I found Smashing Magazine's article very helpful. It made me realize the exact things I need to include on my portfolio site without including too much. Ideally, I would like to follow all 10 of the articles suggestions. At this point in my 'career' though, there are a few ideas that I would not be able to complete with the given timeframe. I would definitely include a logo and tagline, even just a simple design that would promote my name and what I would do. My portfolio and services sections would be the ones that are lacking. Right now, I don't feel like I have enough experience to offer valid service options to potential clients. Hopefully I will be able to add that element to my site soon. I also have very few work samples for my portfolio. There will be some, but not as many as I would like. Including about me and contact sections is very important. I would make sure they are easy to find and easily accessible. Using social networking and blogging to promote my work is also a good idea. I would like to include these links on my site as well. I would also include a 'call to action' to make viewers want to visit my recent work or view my blogs or tweets. Using the correct language and communication is important. I would show who I really am instead of trying to be so professional that it turns people off.
After looking at the portfolio samples, I found that my favorites were the most simple. The straight forward designs that showcase the designer's work are definitely the most effective. I got lost in the busy designs and didn't know where to look and what to focus on. My favorite was 'Digital Mash,' it had easy navigation and was visually stimulating. I also liked Toby Powell's design as well as Vico Lauranco, both were simple without being overly simple, they made me want to search through the rest of their sites.
I feel like I would need to develop my knowledge of HTML and CSS to be able to design sites like these. At this point, my knowledge base is so basic that the smallest changes seem hard to me. Through practice and research, hopefully I will be able to create great designs in the near future.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Blog Post 6!
Multimodal Literacy Narrative: There were a few elements of this narrative that I really enjoyed. I thought the concept was cute, especially the videos and stories from when she was a little girl. The interview style was pretty effective, but it was wayyyyy too long. The video just kept going. She could have gotten her point across in just a few minutes.
Digital Literacy Narrative: This video was very repetitive. If the author had mixed up the images and her voice overs a little bit, her narrative would have been a lot more effective. I wasn't exactly sure who the audience was for this video, it was not clear who it was made for and for what reason. I did like the movement of the book images, but they could have used a different background, the film strips didn't quite match up with the content of the narrative.
Words, Magic: I really liked this narrative. It was very interesting to watch, and it had a clear point of view. The interview seemed very personal and it did not get boring at all. The simplicity of the video used an impromptu setting with noise in the background and an informal introduction. It really got the point across though.
Digital Literacy Narrative (Peyton): I kind of liked this narrative. I liked the concept of texting and using the cell phone in the video, but I couldn't read the text on the phone. His use of video, text and some animation was very effective. I thought it was better that he put the text on a black background instead of in front of moving video, it was less distracting and easier to read.
Literacy Narrative: I thought this narrative was very effective. It was a great use of still pictures and the Ken Burns effects. The text and pictures told a story from beginning to end and made an interesting point. This video was very interesting to watch.
The criteria that I think we should evaluate our literacy narratives on are content and visual effects. The content is important because it contains the main idea and shows the author's point of view. The visuals are important because it tells the story and grabs the viewer's attention.
Digital Literacy Narrative: This video was very repetitive. If the author had mixed up the images and her voice overs a little bit, her narrative would have been a lot more effective. I wasn't exactly sure who the audience was for this video, it was not clear who it was made for and for what reason. I did like the movement of the book images, but they could have used a different background, the film strips didn't quite match up with the content of the narrative.
Words, Magic: I really liked this narrative. It was very interesting to watch, and it had a clear point of view. The interview seemed very personal and it did not get boring at all. The simplicity of the video used an impromptu setting with noise in the background and an informal introduction. It really got the point across though.
Digital Literacy Narrative (Peyton): I kind of liked this narrative. I liked the concept of texting and using the cell phone in the video, but I couldn't read the text on the phone. His use of video, text and some animation was very effective. I thought it was better that he put the text on a black background instead of in front of moving video, it was less distracting and easier to read.
Literacy Narrative: I thought this narrative was very effective. It was a great use of still pictures and the Ken Burns effects. The text and pictures told a story from beginning to end and made an interesting point. This video was very interesting to watch.
The criteria that I think we should evaluate our literacy narratives on are content and visual effects. The content is important because it contains the main idea and shows the author's point of view. The visuals are important because it tells the story and grabs the viewer's attention.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Blog Post 5!
I learned a lot about what makes an effective text through this project. Comparing texts that all have to do with the same idea really showed how rhetoric effects everything. For example, who the intended audience is has a lot to do with the look and layout of a web page. Family friendly sites are much more simple and easy to use than sites geared toward older generations. The word choice, font size and color also have a lot to do with who is viewing the site. Every genre also has different expectations for what is rhetorically effective. The movie review sites that I was analyzing had very similar layouts and had many of the same features and elements included on each page. But comparing a movie review website to a social networking site would be completely different. Overall, I learned that every text uses a different way to get their main points across and that every element of the rhetorical situation effects the others.
Cassie's web analysis of how to make sushi was extremely well done. She had an overview of all the texts and did a good job of explaining everything. Because she analyzed websites, videos and books, there was a little more variation in context, as well as purpose and genre. These different mediums would have made the analysis a little bit more difficult because of the broad spectrum of rhetorical situations.
Lauren's layout was a little bit different. She divided everything up by the modes, rhetorical situation, and the IX terms. I found this a little bit harder to follow along with. Posting what the terms were and what they meant in that context helped a lot. Each of her analyses are well written and she goes in to detail on every text. The variation of genres between book, web article and blog were interesting. Seeing how the modes and rhetorical situations change among those mediums is awesome.
Courteney's site analyzed each Avenger's poster individually. This was an effective way of laying out the text to keep all of the ideas for each poster together. It was interesting to see how each poster used the same modes, but they all used them in such different ways to create a rhetorically effective, visual text. Since all of these posters were so visual, they all had about the same purpose, audience, genre and context. Seeing how the modes change among these is very interesting.
After looking through all of the class' websites, there were quite a few that I liked. Tai's was very interactive, I especially like how the skateboard turned over on each specific page. I also liked Nick's webpage. It was very easy to use, I really liked the pictures and the color scheme and header.
Cassie's web analysis of how to make sushi was extremely well done. She had an overview of all the texts and did a good job of explaining everything. Because she analyzed websites, videos and books, there was a little more variation in context, as well as purpose and genre. These different mediums would have made the analysis a little bit more difficult because of the broad spectrum of rhetorical situations.
Lauren's layout was a little bit different. She divided everything up by the modes, rhetorical situation, and the IX terms. I found this a little bit harder to follow along with. Posting what the terms were and what they meant in that context helped a lot. Each of her analyses are well written and she goes in to detail on every text. The variation of genres between book, web article and blog were interesting. Seeing how the modes and rhetorical situations change among those mediums is awesome.
Courteney's site analyzed each Avenger's poster individually. This was an effective way of laying out the text to keep all of the ideas for each poster together. It was interesting to see how each poster used the same modes, but they all used them in such different ways to create a rhetorically effective, visual text. Since all of these posters were so visual, they all had about the same purpose, audience, genre and context. Seeing how the modes change among these is very interesting.
After looking through all of the class' websites, there were quite a few that I liked. Tai's was very interactive, I especially like how the skateboard turned over on each specific page. I also liked Nick's webpage. It was very easy to use, I really liked the pictures and the color scheme and header.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Blog Post 4!
For project 2, I am planning on analyzing different movie review websites. I love going to the movies. One thing I like to do before going is look to see what everyone else thought of the movie.
I usually like using Rotten Tomatoes at http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ This site has easy access to critics reviews, the overall ratings and the box office numbers. I like how interactive this site is and how easy it is to use. This site also promotes upcoming movies by providing previews and interviews with stars for the new movies.
Another movie review site I found is Movie Review Query Engine at http://www.mrqe.com/ This site provides more reviews from critics than the general public. It also gives a lot of reviews on previous movies, DVDs and new releases. You can watch previews and look at upcoming movie reviews as well.
http://www.moviereviews.com/ allows more of the public to provide the reviews. It shows what the public thinks of the movie and how it is doing in the box office. The site shows new previews and any new news or releases.
These sites have a lot in common, however the layout of each site is very different. The ease of use also differs between each site. Even though they have some of the same elements, all of the sites have a different way of achieving each one.
I usually like using Rotten Tomatoes at http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ This site has easy access to critics reviews, the overall ratings and the box office numbers. I like how interactive this site is and how easy it is to use. This site also promotes upcoming movies by providing previews and interviews with stars for the new movies.
Another movie review site I found is Movie Review Query Engine at http://www.mrqe.com/ This site provides more reviews from critics than the general public. It also gives a lot of reviews on previous movies, DVDs and new releases. You can watch previews and look at upcoming movie reviews as well.
http://www.moviereviews.com/ allows more of the public to provide the reviews. It shows what the public thinks of the movie and how it is doing in the box office. The site shows new previews and any new news or releases.
These sites have a lot in common, however the layout of each site is very different. The ease of use also differs between each site. Even though they have some of the same elements, all of the sites have a different way of achieving each one.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Blog Post 3!
EMPHASIS:
1. Describe where your attention is visually drawn in this text. What strategies does the author use to emphasize this element? Given that this text is essentially a title page for a larger project, does this emphasis seem effective to you? Why or why not?
My attention is automatically drawn to the unusual way of drawing the text. Even though the background is a little bit busy, since the text is moving it makes the viewer continue to watch the movements. The emphasis does seem effective. Based on the opening credits, it seems like it would be an interesting project.
2. Between composing the two different pages ("Digital Rights Management/Digital Robbing Maniacs" and "Criminal") the woman disappears from the screen and the jumpy stop-motion effect ceases. Describe how this moment of stillness can be understood as "emphasis" and explain if it seems like an effective strategy? What is emphasized by stopping the movement?
The stillness emphasizes the first page by letting it sink in a little bit, like pausing in between sentences or paragraphs. It separates the two ideas. It is an effective strategy because it makes the viewer want to keep watching and figure out what is going to come next. By stopping the movement, the creator emphasizes the distinction from the main title of the project and the rest of the story.
3. Consider the role sound plays in emphasis. How does the soundtrack to this clip help to (a) emphasize certain moments in the clip, and (b) place a particular emotional emphasis on the meaning of the clip?
The music makes the clip much more dramatic. When the writer crosses out 'Digital Rights Management' writes 'Digital Robbing Maniacs' the key changes in the music making it sound much more intense. The emotions that come from the emphasis of the music are drama or fear from the unknown. The music really makes you want to keep watching and find out what's going to happen next.
CONTRAST:
1. Watch 0:22-0:36 of The JUMP's "Call for Papers." Notice the words, the gray box, the cartoon background, and the sound. Do you think any of these elements contrast? If so, which ones and how so (specifically, what makes them different from one another)? What effects do you think this use of contrast has on the audience and the purpose? Consider how the text's effectiveness might change if these elements did not contrast.
I think there is a lot of contrast between all of these elements. Since the words are shown on the screen and are contrasting against the movement in the cartoon background, I think that the emphasis is put on the words, especially since there is a narrator reading the words on the screen. This could be effective because it's almost like an example of the creators are asking for. If these elements did not contrast against each other, the clip would be very flat and boring to watch. The message they are trying to get across wouldn't be as effective.
2. Watch 0:55-1:08 of The JUMP's "Call for Papers." Notice how this is similar to the clip from question 1, yet the background no longer includes the cartoon. First, describe what elements are contrasting. Next, explain why you think the cartoon background was deleted from this section. What happens to the contrast now that the background is black? Which element is now the most emphasized, and how do you think this helps convey the purpose of the text?
The contrasting elements in this clip are the white writing against the black background. Perhaps the cartoon background was taken out of this section because the creators are talking about the papers that need to be written to go along with the clip, so they only used writing to emphasize that point. The contrast of the words to the background is enhanced because there is no movement behind the writing. The words are now the most important part of the text, the purpose of the section is to explain the writing portion of the project and using text does that effectively.
3. Imagine you've been asked to design a flyer to post around your campus advertising The JUMP. What would the flyer look like? Which element(s) would contrast and to what effect?
When designing a flyer for The JUMP, I would still use the cartoon. But maybe make it a comic or create movement somehow. I would definitely emphasize what the project is about and the writing portion and contrast that against the background of the flyer.
ORGANIZATION:
1. Choose 5 of the 15 images to drag into the empty timeline. Make a note about each of the 5 photos to explain what each one signifies, and how one leads to another. How does your organization convey your purpose?
I chose the 1+1 picture, the modern barn, the elevators, the parking meters and the crushed cars. These images show how much technology has progressed in the last hundred years. By organizing the images in this order, the purpose is shown because of the advancement of each photo.
2. Are there different arguments that you could have made by organizing your 5 photos in different ways?
Yes, maybe organizing them backwards would have had a different effect, or putting the barn photo at the back as more of an explanation of the first four images.
3. Are there other elements you could add to make your argument stronger—for example, playing music with the slide show or adding text?
Sound would definitely make this argument stronger. Text would also. Emphasizing the points that I made in my head with words would help the purpose. Some people might get different interpretations of each image.
ALIGNMENT:
1. How would you describe alignment of the words "murmuring" and "insects" in the opening scene? How does the unusual alignment (reflected on screen and timed) add to your interpretation of the text?
The words are moving from top to bottom. The alignment changes, it is not exactly read left to right. The letters fall out of place. This shows me that this is more of an unusual text and the meaning can be interpreted many ways. It is not the standard left to right, top to bottom style.
2. Now watch the "Earth" scene. What other elements are aligned in this scene? How does the consistent alignment of elements across screens (and also across some of the scenes) affect how you read these scenes? What elements do you end up focusing on? Would the scene seem as effective if all of the elements on the page (upside-down moon, contrails, words, background color, etc.) had no shared alignment?
The plane jet stream runs across the top of the scene, while the half moon rests right on top of where the text lands. The alignment of these things makes you focus on the movement of the words and makes the static elements more of an afterthought. If all these elements did not share any alignment, it would change the effectiveness of the page. The consistency gives the scene more of an artistic meaning.
3. Now watch the "Air" scene, paying attention to the lines of poetry and the audio tracks. The poem doesn't settle on the same horizontal axis as the other scenes do, and the two phrases in the audio track are aligned (synced) to appear with each line of poetry. Why do you think the alignments of the words are different between the Earth and Air scenes? What is the significance of the audio track's content in relation to that difference?
The words could be aligned higher on the page because of the 'Air' title. Maybe the author wanted the text to look more like it was up in the air with the geese. The audio explains how the people were jumping. Each line of audio aligned with each text line. This could be to align the meaning of the words with the meaning of the text.
4. Now watch the "Water" scene. How does the curvature of the words, aligning with the background image of an eye, relate to what the man in the audio track is saying?
The man in the audio track is reciting lines from America the Beautiful. He's talking about how even with all the hurt in the world there is always somewhere to look to for hope. The words are imitating tears on the face which go along with the audio track as well.
5. Based on the alignment (or lack of alignment) between elements in a scene and across scenes, why are the three menu options ("Air," "Earth," and "Water") on the main screen of this text not aligned? What does this lack of alignment tell you about the emphasis, sequence, and purpose of this text?
Since the menu options are not aligned, it tells me it is not the average poem. It has many more elements combined to get the message across. Since the options are aligned somewhat from top to bottom, it almost provides a sequence for the clips to be shown. Also, the clip is arranged in clips, which shows me that it could be viewed individually and not all in one sequence. There could also be multiple interpretations of the purpose based on the order of the clips.
PROXIMITY:
1. Did you group certain categories of information together? How did you group them—typographically, by placing them closer together, or in some other way?
I grouped the information by how important each element was. Starting with the title at the top and going on to the explanation and the author.
2. What do you think is the most important piece of information on your cover? What choices did you make about typeface or size to convey that sense of importance? How does the layout of your book cover reflect your sense of how the information should be organized?
I think the most important piece on the cover is the title. I made the title the largest, and in the boldest font so it is the first thing the reader sees. The cover is basically organized by importance of information.
3. What are some limitations you've encountered in laying out visual elements in a traditional way? What are some other ways you might want to organize the information on a book cover that might work better in a non-traditional format?
Some limitations include looking the same as everything else. To make the book stand out you have to have a new creative idea. Maybe putting the title sideways or having some kind of graphic that draws attention. Maybe leaving out some necessary information and making the reader open the book to find out more.
1. Describe where your attention is visually drawn in this text. What strategies does the author use to emphasize this element? Given that this text is essentially a title page for a larger project, does this emphasis seem effective to you? Why or why not?
My attention is automatically drawn to the unusual way of drawing the text. Even though the background is a little bit busy, since the text is moving it makes the viewer continue to watch the movements. The emphasis does seem effective. Based on the opening credits, it seems like it would be an interesting project.
2. Between composing the two different pages ("Digital Rights Management/Digital Robbing Maniacs" and "Criminal") the woman disappears from the screen and the jumpy stop-motion effect ceases. Describe how this moment of stillness can be understood as "emphasis" and explain if it seems like an effective strategy? What is emphasized by stopping the movement?
The stillness emphasizes the first page by letting it sink in a little bit, like pausing in between sentences or paragraphs. It separates the two ideas. It is an effective strategy because it makes the viewer want to keep watching and figure out what is going to come next. By stopping the movement, the creator emphasizes the distinction from the main title of the project and the rest of the story.
3. Consider the role sound plays in emphasis. How does the soundtrack to this clip help to (a) emphasize certain moments in the clip, and (b) place a particular emotional emphasis on the meaning of the clip?
The music makes the clip much more dramatic. When the writer crosses out 'Digital Rights Management' writes 'Digital Robbing Maniacs' the key changes in the music making it sound much more intense. The emotions that come from the emphasis of the music are drama or fear from the unknown. The music really makes you want to keep watching and find out what's going to happen next.
CONTRAST:
1. Watch 0:22-0:36 of The JUMP's "Call for Papers." Notice the words, the gray box, the cartoon background, and the sound. Do you think any of these elements contrast? If so, which ones and how so (specifically, what makes them different from one another)? What effects do you think this use of contrast has on the audience and the purpose? Consider how the text's effectiveness might change if these elements did not contrast.
I think there is a lot of contrast between all of these elements. Since the words are shown on the screen and are contrasting against the movement in the cartoon background, I think that the emphasis is put on the words, especially since there is a narrator reading the words on the screen. This could be effective because it's almost like an example of the creators are asking for. If these elements did not contrast against each other, the clip would be very flat and boring to watch. The message they are trying to get across wouldn't be as effective.
2. Watch 0:55-1:08 of The JUMP's "Call for Papers." Notice how this is similar to the clip from question 1, yet the background no longer includes the cartoon. First, describe what elements are contrasting. Next, explain why you think the cartoon background was deleted from this section. What happens to the contrast now that the background is black? Which element is now the most emphasized, and how do you think this helps convey the purpose of the text?
The contrasting elements in this clip are the white writing against the black background. Perhaps the cartoon background was taken out of this section because the creators are talking about the papers that need to be written to go along with the clip, so they only used writing to emphasize that point. The contrast of the words to the background is enhanced because there is no movement behind the writing. The words are now the most important part of the text, the purpose of the section is to explain the writing portion of the project and using text does that effectively.
3. Imagine you've been asked to design a flyer to post around your campus advertising The JUMP. What would the flyer look like? Which element(s) would contrast and to what effect?
When designing a flyer for The JUMP, I would still use the cartoon. But maybe make it a comic or create movement somehow. I would definitely emphasize what the project is about and the writing portion and contrast that against the background of the flyer.
ORGANIZATION:
1. Choose 5 of the 15 images to drag into the empty timeline. Make a note about each of the 5 photos to explain what each one signifies, and how one leads to another. How does your organization convey your purpose?
I chose the 1+1 picture, the modern barn, the elevators, the parking meters and the crushed cars. These images show how much technology has progressed in the last hundred years. By organizing the images in this order, the purpose is shown because of the advancement of each photo.
2. Are there different arguments that you could have made by organizing your 5 photos in different ways?
Yes, maybe organizing them backwards would have had a different effect, or putting the barn photo at the back as more of an explanation of the first four images.
3. Are there other elements you could add to make your argument stronger—for example, playing music with the slide show or adding text?
Sound would definitely make this argument stronger. Text would also. Emphasizing the points that I made in my head with words would help the purpose. Some people might get different interpretations of each image.
ALIGNMENT:
1. How would you describe alignment of the words "murmuring" and "insects" in the opening scene? How does the unusual alignment (reflected on screen and timed) add to your interpretation of the text?
The words are moving from top to bottom. The alignment changes, it is not exactly read left to right. The letters fall out of place. This shows me that this is more of an unusual text and the meaning can be interpreted many ways. It is not the standard left to right, top to bottom style.
2. Now watch the "Earth" scene. What other elements are aligned in this scene? How does the consistent alignment of elements across screens (and also across some of the scenes) affect how you read these scenes? What elements do you end up focusing on? Would the scene seem as effective if all of the elements on the page (upside-down moon, contrails, words, background color, etc.) had no shared alignment?
The plane jet stream runs across the top of the scene, while the half moon rests right on top of where the text lands. The alignment of these things makes you focus on the movement of the words and makes the static elements more of an afterthought. If all these elements did not share any alignment, it would change the effectiveness of the page. The consistency gives the scene more of an artistic meaning.
3. Now watch the "Air" scene, paying attention to the lines of poetry and the audio tracks. The poem doesn't settle on the same horizontal axis as the other scenes do, and the two phrases in the audio track are aligned (synced) to appear with each line of poetry. Why do you think the alignments of the words are different between the Earth and Air scenes? What is the significance of the audio track's content in relation to that difference?
The words could be aligned higher on the page because of the 'Air' title. Maybe the author wanted the text to look more like it was up in the air with the geese. The audio explains how the people were jumping. Each line of audio aligned with each text line. This could be to align the meaning of the words with the meaning of the text.
4. Now watch the "Water" scene. How does the curvature of the words, aligning with the background image of an eye, relate to what the man in the audio track is saying?
The man in the audio track is reciting lines from America the Beautiful. He's talking about how even with all the hurt in the world there is always somewhere to look to for hope. The words are imitating tears on the face which go along with the audio track as well.
5. Based on the alignment (or lack of alignment) between elements in a scene and across scenes, why are the three menu options ("Air," "Earth," and "Water") on the main screen of this text not aligned? What does this lack of alignment tell you about the emphasis, sequence, and purpose of this text?
Since the menu options are not aligned, it tells me it is not the average poem. It has many more elements combined to get the message across. Since the options are aligned somewhat from top to bottom, it almost provides a sequence for the clips to be shown. Also, the clip is arranged in clips, which shows me that it could be viewed individually and not all in one sequence. There could also be multiple interpretations of the purpose based on the order of the clips.
PROXIMITY:
1. Did you group certain categories of information together? How did you group them—typographically, by placing them closer together, or in some other way?
I grouped the information by how important each element was. Starting with the title at the top and going on to the explanation and the author.
2. What do you think is the most important piece of information on your cover? What choices did you make about typeface or size to convey that sense of importance? How does the layout of your book cover reflect your sense of how the information should be organized?
I think the most important piece on the cover is the title. I made the title the largest, and in the boldest font so it is the first thing the reader sees. The cover is basically organized by importance of information.
3. What are some limitations you've encountered in laying out visual elements in a traditional way? What are some other ways you might want to organize the information on a book cover that might work better in a non-traditional format?
Some limitations include looking the same as everything else. To make the book stand out you have to have a new creative idea. Maybe putting the title sideways or having some kind of graphic that draws attention. Maybe leaving out some necessary information and making the reader open the book to find out more.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Blog Post 2!
I very much so agree with the comic. The majority of students who use the website are searching for something, whether it be class schedules, department questions, faculty phone numbers and emails or calendars just like the comic listed. I feel like most universities gear their websites towards incoming students, so they make the site attractive to promote the school in a specific light. But most students who are attending the school are probably using the website more even though it may not be the completely intended audience.
I compared this comic with the University of Washington website. As sorry as I am to say this, I feel like their website is a lot easier to navigate than WSU's. That is at first glance, their search bar could be worse than ours. For the most part the site follows the comic's descriptions. The homepage has news articles and research developments relating to the school. There is a lot of information, I would agree that it is almost too much to take in without a substantial amount of time to examine the site. I think that the audience is still expected to be future students, however I do think that there are more links that could go to the most popular pages. When rolling over the links on the top of the page, there are many more options to choose from than those on the WSU website. I think these differences do change the target audience in some ways. Since students are the ones who probably use the site the most, it should be geared more towards them. But recruiting future students is also important, since each student is only at the school for a limited amount of time. UW does a good job of finding a balance between appealing to future students and reaching the needs of current students. I many links on the site will make it easier to navigate, instead of spending more time searching for something that may or may not come up on the search bar.
I compared this comic with the University of Washington website. As sorry as I am to say this, I feel like their website is a lot easier to navigate than WSU's. That is at first glance, their search bar could be worse than ours. For the most part the site follows the comic's descriptions. The homepage has news articles and research developments relating to the school. There is a lot of information, I would agree that it is almost too much to take in without a substantial amount of time to examine the site. I think that the audience is still expected to be future students, however I do think that there are more links that could go to the most popular pages. When rolling over the links on the top of the page, there are many more options to choose from than those on the WSU website. I think these differences do change the target audience in some ways. Since students are the ones who probably use the site the most, it should be geared more towards them. But recruiting future students is also important, since each student is only at the school for a limited amount of time. UW does a good job of finding a balance between appealing to future students and reaching the needs of current students. I many links on the site will make it easier to navigate, instead of spending more time searching for something that may or may not come up on the search bar.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Blog Post 1!
In many ways, I think multimodal and multimedia can be used interchangeably, but I do think there are a few differences. Multimodal usually refers to the delivery of the text, show, poster, etc. and how the different modes are used to get a point across. I believe multimedia is usually seen as the different mediums used to provide the different modes. For example, an advertisement that is shown on television, a magazine ad, or a pop up online are different uses of multimedia advertising, but the different modes and use of language and vision in the advertisement would be considered multimodal.
Linguistic: I thought the statement used a very interesting choice of words. "As directed by the President" implies that if he hadn't provided any assistance to the Japanese at all. It seems to me that a catastrophic event of this size would have made a spoken speech, instead of a few written sentences. It almost seems as if the US is saying 'if the Japanese really need help we can help them, but if they can fix things by themselves, it would be better.' The statement is very short and to the point, there is no unneeded information. It is also not very comforting to the disaster, it has a more informative tone, it basically informs the public that America said they would help.
Visual: The biggest difference I notice when looking at these Twitter profiles is the color choice, and the avatar picture. The profile on the left choice green and blue layout which can be viewed as more calming cool colors, and that person has a real picture as her avatar. The profile on the right uses a happier color, light blue, and a more comedic cartoon avatar. This could reflect the personalities of the 'twitterers.' The profile on the right looks like their Twitter is used more for fun and the other could be used more for business or in the professional world. I have only had my twitter for a couple days, so I haven't picked an avatar yet, but my background template is light blue with clouds looking like the sky. I chose this one because it was a very carefree color scheme.
Aural: There is an interesting use of music in this clip. It is rather loud for the usual background music, but it fits into the tone and the message of the clip very well. Because of this relaxing music, the tone of the clip becomes informative and laid back. If there had been another type of music in the background, it would completely change the tone, possibly making the message invalid because there is no connection between music and point. The narrator clearly emphasizes certain words and ideas that she wants to get across.
Spatial: I think the WSU homepage is very attractive to the eye. However, I do find it hard to navigate. My eye is first drawn to the changing pictures across the front. There are some navigational tools along the top of the site, and under the main pictures. The layout shows the viewer that they should read certain articles that the university is promoting. The navigation buttons along the button don't stand out a lot and almost look like an after thought. The site would look completely different if the center and the bottom were swapped. It would completely change the focus of the homepage.
Gesture: I watched Obama's statement on Libya. I did not find his choice of gestural action effective. He kept his hands folded, and only turned the pages of the speech he was reading. He nodded his head periodically, just like everyone else giving a speech they have to read by looking up and down at notes. It made his speech seem like he has no opinion about the subject and is just going through the boring motions of making speech. With more hand motions and interaction with him and the audience, he could have made his speech much more effective.
Linguistic: I thought the statement used a very interesting choice of words. "As directed by the President" implies that if he hadn't provided any assistance to the Japanese at all. It seems to me that a catastrophic event of this size would have made a spoken speech, instead of a few written sentences. It almost seems as if the US is saying 'if the Japanese really need help we can help them, but if they can fix things by themselves, it would be better.' The statement is very short and to the point, there is no unneeded information. It is also not very comforting to the disaster, it has a more informative tone, it basically informs the public that America said they would help.
Visual: The biggest difference I notice when looking at these Twitter profiles is the color choice, and the avatar picture. The profile on the left choice green and blue layout which can be viewed as more calming cool colors, and that person has a real picture as her avatar. The profile on the right uses a happier color, light blue, and a more comedic cartoon avatar. This could reflect the personalities of the 'twitterers.' The profile on the right looks like their Twitter is used more for fun and the other could be used more for business or in the professional world. I have only had my twitter for a couple days, so I haven't picked an avatar yet, but my background template is light blue with clouds looking like the sky. I chose this one because it was a very carefree color scheme.
Aural: There is an interesting use of music in this clip. It is rather loud for the usual background music, but it fits into the tone and the message of the clip very well. Because of this relaxing music, the tone of the clip becomes informative and laid back. If there had been another type of music in the background, it would completely change the tone, possibly making the message invalid because there is no connection between music and point. The narrator clearly emphasizes certain words and ideas that she wants to get across.
Spatial: I think the WSU homepage is very attractive to the eye. However, I do find it hard to navigate. My eye is first drawn to the changing pictures across the front. There are some navigational tools along the top of the site, and under the main pictures. The layout shows the viewer that they should read certain articles that the university is promoting. The navigation buttons along the button don't stand out a lot and almost look like an after thought. The site would look completely different if the center and the bottom were swapped. It would completely change the focus of the homepage.
Gesture: I watched Obama's statement on Libya. I did not find his choice of gestural action effective. He kept his hands folded, and only turned the pages of the speech he was reading. He nodded his head periodically, just like everyone else giving a speech they have to read by looking up and down at notes. It made his speech seem like he has no opinion about the subject and is just going through the boring motions of making speech. With more hand motions and interaction with him and the audience, he could have made his speech much more effective.
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