Put Thought Into My Design

In this task we are required to to the following below:

Design a 5-page website or blog to promote your hometown (or any other place if you so choose).

I chose to promote my Norwegian hometown Lofoten.

Introduction to Web Design

Welcoming you all to 2013!

I have been down for a while hence my late entry to the new semester. Feels great to be back. Missed a lot and have a lot of catching up to do. So as we proceed, to give you what you need, we start with Web Design.

1. Explain the following terms in your own words:
   • The Internet
   • HTML
   • Browser
   • Search engine
2. Please research and add another 10 questions to the briefing process.
3. From this list of 20 questions (your 10 added to my 10), please create the ultimate list of 10 questions that you would use for clients.
4. Please upload this activity to your WordPress blog.

1.The Internet:

It is a system of interconnected digitally linked computer networks controlled by users all over the world. It allows for fast transmitting and receiving of information resources, services and digital media over the world wide web.

HTML: 

Which stands for Hypertext markup language. It comprises of codes used for making websites.

Browser:

It is a computer program that when launched, communicates with web servers and visually displays webpages and contents on the internet on the computer screen. Examples are Internet explorer, Safari, Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, etc.

Search engine:

It is a computer program that is designed to find information or data using keywords entered by the user on the computer from its data base or the web.

2. Briefing process (added 10 questions in green)

1. What kind of visitors are you expecting on your website? (Consider their income, interests, gender and age.)
   
2. Who are your competitors and how do you differ from them?
   
3. What actions do you want visitors to take on the site?
   
4. What is your deadline for completing the site? How big is the budget?
   
5. What features should be used on your website? (This includes things like contact forms, pictures, videos, etc.)
   
6. Please list the names of three sites that you like and explain what you like about them.
   
7. Do you have any colour preferences? What should the look and feel for the website be?
   
8. Who will be the contact person for this project?
   
9. What do you NOT want on your site in terms of text, content, colour and graphic elements?
   
10. Who will be responsible for maintaining the website? Will the person have the time and skills to do so?  
11. Do you have a registered company name, logo or existing branded products?
12. If you have a logo, in what format? Do you have a profile manual?
13. What is the purpose of your site?
14. What devices do you want your site to be accessed?
15. Do you want a highly interactive content site?
16. Will your site support electronic commerce or online shopping?
17. What type of website do you want?
18. What is the size of the site? e.g. number of webpages.
19. What will be your participation or degree of collaboration in the design process and creation of the site?
20. What is the projected future plan of the site?

3. The Ultimate 10 questions I will use for a client

1. What kind of visitors are you expecting on your website? (Consider their income, interests, gender and age.)
2. Who are your competitors and how do you differ from them?
3. What is your deadline for completing the site? How big is the budget?
4. What features should be used on your website? (This includes things like contact forms, pictures, videos, etc.)
5. What do you NOT want on your site in terms of text, content, colour and graphic elements?
6. Who will be responsible for maintaining the website? Will the person have the time and skills to do so? 
   
7. If you have a logo, in what format? Do you have a profile manual?
8. Will your site support electronic commerce or online shopping?
9. What is the size of the site? e.g. number of webpages.
10. What is the projected future plan of the site?

Design different looks

In this we were asked to copy the exact content from a homepage of a website of your choice. Now redesign this homepage in three different ways. Each design should evoke a different emotional response from viewers. You can choose what you would like these emotional responses to be.

I chose the Apple homepage below

And here are my redesigns below

Girly themed design

This design is inspired by everything pink, colourful and girly. This design language should attract young girls in their teens and younger.

Reshuffled design with a bit more grey

This design is a bit downplayed and will attract loyalist of the brand and conservatives.

Dark-techie themed design

This design will satisfy those that who think the current design is too clinical.

Create a Wireframe

Wireframe or website architecture can be described as the blueprint of a website. It is highly recommended that it is drawn before creating a website. It gives a clear view of how a website you are creating should function. It is like the thumbnails of a layout in graphic design and thereby involves drawing up simple sketches of how the website should look and function.

The 10 questions with answers to draw up a wireframe based on my client portfolio for the 1st semester exam, Abelsen Media.

• What kind of visitors are you expecting on your website? (Consider their income, interests, gender and age.)

Answer – 20-60yrs, corporate organizations, researchers and inventors.

• Who are your competitors and how do you differ from them?

Answer – Willy Verwoed http://www.wv.no/index.htm, Difference – Research-based clients.

• What is your deadline for completing the site? How big is the budget?

Answer – March 31, 2013, Budget cost xxxx;-kr.

• What features should be used on your website? (This includes things like contact forms, pictures, videos, etc.)

Answer – Pictures, videos(where necessary), GIFs, contact forms

• What do you NOT want on your site in terms of text, content, colour and graphic elements?

Answer – serif fonts, heavy graphics, etc.

• Who will be responsible for maintaining the website? Will the person have the time and skills to do so? 
  

Answer – The graphic designer and the client since it is a small site.

• If you have a logo, in what format? Do you have a profile manual?

Answer – Has a logo in all formats and also includes a profile manual.

• Will your site support electronic commerce or online shopping?

Answer – At the beginning it will not support e-commerce.

• What is the size of the site? e.g. number of webpages.

Answer – It is a small size website with 4 – 8 pages.

• What is the projected future plan of the site?

Answer – It hopes to grow in pages, content and include e-commerce.

Below is the site map and wireframe based on my client from the exam project.

Site Map

Wireframe

I used a lo-tech method for creating this wireframe. It is very versatile, low cost, saves time and makes transition to hi-tech method easier and faster.