SPP3: Job Advertisement 1

Website Designer

Employer:
Distinction

Job Type:
Permanent

Salary Details:
Competitive, dependant on experience.

Ref:
for the attention of James Bloor.

Role:
We are looking for creative web designers with a passion for the web to join our team in Nottingham.

Requirements:

Core skills required:
• (x)HTML (5)
• CSS 3
• Javascript

Necessary experience:

• Some relevant commercial experience working in, or with, a web or software company
Technical requirements:
• Extensive experience working with HTML and xHTML
• Excellent understanding of CSS 3
• Good understanding of wireframing and project planning
• Appreciation of best practice with xHTML and CSS
• Appreciation of web accessibility standards
• Javascript - including exposure to client-side libraries such as jQuery, Mootools, etc
• A passion for web design and a desire to push boundaries and set new trends
Interpersonal skills:
• Creative but logic mindset
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Highly motivated and detail-oriented
• Desire to learn new skills

To stand out, you might also have:

• Experience of using CMS platforms
• An understanding of integrating database-driven content
• Experience with Social Media networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
• Testing experience – Test-Driven Development, Unit Testing (NUnit, XUnit), Mocking

Educational requirements:

• No specific requirements, although a flair for design is crucial

Location:
Nottingham

Apply:
Please apply by sending your CV, portfolio and Cover Letter to cv {at} distinctionhq.com, for the attention of James Bloor.

SPP3: Artefact 1 presentation

Here is my first presentation for SPP3 artefact 1

Internet on Hand-Held Devices

Client Project - First Ideas

Here are my first initial ideas for the layout of Palmhive's website.

Artefact 1: Evaluation

A survey was conducted to discover what the underlying contributing factors are that hinder a user’s internet experience on a hand-held device. The survey was targeted at over eighteens and was distributed though the online survey manager InstantSurvey. This allowed for multiple branching systems; which provided a quick responsive way of sectioning questions based on user responses.

The survey was structured into segments to divide hand-held device internet users from none-internet users. I would then be able to identify individual problems that user’s encountered whilst using the internet. I could have improved this by adding more questions to gather extensive information on users, with whom, don’t use hand-held devices.

The survey resulted in finding out that the more frequent internet users on hand-held devices thought that ‘speed’ was the main problem when performing tasks. This however remained constant with the participants who didn’t use the internet on their device as frequently. Another interesting outcome was that less frequent users when asked ‘if they would like the view full websites on devices’ resulted in no responses. This shows that the majority of participants don’t expect to view all content of an original desktop website.

If the artefact was to be repeated, I would have changed the questions to be more specific and detail such areas as browsers and certain devices they use. This would have resulted in having individual devices and being able to identify the associated problems. It would also provide useful feedback to which devices to use for my next project.

The next artefact will be based around speed on internet browsers and their effect on hand-held devices. I will be creating an application using Android and building with HTML5; this will be analysed using cameras and will be tested in focus groups.

Artefact 1 - Survey Results

The full report (PDF) can be found here

Client - Photoshoot

For my Client Project i have to get photos of the material (fabric) to go in the gallery of Palmhives website. I had problems with taking the photos due to the quality coming out very poorly (seen below). I have done some research into photography and found the solution would be to get a Light Tent (http://www.stevesphotoshop.co.uk/photo_light_tents_cubes.html) at a cost of £20!!

However, i found a guide on the Internet on making my own tent with a cardboard box and a bit of material. Below is some photos of me building and using it.





Now that I have the cardboard tent, i can take all the photos from lining the camera up and angling the material to get a close and quality photo. Here is the before and after photo...

Artefact 1: Design

For my first artifact i wanted to create a survey which would enable me to gather information from users of hand-held devises whom use the Internet frequently (3 or more times a week). I have tried looking at free survey websites which offer 'branching' as a way of eliminating participants depending on what answer they give to a question.

I have found a website called 'InstantSurvey' (www.instantsurvey.com) which is a FREE and can provide me with the 'branching' method. I have made a quick sketch to outline where my questions will lead to (below).

Client - Got CMS Installed

Just installed my first CMS alongside WAMP!!!! took me ages, but i can now start playing around with customising templates.

Client Project - CMS

I'm currently in the process of designing my website but with the lack of knowledge in PHP!!! but even more so that Ive never built a CMS! so Ive done some research into CMS and have listed the available options for me to choose from. My only other option is to build the CMS by myself!


CMS Made Simple

CMS Made Simple lives up to its name as being an easy system to install, configure, and use. It doesn't have as many features or as large of a user community as Drupal, WordPress or Joomla, but it's a good option if you want to get something online fast without much of a learning curve.

Drupal

Drupal also powers sites by Warner Bros. Records, Forbes, AOL, Yahoo, and The Onion.

Drupal is fairly easy to use once you get past the initial learning curve. Drupal is easier to customize than many other content management systems because of features like custom content types and the Views module.

Joomla

Joomla is a powerful open-source content management system with a very active user community and many modules that you can add to increase functionality.

Client Project - Making a start

I have begun my client project! i have referred to my Gantt Chart to see what tasks i need to do first and i have made some wireframes for my 'Palmhive' website.

Client Project - My Client

For my Client project i am creating a website for a Nottingham Textile Business (Palmhive Technical Textiles Ltd.) and have used erskindesign 'Project Enquiry Survey' to gather information from my client in order to proceed with the website building.

Company info...

Palmhive Technical Textiles Ltd.
NTG House, Willow Road, Lenton, Nottingham NG7 2TA.
enquiries@palmhive.co.uk
.

Client Project - Planning

I have started my Client project and i have used a Gantt chart to show the timescale and various stages of my project...

Start of a new year

Just had my first lecture of the second term back and the projects have begun!!!!. I have planned the term through a Gantt chart (below) and I will start my projects straight after this post.

Simulated Client Project Complete!

For the first time on the course I have finished 2 days early! lol. Here is my website which is currently being hosted on my portfolio website. I am glad this time round that my website works in Firefox and Internet Explorer!.

www.nickcoxmedia.co.uk/pirate_website

My Piracy website is basically a website which informs a young audience about the basics of Piracy. My original idea was to animate and make all of the animals and island interactive. One of the features i managed to do was to create a 'pirate spyglass' which is activated when you scroll over the pirate ship.

Website Mockup

My website mockup so far for my homepage.

Wireframes

Heres a few wireframes for my 'Pirate' website.

Simulated client project - websites

After a looking to piracy I have found a few websites which inform piracy in different ways.

Stop Piracy Now

http://stoppiracynow.org/

This site was founded by a family-owned business in the travel industry that has worked hard, over many years, to produce quality travel information for consumers.

One day we had the distinct displeasure to discover that thousands upon (tens of) thousands of pages of there hard work were being stolen online, with the express purpose of pulling there customers away. The infringes were essentially using there own published work against them. They decided to fight back.

This website is, in essence, there story.

Stop Piracy Blog

http://jenjen.typepad.com/stoppiracy/

This website is basically a blog for digital designers who need help fighting piracy. Also this website informs people who dont have an understanding of piracy and inform things such as what piracy is and how to avoid taking part in it.

Simulated client project - research

Before I can begin to research piracy I first need to understand what piracy is?

What is Copyright?

Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.

History

The statute of Anne was the first ever statute to be copyrighted dating back to 1709, and entered into force on 10 April 1709. It is generally considered to be the first fully-fledged copyright statute.

Statute of Anne 1709

Piracy

Piracy refers to acts intentionally committed for financial gain, though more recently copyright owners have described online copyright infringement, particularly in relation to peer-to-peer file sharing networks, as piracy.

Theft

Copyright owners frequently refer to copyright infringement as "theft". In law copyright infringement does not refer to actual theft, but an instance where a person exercises one of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner without authorisation.

Countries

Sharing copied music is legal in some countries, such as Canada and The Netherlands (downloading only), provided that the songs are not sold.

First Project

So we have received our first project of the year! which is to 'Produce a short multimedia piece that informs about or illustrates Digital Piracy' (Which we have 3 weeks to produce).

My first thoughts was to challenge myself by creating an application which would inform about Digital Piracy but after Danny's lecture we were told 'not to create a piece which would not run off a CD'. GREAT! that limits me to a standard website! with no coding.

I am going to research into this and then come back with some ideas.

Brief 3 - Group Project link

Here i the link for our group blog for Yumi's.

http://ukyumidesign.blogspot.com/