Week 8: Applicable technologies

Reading: Web Redesign, Chapter 6, Phase 4 : Production and Quality Assessment
The article provided a detailed overview of the production workflow with some practical business and time management tips.
Introduced me to new concepts like client spec sheet, slicing, splicing, backend & front-end integration, guerilla testing … I liked that, especially the house-building/web design analogy (Pg 14). I thought it worked!
However, at times I felt I am reading something abstract without getting my hands dirty; like too much theory without practice. Now, I am raring to actually build a website and implement some of what I am learning.
As for the website design itself, I am not sure if the interspersed profiles (Kassirer, Zeldman) helped or distracted me. Though, I liked the content of these interviews, I think they interrupted my flow of thought. I guess, in a real (as opposed to virtual) magazine format, this would not have been an issue as the scrolling function would not have been vital to reading. But wait, maybe I am wrong. Maybe this is a chapter from a book that’s been scanned in? Is it?

Week 7: Color and Typography

Readings:
a) Information Design in Technical Communication: (http://orange.eserver.org/issues/1-1/)
b) Web 2.0: http://www.gotomedia.com/gotoreport/january2006/news_0106_forest.html
c) Give Customers Short Paths To What They Want: Brief Series September 29, 2003. “Best Practices For Designing Site Navigation Series” By Moira Dorsey With Harley Manning Michelle Amato, Forrester Research, Inc. (www.forrester.com)

Synthesis from my readings makes me think website design and navigation depend on two primary factors: Who is your audience and what is your site’s purpose?
Clearly, users value content and functionality above all else. Also, the website’s goal or purpose is essential to the design.
To illustrate my point, I’ll offer my experience trying to locate our class reading this week.
“Give Customers Short Paths To What They Want” proved to be an ironical header for an article that was difficult to locate on the EReserves site. Since that was the only article that could not have a live link, (I’m guessing because it is paid for content, copyright issues) it would have been helpful to not have it hidden inside a generic folder called “Groups.” Since I had some time on hand and also because I like to think of myself as a diligent student, I persisted and opened all the other article links till I hit upon the folder and found the assigned reading. From a user perspective, that was definitely a six-level hierarchy. J
Anyway, my point is, I plowed through the navigational issues only because I really wanted to read the article. So the audience needs and wants matters as does the value of the content. But this doesn’t mean websites should take users for granted and not pay attention to functionality and design. This becomes even more critical when you are trying to sell products/services. If users cannot locate what they want to buy in two/three clicks they are bound to look elsewhere. But if the website caters to student researchers/ academic journals, the design aspects take a bit of a backseat over content. At least that’s been my experience. It may change in the future.
Web 2.0 sounds like it may be that harbinger of that change. It says it will have a profound impact on how websites are designed. I'm fascinated by the concept, though, I don’t think I really understand how it all works.

Week 6: The book I plan to review

I’ve chosen Alan Cooper’s “The Inmates Are Running The Asylum” partly because it was the most attention-grabbing title of all the suggested books and partly because I had heard about Cooper and his concept of GOAL-DIRECTED (BTW, the concept is a registered trademark — putting COM 558 learning to use J) methodology through the Cooper U educational program (http://www.cooper.com/). His idea is “when you start your design and development work with the goals of users in mind, you achieve clarity, and your engagements go smoothly.”
This resonated with me and my COM 585 readings, so I decided to pick up this book. So far I am enjoying the humor, the examples and conversational style of writing. Waiting to see how Cooper ties all the parts and chapters together.

Book title: The Inmates Are Running The Asylum — Why high-tech products drive us crazy and how to restore the sanity
ISBN: 0-672-31649-8

Week 5: What is Good Design?

Reading: Blueprints for the Web: Organization for the Masses by Christina Wodtke
http://www.informit.com/articles/printerfriendly.asp?p=30289&rl=1

Hierarchy And Contrast: The Basis of Good Design by Margo Halverson
http://www.presentation-pointers.com/printarticle.asp?articleid=399

I thought good design was about creativity, intuitive action and something that grabs your attention. But after this week’s readings, I realize I am wrong. It seems design, at least user-friendly design, is about predictability. It’s about organizing, hierarchy and structure. It is NOT breaking from the norm or conventional way of thinking. I wonder how we can build creativity into something so structured. Or maybe that’s why we precisely need creativity: to make all the structures blend?

Also, another thought that is disturbing. My readings indicate that a design is effective if it meets user expectations. In other words it is about estimating/guessing your users/target audience’s needs or habits. But then, do people really think alike? I find this question the hardest to answer: How can one website/design serve or satisfy the needs of different people. By different I mean, people who are different in terms of age, education, culture, exposure, maturity? Are we then designing for the lowest common denominator?

Week 4: Cluetrain/HCI

Cluetrain Manifesto

Like a lot of manifestos, this one is passionate and hammers its philosophy over and over again, till you feel flattened and overwhelmed. Though, I liked the over-the-top funny expressions and sarcasm and also identified at some levels with the anti-corporate overtones of the writing, I could not appreciate the length and verbosity. “Life is too short, we die,” Chapter 1 says. Wish the author had kept true to this idea and cut out some of his “magic-mushroom enthusiasm.”
I think the Cluetrain is on the right track as far as the basic idea the writers are trying to make:

“A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies.”

The Web has helped people from all the over world connect at some levels. This is certainly true in case of mass media. The rise of UseNet, chats, and blogs have all helped people converse outside the Big Media box.
However, I must say these connections are very fragile and not as widespread as the authors would like us to believe.

Here is why I disagree:
There are many who are still outside the conversation even after many decades of the hyperlink.
Also, instead of being a connected whole, the market is getting increasingly demassified and people are mostly looking for their custom experience.
Another aspect overlooked by the writers is that not all conversation is productive. There is still a lot of spamming and flaming and snooping. I’m not too sure if left to ourselves, people/users will be able continue a civil and productive conversation for too long.
I think the writers were disillusioned by the corporate culture (and sometime rightly so). Therefore their agenda is to discredit corporate management as bumbling idiots that just get in the way of innovation and real human conversations.


Gestalt theory and HCI (human-computer interface)

The Gestalt approach emphasizes that we perceive objects as well-organized patterns rather than separate component parts. Even if the perception is based on an optical illusion, the brain sees it as a “whole,” structured, cohesive picture.
The challenge for designers of (products or Web designs) is to translate these natural, built-in perceptions (affordances) we have into the product so that we can interact with that product with natural ease.
The problem with screen-based, graphical web designs is that we don’t always have a natural built-in perception about it since it is so new and our senses have not yet developed a relationship with it. So designers have to rely on ‘perceived affordances’ or what the user perceives as possible. Therefore, a lot of good design relies on observing how people actually use the product/interface.
In some cases, cultural conventions come into play. That makes me wonder, whether designs developed in certain parts of the world may not resonate with other world citizens. Then how do we standardize? Who gets to standardize? Countries with the most bandwidth and technology resources?

Week 3: User Centered Design/Standards

Week 3: User-Centered Design/Standards
Boy! Those were a lot of acronyms in the “Internet Standards, Protocols, and Languages” write-up. I didn’t know there were some many out there. I’m impressed that despite all that jargon we have been able to keep the Web universal. I’m all in favor of standardization, but I’m not too sure if that is practical. A recent Wall Street journal article talked about how some countries are starting their own alternatives to the Internet.
Here are a few graphs from the article (published Jan 19) since WSJ is subscription based and you may not get to read the full article.

German computer engineers are building an alternative to the Internet to make a political statement. A Dutch company has built one to make money. China has created three suffixes in Chinese characters substituting for .com and the like, resulting in Web sites and email addresses inaccessible to users outside of China...

The Internet...uses a so-called domain-name system, also called the "root," that consists of 264 suffixes. These include .com, .net, .org and country codes such as .jp for Japan.
Having a single root is central to the universality of the Internet and critical to its power and appeal...

...some are uneasy with the notion that a U.S.-based body (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or Icann) overseen by the U.S. government has sole power over what domain names are used and who controls each name. Other countries such as China also say Icann is too slow in forming domain names in non-Roman languages, hindering the development of an Internet culture in those countries...


As for Nathan Shedroff’s article on Unified Design Theory, I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt that understanding your audience’s needs and offering them a holistic experience is a the key to good design theory.

Refined goal, some websites and ideas

To refine my goal:
Work with the process of content creation with a strong focus on design. Would like to learn Dreamweaver and Flash (if not too technically hard).

Refining ideas:
I think we probably will need two projects. In my opinion, the immigration website can have a great purpose if we steer clear of bureaucracy and instead focus on personal stories, experiences and provide value-add in terms of real people (some of us in class, others I know personally) offering tips on immigration issues/job searches, ideas. That way we can avoid duplication with government/legal websites.

Also, NGO site sounds promising, but I agree with Drew. We need to find an organization that will trust us with its image/content. Otherwise, very effective in driving the class toward a goal within set parameters.

Jyotsna’s generation idea and Brian’s ‘I remember’ idea are the two safest bets and will give us enough control over content and structure. Also both are good ideas in their own rights. Though, not too sure about the larger social value.


Some websites:

I am drawn to interactive websites which are a little off-beat. I think the home page, as we all know, is critical in terms of presentation, content and ease of navigation. But then so are the related link pages. Here are some examples.

http://www.jkrowling.com/
The UK site has a lot of fun stuff. I love the way there is a sense of organized chaos. There are a bunch of interactive icons which lead to more interactive sites. Goes with the theme/tone of her books. Layers within layers.


http://www.alhirschfeld.com/

Almost all of Al Hirschfeld’s original drawings, paintings, etchings and lithographs are on exhibit at this virtual gallery. Website has a sense of drama and is consistent with the artist’s style of drawing. Also, a pretty comprehensive collection.

http://www.spl.org/
Also, Seattle public library link is quite good. Nothing fancy, but serves a useful purpose. Has links in multiple languages. Haven’t seen that before in area library links. Also, has all the relevant details. I like it a lot.

Good night all. My first experience with online class was not bad at all! Some direct input from Kathy would have been even better. It would be nice if Delta allowed inflight Web service. :) Or do they already?

Week 2: Online class

My background and goals:

My background has been in print journalism and I am skilled at designing news pages (using QuarkXpress), editing stories (Word), writing headlines (creative skills) and working with other editors (collaborative skills) in deciding what is important enough to be put on the front page of the daily newspaper.
Of course, storytelling and how to design stories relevant to our readers was a major part of my job. In all of these endeavors, the managing editor played a critical role. He steered the meetings and set the agenda and once in a while (when there was a BIG story) suggested how we play the story in terms of design and headline.

I have joined this course to equip myself technically, so that I can perform similar and related functions on the Web. I want to develop my skills in these two areas:
1. Information architect: I want to learn some hard technical skills so that I can incorporate audio/video with web design. I’d like to learn Flash and basics of DreamWeaver.

2. Writer/author: I have written stories for newspapers. I want to know how to tailor my writing for Websites in terms of style, tone.

I am fairly confident of my skills in editor/ copyeditor roles, but need to brush up on the technical skills required of a copy editor (entering metadata), editor (how to edit Web content, graphics).

Project idea:
I liked Drew and Co.'s immigration website idea. I think our class and this area (Seattle) may offer many good resources. It may have good social value and can be used as a resource by many immigrant families if designed thoughtfully.

Winter 2006: Week 2: Thoughts on readings

Thoughts on readings: ‘Notes on Design Practice: Stories and Prototypes as Catalysts for Communication and ‘The Publishing Team’

After reading the Design Practice chapter, I was surprised at the complexity of the design process itself. The amount of detailed planning and interaction with designers from different disciplines boggled my mind. Also, the fact that a tech-based product has so much of social and user interface is refreshing and reassuring.
What I’d like to understand further in class, is how much of this is driven by business needs and how the role of the publisher, managing editor, information architect etc (as discussed in ‘The Publishing Team’ chapter) fits into the design process. How do these different roles fit into the design life cycle?

Week 8: We the Media (Dan Gillmor, 2004) Chapt 1: From Tom Paine to Blogs and Beyond

Rise of 21st century blogs rooted in late 18th century American history

In this chapter, Dan Gillmor traces the rise of ‘personal journalism’ or ‘citizen journalism’ in America.
He provides a succinct overview of the history of American journalism by weaving the thread of grassroots journalism right through the narrative. He starts off with late 18th century and early 19th century pamphleteers like Tom Paine, authors of the Federalist Papers and the ‘muckrakers,’ all of whom served as voices of the common man, safeguarding against ‘yellow journalism’ and mercantile/business interests of those times.

After describing a host of historical and technical developments, he comes full circle by likening the early pamphleteers to the ‘citizen journalists’ and bloggers of today who are questioning the authority of the ‘Big Media.’
According to Gillmor, corporatization of journalism which led to the birth of ‘Big Media’ is inevitable in a capitalistic society and has not boded well for the audience or consumers of news. Apart from a few laudable, investigative scoops like Watergate and Iran Contra Crisis, mainstream journalism has practiced the one-to-many model of communication where journalists exercise exclusive sovereignty over the news and its interpretations and “lecture” their ideas and opinions to the public at large. The consolidation of media also bred arrogance and an excessive sense of self-importance which led to public disenchantment with mainstream media, Gillmor adds.
However, this traditional model of communication has come under considerable fire with the advent of the Internet and the Hypertext. With the interactive and easy to use technology, blogging has offered a way for every person to be the news consumer as well as the new audience. According to some estimates, there a about 8 million blogs in the exploding blogosphere.
Anyway, I think this accessibility and ease of use of blogs have had a dual effect, a simultaneous erosion and improvement of quality. There are some rock stars of blogging like Glenn Renoyld of Instapundit.com, Joshua Marshall of Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall and the DRUDGE REPORT 2005®.
They have all garnered a large and loyal following and their writing has had a significant impact on public opinion.
Then there are some bloggers whose motives are being questioned for accepting payments to push a product via their blogs.
Then there are some who just rave and rant about Hollywood gossip or personal issues.
This lack of uniformity of product and multiplicity of motives makes me wonder about the future of blogs, especially when it is touted as the replacement for mainstream media channels.
There is no doubt the influence and power of political blogs and citizen journalist is on the rise and I, who has been part of the newspaper industry for the past 5 years, welcome it. I think it is always good to have a system of checks and balances and channels through which a cross-section of voices can be heard.
However, as blogging evolves from a personal to a professional writing mode, I think we need to pay attention to what models can be put in place to support it? I don’t want ‘Big Media’ to cunningly draft bloggers into their payrolls. I think it is important to have independent voices in democracy. So, is there a sustainable business model for blogging that will not compromise its integrity? How might free market or commercial models such as advertising-supported funding alter the spirit of blogging? Are there alternative models such as cooperatives that might sustain and extend blogging? As Gillmor would say: The conversation has just begun.


Additional reading for Group 3

The role of the Internet in National and Local News Media use (Journal of Online Behavior, 2003)
http://www.behavior.net/JOB/v1n3/riedel.html

This study tries to find out the sources of people’s political information or news. It begins by showing newspaper dominance as the main source of political news diminished when TV came along. However, the study points out newspapers are still more effective as tools of political learning. I suspect that has something to do with the way we learn. We need ‘the word’ to learn not just visual images.
Anyhow, the study goes on to prove that with the emergence of the Internet, questions are being raised about the role of the print versions of newspapers as source of political information. It goes on to enumerate the various reasons for rise of online versions of print newspapers. In the U.S., 3,400 general circulation newspapers are currently online and provide free, regularly updated, in-depth news with multi-digital, interactive experience compared to their print counterpart. It also notes the surge in online news demand after 9/11. However, the authors go on to test the proposition that even though there has been a dramatic increase in the use of the Internet as a news source, (just like it had been the case with TV), can it be linked as the source of to people’s political education/knowledge? The authors pose three hypotheses describing the relationship of the Internet to political knowledge.

• · Hypothesis 1: National and local political knowledge cover different domains and national and local sources of news will also fall into different patterns of usage.
  
  · Hypothesis II: Internet news sources will tend to be associated with more national news sources than with local news sources
  
  · Hypothesis III: Controlling for relevant demographic and political characteristics, use of Internet news sources will predict gains in national political knowledge but not local political knowledge.

To test these hypotheses, the authors drew upon survey data collected in 1997 and 1999 from respondents in two Minnesota communites.

The results revealed that the Internet remains one of the least utilized news sources, with only 13.7 percent using it when compared to the large majorities using local (91.4 percent) and regional (64.7 percent) newspapers. National news sources in the form of newspapers (28 percent) and national news magazines (22.5 percent) ranked substantially lower than local news sources, but higher than the Internet.

The results also showed that more people used the Internet as a supplement for national news rather than local.

However, the authors conclude with the suggestions that Internet news is a significant predictor of national political knowledge and its impact is growing if we are cognizant of the digital divide and take steps to broaden access.