/indesign_basics.pdf
Photoshop:
http://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Week 3 Blog Assignment:
My name is Alison Howe and I am a Communication Studies major with an emphasis in Spanish at Western Washington University. I wasn't sure what it was I wanted to do with my life when I started college, which made it difficult to choose a direction when it came to classes and a major. One quarter, to fill a humanities elective, I decided to take a Spanish class for fun. I had taken three years of Spanish in high school and it had always been my best class, so why not? All of the sudden I was in college and realized Spanish was something I was passionate about. But what is a Spanish major alone applicable to? If I was in a job interview up against a native Spanish speaker without any other qualifications I would never get a job! So what would go well with my desire to speak Spanish for the rest of my life? A Communication Studies major, or so I was finally told. I am a very shy person in front of crowds, in front of most people actually. So would the shy girl go for a Communication Studies major? As I have learned throughout my experience as a Communication Studies student, communications is so much more than just learning how to talk to people. A Communication Studies major enables you to be that person on a team that can solve problems. You are that person that is versatile and able to take on whatever your boss throws at you. You are the critical thinker. So what do I want to do with my Spanish and Communication Studies BA? I don't know. Yet. But here in Jason's class we are learning to make websites, blogs, business cards, and that technical jazz that will help us in the business world. I don't know about the rest of my classmates, but I am pretty stoked!
As we are learning about web design in my Communication 350 course, Emerging Communication Technologies, it is important to look up the dos and don'ts of creating a website. This is what I found.
1. Simple is beautiful - the more clutter and unnecessary junk you have on your website, the less visually appealing it will be to the viewers and probably deter them from returning. This is also something we learned in Jason's class already.
2. Consistency is key - consistency among lines, colors, placement and buttons is crucial when designing your website so that visitors know where to find things and so that it is visually appealing
3. Fill the browser window - cramming everything into the center of the page will look unusual and even worse for users with large computer screens
4. First impressions - make your website interesting, simple, and user friendly so that a first time visitor will want to return again
5. Navigation - It should not be difficult to find your way around a website
6. Check your website for errors - constantly check all areas of your website for errors you may have made while updating so that your site remains appealing and professional
7. Have good content - while visual first impressions and navigation are important, just as important is the actual content of your website. Be interesting!
8. Write your own code - If you write your own code you will be able to understand what's going on if something goes wrong and have full control over how your website turns out
9. Design for multiple browsers - web pages do not look the same on all browsers, so look at your own website on multiple browsers to check that everything looks how you want it to
10. Color - Neon, clashing colors, or too much color, as we also learned in Jason's class, can deter a visitor because your website may just be too painful to look at!
Citations:
Vella , Matt . "The 10 Commandments of Web Design."businessweek.com . Bloomberg L.P. , 23 Jun 2008. Web. 9 Oct 2013. <http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-06-23/the-10-commandments-of-web-designbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice>.
"10 golden rules in accessible Web Design ." Information Providers Guide. N.p., 09 Sept 2013. Web. 9 Oct 2013. <http://ec.europa.eu/ipg/standards/accessibility/10_rules/>.
My name is Alison Howe and I am a Communication Studies major with an emphasis in Spanish at Western Washington University. I wasn't sure what it was I wanted to do with my life when I started college, which made it difficult to choose a direction when it came to classes and a major. One quarter, to fill a humanities elective, I decided to take a Spanish class for fun. I had taken three years of Spanish in high school and it had always been my best class, so why not? All of the sudden I was in college and realized Spanish was something I was passionate about. But what is a Spanish major alone applicable to? If I was in a job interview up against a native Spanish speaker without any other qualifications I would never get a job! So what would go well with my desire to speak Spanish for the rest of my life? A Communication Studies major, or so I was finally told. I am a very shy person in front of crowds, in front of most people actually. So would the shy girl go for a Communication Studies major? As I have learned throughout my experience as a Communication Studies student, communications is so much more than just learning how to talk to people. A Communication Studies major enables you to be that person on a team that can solve problems. You are that person that is versatile and able to take on whatever your boss throws at you. You are the critical thinker. So what do I want to do with my Spanish and Communication Studies BA? I don't know. Yet. But here in Jason's class we are learning to make websites, blogs, business cards, and that technical jazz that will help us in the business world. I don't know about the rest of my classmates, but I am pretty stoked!
As we are learning about web design in my Communication 350 course, Emerging Communication Technologies, it is important to look up the dos and don'ts of creating a website. This is what I found.
1. Simple is beautiful - the more clutter and unnecessary junk you have on your website, the less visually appealing it will be to the viewers and probably deter them from returning. This is also something we learned in Jason's class already.
2. Consistency is key - consistency among lines, colors, placement and buttons is crucial when designing your website so that visitors know where to find things and so that it is visually appealing
3. Fill the browser window - cramming everything into the center of the page will look unusual and even worse for users with large computer screens
4. First impressions - make your website interesting, simple, and user friendly so that a first time visitor will want to return again
5. Navigation - It should not be difficult to find your way around a website
6. Check your website for errors - constantly check all areas of your website for errors you may have made while updating so that your site remains appealing and professional
7. Have good content - while visual first impressions and navigation are important, just as important is the actual content of your website. Be interesting!
8. Write your own code - If you write your own code you will be able to understand what's going on if something goes wrong and have full control over how your website turns out
9. Design for multiple browsers - web pages do not look the same on all browsers, so look at your own website on multiple browsers to check that everything looks how you want it to
10. Color - Neon, clashing colors, or too much color, as we also learned in Jason's class, can deter a visitor because your website may just be too painful to look at!
Citations:
"Top Ten Rules of Web Design ." Sharpened Productions . Sharpened Productions , 13 Jun 2012. Web. 9 Oct 2013. <http://www.sharpened.com/web_design_rules>.
Vella , Matt . "The 10 Commandments of Web Design."businessweek.com . Bloomberg L.P. , 23 Jun 2008. Web. 9 Oct 2013. <http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-06-23/the-10-commandments-of-web-designbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice>.
"10 golden rules in accessible Web Design ." Information Providers Guide. N.p., 09 Sept 2013. Web. 9 Oct 2013. <http://ec.europa.eu/ipg/standards/accessibility/10_rules/>.
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