Production Diary

Today was the first day of the assignment. I brought in a folder to store units 59, 60, 61 work.

Today I checked through assignment brief to see what the assignment covered. I then printed of an evidence sheet for me to fill in once a piece of work had been done to give evidence that I had for filled that task.

Web Authoring PPP - I watched a Web Authoring Power Point Presentation with my class. I learnt the Drop down menus, animation; graphics all come under the name of Web Authoring. Web Authoring is the build up of a website and is commonly used by website designers.

Web Authoring Mind Map – As part of todays assignment I had to create a Web Authoring Mind Map to show my understanding of what comes under Web Authoring. The mind map showed images of different Web Authoring things e.g. iPhone apps.

Web principles and protocols PPP – Today I learnt about how websites are designed to make them more accessible for the disabled. For example, if the user has a disability such as Blindness, sound is used to explain how to navigate around the website. This is one of many examples where websites have used different techniques to help the disabled.

Website Review Report - I investigated into a website by creating a report to find out how websites function to help me when it comes to designing my website. I researched into a website called ‘Supra Footwear’. I chose this website because I have a huge interest in footwear and I think Supra looks really cool. Also the website looks really professional as it has a neat look.

Blog - Today I learnt how to set up a blog by using Blogger. First I had to set up a ‘Gmail’ account by using Google Mail. After I created my Gmail and signed up to Blogger. Blogger is an interactive website where users can create their own blogs to educate, promote, and show others their work.

Website Review on Blog – Today I uploaded my website review to my blog.

Initial Ideas - Today I decided upon which website idea I will use to design my website about. After a little research, I decided ‘Sheffield Music’ would be my best option as it is based upon the music scene in Sheffield and I am really interested in it.  With me having a strong interest in the topic, it will make the project more fun.

Web Accessibility Report - I produced a report on web accessibility on all the different Acts that have taken place in past e.g. Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

Web Accessibility Report on Blog – Today I uploaded my web accessibility report onto my blog.

Mind Map - Today I created a mind map on ideas of what I could create my own website about. I had to give 5 examples and explain in little detail about the idea. I gave 6 ideas so I could work on getting a Distinction. I created it by using Adobe Photoshop CS5 by using a box in the middle and using arrows coming off it to put my ideas on.

Feedback - Today I got feedback for my wireframes from my class and tutor. I got positive feedback as people said it’s a great idea because it promotes artists and their music. I got one negative comment from a student as she said ‘the website sounds too complex’. I made my ideas too complex as I have only so much time to design the website.

Website Proposal – Today I created a proposal on what idea I have chose and how I will set out the pages on the website. I chose the idea that the class gave me good feedback for, ‘Sheffield Music’. I stated what the target audience will be, what assets will be etc.

SWOT Analysis – I produced a SWOT analysis on the website idea stating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of creating a website about ‘Sheffield Music’.

Wireframes - Today I drew some wireframes for what my website will look like. From the idea I chose, I came up with a professional looking website with the colour scheme being red. I also came up with what the text colour will be, the layout of the pages, and what font I will use. The website will be called ‘Sheffield Music’.

Consolidation Sheet – Today I filled in a consolidation sheet answering questions like ‘What is the full name of the Web Authoring package that you will be using to create your website’.

Website Design - I designed my website by using Adobe Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop. My Wireframes came in hand as I used them to get the layout of my pages accurate to how I wanted them. I used software such as Adobe Flash to create animations so I could gain a Distinction. From the whole process, I have gained skills in using Dreamweaver and now I believe I have the skill to build my own website on my own.

Web Protocols and Principles

My task is to choose a website then analyse and investigate it, to gain an understanding of the protocols and principles used. The website which I have chose is ‘suprafootwear.com’. I have decided upon this website because I believe there is a great amount of positivity which I can talk about and I have a great interest in the products in which the website sells. Supra Footwear is an American online clothing/shoe shop which is targeted to the urban area of the population both females and males at the ages of 16-30.

Assets

The website has a great deal of assets. There is a strong use of graphics used on almost every page of the website.  Most of the images show the products which they sell but there are also images of celebrities wearing the products. This is a great selling point for the website as the users will see celebrities wearing the products so therefore they will want to have the same look as them. Celebrities are seen as ‘cool’ and ‘popular’ people.

Unlike any other websites, Supra has advertised their products through skateboarding videos. With the website being American, it’s a great way to boost the sales as skateboarding is a huge sport throughout America. As well as advertising the products it promotes the skateboarder used in the video. The only downsides to the videos are that they take a few minutes to load up before you can actually watch them. People could get fed up waiting and miss out on what the advert has got to offer.

The layout is very professional with a plain background which makes all the text and graphics stand out. Most of the products which the website sells are plain so I think that’s why they have made the layout plain. The homepage doesn’t contain much information about what the brand sells but it does show numerous images and videos of what the brand has to offer.

When I first visited the website, my eyes were drawn straight to the images, and people nowadays don’t like reading through masses of text so that’s why the website has used more images than text.

The website has a great feature where you can recommend the website to all your friends on Facebook. This is a great way for Supra to advertise itself as the majority of people nowadays use Facebook. This will help boost the sales for Supra, as when people see that the website through Facebook, they could see something they like and buy it.

There is the odd web banner used on the website and that only advertises the websites own products. On the homepage a web banner is used across the top of the page and it takes up most of the space. This is really eye catching so it makes the users interested in what the website offers.

Navigation

For a website to be successful, it has been said that it should be 3 clicks at the most for the user to find what he/she is looking for. In my opinion, this website does meet this theory. Unlike most websites, Supra Footwear does not have drop down menus when you hover your cursor over the menus at the top. This can be a down side as if you were searching through the website for a certain product; it may take longer to find it.

The speed in which each page loads up is at an appropriate pace. The main controls which the website uses are Buttons and Hotspots. On every page these controls are used giving the users easy accessibility around the website.

When a page is loaded up, the images enter the page with a fade in transition. This creates a more professional look and it makes the images more interactive. Without this, it would look amateur and boring.

Audience

The website is aimed at the urban generation. The younger generation are mostly seen wearing this brand as the clothing and footwear have the more younger and ‘cool’ look, so therefore they are the ones that usually use the website.

The accessibility is at a high standard as there are numerous navigation buttons, menus, and hotspots used on each page of the website. The network speed is good as all pages load up fully and straight away. This is a huge positive as the younger generation are seen as having not much patience so the faster the website runs the happier the users are going to be.

There is little text used throughout the website but the text that is used is in a formal manner (Little text has been used as the majority of the younger generation do not like to read loads when on a website). In this case the website does not need much text as it sells clothes.

Semiotics

There are little colours used throughout the website. Like I’ve said before, the background colour is white and the text is black in an Arial font. The colours are plain, but they contrast together really well giving a professional look.

The logo of the website is the Supra Footwear logo. It’s basic but overall is an effective design with a ‘young’ and ‘cool’ look. The logo consists of a crown text in the colour white.

Form

The layout is extremely tidy. All text and images on each page are in straight lines so therefore it gives a professional look. The only downside is that on the Blog page, there is a gap down the right hand side. This looks slightly untidy and can ruin the professional look as a whole. First impressions are really important and as this being the official Supra website, it has to look professional or otherwise people will think the brand is cheap and ‘tacky’. Overall the website does pull off a really good professional look.

The logo is consistently on the top left hand corner of each page. This creates a professional look as well as it simply having a good look. Each page has the same border and same layout so when you navigate around the website the only thing that changes is the information.

As the website as a whole, it has more images than it does text. This is because now nowadays the younger generation read small amounts when using websites.

Overall, I believe Supra Footwear is a great website. From investigating the website I have found out that there is more positivity than negativity. The images and navigation are a strong area, but having a gap on the right side of the Blog page showed signs of negativity.