Major Project 2

http://mywebspace.quinnipiac.edu/nmgrossi/index.html

Minor Project 26

Nicole and I decided to do a combination technique of a sidebar and floats. We originally worked together to do it, but will now do it separately as well. I am going to work on the sidebar and NIcole will do the floats I am assuming (she is not here now) but over all for our site we hope to implement both. We are going to use the side bar for the Case Studies on every page. It will be on the left side of our grid.

Minor Project 22

In class people had comments about my mock up.

-One of the likes was the organization of how I didnt put "Case Studies" in my nav bar and put it on the home page on the side.
-People disliked where the IHC logo was (the top middle of the page) It was over powering and over powered the nav bar.
-People also dislike some of the coloring I used. They didnt like the mix of green from the logo and red.
-I think most web users are like us. My friends who arent IDD majors use the internet the same way I do and go to the same pages I go to as well.




-With my team partner, Nicole, we plan on combining our ideas and design using a grid system. We will try and incorporate both of our ideas for design structure and color. I personally really liked the way Nicole's site was designed and only would change a few things and incorporate a little of mine into hers. I also think about adding some yellow into it to make it brighter. The colors blue yellow and green would all go together. We both made a mock up combining both of our designs and we are now going to work from there.

Minor Project 24

Team Partner: Nicole Grossi

Our goal and purpose in creating this website is to design something that is appealing to the eye. It important that this website allows people to understand the importance of this non-profit organization and how it can help them in their career to be more successful. The website’s intended audience consists of doctors, nurses, receptionists, etc. all of which can benefit from IHC services.

The websites main element is its content, because it is all the information that is provided that people will be reading and getting a better understanding of IHC. The information will answer any questions a person might have who is visiting this website as well as including pictures and videos to increase their understanding. Our approach to information architecture was to develop a structured layout that would be consistent from page to page. This layout is formed by a grid, so depending on the amount of information of that specific page; the layout will be able to accommodate it. Our strategy of usability was to create a website that is easy to navigate for the common user. Our first goal was to create a navigational bar that consists of the main elements and will then consist of a secondary navigation bar with further topics. At the top of each page are three buttons that link to the eSTORE, contributions page, as well as the link for joining the e-newsletter. It must be user friendly because we want as many people as possible to visit this site in hopes of spreading the IHC’s Company name.

The overall look and feel of the website is intended to be inviting and a site that is easy to read. The color choices that we made are calm colors that consist of blues and greens. Because of its structured layout, the pages of the website are appealing to the eye and broken up into sections for a more engaging experience. For all of the body text and typefaces, we have chosen a sans serif font because this is easier to read.

Minor Project 21

Minor Project 20

I believe that this website passs the "trunk test. I am able to find all of the contents of the trunk test very quickly.
Site ID: WESTCHESTER MAGAZINE right on the top left of the page.
Search option: On the top right of the page.
Sections: very large across the page right under the site ID.. home, archive, dining, shopping nightlife and so on...
Page name: is identified in the nav bar, which is black, but the page you are on is highlighted in blue
Local navigation: located across the top of the page.




1- The point of this site is to connect and stay connected with friends. You can view pictures of your friends, write to them on your wall or in a message (to be more personal) to stay communicated with them. You can see what your friend is up to and they can do the same as well. Depending on what information you put on your facebook, a friend could see you interests, what your favorite books and movies are, as well as see what your career is and where you go/went to school.

2- When i get to this site, I see that there are many different places to start. To start off with, on your home page is a news feed of everything going on recently with your friends on facebook. I usually start off there and see whats going on. It is very clearly organized. At the top of the page you can go to your profile, look at a list of your friends by most recently added or updated as well as in alphabetical order. On the left side of the page you can organize what shows up in your home page of what is most recently updated by status updates, pictures or you can create groups to organize who you want to show up so its more convenient for you. I think there is not one specific spot to start on this site, many people start at all different places depending on why they are on the site.

Minor Project 19 Wireframes

Minor Project 17

This image makes me thing when i look at it. This is because even though there is a nav bar, there is a lot of information and it gets very confusing when it comes to what to click. There are many advertisements which makes me thing to what I want to be clicking. The Heading is very bright and I think if there were more of those colors throughout the site be less confusing to me and maybe others.



This is a site that doesnt make me think. Even though there are many advertisements and a lot of information like the Everyday with Rachael Ray site, the nav bar is very bright and big making it easy to know where to go. It is also very organized. You dont think to think much to get around the site


What does satisficing mean?
- Choosing not the best option, but one that is alright and does the job.

Name a convention in web design that is your "friend" explain why.
- Tool bars, no matter what kind. They make it easy to find what you are looking for because they are most of the time very organized by organizing pages in the same topics in groups.

Do you agree that making choices mindless makes a site easy to use?
-Yes, when you need to think to much to figure out how to use the site and where to find information for the site, it is more often that the user will go to another site to find there information. When it is easily organized, you dont need to think much to get around and the user will most likely stay on the site.

Omit needless words. Why?
-You do not want there to be too much information on the site. The more information the harder it is to find what you are looking for on the site.

Happy talk must die. Why?
- Happy talk serves not purpose to the site, and just distracts the user of the site.

Instructions must die. Why?
-People mostly never read directions, and try to figure out how to do things on there own because it is easier that way and takes up less time.

Minor Project 16

The website for the Institute for Healthcare Communication needs to be redesigned. It is very user unfriendly, and not eye catching at all. The flashing of the color and picture slide show is very distracting and makes it very difficult to pay attention to the information on the site.

When I redesign the site, I am thinking about using a color scheme of Blue, Grey, Black and White, all very calm easy to read relaxing colors, that are bright at the same time. For the Navigation Bar, I think I would design it being horizontal with easy roll overs. Instead of the Flashing Picture colorful slide show, I would design having pictures on the left and right site of the page with the content in the center.

The site is aiming to look professional and organized and I hope to make that happen.

For my plan of action I chose to use a
Design Brief
Thumbnail sketches
Collect main information to be put in site (and and sub buttons)
Wireframes
Prototypes using photoshop for the main page and then for the following placeholder pages/images/dummy text
Replace with real content
Test site, and finish site for presentation
Revise, finish site.

Minor Project 15

1- I found inspiration for my color pallet in the Nicaraguan Flag. I wanted the colors to represent and be apart of the main theme of the site which is the trip to Nicaragua. The way the colors blue, white, green and yellow look together is very pretty to me. They are very bright and calming at the same time. The Dark blue and yellow are also Quinnipiac's school colors which I think helps bring together the Nicaraguan flag and Quinnipiac.

2- I do not use scrap booking or mood boards while working, I never thought of using either of them. I do though scrapbook on my free time on occasion, although I never complete them. I enjoy scrap booking when i want to make a scrap book for a friend or for myself of pictures of me and my best friends. Although I like the idea of scrap booking and collecting my ideas for projects I am working for, I think it will be very beneficial and help with organization.

Main page with rollovers

site map

static Design 2

Static Design photo gallery

Minor Project 9

My content based processes will be that I will collect my content. I will then work with the content with my wireframe designs to help organize my content.


My workflow process.
1- Recieve Project
2- Collect Content
3- Work with Thumb nail sketches
4- Create Wireframe designs
5- Mind Map
6- Writing for the web
7- Prototypes using Photoshop & dummy text
8- Replace with actual content
9- testing
10- Finish site
11- Revisions / final testing

Minor Project 8

Minor Project 7

Minor Project 4

For the Nicaragua Alternative Spring Break website, I will be sharing information which will be direction to Quinnipiac college students and there parents. It will share information such post project, where exactly in Nicaragua the students will be, and why they should get involved. It will include Forms, what to bring, contact information, a map of nicaragua as well as a photo gallery. It will also include the Schwitzer Institute contact information.
When thinking about my design I had many ideas. Some include using the Nicaraguan Flag in the background and sticking to the colors in the flag throughout the text and buttons. The other designs that dont use the flag in the background, will stick to the colors blue, green, yellow, white and black. I want to use pictures, only about 1 or two on the main page of the site. I will decide which design I want to use during or after class this Wednesday. Although for the main links I have an idea of what I would like them to be. I dont want to have too many links, rather just the most important ones such as "About", "Trip Details", "Contacts", and a "photo gallery". Each one of these pages will have a link back to the home page.
For the pages to follow the main page, I would like them to have the same layout and relate to the main page as close as it can, although the main page will have less information and hopefully draw students and parents in and interest them to look into the other pages.

Minor Project 6

1- In 1997, David Siegal invented the HTML as a means for visually laying out pages. This was important, because designers could use designing techniques that were used in print media in the Web. This made it possible to reproduce print medias layout which helped with laying out pages. It opened up that the content and structure of a website should depend on visual layout in the minds of web designers. I think what he did was useful for the web to help organize how a site is going to look visually.

2. Whats wrong with "div" elements is that designers are using them to achieve visual layout like how they use tables. When using a lot of div elements, you are increasing the size of your documents as well as increasing the likelihood of errors forming in your project.

3. Naked Structure is when a site is structured logically before the design is added to it. Its the structure of the site without the design.

4. Meaningful, semantic markup. Meaning can be described as semantic. "In markup, semantics is concerned with the meaning of an element and how that element describes the content it contains."

5. The significance of lists is that you can use them in combinations with other structural elements to create new XHTML compounds. You can use lists in ever instance. There are 3 different kinds of lists.

6. And XHTML compound does not provide meaning and context for a single element, yet it provides meaning and context for a list. For example, two people talking and distinguishing who is saying what rather then looking at the conversation as a whole.

Minor Project 3

1- Transcendent CSS is the new rather then the old ways of inspiration. It is the CSS that is encouraged by yourself to learn more about the design and technical issues with your work. It makes you think on the next level. With Transcendent CSS you don't limit your designs because of technology and the past, yet you continue to work on them and improve them.

2- Two Websites that I find to have inspirational design

A- http://ali-ro.com

B- http://www.anthropologie.com

3- Accessibility "design" is not a feature. We design our content to make it more accessible to everybody. Many designers wrongly misinterpret accessibility as a feature to serve people with disabilities.

4- Two principles of "Trancendent" CSS

1- DVD Player / VCR / Bue Ray

A- A DVD player is important today due to the rapid changes in technology. For example, throughout time, TV's went from being able to show tape in a VCR, to a DVD in a DVD player, and now today they have Blue Ray DVD's to show better quality of the content if you own a Blue Ray TV. Even though there are these upgrades in technology throughout time, all 3 of these technologic products all have the same job and do the same thing, show a piece of content (movie or what not) on the Television screen.

2- Car GPS

A- As GPS for cars have been developed, they have improved greatly. A GPS's job is to give directions to help you get to a destination without looking at a map, printing out directions from map quest and what not. As time has elapsed, they have upgraded GPS's so much that they can now not only show you where you are going and tell you where to turn, but they can tell you the exact street name, how many miles and the amount of time until you get to your destination. I recently got a new portable GPS which tells me everything I just stated. My old one which got stolen from me told me how much longer until I got to my final destination, and how many miles until I had to turn but did not give me the Street names. When I got my new one I was sure to get the newest upgraded one, but when thinking about it now, my old one did the exact same thing, without this upgrade which technically is not needed.

-As this chapter has described, as new technologies are developed we feel obligated to get the new updated technology with the new better designs and amenities, yet an older model still got the job done.

5- I believe that the significance of Nate Koechley's Yahoo Developer Network document called "Graded Browser Support" was that if you use multiple browsing technologies, you will never get the same design effect. Safari, Internet Explorer and Firefox each are a like, yet are very different. I personally use Safari for everything because I don't like Firefox while other people do. Each person has a different experience while using different browsers because they are each designed differently and people enjoy certain ones more then others. Some browsers are also more updated then others. You may be able to do something and see something using one browser, but when using another, you may not because it is not updated to the same level as the other.

Minor Project 2

The sample website I am choosing to critique is the first sample. This website has a very good feel to it. All the colors go very well together, the blue and the yellow, which are also colors of the Nicaraguan Flag. Although the colors aren't exact, but are more a different shade of blue and yellow. Its very interactive and looks easy to use. On the first page, the "home" page, is very interactive, especially with the pictures used. I like how when you scroll over a picture, it fades a bit and information comes up onto the picture. You can learn without even clicking a button to another page.

When you do click to another page, the buttons stay in the same place which is good because you don't need to search where they are every time you change pages. Although this website works very well with the colors and design, there is something I would change. On the home page, the bottom has the same buttons (home, what we do, why nicaragua and so on) but designed differently, but the design of the yellow bar across makes the design of the page better because the yellow color is used a lot on the left side and close to the top so I like how its also brought to the bottom. The other pages don't have this bar with the buttons. I guess there not really needed because there on the left hand side as well, but I think for design purposes ever page should have it.

The Photo Gallery uses the same colors and most of the same design but the main menu of buttons is not on the left side and is moved to the bottom. This is okay besides that if you don't scroll down because to see the pictures you don't need to, you don't see the menu of buttons on the bottom.

The type used on this site is very clear and easy to read. Its clear and has a "fun" feeling to it.I also think that the other pages, not the home page, could have more design to it, using the color yellow. There very plain and the information on them do not stand out enough to make me want to read the text.

The Home pages is by far the strongest page of the site. The color and design of it is bright, fun, and personally draws my attention in making me want to look at the other pages and learn about the trip. Unfortunately when I get to the other pages, I'm not as interested anymore.

Overall, the web page does work. The home pages draws you in which is a big thing because if it didn't, I know I wouldn't want to look at the rest of the pages following it. Even though the pages following I don't find as eye catching and interesting, they do still have information, and still gets the main point across. I would have to say this is a successful webpage.