Object #4 - Beginnings of AVI aspect :)

Although only 15 seconds long a lot of effort has lead up to even this intial movie of dancing shoes. I am thinking of adding buttons to help with the interactivity side of this object or perhaps I could make the user have to click somewhere for the movie to start.

Also I am currently adding in words to the movie to help reflect how it has influenced my identity.

Online Portfolio Analysis

http://www.jenikya.com/ - Web Designer

Initial Impat (4/5)

Really liked the street idea and the different shops representing different areas of her work. Although meant to look basic felt the design of the street could be updated.

Quality and Range (5/5)

Lots of different areas of work shown giving a wide view on what she is capable of and who she is.

Navigation (3/5)

Simple so effective however could have been improved with more indication of the buttons as rollover didn't feel enough.

Contextual Information (4/5)

Plenty given! Not just title of work but complete briefs so understand what she was working to achieve and if she did indeed achieve it.

"Hanging Togetherness" (3/5)

Works sucessfully as a site but images and colours could be updated and made less dim. Scroll bars within the box would be more effetive than scrolling down the page.

Total = 19/25


http://www.tylersticka.com/ - Web Designer and Illustrator

Initial Impat (2/5)

Simplistic Blog design although boxes of work, work well.

Quality and Range (3/5)

Good Range - each given own individual sections

Navigation (3/5)

Navigation bar - simple to use and easy to progress through site and easily get back to where you started.

Contextual Information (3/5)

Short and to the point however more detail would improve it.

"Hanging Togetherness" (3/5)

Works well but needs something different to help give it a more competitive edge.

Total = 14/25


www.pushfrog.com - Interactive and Photography

Initial Impat (3/5)

Looks clean and professional.

Quality and Range (3/5)

Not a large amount of work but of high quality and for well known companies.

Navigation (2/5)

Confusing as no main home page and goes straight to work so does not follow traditional format meaning don't know about them or what they do.

Contextual Information (1/5)

None! Title and company. Needs it to explain pieces of work.

"Hanging Togetherness" (3/5)

Works well and looks professional but more contexual information is desperately needed!

Total = 12/25

Object #3 - Avatar

Part of the brief was to include the avatar from the previous project on identities. So to make the video more interactive I added controls for the user to stop and start the video.

I also had to create a smaller version of the box to put within the special box and preloader, having to UV map the room pictures to it.

Object #2 - Kitty Kat

I Chose a cat as i have always loved them and if given the choice to be any animal I would definately choose a cat. I also feel that I resemble some of there traits and so this would show a part of my identity to the user. I created the cat myself adding to it being more personal to me rather than just finding an image and using it.

A cat also allowed me the chance to incorporate interactivity with the use of a puzzle. The puzzle I finally achieved was very basic and could be improved by having the pieces snap into place however this was beyond my level of skills and even with surgery sessions I was unable to achieve this. But with more time would be an improvement I would make.

Object #1 - Perfume

My next object is my perfume bottle as I associate everyone with a scent, as I know everyone of my friend’s scents and identify them by them. Weird I know! Therefore I have made a 3d representation of my perfume bottle as one of my objects as this identifies me.



It will be interactive as the user will take off the lid and press the spray to spray-out words explaining how it represents me.

Interative site analysis

http://www.thefwa.com/ - all the websites I have analysed came from this site :)

http://www.nokia.co.uk/evolve

The pages all have a simple background with minimal photos so that the design is kept simple and direct. The minimal design is reflective of idea of the company, which is clearly minimalising the energy we use. This is clear right from the outset with the text on the initial load up page. There is also minimal writing and the ideals are given in movie clips, which is more effective as they are presented by experts and therefore give the user a sense of security about the company and its brand.

The site was easy to use as the navigation was clear and each page was set onto a new section. The buttons were clear as when rolled over they animated to show the user they are buttons.

The content is relevant as it gives the specifications of the phone and how it has been designed to save energy within the small video clips which is what the whole design was meant to incorporate. The content is clearly organised as each section opens on a new page. Although it would be better if you did not have to scroll as the bottom button can easily be missed by the user

It reflects the company well with the use of the recognisable Nokia logo and also it reflects the philosophy of the company’s brand by clearly informing the user that this phones identity is all about saving energy as this idea is present throughout the site.

The interactivity of the site was successful but could have easily been improved. When ‘exploring the phone’ you could rotate a 360 view of the phone but it could have been more interactive if the buttons could be pressed and the use of the phone was simulated for the user. The choice being of being able to turn the sound on and off was a nice touches and works well within most websites. The videos took a long time to load, which became annoying and there is little interaction as all you can do is watch. I liked the flash animation of the phone circle and felt this added to the interactivity for the user.

http://www.gotmilk.com/

On first impressions the first page is very busy and gives the impression there is a lot to do within the site. The music was repeatative in a irritating way rather than an inviting way and finding the music controls was not a simple task. However the rest of the buttons are easy to use and the menu bar at the bottom allowing you to always revert back to the main pages. Within the game page the controls are simple and are explained and there is a small amount of text and this helps to explain what the games are showing about the company

The site content is well presented as it clearly shows that the whole site is promoting milk and the health benefits with drinking it. Sometimes the games purpose was not always that relevant and more text would help to improve this. The content is clearly separated into sections or a new game with a new purpose. As well as the main content is clearly sectioned on the menu bar, which is always present for navigation throughout the site.

The identity is reflected well as all the games are about health and well being which is what the drink itself is all about. The brand is clearly stated in the brand section and background and history is given. This in depth information makes you feel as a user you get to know everything about the company and gains your trust in their product.

The interactivity throughout is very high and I feel this is mainly due to the games, which obviously are completely interactive for the user. Other interactive elements include the rollover buttons and animations that happen to highlight they had been rolled over. As well as scroll bars when there was writing allowing the user to have control over the text they are reading as well as helping the amount of text look smaller instead of being shown in one big chunk, which can be intimidating to the user. There was also a section where the user could print suggested recipes and email them to friends and I feel this feels very interactive as you as the user feel like you are being invited into the company. The only downfall was with the high amounts of animation and interactivity the loading was sometimes long although was still interactive as there was an animated loading page to inform the user what was happening.

Box

I decided to use the bedroom I had already made from the previous identity project. The bedroom allows interactivity as there are many hiding places for the box, however it is under the bed it can be found like my own is.

I then had to decide on the decoration originally I was going to use a plain wooden effect to immitate the treasure box I based the design on. But I felt this was too impersonal so I decided upon using pictures of me to cover it. I kept the main draws simple using grey but used a piture on the front of the draws to fit in with the box. The logo was placed on the top draw of the box so was always present.

Next I had to create short videos of the draws opening as I wanted them to open when the user clicked on them. As I dont have advance flash knowledge I couldnt achieve a drag open in flash so used the videos instead. I also had to change my initial plan of the objects being dragged out of the draws as this too was not possible to achieve so they came out of the draw during the video. I added a simple opening sound to the draws so that it was more realistic of a draw opening.

I also added roate buttons so that the user could interative with the box and see each side and also buttons on each of the draws which were highlighted with a green highlight on rollover.

Learing style quiz

Check out this site for Jool's task it quick and easy!

http://www.petersons.com/education_planner/discovering_article.asp?sponsor=2859&articleName=Learning_Styles_Quiz

Heres my results, I'm an auditory learner which I already could have guessed since I do enjoy communication :)

Preload

I made a simple simulation of a pre-loader as my flash file itself was not large enough to have a percentage simulated version as when I tried this the loading bar moved far to quickly. Therefore I used a motion tween to create a loading bar that loads at a steady pace.

Choosing objects

I made a spider diagram to help think of objects that I associate with and then narrowed them down to the five I felt represented me well and allowed room to add interactivity for the user.

finalising logo idea

I looked at logos I recognise and associate with and incorporating them into my own.


The final design I have chosen to go with was the adaption of the 'Hollyoaks' symbols as this is one of my favourite TV programmes and I watch it religiously. The programme itself is representive of my identity at the moment as it is all about university and the trials of life as a young adult so I felt this also worked well. It also allowed me to incorporate my initials esaily making it more personal to me.

finalising box and looking into enviroment

Ok I decided to go with the shap of the treasure box that set this idea in motion for the final box idea. I chose this as I feel it has a good way to be interactive with the opening of the different compartments allowing objects to be taken out by dragging and dropping leaving the option for then more interaction with each object individually. The box can be made more persoanl by the box being decorated with pictures of me or perhaps me with family and friends rather than being plain wood like the one I got the idea from.

I then thought about where I woud place my box or if I would leave it as just the box and below are my initial ideas.

I think I am going to go with idea of my bed using the besd I have alreasy made as this is where I keep my own special box of personal memories and objects. Also I think it works well as your identity is hidden in the dark depths which this box will be too.

Time Management - Gantt Chart

Following the presentation I was told to work on time management so have decided to use a Gantt chart this time to stick to personal deadlines and allow time for problems to occur without delaying the final outcome.

Intial design ideas

Ok so following on from the last presentation I have decided to go with my box of treasures with objects inside representing me. I made design ideas for the box, brainstormed ideas for the objects to include within the box and began to look into rough ideas for the logo design. Below are the initial box ideas I came up with.
I then started workin on some basic models for some of the box ideas in 3ds Max.

Identities Project2 - Ideas Presented

These are the ideas presented within the presentation given at the end of last term. I will develop these ideas further but chose to concentrate on the idea of a treasure box basing it on a box of special objects I myself own. I went with this rather than the cube as Deb and Simon felt it was perhaps to distant from me and my identity. The box itself will be based on the design of the box found and shown below instead of my own box. It will contain objects representing something about me which is what my own special box does containing memories in object form.