Jessica Malnik
Flash journalism has several advantages. Flash provides interactive elements that will help to keep the desired audience engaged and focused on the website. These interactive elements include everything from photo/audio slideshows to interactive graphics and maps. All these interactive elements provide more in-depth storytelling. For instance, audio/photo slideshows provide a more detailed and visual account of a particular story. Slideshows often add a personal touch to a story. On the other hand, interactive graphics and maps provide the readers with more information in a creative format. Flash journalism is becoming more and more prevalent in newsrooms, and I believe that it will become even more important and useful in the future.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Flash Journalism
Flash is really cool. It seems cheesy to say, but I never thought that I would ever learn how to do it in the first place. I think it provides an interesting and interactive way to get the point across. In the reading, graphics of the space shuttle Columbia were described. An explanation of why it crashed is more easily understood with a time-elapsed graphic than just a list of what happened. It provides a picture to the explanation that viewers can control themselves and can understand at their own pace. What's really great about Flash is that anyone can get it. Alas, the story is available all over!
Photo slideshows are pretty neat, too. I don't know what it is about them, but they always manage to be my favorite part of any presentation. I think they capture emotion in a way that video does not. The split-second image is so powerful, and when accompanied by the voices of the people in the images, it's like a double whammy.
I think the new advances in technology and online media are extremely helpful in spreading the news and having people receive it in an interactive and informative way.
Photo slideshows are pretty neat, too. I don't know what it is about them, but they always manage to be my favorite part of any presentation. I think they capture emotion in a way that video does not. The split-second image is so powerful, and when accompanied by the voices of the people in the images, it's like a double whammy.
I think the new advances in technology and online media are extremely helpful in spreading the news and having people receive it in an interactive and informative way.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Flash with convergence journalism
Flash journalism is one example of interactivity whereby the user can control what they want to see or hear on the Internet. It brought in a new meaning for websites. With flash, websites were no long just texts and still pictures. One can have video, audio, slideshows, sound slideshows and other multimedia elements such as interactive maps and pictures. With flash, convergence journalism was born.
Therefore, one of the things I set out to do for myself is mastering some flash expertise. As a convergence journalist, I am expected to be able to deal with all the multimedia skills. More than once, I caught myself being in awe of websites because of the magic they could created with flash.
My feeling is that one can also be too carried away with flash. Just like a simple website might do a better job than a fancy but complicated one, sometimes too much interactive stuff can be confusing. But its importance is impossible to ignore and anyone in this field thinking that they can survive without knowing how to deal with flash is certainly kidding themselves.Basic Design Principles for Non-Designers
Anyone can create their own web page but this does not mean that the person will create an amazing cite that follows the alignment, proximity, repetition, and contrast. If people follow these four basic principles, the web page should look clean, neat, and professional. After reading and looking at the examples given in this reading, I realized that web sites really do not look good unless you follow these four basic principles. If you do not align everything the same way on the page be it be horizontal or vertical alignment or baseline alignment, your web page will look very messy. One thing that the article suggests is that you should be discouraged from using center alignment. The article say’s that by using the center alignment, it is weak. I’m not sure if “weak” is the best word to use to describe why you should not use center alignment. I do understand that it is important to have symmetry to a web site to create balance.
Flash Journalism Chapter one
In chapter one of A New Form of Storytelling, I like how the author says under Slideshows with Photos and Sound that “the slideshow format does not constitute a new form of storytelling. By itself, it is simply a new way to present or deliver photojournalism. It was interesting to learn that storytelling has existed since 1855 when Roger Fenton went to Balaclava to photograph the Crimean War. It would be interesting to see these pictures to see how slideshows has evolved over the decades. I also like how the author describes how audio adds another element to the story being told. It stimulates more than one sense that you get by just a picture.
Flash
When you think about it, flash journalism (and audio slideshows, in particular) is a relatively simple idea. There's nothing particularly new about it - it simply combines multiple elements into one running visual and audio product. I usually find it to be the most engaging and effective method of portraying a story, often times even more so than a video clip.
An audio slideshow is similar to video in that they both combine images, natural sound, and the voice of the subject and/or reporter. With the slideshow, however, you have more control over what the consumer notices. Still images are very powerful in the way they draw your eyes to a particular feature, and you are more likely to notice something in the background that you might otherwise have missed. By timing up the audio to mesh well with the pictures, the audience will be more likely to retain what is being said. Also, the viewer can go at a pace he/she prefers - it's a step by step, move-on-when-you're-ready medium.
Other forms of flash, such as an interactive map, are useful in their own rights. Such a map gives users the sense that they are in control of what they're absorbing; this is true of a website in general, but flash can draw attention to the information more effectively in a visual sense. There is no time limit, there is more room to be creative, and it becomes a two-way street in that the reporter is offering up the information and the viewer has to be engaged to choose what he/she is watching/listening/reading.
An audio slideshow is similar to video in that they both combine images, natural sound, and the voice of the subject and/or reporter. With the slideshow, however, you have more control over what the consumer notices. Still images are very powerful in the way they draw your eyes to a particular feature, and you are more likely to notice something in the background that you might otherwise have missed. By timing up the audio to mesh well with the pictures, the audience will be more likely to retain what is being said. Also, the viewer can go at a pace he/she prefers - it's a step by step, move-on-when-you're-ready medium.
Other forms of flash, such as an interactive map, are useful in their own rights. Such a map gives users the sense that they are in control of what they're absorbing; this is true of a website in general, but flash can draw attention to the information more effectively in a visual sense. There is no time limit, there is more room to be creative, and it becomes a two-way street in that the reporter is offering up the information and the viewer has to be engaged to choose what he/she is watching/listening/reading.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Flash Journalism
Tyson Sprick
Flash journalism is only going to be more widespread in the years to come. The current amount of interactive graphics and features on the web would have been unthinkable even five years ago. Any major news site has a multitude of photo slideshows, audio, video, and rollover graphics. Some may see the new gadgets as distractions, which is a fair judgment after looking at some sites. Mostly though, I think the technology only enhances the reader's news gathering experience.
I like how we are getting to a point in which all the mediums are combined into one, complete news source. Instead of just watching the nightly news and reading the newspaper in the morning, consumers can now get on the internet and experience the same story in a variety of different ways. Personally, I still like my tangible morning newspaper like a lot of the older crowd, but the Internet just brings it all together for me.
Programs such as Flash are an integral piece in this convergence process, as we learned last week in class by making an audio slideshow and rollover graphic. It gives the reader more than a newspaper can offer, and more news provides the people with a better understanding of what is going on. And that's our job.
Flash journalism is only going to be more widespread in the years to come. The current amount of interactive graphics and features on the web would have been unthinkable even five years ago. Any major news site has a multitude of photo slideshows, audio, video, and rollover graphics. Some may see the new gadgets as distractions, which is a fair judgment after looking at some sites. Mostly though, I think the technology only enhances the reader's news gathering experience.
I like how we are getting to a point in which all the mediums are combined into one, complete news source. Instead of just watching the nightly news and reading the newspaper in the morning, consumers can now get on the internet and experience the same story in a variety of different ways. Personally, I still like my tangible morning newspaper like a lot of the older crowd, but the Internet just brings it all together for me.
Programs such as Flash are an integral piece in this convergence process, as we learned last week in class by making an audio slideshow and rollover graphic. It gives the reader more than a newspaper can offer, and more news provides the people with a better understanding of what is going on. And that's our job.
Flash Journalism
As the readings point out, flash journalism has created a whole new means of interactive, in-depth storytelling. In the last several years, I've seen a dramatic increase in photo slide shows online. I agree with the author of the chapter one, that photo slide shows can often make good stories even more compelling.
Flash animation allows the user to control how much and which information they absorb at their own speed, which provides "clarity that could not have been achieved in any other medium."
The reading also addresses the importance of packaging and flash journalism. I think the biggest challenge of our final project will be how to organize a nonlinear story.
Flash animation allows the user to control how much and which information they absorb at their own speed, which provides "clarity that could not have been achieved in any other medium."
The reading also addresses the importance of packaging and flash journalism. I think the biggest challenge of our final project will be how to organize a nonlinear story.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Week o' whoops
So in the excitement of Thanksgiving break, I totally forgot to blog. Then, I was forced to survive a weekend without any internet. It's harder than it sounds.
Anyway, forgetting to blog is not the only thing that went wrong this week. It started with us trying to add music to our FWB 'pod,' which didn't work out for Monday morning. Then, we had to submit investigative story ideas. Talk about burn out. How do actual reporters do it? I can't even come up with enough solid ideas to fill a semester, much less a whole career? And then the biggest whoops of them all, my Missourian shift.
So, I was supposed to go this MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) event where they were taking those old antique pictures of their kids. Preschoolers. Costumes. Cute, right? I talked to a MOP woman who told me it would be fine to come on Thursday at 3pm. Then, on Thursday afternoon she calls me and tells me that, no actually, I can't come that day, but I could come on Friday or Saturday. But my ride home was already checkin' out early on Friday morning. And the darn woman wouldn't call me back with an explanation as to why Thursday wouldn't work. So that shift went down the toilet.
I decided that I am cursed at the Missourian. Two shifts in a row falling through? That's not normal. Looks like I'll be spending my finals week at the Missourian doing make-ups.
Anyway, forgetting to blog is not the only thing that went wrong this week. It started with us trying to add music to our FWB 'pod,' which didn't work out for Monday morning. Then, we had to submit investigative story ideas. Talk about burn out. How do actual reporters do it? I can't even come up with enough solid ideas to fill a semester, much less a whole career? And then the biggest whoops of them all, my Missourian shift.
So, I was supposed to go this MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) event where they were taking those old antique pictures of their kids. Preschoolers. Costumes. Cute, right? I talked to a MOP woman who told me it would be fine to come on Thursday at 3pm. Then, on Thursday afternoon she calls me and tells me that, no actually, I can't come that day, but I could come on Friday or Saturday. But my ride home was already checkin' out early on Friday morning. And the darn woman wouldn't call me back with an explanation as to why Thursday wouldn't work. So that shift went down the toilet.
I decided that I am cursed at the Missourian. Two shifts in a row falling through? That's not normal. Looks like I'll be spending my finals week at the Missourian doing make-ups.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Flash Journalism
Suekyoung Kim
Flash’s popularity comes from the fact that it provides an easy way to control the final look of the documents published on the Web. Its aspect as an interactive multimedia also contributes to its promising future. Interactivity is important because the ability to provide a real user-controlled experience is what it distinguishes online media from other news media. Ch 2 states that while television journalists use the word “package” to mean one finished story that airs during a newscast, online journalists use “package” (or sometimes “shell”) to mean a compilation or set of elements that are all related to one story. The definition of online package implies that journalism can be more flexible, modifiable, selective, and creative in the virtual spaces than in living rooms. This characteristic of online package allows news consumers to engage more deeply with the story and Flash plays a main role in creating online package with its many strengths. Flash has varied advantages for delivering graphical and interactive content online with the help of its large installed base for the Flash player among internet users and its small SWF file size. Flash’s ability to deliver high quality text, audio, video, and photographic images helps secure its status on the Web. Flash also allows its audience to see the content even before its SWF file gets downloaded completely and this means a lot to some impatient internet users as well as its compatibility with other softwares and operating systems.
Flash’s popularity comes from the fact that it provides an easy way to control the final look of the documents published on the Web. Its aspect as an interactive multimedia also contributes to its promising future. Interactivity is important because the ability to provide a real user-controlled experience is what it distinguishes online media from other news media. Ch 2 states that while television journalists use the word “package” to mean one finished story that airs during a newscast, online journalists use “package” (or sometimes “shell”) to mean a compilation or set of elements that are all related to one story. The definition of online package implies that journalism can be more flexible, modifiable, selective, and creative in the virtual spaces than in living rooms. This characteristic of online package allows news consumers to engage more deeply with the story and Flash plays a main role in creating online package with its many strengths. Flash has varied advantages for delivering graphical and interactive content online with the help of its large installed base for the Flash player among internet users and its small SWF file size. Flash’s ability to deliver high quality text, audio, video, and photographic images helps secure its status on the Web. Flash also allows its audience to see the content even before its SWF file gets downloaded completely and this means a lot to some impatient internet users as well as its compatibility with other softwares and operating systems.
Flash Journalism
Flash is almost the only form that allows journalists integrate text, still photos, audio, and even video into a single interface to demonstrate and express what they are experiencing to their viewers. For instance, through slideshow, a journalist can easily put photos and natural sound he has already collected or just music which can best match the theme. It is a more simple means than video but sometimes can be much more impactive.
Furthermore, flash allows the interactivity for the viewers. Designers can create elaborate (or simple) custom interfaces for flash movies, with buttons, sliders, and other controls that match the tone and style of the content package.
However, every reporter should make flash package very cautiously, because either music or natural sound may manipulate the viewers' emotion. That will certainly not meet the norm of journalism.
Furthermore, flash allows the interactivity for the viewers. Designers can create elaborate (or simple) custom interfaces for flash movies, with buttons, sliders, and other controls that match the tone and style of the content package.
However, every reporter should make flash package very cautiously, because either music or natural sound may manipulate the viewers' emotion. That will certainly not meet the norm of journalism.
Flash journalism
Flash allows us to put together audio, video, still pictures and text in a single format and put it out as an integrated file. There’s not much else that really allows us to do that across platforms.
I watched a flash named “To be a doctor”.
(Source: http://www.startribune.com/style/news/specialprojects/doctors/)
The flash tells a story about a group of medical school students learn to be doctors. The flash of gross anatomy in their first year is really impressive. The slideshow combines photos picturing the students’ impression of seeing the bodies and audios of four students’ feelings and views on the anatomy class. When I was watching it, I felt I was in the scene of the class nervously watching the teacher showing the nerves and muscles. But if the story was telling as a video on television, it would not have such compelling impact on audience. Because the form of flash is distinct from video in that flash uses still photos which capture and freeze a single instant in time. It allows audience to have more time to digest the content and emotion and feel the intension in each picture. On the contrary, footages of a video flow so fast that viewers don’t have enough time to digest and feel. I think this is the most important difference between flash and video. And it is also an advantage of flash journalism comparing with broadcast.
I watched a flash named “To be a doctor”.
(Source: http://www.startribune.com/style/news/specialprojects/doctors/)
The flash tells a story about a group of medical school students learn to be doctors. The flash of gross anatomy in their first year is really impressive. The slideshow combines photos picturing the students’ impression of seeing the bodies and audios of four students’ feelings and views on the anatomy class. When I was watching it, I felt I was in the scene of the class nervously watching the teacher showing the nerves and muscles. But if the story was telling as a video on television, it would not have such compelling impact on audience. Because the form of flash is distinct from video in that flash uses still photos which capture and freeze a single instant in time. It allows audience to have more time to digest the content and emotion and feel the intension in each picture. On the contrary, footages of a video flow so fast that viewers don’t have enough time to digest and feel. I think this is the most important difference between flash and video. And it is also an advantage of flash journalism comparing with broadcast.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Flash Journalism
I think that flash journalism has a lot of potential in the future of the web. Chapter 1 of the readings mentioned online story packages. I think that these especially have a lot of potential because they provide such a variety of ways for readers to actively engage themselves in news stories. Readers can view photo slideshows, control animated graphics, and listen to audio clippings, among many other options. Interactive elements have a lot of power to attract audience members. While newspapers lose readership and broadcast news loses readers, I think that more people will turn to the web for its variety of ways of communicating current events.
The ease with which people can access flash content (since many people already have the flash player on their computers) also contributes to the popularity of flash content. Chapter 2 of the readings states that flash works equally well on Mac and Windows computers, so users of both types will be able to view flash content on the web. I enjoyed learning how to create simple flash graphics in class, and I think that the scope of creative range that the flash application provides to news organizations will secure its place in the future of the web.
The ease with which people can access flash content (since many people already have the flash player on their computers) also contributes to the popularity of flash content. Chapter 2 of the readings states that flash works equally well on Mac and Windows computers, so users of both types will be able to view flash content on the web. I enjoyed learning how to create simple flash graphics in class, and I think that the scope of creative range that the flash application provides to news organizations will secure its place in the future of the web.
Flash
- Erick Ward
Flash can be a valuable tool for creating any Web Site, but I feel that it needs to be used wisely on a journalistic site. On entertainment or other sites, flash is an amazing tool because it makes the site look really professional and its interactivity is perfect for holding people's attention. All of that is the same for news and journalism sites, but too much flash can take away from the reader's concentration on the news content.
That is not to say that we shouldn't learn as much as we can about flash and use it on our sites, it just means that we have to be careful to use it in the right places. Basic news stories, that are easy to explain and don't have any captivating visual images, don't need flash just to have flash. I think it takes away from the story, when you force a flash image on the reader.
Flash is most valuable in explaing complex images and stories to the reader. For one of my previous post I looked at a Web Site on the War in Iraq and it had a lot of useful flash media. A lot of the pictures were roll over images that gave a better description to what was going on in the image, or had video come up to describe the season. Flash made a complex story easier to understand and made it interesting and captivating to read about.
Flash can be a valuable tool for creating any Web Site, but I feel that it needs to be used wisely on a journalistic site. On entertainment or other sites, flash is an amazing tool because it makes the site look really professional and its interactivity is perfect for holding people's attention. All of that is the same for news and journalism sites, but too much flash can take away from the reader's concentration on the news content.
That is not to say that we shouldn't learn as much as we can about flash and use it on our sites, it just means that we have to be careful to use it in the right places. Basic news stories, that are easy to explain and don't have any captivating visual images, don't need flash just to have flash. I think it takes away from the story, when you force a flash image on the reader.
Flash is most valuable in explaing complex images and stories to the reader. For one of my previous post I looked at a Web Site on the War in Iraq and it had a lot of useful flash media. A lot of the pictures were roll over images that gave a better description to what was going on in the image, or had video come up to describe the season. Flash made a complex story easier to understand and made it interesting and captivating to read about.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Flash Journalism: A Give and Take
One thing about the readings that interested me was how different people classified different levels of interactivity. In the end, the author noted that every definition mentioned that the user had some control of the package, but to what degree and whether that control was used positively was left up to the creator.
I see the issue of control as a major issue for web journalism. On one hand, flash websites can be engaging to the viewer and provide a wide range of multimedia to be devoured. Rather than appealing to people who only read, listen to, or watch the news, having a package on the web can appeal to those people while offering ways for the audience to get involved.
But at some point, I feel as though Flash sites can overload on the bells and whistles and the journalism gets lost, and that's where the issue of control comes into play. I feel as though the story should come first and the technical elements should enforce and play to the story, not overshadow it. I think one of the biggest hurdles in our group packages will be not only to produce technically proficient pieces that fit into an appealing Flash design, but to make sure the substance is not lost within the style.
I see the issue of control as a major issue for web journalism. On one hand, flash websites can be engaging to the viewer and provide a wide range of multimedia to be devoured. Rather than appealing to people who only read, listen to, or watch the news, having a package on the web can appeal to those people while offering ways for the audience to get involved.
But at some point, I feel as though Flash sites can overload on the bells and whistles and the journalism gets lost, and that's where the issue of control comes into play. I feel as though the story should come first and the technical elements should enforce and play to the story, not overshadow it. I think one of the biggest hurdles in our group packages will be not only to produce technically proficient pieces that fit into an appealing Flash design, but to make sure the substance is not lost within the style.
Flash is super
There is a strong need for a knowledge of flash when producing a website. Even though I haven’t yet learned flash in class, I’m very excited about it so I can be able to use it in the final project. The relevance of this technology as I see it, is to make things easier for the viewers. Flash is often used in maps to bring up information about the locations. It is also used to break down harder concepts. Basically, interactive elements help readers connect to the stories and understand the issues. This is an example of animated infographics. Rather than a news package, flash animation allows a viewer to take in bits of information at her own pace. Also, the updates can be ongoing.
Flash adds a lot to websites. For example, flash helps to make websites look cool at the opening of a page. Also, the photo slideshows add a lot to stories to use the voices of those in the photos for a greater impact. The interactive elements are important for viewer response. It is important to realize that there are different ways to tell a story in an online format. The most important thing to do is to pick apart the story and decide in what form will tell the story in the best way. Flash adds to the experience.
Flash adds a lot to websites. For example, flash helps to make websites look cool at the opening of a page. Also, the photo slideshows add a lot to stories to use the voices of those in the photos for a greater impact. The interactive elements are important for viewer response. It is important to realize that there are different ways to tell a story in an online format. The most important thing to do is to pick apart the story and decide in what form will tell the story in the best way. Flash adds to the experience.
Flash Journalism
Thanyarat Doksone
Even though, according to the reading, slideshow is not entirely a new form of storytelling, I still think it is the most interesting approach that convergence journalism can freshly offer. I believe there are countless situations that a slideshow with photo and sound can portray the story in a more compelling fashion than what is seen as the most powerful medium like video. Last week I attended the CPOY judging in the Multimedia Project category from the first till the final round. The top award went to a student whose work was purely based on a photo&audio slideshow.
Also at the judging panel, I had to keep reminding myself that the competition was for students, since I would say most of the works might have been done by professionals. Interactive features, animated infographics, slideshows, texts and videos were incorporated into fine pieces of reporting. Nevertheless, many of those presentations did not make it to the final round for different reasons.
Appealing design can harm your web pages if the viewers are more interested in the design than the story itself. Seeking a unified theme in each project, the judges crossed out many entries whose stories were too broad. Repetition could hurt, too, in terms of the similar patterns used to present the characters in the story.
As extensive as the capabilities of multimedia can go, there is one important issue we have to keep in mind: what is it that we really want to present to the viewers?
Even though, according to the reading, slideshow is not entirely a new form of storytelling, I still think it is the most interesting approach that convergence journalism can freshly offer. I believe there are countless situations that a slideshow with photo and sound can portray the story in a more compelling fashion than what is seen as the most powerful medium like video. Last week I attended the CPOY judging in the Multimedia Project category from the first till the final round. The top award went to a student whose work was purely based on a photo&audio slideshow.
Also at the judging panel, I had to keep reminding myself that the competition was for students, since I would say most of the works might have been done by professionals. Interactive features, animated infographics, slideshows, texts and videos were incorporated into fine pieces of reporting. Nevertheless, many of those presentations did not make it to the final round for different reasons.
Appealing design can harm your web pages if the viewers are more interested in the design than the story itself. Seeking a unified theme in each project, the judges crossed out many entries whose stories were too broad. Repetition could hurt, too, in terms of the similar patterns used to present the characters in the story.
As extensive as the capabilities of multimedia can go, there is one important issue we have to keep in mind: what is it that we really want to present to the viewers?
flash journalism and its advantages
One great thing about flash journalism is that it does not require as much hustle to get multimedia on the web and save the combined time it takes to produce a TV story, a radio story and newspaper story separately. While it seems that flash journalism still requires the number of journalists specializing in different aspect of reporting, flash journalism allows journalists to reduce redundancy and maximize the efficiency of journalistic work. Despite some features of multimedia, such as web video, cannot be compared to the audience's experiences with wide-screen television, flash journalism does not seem to have significantly reduced the quality of each multimedia component, and provide audiences an one-side-stop experience of news consumption. For the web, flash journalism means more accessibility, better presentation, and enhanced context. For the journalists, flash journalism is a great tool to get information out in optimized formats.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Flash Journalism
The more media consumers turn to the internet for their news, the more they expect, technologically speaking, from the internet. Photo slideshows, animated infographics, and packages are just three ways users can interact with the news in a more interesting way. Often, this means holding a person's attention longer, but it also allows he or she to consume news at his or her own pace and as often as one wishes. It also allows people to interpret many aspects of a story. Unlike newspapers that can only provide text and photos, flash journailsm provides text, visuals, audio, and interactive graphics that expand a reporter's storytelling capabilities and gives the user a complete account of an event.
Flash journalism
Flash journalism is perfectly representative of the evolution of the field of journalism. Above all else, it will allow for two of the greatest values of the Internet Age: Dissemination of greater quantities of information and more user control.
As described in the Mindy McAdams book, among other functions, flash journalism allows us to put together advanced slide shows online and place animated information graphics on the Web. Instead of a radio story or a set of photos in the newspaper, a slide show on the Web can combine photos and sound, allowing journalists to either present more information over the course of one story or to emphasize certain points more strongly than ever before by virtue of making particular points through both audio and photos.
Animated information graphics on the Web also allows us to more options than they do on television, both for journalists and audiences. Using rollover graphics and added animation, journalists can pack more information into graphics than ever before. Given that this added information will require more time to sink in for audiences, the viewer is often given control over how quickly he scrolls across the graphics and as such how quickly he sees the different parts of the animation. This allows audiences both to have more control over the amount of information they take in and how quickly they process it without missing a beat.
Overall, flash journalism will most certainly not hurt the journalistic industry. It has sizable potential upside both for journalists and their audiences, and as we experiment more with it, there should only be more of these advantages that reveal themselves.
As described in the Mindy McAdams book, among other functions, flash journalism allows us to put together advanced slide shows online and place animated information graphics on the Web. Instead of a radio story or a set of photos in the newspaper, a slide show on the Web can combine photos and sound, allowing journalists to either present more information over the course of one story or to emphasize certain points more strongly than ever before by virtue of making particular points through both audio and photos.
Animated information graphics on the Web also allows us to more options than they do on television, both for journalists and audiences. Using rollover graphics and added animation, journalists can pack more information into graphics than ever before. Given that this added information will require more time to sink in for audiences, the viewer is often given control over how quickly he scrolls across the graphics and as such how quickly he sees the different parts of the animation. This allows audiences both to have more control over the amount of information they take in and how quickly they process it without missing a beat.
Overall, flash journalism will most certainly not hurt the journalistic industry. It has sizable potential upside both for journalists and their audiences, and as we experiment more with it, there should only be more of these advantages that reveal themselves.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Flash Journalism
Flash journalism is certainly a part of journalism that is here to stay about a part of convergence journalism and the future of journalism.
This type of journalism can make our stories so much more effective. Not only that but it can tell a better story for our readers to view and make opinions about. It was interesting to hear about the author's first time experience flash journalism and what an impact it had on him. I have to admit that I am often more drawn to stories with photos and audio is for sure a plus. It seems that many readers are expecting more and more of journalists these days and multimedia is one of them.
I like how the author says that flash journalism changes the experience of the viewer/listener and I fully agree. But photos and audio barely scratch the surface. The author also mentions graphics, which I am also attracted to because some times text is too overwhelming to me and a graphic can help simplify it.
I had no idea that flash started online in the early '90s. It makes me feel old and it feels like convergence is only really taking off. Although flash isn't perfect in terms of working and designing it, it certainly seems the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Flash journalism is part of the wave of future for journalism and certainly isn't going anywhere. Although it may have some technical difficulties, it helps create a better and more effective story for viewers.
This type of journalism can make our stories so much more effective. Not only that but it can tell a better story for our readers to view and make opinions about. It was interesting to hear about the author's first time experience flash journalism and what an impact it had on him. I have to admit that I am often more drawn to stories with photos and audio is for sure a plus. It seems that many readers are expecting more and more of journalists these days and multimedia is one of them.
I like how the author says that flash journalism changes the experience of the viewer/listener and I fully agree. But photos and audio barely scratch the surface. The author also mentions graphics, which I am also attracted to because some times text is too overwhelming to me and a graphic can help simplify it.
I had no idea that flash started online in the early '90s. It makes me feel old and it feels like convergence is only really taking off. Although flash isn't perfect in terms of working and designing it, it certainly seems the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Flash journalism is part of the wave of future for journalism and certainly isn't going anywhere. Although it may have some technical difficulties, it helps create a better and more effective story for viewers.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Design
While there are certainly basic principles that are vital to good design (alignment, repetition, proximity, and contrast), the best web pages usually end up having a little bit of flair. Unorganized creativity can actually take away from a site - obviously, you can have the world's most creative site, but if it's not cohesive in any way then it becomes useless.
To be creative in design, the aspects of the site that will make it original and visually appeasing must come in addition to solid fundamentals. A flash design or a bright and bold header can't replace easy navigation, but they should work together. By the same token, extremely basic use of those four principles won't catch anybody's eye.
The key is finding a middle ground, where viewers can know what to expect but at the same time remain interested.
For example: A site like USAToday.com works well because it adheres to those principles, but does each in a creative way.
All of the columns are aligned, but they vary in size and flow nicely together. The repetition of colors corresponding to a particular section of the online newspaper allows the reader to recognize the topic of a story. Proximity and contrast are effective all over the site, in terms of size, color, and other aspects.
To be creative in design, the aspects of the site that will make it original and visually appeasing must come in addition to solid fundamentals. A flash design or a bright and bold header can't replace easy navigation, but they should work together. By the same token, extremely basic use of those four principles won't catch anybody's eye.
The key is finding a middle ground, where viewers can know what to expect but at the same time remain interested.
For example: A site like USAToday.com works well because it adheres to those principles, but does each in a creative way.
All of the columns are aligned, but they vary in size and flow nicely together. The repetition of colors corresponding to a particular section of the online newspaper allows the reader to recognize the topic of a story. Proximity and contrast are effective all over the site, in terms of size, color, and other aspects.
Good v. Bad Design
Sarah Orscheln
I think in a world where journalism is constantly changing, design is an important principle for the journalistic community to pay close attention to. Regardless of how good the news really is, audiences are not going to pay attention unless news is presented in a fashionable, approachable and accessible manner.
The four design principles (alignment, proximity, repetition and contrast) are taught in both studio art classrooms and web design classrooms as a guide for creating balanced and professional work that is not only pleasing to the designer, but the viewer as well.
It's easy to get caught up in bad design, especially when your the designer. Like in most fields, the creator is not the best critic of his or her own work. Basic design errors include clutter, mismatched color palettes and overly busy graphics that distract from the original purpose of the content.
I think the ongoing design struggle pertaining to journalism will continue to morph over the years. Further research will provide information on what the best methods for recieving information really are, and as journalists, we will have to adapt in order to keep our audience(s) engaged.
I think in a world where journalism is constantly changing, design is an important principle for the journalistic community to pay close attention to. Regardless of how good the news really is, audiences are not going to pay attention unless news is presented in a fashionable, approachable and accessible manner.
The four design principles (alignment, proximity, repetition and contrast) are taught in both studio art classrooms and web design classrooms as a guide for creating balanced and professional work that is not only pleasing to the designer, but the viewer as well.
It's easy to get caught up in bad design, especially when your the designer. Like in most fields, the creator is not the best critic of his or her own work. Basic design errors include clutter, mismatched color palettes and overly busy graphics that distract from the original purpose of the content.
I think the ongoing design struggle pertaining to journalism will continue to morph over the years. Further research will provide information on what the best methods for recieving information really are, and as journalists, we will have to adapt in order to keep our audience(s) engaged.
Monday, November 5, 2007
"Terrorists Google"
SO much to do and SO little time. This is kind of turning out to be the mantra of the semester. But in the midst of the craziness and sheer madness, I still think journalism is pretty beautiful. Insane and nuts, but beautiful.
Speaking of mantras...my team story for this week is about anti-IED training. IED stands for Improvised Explosive Devices (more commonly known as roadside bombs) and it's these things that cause the most casualties in Iraq. And basically, we're working with officers and soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood here in Missouri, and their mantra is, "Terrorists google." In other words, there is only so much information they can release to us because insurgents will go online and look in news media archives and learn about the techniques and tactics U.S. soldiers are using to counter-act their IED attacks.
Needless to say, this story is intense. We went to Fort Leonard Wood today and I learned so much about the military that I've never even had a clue about. Just being "on post" was a learning experience. They have a self-sustaining community, which comprises of multiple elementary schools, middle schools, a high school, hospital, grocery store, post office, gas stations, etc. You can tell who the soldiers are walking down the sidewalks even in "civilian" clothing - not by their haircut, but by their robotic, yet rhythmic gait. There's so much I could talk about right now, but honestly, after getting up at 5:30 in the morning to drive over two hours a day, running around with equipment on a military base and then getting back to campus 12 hours later, my brain is quite fried.
I just have to say that I have so much more respect for the men and women who are active duty and who are preparing to go serve in Iraq. We only really know the half of it here.
Speaking of mantras...my team story for this week is about anti-IED training. IED stands for Improvised Explosive Devices (more commonly known as roadside bombs) and it's these things that cause the most casualties in Iraq. And basically, we're working with officers and soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood here in Missouri, and their mantra is, "Terrorists google." In other words, there is only so much information they can release to us because insurgents will go online and look in news media archives and learn about the techniques and tactics U.S. soldiers are using to counter-act their IED attacks.
Needless to say, this story is intense. We went to Fort Leonard Wood today and I learned so much about the military that I've never even had a clue about. Just being "on post" was a learning experience. They have a self-sustaining community, which comprises of multiple elementary schools, middle schools, a high school, hospital, grocery store, post office, gas stations, etc. You can tell who the soldiers are walking down the sidewalks even in "civilian" clothing - not by their haircut, but by their robotic, yet rhythmic gait. There's so much I could talk about right now, but honestly, after getting up at 5:30 in the morning to drive over two hours a day, running around with equipment on a military base and then getting back to campus 12 hours later, my brain is quite fried.
I just have to say that I have so much more respect for the men and women who are active duty and who are preparing to go serve in Iraq. We only really know the half of it here.
Bad fancy designs
I came across once a webpage which aimed at pointing out bad website designs. http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/
Some of them tried to impress readers, but somehow they failed. I don't know what the others think, but I still respect them. Safe choices do not encourage creativity. The people who create these websites probably dare not experimenting. My newspaper has a very boring website layout. It has been used for 7 years since the newspaper was born without any change. It's hard to change it without displeasing some people among our readers. And even from the usablity perspective, the layout has some problems. But people are just too familiar with it.
So a good website, for me, should be one that manages to balance usability and creativity. You might argue : "Look at Google, their simple layout works". Sure, but they has a lot of creativity in that too. The fact that they dared to leave their whole page blank with only the search box and the logo on or the fact that they decorates their logo regularly which is considered a taboo for most web designers (I was told that logos are not supposed to be touched on on a website) are evidences of that. In short, they dare to be different, and that difference works.
Some of them tried to impress readers, but somehow they failed. I don't know what the others think, but I still respect them. Safe choices do not encourage creativity. The people who create these websites probably dare not experimenting. My newspaper has a very boring website layout. It has been used for 7 years since the newspaper was born without any change. It's hard to change it without displeasing some people among our readers. And even from the usablity perspective, the layout has some problems. But people are just too familiar with it.
So a good website, for me, should be one that manages to balance usability and creativity. You might argue : "Look at Google, their simple layout works". Sure, but they has a lot of creativity in that too. The fact that they dared to leave their whole page blank with only the search box and the logo on or the fact that they decorates their logo regularly which is considered a taboo for most web designers (I was told that logos are not supposed to be touched on on a website) are evidences of that. In short, they dare to be different, and that difference works.
Finding a balance
When designing a webpage you have to think about a lot more factors then designing, say, a magazine cover. When people use your webpage they need to be able to navigate clearly and thus a structure and purpose within the design has to emerge just as much, if not more prominently then the aesthetics.
I think this will be the main challenge for the class... Lots of us know how to design things that are pleasing to the eye and lots of us can design purely for function, but the task at hand is to find a balance between both and have a harmonious intellectual design that benefits the viewer.
A good clean website will be more productive then something caught up in graphics and colours, but it has to entice the reader. I am really looking forward to this challenge, it is something unlike anything I have ever done before and I think it will be a lot of fun.
I think this will be the main challenge for the class... Lots of us know how to design things that are pleasing to the eye and lots of us can design purely for function, but the task at hand is to find a balance between both and have a harmonious intellectual design that benefits the viewer.
A good clean website will be more productive then something caught up in graphics and colours, but it has to entice the reader. I am really looking forward to this challenge, it is something unlike anything I have ever done before and I think it will be a lot of fun.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Design
Tyson Sprick
I'm not looking forward to this. At all.
I think that the actual design part of the final project will be the toughest aspect of the whole thing. Really. If you look at a well-made web page, there are so many different pieces in just the right place doing just the right things, and I think that will be hard to create.
That said, I think common sense and familiarity with the World Wide Web goes a long way. Lynda (and the readings) gave us some simple things to remember when designing a web page, and I think at this level following those principles should almost be enough. Lynda made a good point in class, saying that in the "real world" there will be an actual web designer, so unless you're that person, you won't really have to worry about it. Thanks, Lynda, that made my day. But I will try to implement the CARP characteristics, use some common sense, and get some input. I think with that, I should be good to go. That alone will make it better than half the web pages out there.
I'm not looking forward to this. At all.
I think that the actual design part of the final project will be the toughest aspect of the whole thing. Really. If you look at a well-made web page, there are so many different pieces in just the right place doing just the right things, and I think that will be hard to create.
That said, I think common sense and familiarity with the World Wide Web goes a long way. Lynda (and the readings) gave us some simple things to remember when designing a web page, and I think at this level following those principles should almost be enough. Lynda made a good point in class, saying that in the "real world" there will be an actual web designer, so unless you're that person, you won't really have to worry about it. Thanks, Lynda, that made my day. But I will try to implement the CARP characteristics, use some common sense, and get some input. I think with that, I should be good to go. That alone will make it better than half the web pages out there.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Good and Bad Design
After reading through these two chapters, I guess our final web pages should be as succinct as possible. The more you want to show off, the more mistakes you will commit.
Those principles of web design are de facto all common sense. Basically we just need to conform to the rule that the web page is a tool for communication between us and viewers, so it has to be easily readable and understandable. If you find your web page annoying or too complicated to understand, your viewers will feel the same way.
But personally speaking, I would prefer some animation in my web pages, in order to make them more vigorous and fun. I noticed that in the “not-so-good” checklist, animations that never stop are supposed to be avoided. It makes sense because animations will detract viewers’ attention from the main points in a web page. But I have a question that how to make our web pages more attractive? If we just totally meet those principles, it is highly possible that our web pages will be sophisticated, but tedious.
In addition, I found it interesting that there are also some mistakes in those examples for good web design, such as the second one. It doesn’t conform to the principle of alignment. So does the fourth one.
Those principles of web design are de facto all common sense. Basically we just need to conform to the rule that the web page is a tool for communication between us and viewers, so it has to be easily readable and understandable. If you find your web page annoying or too complicated to understand, your viewers will feel the same way.
But personally speaking, I would prefer some animation in my web pages, in order to make them more vigorous and fun. I noticed that in the “not-so-good” checklist, animations that never stop are supposed to be avoided. It makes sense because animations will detract viewers’ attention from the main points in a web page. But I have a question that how to make our web pages more attractive? If we just totally meet those principles, it is highly possible that our web pages will be sophisticated, but tedious.
In addition, I found it interesting that there are also some mistakes in those examples for good web design, such as the second one. It doesn’t conform to the principle of alignment. So does the fourth one.
DESIGN
Eric Durban
Good and bad design isn't really something that has bothered me in the past. Typically if I'm going to a "homemade" site I know not to expect great design and I'm really only there to get information. However, good design can sometimes make up for the lack or quality of the information. If someone is distracted by the cool graphics or sheekness of the page they could miss key errors. It can also drastically enhance great information or entertainment.
The "Good and Bad Design" article is somewhat scary to think about. There are design things that without seeing them in this article I may not have thought twice about using them on my own site. The checklist may also be very helpful. I am excited though to learn good design and keep enhancng my skills. The possibilities are endless.
Good and bad design isn't really something that has bothered me in the past. Typically if I'm going to a "homemade" site I know not to expect great design and I'm really only there to get information. However, good design can sometimes make up for the lack or quality of the information. If someone is distracted by the cool graphics or sheekness of the page they could miss key errors. It can also drastically enhance great information or entertainment.
The "Good and Bad Design" article is somewhat scary to think about. There are design things that without seeing them in this article I may not have thought twice about using them on my own site. The checklist may also be very helpful. I am excited though to learn good design and keep enhancng my skills. The possibilities are endless.
finally...
ok so maybe it wasnt my idea...and so what if it took me 10 weeks...my group has finally not had to repitch...woo hoo...anyways on to business
I spent my first shift...finally...at KBIA. It was awesome. Everybdoy is extremely helpful...critical (and i am all about constructive criticism...its just part of the process)...but helpful. They actually liked my story idea, though they didnt use it, they just thought it was a little to...easy. So I spent the rest of my time tracking down head honchos at local universities in hopes of getting a comment on what they do when a professor passes away mid semester...exciting suff.
I am quite thankful that I know how to use cool edit and just a bout any other editing program out there...yes even the $40 you can buy at like office depo that have the really cheesie transitions (I used this for editing movies in high school). It makes like so much easier when I already know how to sit down and edit away at something.
well i'm off to ft. leondard wood...just a stones through away at a 2 and a half hour drive...good bye friday
until next time
I spent my first shift...finally...at KBIA. It was awesome. Everybdoy is extremely helpful...critical (and i am all about constructive criticism...its just part of the process)...but helpful. They actually liked my story idea, though they didnt use it, they just thought it was a little to...easy. So I spent the rest of my time tracking down head honchos at local universities in hopes of getting a comment on what they do when a professor passes away mid semester...exciting suff.
I am quite thankful that I know how to use cool edit and just a bout any other editing program out there...yes even the $40 you can buy at like office depo that have the really cheesie transitions (I used this for editing movies in high school). It makes like so much easier when I already know how to sit down and edit away at something.
well i'm off to ft. leondard wood...just a stones through away at a 2 and a half hour drive...good bye friday
until next time
Design readings
Jessica Malnik
I learned a lot from these two readings on design. These readings taught me that I still have several things to learn when it comes to producing an excellent website. For example, I need to become more familiar with Dreamweaver and its unique features and capabilities. I, also, realized that design can really affect a person’s view of a website. For example, good design must take into consideration how easy or difficult it is to navigate through the website. For instance a website can have tons of interesting and complex features, such as rollover graphics, but it could be almost impossible to navigate the page effectively. I will definitely take these readings into consideration when we are working on designing our website for our final project.
I learned a lot from these two readings on design. These readings taught me that I still have several things to learn when it comes to producing an excellent website. For example, I need to become more familiar with Dreamweaver and its unique features and capabilities. I, also, realized that design can really affect a person’s view of a website. For example, good design must take into consideration how easy or difficult it is to navigate through the website. For instance a website can have tons of interesting and complex features, such as rollover graphics, but it could be almost impossible to navigate the page effectively. I will definitely take these readings into consideration when we are working on designing our website for our final project.
newbie gitters
Alignment, consistency, repetition and contrast, all flowing from the capstone of simplicity. It sounds easy enough. My concern is making it all happen in Dreamweaver. My lack of comfort with that program is astonishing.
I like simplicity. Thinking back, most of the projects from last semester - Doctor Doggy, the Apprentice and others - feel cluttered or complicated. When you first look at them, it’s like a puzzle your eyes have to decode before you can start interpreting the content. I’d prefer something that’s expressive even at a glance. For rank amateurs like myself, simplicity will always trump sophistication.
Now, if we can just figure out how to create a text that looks like it’s written in yarn.
I like simplicity. Thinking back, most of the projects from last semester - Doctor Doggy, the Apprentice and others - feel cluttered or complicated. When you first look at them, it’s like a puzzle your eyes have to decode before you can start interpreting the content. I’d prefer something that’s expressive even at a glance. For rank amateurs like myself, simplicity will always trump sophistication.
Now, if we can just figure out how to create a text that looks like it’s written in yarn.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Good design or bad design
Suekyoung Kim
“The Non-Designer’s Web Book” taught me many elements I should be aware of when web designing. The four basic principles that the book said were alignment, proximity, repetition, and contrast; and it was easy to understand why those elements become basic principles in web designing. By aligning all the text on the same baseline, the strip of links is neater and more organized. When I learned about the importance of alignment and saw some example of good and bad alignments, I could have a whole new different view of looking at web pages. I haven’t thought about mixing up the alignments of texts in a same page is so distracting and unprofessional before. I should keep it mind that everything on my web site has the same alignment –either all flush left, all flush right, or all centered. The book states, one of the elements of good web design is a lack of the elements that make bad web design. As an amateur in web designing, I don’t know much about the professional web designers’ world, but I can at least avoid to be awarded for my terrible web design if I simply go over the checklists in the book and try to stick to the principles. Every web page in the site should look like it belongs to the same site; there should be repetitive elements that carry throughout the page. I need some practice making myself look non-amateur in web designing.
“The Non-Designer’s Web Book” taught me many elements I should be aware of when web designing. The four basic principles that the book said were alignment, proximity, repetition, and contrast; and it was easy to understand why those elements become basic principles in web designing. By aligning all the text on the same baseline, the strip of links is neater and more organized. When I learned about the importance of alignment and saw some example of good and bad alignments, I could have a whole new different view of looking at web pages. I haven’t thought about mixing up the alignments of texts in a same page is so distracting and unprofessional before. I should keep it mind that everything on my web site has the same alignment –either all flush left, all flush right, or all centered. The book states, one of the elements of good web design is a lack of the elements that make bad web design. As an amateur in web designing, I don’t know much about the professional web designers’ world, but I can at least avoid to be awarded for my terrible web design if I simply go over the checklists in the book and try to stick to the principles. Every web page in the site should look like it belongs to the same site; there should be repetitive elements that carry throughout the page. I need some practice making myself look non-amateur in web designing.
Good Design vs. Bad Design
I am really glad that we got this reading. I am still an extreme novice at Dreamweaver and know that I have a lot of work to do in order to grow and develop in my design skills. The tips offered were very helpful in a fun way, without being preachy (like "this is what you HAVE to do in order to create a good website"). There are a lot of ways you can make a webpage look great and inviting and it seems the most important part is that you have a good eye for design. I realize that I don't have it yet for the web (and my previous Dreamweaver work has been nowhere up to these standards) so this project will definitely be a learning experience in terms of making a page that is both informative and visually-appealing.
Writing for the Package
After reading "Writing the Package," I understand just how important it is to reinforce your words with visuals and vice versa. Visual journalism is a powerful medium, and its strength lies in its ability to tell a story in two ways. This is especially practical since some people are visual learners and others are audio learners. As I worked on my own video package, I made an effort to show AND tell. By giving viewers both contextual clues to tell the story, you increase that article's appeal and understanding. Research shows that most Americans get their news from nightly or early morning broadcasts. This just shows how powerful the medium, if used correctly, can be.
Design: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Looking at the examples of "amateur" websites, I was reminded of all the homemade sites I visited as a kid. I also realized some major design no-nos on my convergence assignments page. The rules in these chapters seem basic and easy to follow. However, elements like clear navigation become a lot more complicated when creating a website for a convergence story. Thinking about the website for our final project, I'm still worried about constructing a site that flows from one aspect of the story to another. Many of the final project websites from last semester seem to reflect this same issue of organization.
Good Design, Bad Design
The two readings on good and bad design were truly enlightening. Often, I visit a web site and am impressed with the visual appeal of said site; however, I struggle to explain why I like that particular site over other less visually appealing pages. Now, after reading the chapters, I can confidently state that alignment, proximity, white space and typography are among the many things that set the good apart from the bad. As we head into our final projects and into our careers as journalists, I am glad to have this vital tool set and understanding in my belt. My page and my understanding of design is undoubtedly improved after reading the articles.
Tanya Sneddon
Tanya Sneddon
Good/bad Design
I'm glad that we were assigned these two readings before our final project websites really got off the ground because I'm a slave to so many of the don'ts mentioned in the readings. I've never given a thought to proper alignment, and on top of that I like to center text and use italicized fonts that are pretty but not practical. I learned a lot about the little things that help a website look professional, for example grouping text together in a logical fashion. The main lesson that I came away from these readings with is that most of the time simplicity will trump complexity in terms of web design. Many of the example websites that I thought were the most aesthetically pleasing were very simple and looked easily navigable. All of the tips in these readings will be especially helpful in these next couple of weeks.
Xenia Shih
Xenia Shih
Designing for the audience
In general, I think good design is like good writing: it should be able to connect audience to the messages and themes of the website.
Let's say, if you are to design for your personal weblog, the first thing you need to think of is how your weblog is appearing to your parents, friends or unknown visitors who share interest with you on some of the things you are going to write. Most importantly, you want to show your personality to these visitors of your website, without overwelming them with all sorts of distractions.
When designing a general news site, media organization should keep their audience in mind: they are not going to be able to see every link to the massive amount of content. Perhaps it is helpful to think of a visitor to the site as an old mom, who seldom goes online, has bad eyesight and only wants to know about the weather. By organizing and minimizing the amount of reading(processing) and navigation the reader has to go through, the website design has achieved its basic mission. Then there's the issue of website identity. Logos and names should be the most eye-catching content on the site, and repeat itself through out pages. The new york times logo might not be the most preferred font on the web, but sustains the sense of its brand. Good design should be able to sustain a brandname or a personality for average audience.
Let's say, if you are to design for your personal weblog, the first thing you need to think of is how your weblog is appearing to your parents, friends or unknown visitors who share interest with you on some of the things you are going to write. Most importantly, you want to show your personality to these visitors of your website, without overwelming them with all sorts of distractions.
When designing a general news site, media organization should keep their audience in mind: they are not going to be able to see every link to the massive amount of content. Perhaps it is helpful to think of a visitor to the site as an old mom, who seldom goes online, has bad eyesight and only wants to know about the weather. By organizing and minimizing the amount of reading(processing) and navigation the reader has to go through, the website design has achieved its basic mission. Then there's the issue of website identity. Logos and names should be the most eye-catching content on the site, and repeat itself through out pages. The new york times logo might not be the most preferred font on the web, but sustains the sense of its brand. Good design should be able to sustain a brandname or a personality for average audience.
Basic design principles
I think the general principle of web page design is to make the web page easy to read.
Three of the four basic design principles, alignment, proximity and contrast, are dealing with how to make the web page easy to read.
Among the three, I think the most difficult one is alignment. It is easily to say that choose one alignment and use it on the entire page. In fact, it is difficult to line everything up, especially for beginners with no background in design. People are so familiar with the appearance of newspaper that they use it as the template to design the web page. That is why people are very likely to center the headline, but align the basic text on the left.
The fourth principle, repetition, is a powerful usability principle that can make users of the web page feel in control of the system. When things always behave the same, users don't have to worry about what will happen. Instead, they know what will happen based on earlier experience. The more users' expectations prove right, the more they will feel in control of the system and the more they will like it.
Three of the four basic design principles, alignment, proximity and contrast, are dealing with how to make the web page easy to read.
Among the three, I think the most difficult one is alignment. It is easily to say that choose one alignment and use it on the entire page. In fact, it is difficult to line everything up, especially for beginners with no background in design. People are so familiar with the appearance of newspaper that they use it as the template to design the web page. That is why people are very likely to center the headline, but align the basic text on the left.
The fourth principle, repetition, is a powerful usability principle that can make users of the web page feel in control of the system. When things always behave the same, users don't have to worry about what will happen. Instead, they know what will happen based on earlier experience. The more users' expectations prove right, the more they will feel in control of the system and the more they will like it.
Design
By reading these two articles I saw how much of a difference that good design can have on a web site. Both articles are interesting becaus they show the same page with slight differences, and all of the changes make a big difference on the quality of the site. All it took was aligning text, moving pictures away from the side of the page or any other easy change and the page went from looking sloppy and hard to navigate to professional and easy to understand.
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