Final Project

For my final project, I chose to put together a short film featuring Linfield's Nicholson Library. Click here to see the video on Youtube.

Examples of good/bad web design

The professional website that I would like to share is Ultimate-Guitar. This is a website designed for musicians, primarily guitar players. It also features a wide range of content spanning from album reviews, to lessons, stories, news and equipment reviews. What I like about this site is that the home page offers a vast amount of information in a a small area without looking too cluttered or messy. Also, it seems that about 80% of the advertisements that appear as banners at the top of the page are for instruments, bands, or instrument retailers. This is nice because it doesn't clash with the content of the page or steal my attention from the main focus of the page.  I use this site every day, sometimes more. The layout of the site and design play a large role in that.

The personal website that is a good example is the Amity School District page. This site seems pretty straight forward. It features fonts that are easily readable, as well as a navigation bar at the top and side of the page. It also has a nice banner of photos and a calendar of upcoming events. The site is relatively simple, with neutral colors and simple fonts that don't overwhelm the reader.

Cafe Intl is an example of a poorly designed website. It seems like the creator went over the top with Flash, and wanted to show off all of the cool things they could do. The music is too loud and distracting. As far as site navigation goes, there is a lacking bar at the top of the screen with a limited amount of options to choose from. The spinning piece that is the focus of the page shifts on an awkward axis that is difficult to control.

How to make a SUPER SANDWICH!!!!!

Click here to link to the video on Youtube.

Videos

This week I took a look at three different genres of videos that can be found online: Instructional, news, and advertising.

The first type of video I looked at was instructional. Youtube is chalked full of these types of videos, some more practical than others. The video I chose teaches viewers how to talk like a pirate.



I like this video because of the post production work that was done to the clips to make them appear more aged and classic. It feels like you really are at a seminar or a training session.

The second type of online video that I explored was news. This is a clip from the Onion News Network.


Thousands Of Girls Match Description Of Missing Sorority Sister

I really like this video... who doesn't enjoy The Onion? This news story is satirical, however still contains characteristics and aspects that would match a traditional online news piece.

The final type of online video that I would like to share is advertising. This commercial seems to be an ad for a French phone carrier:



This commercial is kind of long, so I'm not sure how much it was played on television. But it does tell a good story and throws in a brand name to wrap up the video.

Podcasting

Here's my first try at podcasting with Blogger.

iPhoto Editing Exercise

Here is some work that I did on a photo that I shot while hiking over the weekend. I used the iPhoto software to make the edits. Here is the original:

Now here is the final product that I edited with iPhoto:

I didn't want to make any changes as far as the crop, because I really like the angle of the shot. However, upon entering iPhoto, I used the 'Adjust' feature. I increased the contrast and saturation to get a more crisp, colorful image. I also lowered the exposure which made the waterfall a bit less 'fuzzy'. I increased the highlights, which took some of the glare off of the waterfall as well. Finally, I went into the 'Effects' tab and applied the Sepia option for a more antique look.

iPhoto Workshop

Twitter

I've recently created a Twitter account. Considering my interests in music reviews and news, I have been following some accounts to help keep me in the loop as far what is going on within the music world. Here is a list of the groups that I am following:

VH1

MTV

Billboarddotcom

Rolling Stone

Ultimate Guitar

EW

Weezer

Rivers Cuomo

iTunesMusic

Pitch Fork Media

In particular, I chose to follow most of these sites because I got to their web pages almost daily to get news. I figured I Twitter would provide me with a more condensed, clear message.

Blogs: A couple of good ones.

The first thing that I have learned about this whole blogging world, is that it is like a buffet: there's something out there for everyone. From cat hotels, to schools for the blind, everyone is blogging about everything.              

However, I am a  runner, and spent some time scouring the Web for some advice and tips on training as well as racing stories.

The blog that I found was a personal one, that is actual on this website. The sells itself something "to give the readers information on a variety of topics associated with racing, health and fitness, apparel, products, training tips, funny videos and any other relevant topics."

Endurance Race Finder is a blog that is actually part of a separate website that serves a tool for those in search of an endurance race in their area. They use the blog to post articles and videos related to all sorts of racing.

Secondly, I searched for a more professional blog. Flotrack is a Website designed for runners and Track & Field participants/fans to keep up on what the professional athletes have been up to. It is a great site that also has useful resources for mapping training and races. 

The blog on this site features roughly 30 professional runners who all discuss different topics. The blog I chose, is by James Carney. Carney seemed to have one of the most up-to-date posts. I enjoyed scanning through his posts. However, I wish he would have put up more videos/links.

Test Post

fjdhskdjncalskjcnaklsgfwof dkcjn asdklj sakjh kasdhc alkhjf alhgla df

fjdhskdjncalskjcnaklsgfwof dkcjn asdklj sakjh kasdhc alkhjf alhgla df

fjdhskdjncalskjcnaklsgfwof dkcjn asdklj sakjh kasdhc alkhjf alhgla df

fjdhskdjncalskjcnaklsgfwof dkcjn asdklj sakjh kasdhc alkhjf alhgla df

fjdhskdjncalskjcnaklsgfwof