tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34772012830673603802024-02-18T18:14:28.228-08:00GDM7- LMUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3477201283067360380.post-2066149548820613402009-01-17T08:32:00.000-08:002009-01-20T08:10:38.228-08:00Evaluation<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><div><br /></div>During this unit, I have learned how to design and build a website, and also add an animation and interactivity. I now feel confident in using Dreamweaver and preparing documents in Photoshop, Image Ready and Illustrator for web. <div><br /></div><div>I have explored various aspects of designing graphics for web, and experimented with a range of different designs. From the research I carried out, I gathered that the main principles of web design are to create a site that is attractive and memorable, but also as user friendly as possible. Ways to achieve this include not overloading it with graphics that are slow to load, not cramming too much information on one page, and making the navigation simple to follow. The first question to ask is<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> what is the purpose of the site? </span> In my case it was to create a portfolio of my current design work. The next question was <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">who will the audience be?</span></div><div>This would be potential clients, college tutors, agencies and employers. Therefore I decided to create a site that presented a wide range of my strongest work, in a way that was clear and memorable. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the whole, I think I have achieved my aims. I felt that the final choice of graphics was suitable because the compass worked well on the page, but also communicated something about the purpose of the page- a navigation tool. One area which I could possibly have improved on was the size of some of the displayed work. Particularly in the Graphic Narrative section, the images are a bit on the small side to view the work in detail. If I had more time, I would have introduced a 'click to enlarge' feature, or even made certain images open in a separate window. This is something I could think about doing in the future. I didn't experience many technical difficulties in building the site, so maybe I could have introduced some more complex features.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I uploaded the site to a browser, the link at the bottom right corner of the index page was missing.</div><div><br /></div><div>(below)</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7VhJp7WEhqRbuhbxs5m1xFejwdrM44FxTWLmPxHe8GntGeiS8qXRfWuE3_sirpIri2x7iIkoUkNRsE82LqurYYjWAqfbTgncotpGWH-C6ulTFIkAQ2lcwojF0tbtBkzI8LHyfBt4xJo/s1600-h/homeweb.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7VhJp7WEhqRbuhbxs5m1xFejwdrM44FxTWLmPxHe8GntGeiS8qXRfWuE3_sirpIri2x7iIkoUkNRsE82LqurYYjWAqfbTgncotpGWH-C6ulTFIkAQ2lcwojF0tbtBkzI8LHyfBt4xJo/s400/homeweb.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293341656058629218" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Also the illustrated book page had all its images missing. (below.) I thought this was because I had saved some of the images with capital letters as filenames. Therefore I needed to correct this and upload the site again. However, the corrected version still didn't work and unfortunately there wasn't time to retry. There was also a problem with the video which worked in the preview but not once uploaded.</div><div><br /></div><div>Besides this problem, the rest of the website worked OK in Camino, Safari, Opera and Internet Explorer. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSGHZogEhLEfSTTowRxZv79kypZHhyphenhyphen3fz19I19FizaTjxHH8L0eoyFdT_MCUgJtpKEOhV4mtXH1vvnqqoG_ykhN_m6iiLpIZMbrrw3B_b2gzuRW8rcOYDglQhwybiKTZSV_xtIjDRhPE/s400/web.book.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293344182523416770" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I have learned a lot about the internet and the world wide web through all the reading and research I have done, especially about dot-com businesses and internet security, which will be useful to know in the future. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3477201283067360380.post-20133581335220517592009-01-06T01:44:00.000-08:002009-01-13T04:11:57.463-08:00Technical details<div><br /></div><div>(Please see paper version in folder of this section)</div><div><br /></div><div>Once I had organized my designs and layout, I began to build the website. The first step was to save each element of my design for web. This converts the file from whatever format it is in to a GIF file, which is compatible for web graphics. This is because the GIF file breaks the colour down into a lower amount of groups, making the file smaller. The lower the colour groups, the more likely you are to loose some of the quality of the image. However, it also means that the image will take less time to load in the browser. I reduced the compass image on my index page from over 200 in Photoshop to 16 in the GIF. There was some loss of quality, but I felt it was minor, compared to the advantage of a site which loaded quickly. </div><div><br /></div><div>I repeated this process for each graphic element of my website. I made sure that I created my Photoshop graphics on separate layers so that I wouldn't encounter any problems with adapting them for a website. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: Saving a Photoshop file for web</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4Xip-i4j-hPlWpL9jYDjfCH_pzoqG7xlDkzY3BLaLCjJHLzUyNc_G7odPyFKQbdk8rjJv1qLN2f22r1bpjb9xDvap66tv18CqSKqxLG-6-yx8GLJfLKV7I8zikrg8cMQdlBtd3hd3co/s320/save.2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288119266261013314" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The next step was to create the rollover buttons. These are the links to each category of the site on the index page, and also in the submenus on each page. The rollover effects makes each link change colour when the mouse is passed over it. To do this, I saved two versions of each link for web, one as the original colour and one as a lighter version. It is very important to save the buttons at exactly the same size, otherwise the images will be unclear and the rollover will be ineffective.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: saving rollover buttons</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuI5pqDhmIh4KYaF2aK7VWjZFkXcQP-aiM_9u_w9IBiy8h4Ekpu_UO4dEvcOvXhwZ0xp10GaEqi2YcJwaoK-PVSLS4Tjts0xtdoo8PIE_f6i5AQhDx7HR9_j7ybQcRnjfGQzQbaDksQ0/s320/CD1.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288140967009756018" style="cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 24px; " /> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDfPU5I4PiCBTs3dlXek8waH6V5EtLnb0UufD95eINEETCGcIWFEu_m103ZmNh5zsD_wm8uSeNt539d3cM352yUWAn_lrJcmagjyXv5arqXpQtH0wCIkXV1RK6mIr6FzzE3lyek4n1BY/s320/cd2.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288141469851721730" style="cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 24px; " /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I have now prepared all my images, and made sure that they were all saved in a separate folder. The next step is to define the site in Dreamweaver. This is an XHTML based software, which is fully inclusive and does not require plug-ins. The other main kind of website software is Flash. this is more animated graphics based than XHTML software, but does not work on all platforms and may take a long time to load.</div><div><br /></div><div> I defined my site by choosing <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Site> Manage Sites>New>Site. </span>I selected the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> Basic</span> tab, named the site <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">portfolio</span> and clicked next. I then selected <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">No I do not want to use a server technology</span> and clicked next. I selected the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> edit local copies on my machine</span> button and clicked the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> yellow folder icon </span>to the right of the text box. I navigated to my <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">portfolio</span> folder which was located in My Documents and and clicked <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Select </span>and then <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Next.</span> Under the question <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">How do you connect to the remote server</span> I selected <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">None</span> from the drop down menu. I then clicked <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Next</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Done.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div>To create documents within the site, I selected <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">File>New. </span>I then selected the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">General</span> tab from the top and selected <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">HTML</span> from the page type window, and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">none</span> from the Layout window. I selected the doc type as XHTML and clicked <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Create. </span>I created a separate page for each section of my site. </div><div><br /></div><div>In Dreamweaver, the drag and drop commands allow you to create sites without any knowledge of HTML. However, you can view the code with a split screen view. Although I used the drag and drop commands to build my website, I kept the split screen view open so I could gain a basic understanding of how the code works. The code is known as XHTML tags. The opening tag and the closing tag contain the letters html. In between these two tags, is the header and the body. The header contains information that doesn't appear on the page itself, like the title. The body contains the text and graphics that appear on the page.</div><div><br /></div><div>To add an image to my first page, the index page, I selected the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">layout</span> category in the Insert bar, and selected Draw AP Div (second from the left.) This tool allows you to draw an image box of any size on the page. Once the box is drawn, the image can be added to the box by selecting the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Common</span> category in the Insert bar, and then the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> Image Icon.</span> </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: the code showing the first div tag, where the main compass graphic has been added.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFfMN3vD27la6PoeZ_3wd01CauxxjIVGuPW6pGLMC-xUacCh2hiHQEp3cAmrEFCL2gAM08mrIRCktkYrgxHVQ-X2s65klWmmmhddp746jfQsNu1tTN5Alt-XKSaKTRJxYeZ-nr2rSLq0/s400/div.1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288193820792257858" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px; " /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div>To add the rollover buttons, I followed the same process, but chose the rollover option from the drop down box to the right of the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> Image Icon. </span>To make sure the process had worked, I clicked<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> File>Save>Preview in Browser> Camino/Safari etc. </span>This opened the page in the selected browser and I was able to roll the mouse over each link to make sure that they changed colour. </div><div><br /></div><div>I created a new page for each category of my website, eg. Graphic Narrative, Card Designs, Sketchbook, Illustrated Book, and Magazine Design. I added the images and the rollover buttons in the submenu in the way described above.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: The code showing the div tags and images for the Graphic Narrative page.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8mZe-R7yQkXO-ce9tSok78zs08Mj8yjyL7rDdYVLZb2GCLfEfx84BAHz9ErtoRwFYMokmrs6klxOIXisLdCisDfqBVUDrdQ6rFP7KsWErP3MQoLwkw744ReVQ-M-eVDgIRlinh5S6T4/s400/screen5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288200401531763938" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 248px; " /><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The next step was to create the links between the pages. This was done by highlighting the text and image that I wanted to link. In the property inspector (located at the bottom of the dreamweaver screen) I entered the name of the file I was linking to- eg. carddesigns.html - in the link text box. I repeated the process for each link in each page, making sure that all the submenus were also linked.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iQob2BmtYTXVVKLED04F5SoXkZLUOHn-z24q2s2K0QPmWsdJa6mDxLQSAIK1nrHU732uHUYGabeaTNcJvLVTkMx7UFf9OcWj67Gv0pxxd6eWUsemgmBicIUERJkOc6a8E892Kv-ChoA/s400/fullscreen3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288223251649058818" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px; " /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A quicker way of linking documents is to use the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Point to File</span> icon. As before, you highlight the text or image that you want to link, and then click on the target icon to the right of the link text box. Holding down the mouse button, drag the pointer to the required file in the files panel and release the mouse button. This automatically adds a link in the text box. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next thing I did was to add an animated image. I prepared the image in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Image Ready.</span> Using the line tool to create arrowheads, I drew a series of long arrows to create a needle around the centre of the compass, making sure that each arrow was on a separate layer and placed a short distance underneath the previous one. Then, using the animation facility at the bottom of the page, I added a frame for each position of the arrow, using the eye tool to hide the other arrows. Once each frame had been added, I set them to play at one second apart, to create the impression of a needle moving around the compass. I set it to play once, rather than on a continual loop, because I think on the index page where I am going to put it, it will become distracting if looped. Finally, I added it to Dreamweaver by selecting <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Save Optimized as</span> and saving it my web folder. I was then able to replace the un-animated compass on my index page with the animated one. I saved it and previewed it in a browser, and it works as it should, with the needle moving around the compass once each time the page opens. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: creating an animated image in Image Ready</span></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuTXjp5eOabwExi8Y6KrZdEUopZl7nnYJz16Q54tQJJIUkSGPYN2gOVCo_Nn-nvnY5efkSO4Tz6AA2XA16WAVPonk3OA3ZjNHjyT_oxIexI970d9KfMAA8vTU0WV5hVe_iwR0SpKOHdo/s1600-h/ir2.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuTXjp5eOabwExi8Y6KrZdEUopZl7nnYJz16Q54tQJJIUkSGPYN2gOVCo_Nn-nvnY5efkSO4Tz6AA2XA16WAVPonk3OA3ZjNHjyT_oxIexI970d9KfMAA8vTU0WV5hVe_iwR0SpKOHdo/s400/ir2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290719808977939362" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The final stage was to add a feedback form, where users could fill in boxes and send it to an email address. This was done by choosing the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Form</span> option from the insert menu. A red border appeared which marked the boundaries of the form. To set the properties so that the form can process the data it receives, I added <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">mailto:</span> followed by my college email address in the action field. I made sure that the method field was set to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">POST</span>. This allows the data to be collected when the user clicks submit. </div><div><br /></div><div>To add objects to the form, I highlighted the body of the form and then in the common tab clicked table. I choose the required number of columns and rows in the property inspector. I was then ready to to add text fields which allow users to type into the form. In the insert menu I chose<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> Form Object</span> and then <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Text Field. </span>In the property inspector, I set the field name, the character width and the number of lines. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once this was complete I added buttons. To do this, I chose Form Object and the Button from the insert menu after I had highlighted the relevant section on the form. Buttons perform tasks when they are clicked, such as submitting and resetting the form. In the property inspector, I set the name, label and action ( either to submit or reset the form.) I then saved the file and previewed it a browser.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: adding a form</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8plyzXJNBkH61OK2U3dS9m_zUGunTbha3mqdfIn1Lz_A0dSZhjni7WCmLiBsAA73UfDPl4BQ89p73fFfaH8XlT9CzmlXRUgrIeTSt795zMBCFly3NiFeK2utnJcJ8FxIToxxYSNDPq4U/s1600-h/form1..jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8plyzXJNBkH61OK2U3dS9m_zUGunTbha3mqdfIn1Lz_A0dSZhjni7WCmLiBsAA73UfDPl4BQ89p73fFfaH8XlT9CzmlXRUgrIeTSt795zMBCFly3NiFeK2utnJcJ8FxIToxxYSNDPq4U/s400/form1..jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290745039216557538" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The website was now built and everything worked in the browser preview. The next stage was to upload the website to a server and test on all browsers and platforms. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3477201283067360380.post-92090742508005507892008-12-28T03:17:00.000-08:002009-01-06T02:30:31.680-08:00The Final Design<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Once I had chosen my design, I set about creating the final image in Photoshop. To make sure that the shapes were of equal size and accurately spaced, I used a grid as a guide. I drew a series of concentric circles of increasing size, making sure that each one was on a separate layer, so they could be coloured and changed easily. To draw the compass points, I used the pen tool, including the anchor point tool to create curves. I also made sure that the document was saved to a suitable size for a web page, eg. 640 x 480 pixels.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Although I am planning to use just a section of the compass, I am designing it as a whole image so that I have flexibility in positioning it. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: screenshot of the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "> compass drawing.</span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_J82hZ25F_zoEgPGubuo5c0RGf9y8_cUnkrHOy-TqzCJlqQ-syZ1hiDPlalGYuH3PGOezbXD7bEL6OvuPU-gP7MLp4ihqVRQ6XIUf95-kY7obXNZTTaEP5zds2ys8m_u2nfYD7XD4XY/s1600-h/webshot...1.jpg"> <img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_J82hZ25F_zoEgPGubuo5c0RGf9y8_cUnkrHOy-TqzCJlqQ-syZ1hiDPlalGYuH3PGOezbXD7bEL6OvuPU-gP7MLp4ihqVRQ6XIUf95-kY7obXNZTTaEP5zds2ys8m_u2nfYD7XD4XY/s320/webshot...1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284803668386179602" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The next stage was to add colour, text and texture. I hid the grid, and used the line tool to create a curved text path within the inner circle. I then used type tool to add the word 'Portfolio' along the path. I choose quite a simple font, because too many tails and flourishes would have interfered with the lines of the curve. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I used the brush tool, with a dry brushstroke effect to add some texture around the outer circle. I chose the colours to tone with each other, ranging from turquoise to purple, as I thought too many contrasting colours would over complicate the image and distract from its purpose. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: screenshot of colour and texture building stage</span></div><div> </div><div> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb34uPg9fg6cmxl7LRNvYkE3vtn7MX3b18RrJ44amAbIZ8RqkC5EAroAPn7XCTJewQhg7JETzP0tGDAZhFrjbDO4RRNX_Ig3AvXGM6ma1sF0k_E5ZV0mcIvyg0RIimGbh5rvUM7LtIyJc/s320/screenshot+4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284814666676801474" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 284px; " /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> built up the colours in layers, making some layers semi- transparent to create extra texture. I added embossing and drop shadows to the shapes and lettering to give it a more solid appearance. (below).</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> <img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5ha-g2ndAi-feubtQ12B397yDzCBgs9Ezzz-yy_CXvXkjKRvIcUaXQaCVUlN-R54fqXi7mskKVJGtVW7d6b-pj2HECad65gpN2EvoV-Cepxtkj84ycZJmGNHygNESrggX6899QK9X1A/s320/screenshot6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285179478193445122" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For the final version, I added a star shape in the centre for extra interest. I repositioned the image to the top left hand corner of the page and cropped it. I then arranged the links for each section of the website around each compass point. Originally, I was going to use the star shape as a button for each link, but when I came to copy and paste them, it looked too cluttered. I decided to just use the outline star shape formed in the central circle, and integrate it with the lettering, so that both image and words form the whole link. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: the final version of my homepage design</span></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRtWg_qTIX0TkELpxh4DXsf5TPZ1NyX23j5kWs2uxdxsnwEvqtvDEBbX9ideowxf2Ay-aJCXqQ3ewjVNpw9UGchbqaW1-DCMaJnc7FfZmWlxP1hdDg1lpISEfSRjAivQlAAZn_UYUh9g/s320/portfoliopage.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285185596945297170" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I now had to consider the inner pages of the website. I wanted to keep them as simple as possible, because the purpose of the website is to present work, not draw attention to its own design. I decided to stick with the white background and compass image, and arrange my work with a straightforward menu bar down the right hand side.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When I first tried this, I found the colours of the compass were fighting with the other colours on the page, so I changed the compass colour to grey tones using the balance and contrast options. I just kept the lettering in colour, for definition.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The categories I have chosen for the inner pages represent the strongest areas of my portfolio, and the areas I am most interested in. I felt this was the most logical approach as I may want to use the website in a professional context in the future.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Below: One of the inner pages of the website</span></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkodp_LcH6yxinSuVq_yhfAbEi8_Kn2artTJNiQ-g0tZYilmUQEB5dS8XpybKQpyY2SmrDupa9I7SiEIKW5K9f___WNbKzsxwkRt2eRGFeBxyatF91qXKo1wUFV6Cvligz1s0yRpfq18I/s320/illustratedbook.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285230293534345122" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px; " /><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I have now discussed the design aspects of my website, and will go on to discuss the technical aspects of building the site. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>(For my Website Proposal, please see paper copy as I am unable to add the PDF file.)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3477201283067360380.post-3427522915830385842008-12-09T02:31:00.000-08:002008-12-27T08:42:56.395-08:00Initial Designs<span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">How I Built my Website</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Initial Designs</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I wanted my website to look not only visually interesting, but also to communicate something about the content- which is to be a portfolio of my graphic design work to date. My first idea was to use artists materials, such as photos of squeezed tubes of paint, scribbled pencils, etc. As a quick experiment I toned down a photograph of a row of coloured pencils in Photoshop and used it as the backdrop for my home page. (Below). I like the colours, but I wanted a more distinctive image. </span></div><div><br /></div><div> <img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fy0LYlqef-IMQaDNp67KZH2l3ketoWUsh7lbn11PTnWbIk7txIEYKZqAirz3EPaVEyAwW8aRCdTt3_79HO2Hr13DsV17m3kLwEma1ZEWTXtQppFUldjR4nLwGXRu5dE7WyifHHUppyI/s320/PENCILS.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282609499755244834" /><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> I took a photograph of various jars and paints etc. lined up on my desk (Below). This made the effect more interesting and personal.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> <img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JZFlDhhGkSIXSL5-rPWCSH507zalJQ6fHibka1ItILxqy5SVbsdjdwmOAP0lN-ZrGUBYEzZnOroD-61GNMgOzsdxs-CZjUw5oJpASBjHtuGQ4muybeCSO5-evjrA8E7ZM-h5ZBtAMXg/s320/desk1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282589433821740066" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Overall however, I decided that using images of artists materials was a bit too obvious, and had probably been produced in various ways hundreds of times already. I wanted something more subtle and original.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Of the websites I researched, one of my favourites was for the illustrator Sara Fanelli. It had a quirky hand drawn look, which stood out in a maze of slick, meticulously designed sites. The text was all hand lettered, set against brightly coloured and patterned wallpaper. I thought this look might suit my portfolio, which features a lot of hand rendered illustration work, so I produced a couple of designs which tried to emulate this spirit. I made two sets of 'wallpaper' by layering a pattern over a plain colour, and then tearing away sections to create texture and contrast. For the buttons, I scanned relevant pages from my reflective journal overlaid with a hand lettered label. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> <img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuKIH2P-NNiE4xcnaEUwQ6fCiofysIhECSVPO-h9LQNFoiHO8ou-lclqWxd-6ULSVgqw1ohwX387BHRrPTKm93oIzvNC_DpaAbCq716sDidTUsga8Cefa1kgcebgVgm2M71eHMOKCtBk/s320/collage2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280757608138931890" /> </span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvW8_Q5hFzbsI6ECMskG9vdeGFFfFRLMOxfec6tBXZXJNxVGtS6UlYdQx4lBPQcAnxe3xfCw966Kmx4mD5iEQiVwjGvcI3f-VE41weO60iJ2ea9umvg148gARK0ct4vpL3QtzPvpd4-k/s320/collage1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280756895853754722" /></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I think that my designs (above) are quite unusual, but the overall effect was rather busy; there is a little too much going on for my liking. On the pages where I would display my actual portfolio, the wallpaper would clash with the work rather than compliment it. Also I thought the overall effect was a bit 'studenty'. I decided that I would aim for a design which was more sophisticated, so if I did want to use the website in the future, I would feel it portrayed the right image.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My next idea was to use a sketch of a roundabout, to convey the idea that the portfolio had one central link with categories going off in different directions, for the viewer to explore. I liked the general concept, but felt that the sketch (below) was too literal, and needed some refining.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfgG3NcLM455IvIKCqRaTMul8HpyfezTpmcZYkt-OXyj9Yz2SqbTpO3V61l9-L3ELM9uA-zERp619uO1XBS6l0PwMfYcX_cfrpMA8y3teZELqjRHfFoAJaPk-l9Gdvdq0xVT-TefVT9s/s320/roundbt1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284457131884474162" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px; " /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:48px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I sketched a more abstract version, while maintaining the concept of a central symbol with different tangents. (Below). However this seemed overly simple, and not particularly memorable. Also, it wouldn't work as well on the inner pages of the website where I would be displaying my work.</span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:48px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:48px;"> <img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbbD719lGowABJA_9ajrIstgxp7-4NIj9K0lIRExgA7q3tFBihSN36T_6rHlL1tdm6kPbjC1RuwQ7RVsRhIWsp9Ac7-j6op2eDnYNrzOce7cUbtRbgT7_ogQtOHMQGdTmcrNfmOc4WGE/s320/design2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284458122810130162" /><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I decided that a compass would provide a more visually interesting symbol, while maintaining the same concept as the roundabout- each point will indicate a separate category. I researched some compass designs on Google images, then I created a draft version of my own design in Photoshop, using the shape drawing tools. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I built up the design in layers, so that alterations could easily be made. I experimented with various pattern and colour combinations, using a digital pen and the paint bucket tools. I tried a floral design initially, but this didn't have the more professional edge that I was aiming for. (below).</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyKSjObS9BAh6H5oHrqMkJOkrb20z-wBK9NZZBAKHfgUYrpELMnEOwvMZiM57Tv7Gf3xHqzphTgHawqDvP5xiNB04SK2yLxb6FrOa_6cDOqdlqDBnKdTSegMJUEHA5XZjcBZL-ejHZvE/s320/circle2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277739059258210706" border="0" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> I used the 'live trace' option in illustrator, which created a much looser, more textured look. (below). I also decided to move the compass to the top left hand corner of the page, so that the same image could be used on the inside pages of the website without distracting from the work I am going to display. </span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 318px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikLbs0eaPHfs9AiJfn3SljZE3odxxCFHtbw4Pi5m175XUcVgoAj3JPgRj6V0q5U1UhQLfX0hREgr3Ppo5lCTqHXySH6FtvR8kXNNk94BsUkA-tfV-t5yIOWQGzucNXGTtZhIVySYtk-I/s320/circle4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277746621955098690" border="0" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:48px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:48px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:48px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:48px;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I now have the basis for a final design that I am happy with. It fulfills my aim of a design which is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also has a purpose- the compass is a navigation tool, which is what the home page of my portfolio represents. There is plenty of scope to experiment with pattern, texture, tone and colour until I am completely happy with the final version, and it is also a design that can be translated to the inner pages quite easily.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3477201283067360380.post-13382940122922043942008-12-06T06:05:00.000-08:002009-01-17T04:10:13.795-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Future Technologies </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Amazon is at the helm of the developing technology of e-books and e-readers. E-book is short for electronic book, and is basically a digital media version of a traditional book, read on specially made hardware devices, such as Amazon's Kindle, Sony's eReader, and Bookeen's Cybook Gen3. The Kindle works independently of a computer, by downloading e-books over Amazon Whispernet. The cost ranges from free to $10 for a best seller, and subscriptions can be made to newspapers and magazines. E-books can also be directly downloaded from Amazon.com.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTlsv30G_wSNeS13_n1H0px6mEWd4Y1hE1gZI0oDXDQs6OoOz3niLkEubk8DU-DlGzwoNRIt7bB-FnlCn2BdcuD5I0h7-VprPEO1LQ-aZ47Tqw7nIT_pLtMNozRr9zsdVP_3K7cinWBk/s320/Kindle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276716715329060786" /></div><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Amazon's Kindle</span></div><div><br /></div><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">There are a number of advantages to e-book technology, but also drawbacks, and there hasn't yet been the expected market boom. The Kindle, and many of its equivalents, aren't even yet for sale in the UK. However, it is still a developing area, and I expect that over the next decade, as the flaws are ironed out, e-books will be increasingly commonplace. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The main advantage of the technology is that thousands of books that would fill a small library can be stored on one device, thus saving space and paper, ink etc. They never go out of print, and can be reproduced quickly, cheaply and easily. The text size and font can easily be altered to help visually impaired readers, and there is no need to hold the device to read it. The text can easily be converted to audio format, and it can be searched and cross referenced. Also, the e-book market is seen as a more democratic forum for authors, who can by-pass the cumbersome and highly selective traditional publishing industry.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A major drawback is currently the cost and availability of e-readers. The Kindle is currently only available in the US and originally retailed at a steep $399, now lowered to $359. Sony readers have only been available in the UK since Sept 08. E-books can be read on ordinary computers, but most people would find this too cumbersome and inconvenient. Whatever method they are read by, it always requires the use of electricity, on devices that are susceptible to damage, malfunction, wear and tear, or simply becoming out of date. If the device is stolen, the owner could loose a large collection of texts, so everything needs to be backed up. Some people dislike looking at a screen for long periods, and prefer the more aesthetically pleasing nature of a traditional book.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Not all publishers make their books available in electronic format, and up until recently there has been a lack of consensus about format, with some formats only accessible with specific software. Digital Rights Management (DRM) has also been cited as a hinderance to the growth of the market. DRM refers to the way that major content providers such as Apple, Sony and Microsoft limit the use of digital media and devices. It enables them to limit number of copies and which devices media can be transfered to, and also protects copyright holders in ways which aren't covered by existing laws. For example, some e-books can only be opened on the computer they were downloaded to, to prevent copying and distribution. Others are tagged with the purchaser's name to discourage distribution, and many are restricted to prevent tampering and printing, and can only be read with a limited range of software. Some people argue that this is putting off customers, and that people will always find ways of hacking software if they want to.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Most of the drawbacks are surmountable, and I think that once people realize the benefits, e-books will continue to grow in popularity. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div>Article: Amazon's Electronic Book Turns a New Page in the History of the Written Word</div><div>- www.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/gadgets-and-tech/news/</div><div><br /></div><div>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> <br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;"><br /></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3477201283067360380.post-52709503401315586662008-12-05T07:12:00.000-08:002009-01-17T06:24:58.496-08:00Current Legislation<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Current Legislation on the Web </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); "> </span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Amazon currently stores details about millions of its customers on a data base. This information is used to analyze their shopping habits and make personal </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">recommendations</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. However, the business has run into controversy in the past few years about the way that this information is used. The Data Protection Act of 1998 (DPA) was passed in the UK because of increasing concerns about the way technology is changing the way personal data is processed and distributed. The Act came into force in March 2000, and its main principles are as follows: </span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Personal data must be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to purpose</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Personal data shall be accurate and kept up to date</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Personal data shall not be kept longer than necessary</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Appropriate security measures shall be taken for personal data</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Personal data shall not be transfered outside the European Economic Area (EEA) without proper protection<br /></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It is the last point that caused controversy for Amazon in September 2000, when it was revealed that the UK site was sharing information with other organisations in America. Several customers complained that Amazon was in breach of EU regulations which prohibit the transfer of information to countries with lower standards of data protection. However the Data Protection Commissioner pointed out that the Safe Harbour Agreement, drawn up in July 2000 between the EU and the US, enabled businesses that have signed the agreement to send data to a company in the US that is part of the agreement. Although the Agreement is now up and running, in Sept 2000 it was a grey area, because there was no information about which businesses had signed up.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Amazon defended its actions, saying that it regarded customer information as a business asset, and it had the right to sell or buy assets as it expanded. The Electronic Privacy Information Centre decided to boycott Amazon as a result of this.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Another area of legislation which affects Amazon is copyright. A lot of people assume that because something appears on the web, it is freely available for everyone to use, but in fact it is subject to the same legal issues as non-online material. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As I mentioned in my history of Amazon.com, they launched a 'Search Inside' feature in 2003 which allows a potential customer to search key words or phrases within the text of a book, emulating the browsing process that most people like to do before committing to a purchase. Some authors have complained that this will weaken sales of their work and violate copyright laws. However, Amazon have sidestepped the copyright laws, by not actually reproducing the works, but by obtaining the publisher's permission to scan the original publication and display it, digitally adjusted to make it easy readable on a computer screen. The number of pages one viewer can access is limited, and printing is disabled. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Some users are still sceptical about the whole process, even if they find the feature useful. One scholar who was researching a scientific topic found that the keyword he searched for appeared throughout an entire book. Amazon allows the user to look at the two previous and two subsequent pages as well as the search results page, so each search result returned five pages of the book. The scholar was able to take screen grabs of each page, then return to the next set of search results, until he had copied the entire book. He pointed out that while not technically illegal, it took away his incentive to buy the book, and it did not seem a fair use of copyrighted material. Others argue that the tedious, time consuming process of 'stealing' a book this way, and the relatively unsatisfactory experience of reading scanned images will put most people off, and that the system of increased browsing will ultimately lead to increased sales. Amazon claims that once a book goes to 'Search Inside' sales increase by an average of 8%.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As more and more books become digitized, the copyright debate intensifies. Google, who offer a rival online book scheme, announced plans in 2005 to publish searchable online texts from a variety of America's top libraries. The Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers threatened to sue Google, claiming that scanning entire texts was in breach of copyright laws. Google defended its decision, claiming that by displaying only a snippet of the book at one time was allowed under the 'fair use' clause of the copyright law. It seems that the developing technology has created a legal grey area, which will take time be consolidated. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I have also researched the areas of personal privacy, payment security, and message security which are relevant to online shopping. One of the major methods of internet security is encryption. Encryption works by translating message data into code. To read the data, it is necessary to possess the decryption key. The most widely used code is the Data Encryption Standard (DES) which was developed by IBM. The most up to date versions encrypts messages with 3 different keys (triple DES). This is the most common method of credit card data protection. An internet user can tell if a browser is in secure encrypted mode by a lock icon displaying in the bottom right hand corner. As well as encryption, there are usually extra precautions such as passwords. At the present time the most secure payment method is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). This uses a 128 key encryption to scramble credit card data, and creates a secure channel to prevent third parties being able to tamper with information.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Another method of internet security is biometry. This works by using a unique aspect of the human body. The most commonly used areas are fingertips, retinal patterns, and voice recognition. Customers can also sign with a digitized pen. This method is not yet in widespread use, but could become more common in the future.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Firewalls are now commonplace, with most new computers sold with them ready installed. They work by putting a 'wall' between the public internet and private access. The firewall filters messages and does not allow them to pass to private access without authentication/ verification. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A final method of secure internet shopping is known as the Smart Card. This is a plastic card similar to a credit/debit card. It can be used at an ATM to be charged with money from the owners' account, and then inserted into a reader on a computer when the owner wishes to make an online purchase. A password or pin is also needed, and the bank will then confirm to the cybershop that the payment will be made. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Making a payment online is equally as safe as traditional shopping methods, and new technology is being constantly developed.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div>Michael De Kare-Silver- e-shock: the new rules (Palgrave 2001) pages 192- 201 </div><div><br /></div><div>Data Protection Act</div><div>www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998</div><div><br /></div><div>Article- Amazon Accused of Breaking Data Protection Laws</div><div>- news.znet.co.uk</div><div><br /></div><div>Article- Online Dispute Expose Publishers Copyright Vulnerability</div><div>- www.law.com/jsp/article</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3477201283067360380.post-8726238031735063802008-12-04T11:08:00.000-08:002009-01-17T03:54:55.006-08:00History of Amazon.com<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; color:#490000;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">History of the Web</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0pxcolor:#490000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0pxcolor:#490000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I am going to examine the history of the Web through the rise of the world’s most successful online retailer, Amazon. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Amazon was founded in 1994 by an American named Jeff Bezos, and originally run from his garage at home in Washington State. Initially, the business was called Cadabra.com and was purely an online bookstore. A businessman named Nick Hanauer was impressed by the idea of a bookstore that could have a far wider range of stock than any bricks and mortar store, and invested $40,000 in the venture. The name was changed to the more memorable Amazon.com, after the world’s largest river. </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Georgia; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The early website was unattractive and not user friendly, and the general population were still very suspicious of putting their credit card details online. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKmPy7QSOJOwx5_Cu-PinmWvU6fweg5g_dvOJB2Xe8DLSWkclKfdldAqMynXn2XNtrK3Qwljgh0o4NnbT9g-2G_LIqKUbi2ZUZrcZQiDTH3fLBxv7tpe72Xxv_-5NviNCdn-iamWhul8/s320/Amazon_original.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276014788561846258" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Amazon's first website</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">However, even this early page includes the element that many people attribute as a factor in Amazon's huge success- the customer reviews. This meant that people saw Amazon as more than just a bookstore, they felt part of an online community. It is an opportunity for the buyer to have a variety of perspectives, and it provides an at-a-glance summary in its 1-5 star rating system for those too impatient to read the reviews. There proved to be some drawbacks to the anonymous review system though, as revealed in 2004 when the origin of the reviews was accidentally published. Several authors openly admitted to praising their own work, and there was nothing to stop others posting malicious criticism. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Amazon moderates reviews for offensive comments which are directed at anything except the product itself. However, Bezos defended the freedom of reviewers to be negative, saying that he "wants to make every book available- the good, the bad, and the ugly." The website has recently added a naming option for reviewers. Amazon also makes personal recommendations to customers based on their previous purchases, and recommends related items that have been purchased by other customers. This can generate a word-of-mouth success for books that would otherwise have remained in obscurity. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In 1995, a man named Tom Alburg invested $100,000 in the business, which enabled them to improve the look of the website and its hosting capabilities. People from all over America began to order books from Amazon.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVYVTdJWjnozbymYkY_TURooFtn-5wG3AeecdWgJuUC3xHvc1blNa4_1htvb8FS-MJvjOC7ms6K1C_Qd9qcuMZgoTnVzN6JysHUn8fr99Mlv2nguBpfU_BZ0V6fSTELJNpG-a6TxMh2o/s320/early_cart.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276029018042496738" /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Amazon circa 1995</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">By 1997, Amazon had generated $15.7 in revenue and added CDs and DVDs to its stock. The company became public and expanded rapidly during 1998, selling software, games, electronics, toys and household goods. It launched individual websites in several countries around the world, including the .co.uk site. Some people were sceptical about the rapid expansion coupled with the relatively slow growth of its share value. However, it was part of Besoz's game plan to to concentrate on improving the business rather than to turn an early profit. This paid off, and Amazon survived the dot-com boom and bust era of 1999-2001 when many e companies went out of business. It did not remain immune, however, experiencing a sharp downturn in 2000 which led to the redundancy of 1000 workers.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"> </p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4liSvlUltFizqIujQPcIQ5F6ZeNylt2zfiq49OOIsqZ1b0R3vh-cAmvcDj18izT7SyM8KxTajCh5oSZ7AFOaPB7egv4lnQPhi0f1JePXu1yEcELb2pGCmVWfylPgAiuvkBedpYqKNmw/s320/amazon_stocks.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276034551427729538" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How Amazon was affected by the dot-com boom and bust era</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Bezos responded to the crisis at the close of 2001 by recruiting other companies to sell their products through Amazon, in return for a cut of the profit. Today, 40% of Amazon's sales are through 3rd party sellers, and it has over 900,000 members worldwide. Amazon was the first online business to set up an affiliate marketing programme, and unlike eBay, associates do not have to maintain separate payment accounts, which improves the customer experience. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Further expansions include the Amazon Marketplace, launched in 2001, which allows customers to sell used books, DVDs, CDs, etc alongside new items. It has been successful and is now one of eBay's main rivals. In 2003, Amazon launched the 'Search Inside' feature, which allows customers to search for keywords inside the full text of 250,000 books. The scheme was launched with the co-operation of 130 publishers, but Amazon had to take measures to avoid copyright violations. It publishes a picture of the page rather than the computer readable text, disables printing and limits the number of accessible pages. The Amazon Upgrade programme allows customers to purchase complete access to some books. In 2005, Amazon launched its online music store, selling exclusively in MP3 format without digital rights management.</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It seems to me that the growth of Amazon reflects the development of the World Wide Web in general; it is more than merely an e commerce business. It provides a democratic, inter-active online community in which people can voice opinions, rate products and services, and tailor to their own particular needs. Online businesses can respond immediately to the latest developments in technology, such as downloading music and films, and can monitor customer choices much more closely than traditional retailers. Amazon has millions of customers world-wide, and is constantly expanding is product categories and experimenting with new technologies. Its growth looks set to continue well into the future. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Sources</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px">Article- How Amazon.com Survived, Thrived and Turned a Profit </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px">- seatlepi.com</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px">Article- Hidden Secrets of the Amazon Shopping Cart</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px">- www.grokdotcom.com</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px">Additional sources:</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px">essortment.com</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px">-History of Amazon.com</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/amazon.com</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Georgia; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3477201283067360380.post-48184058603060582172008-12-03T01:07:00.000-08:002008-12-04T13:53:15.774-08:00Internet Acronyms<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Acronym</span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Meaning</span></span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">HTML</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Hypertext Mark-up Language </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(X) HTML</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Extensible Hypertext Mark-up</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Language</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">CSS</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Cascading Style Sheet</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ASP</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Active Service Pages</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">FTP</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">File Transfer Protocol</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">WYSIWTG</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What You See is What You Get</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">FLV</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Flash File Format</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">URL</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Uniform Resource Locator</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">WWW</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">World Wide Web</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">HTTP</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Hypertext Transfer Protocol</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">HTTPS </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">JS</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Java Script</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">CS3</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Creative Suite 3</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">MP3</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Moving Picture Experts Group Layer 3</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">MP4</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Moving Picture Experts Group Layer 4</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">AVI</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Audio Video Interface</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ASCI</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Accelerated Strategic Computer </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Interface</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">.COM</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Commercial</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">GIF</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Graphic Interchange Format</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">JPEG</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Joint Photographic Experts Group</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">PNG</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Portable Network Graphics</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">POP3</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Post Office Protocol Version 3</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">PSP</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Pascal Server Page</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">W3C</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">World Wide Web Consortium</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">WCAG</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Web Content Accessibility Guidelines</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3477201283067360380.post-66301278032970215252008-09-27T07:57:00.000-07:002008-12-03T02:00:29.193-08:00Website Reviews<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Website 1:</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Amazon</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/">http://</a></span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/">www.amazon.co.uk</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7HzGekSMEo-vIUltD-47fT6tYjp2HSd6zaB5EmUjjdAS3Ru4XrHALLujQC9OstqYAK24ors82IOTErxyeR729Kuaxt4lY5XxMr5nNDtfrhp5Hs0b8UtXdxdFqtpQF4XbFea38NW7cf4/s320/amazon1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275153286449266210" /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> This is a shopping website, offering a wide range of products. It has a shopping cart and plenty of guides to point you in the right direction. You can refine your product search several times until you find the exact item you require.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">The design is functional rather than aesthetically pleasing. However, the layout is clear, if a bit cluttered.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> Amazon has a very broad target audience. I think it is designed to be as inclusive as possible. It is very easy to navigate. There are links, drop down menus, and search bars and buttons across the top and sides. It needs no additional software.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> I think it could be improved by being less cluttered.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Website 2: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">XFM Manchester</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </span><a href="http://www.xfmmanchester.co.uk/">http://www.xfmmanchester.co.uk</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> The website is intended to provide music news and reviews for xfm radio listeners, an indie music station. There is plenty of information on the website, but it makes little effort to look interesting or appeal to teenagers who will be the majority of its audience. If it wasn't for the ugly green boarder it could be an ordinary newspaper site.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>You can click on photographs, drop down menus, and hyperlinks in the text to navigate. To access some parts you need to register your details and have Realplayer. The content is fine, but I think considering it is aimed at teenagers, it is a bit dull. I would try to make the overall look and layout more modern.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Since I made this entry, the website layout has been updated, see below.</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153); font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia;"><br /></span><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW28jWtcgrR4ixANskMCLi3DZ3m4Vq12TOx-ddHGXL0XUYqCtCuh7A__jk04EJ7b1p6NJfVFK6KeDcOw4Vn_ArAgFsdl9FBtHbRnu7gDy0Rffa72XbOqY0wC_2JRHOhPXI8kqloOWBVqA/s320/xfm1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275162495761633314" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I think this looks far better! It is stylish and uncluttered, and has a nice rough and ready quality which you associate with the indie music that the station plays.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Website 3:</span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">The Designer's Republic</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </span><a href="http://www.thedesignersrepublic.com/">http://www.thedesignersrepublic.com</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><br /></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmVSgRVbJvLrdQrqIB4QWriw1iUA5BdBtr-3K7zIskumjDv1756GImqYCg1Ka4syMLvmyLub2Gi5DIdarki5Lf5qY7fX1FQj4BOFXhjPh9MrbiVFKvBGRPInWhRNJBsZZe5_A37oiaPU/s320/designers1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275166128453225746" /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> This is for a leading graphic design company with a portfolio of famous clients. The website contains information relevant to its purpose, but I think it has some drawbacks. It is very minimalist, to the point where it is misleading and confusing. The layout is a bit odd, and you would have to use it regularly to get used to it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It will be aimed at design clients and other designers, so it is obvious the company has tried not to have a run of the mill website. However, I think they have sacrificed cutting edge design for usability. It is slow, sometimes links don't seem to work, and you are not always sure where you are. You need Flash, which loads very slowly and sometimes not at all. Overall, I think this needs to be made quicker and clearer to use.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Website 4:</span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Sara Fanelli </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </span><a href="http://www.sarafanelli.com/">http://www.sarafanelli.com</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilVC7uEQ3i2mWCVIapCl3wH4whq4pVWWM9w3ngm5tF5EpEd_PNet3ZXPsH8E-leatHN9FOsleK9ac0JJFr3Tx_2RVWiKXRcIihsWakIcnomJsoviwG66USRxAPooJpK27kWOks04WHeE/s320/sf2.1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275167177630429890" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> This website is for the illustrator Sara Fanelli. It contains relevant information about who she is and a portfolio of her work. It features a distinctive wallpaper background and hand lettered text, which I think makes it very personal and individual. It is aimed at publishers and advertisers, and shows clearly the type of work Fanelli produces; mostly hand rendered illustrations. It is very easy to navigate, but the layout is still different and interesting. You don't need any special software to view it. I think this is an excellent website and I wouldn't change anything.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Website 5:</span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">The Robin Hood Inn</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-family:Georgia;"><a href="http://www.robinhood-rainow.co.uk/">http://www.robinhood-rainow.co.uk</a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZuqcpAxMbMaHZsanI9eAkdZCuZmyoYbWYp4mMp3amZCvccefvWvd5rUyA7w35T2gErrkVrf0jOd_tjfkBSgGbCp8Ld14KDbPZ3ehR29ii_t0tWoszmnfMQNH82qmvl89riFKIBvlgAY/s320/robin1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275195452243624914" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> This website was design to provide potential customers with information about the Inn, such as location, menu, and opening times. It provides all this information clearly with well laid out photographs.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> The layout is very simple, but I think it is effective. I particularly like the banner photograph across the top with lettering over the right hand side, which is set off nicely by the dark red background. As the Inn is in the Peak District, the target audience would be tourists, probably car drivers in the 35-65 age bracket. It would also be a useful stopover for hikers wanting B&B. I think the website is effective in appealing to this category of people, because they would be expecting something straightforward and user friendly, rather than a lot of flashy graphics, which would sit oddly with a country pub. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> The navigation is easy, with a button table on the left hand side, and extra links within the text. The site is well connected, with some nice rollover images in the accommodation section. You don't need extra software/plugins or to join any networks to access information. To improve the site, I think I would experiment with some more interesting fonts, especially across the top banner.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Website 6:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> Bluu Bar & Restaurant</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-family:Georgia;"><a href="http://www.bluu.co.uk/">http://www.bluu.co.uk</a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOTCX6pIsPMJWRju3WCFAl6NtzQ6Z6Ju4rGuNmNJH-kwrepIaevXXZGxXW6mlIsogz90AMTaNeBQ4kBFayVrpbEijdpCE1EpIXwd1n2ruCn9ss7BCJSwNLxK2VulY_zjN4boOKqnvMio/s320/bluu1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275206219352242978" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> I have chosen this site for a trendy bar in Manchester's Northern Quarter as a contrast to the country pub. The purpose of this website is to provide information for potential customers and employees. It does this and also acts as a showcase for the Bluu chain, which has bars across the UK. It has all the details you would expect such as menus, location, opening hours, phone numbers, etc.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> This is one of the most distinctive websites I have seen. The bar describes its look as 'an eclectic mix of retro furniture and 80's styling', with lived in values that does not take itself too seriously. This is reflected in the style of the website, which on the opening page has a black background, with a window of faded floral wallpaper. In the centre of this window the Bluu logo appears, complete with wavering animation, old style film 'crackle' and fuzzy sound effects. The home page for each location features a 1950's retro style illustration of a pin-up girl perched on a table with a giant fork. each link has its own neon symbol. <br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> The website is designed to appeal to the young, urban customers, who are likely to be image conscious and media savvy, and will be amused by the quirky aesthetic. However, I think this site has a number of drawbacks. each link takes several seconds to load which is off putting, and you need to click twice- the first click just makes the symbol flash and buzz, which is really annoying. Also, when you click the menu page, it opens as a photograph of the dining area, and you then have to roll the mouse over the menu set on one of the tables for food, a glass at the bar for drinks etc. It took me a few seconds to realize this, and if you were in a hurry you might give up. when you finally get the menu up, you have to turn the pages by dragging the mouse across the corner. Some bits open in different windows, and the obscure, slow links make it difficult to navigate. It may not work on all types of computer. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> I was impressed with the unusual aesthetic, but I think this is over designed with too many gimmicks, and overall the effect is quickly irritating. I would tone down the sound effects, animation and obscure links to make it quicker and easier to navigate. <br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Website 7:</span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Google</span><a href="http://www.google.co.uk/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span> </a></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><a href="http://www.google.co.uk/">http://www.google.co.uk</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmQ2xHWY5TWQP9NB5RpWaOsCqdXGH7oOo3zbopVPLnHG8CZUlW85wjcCrzDIxXTvXZsV-o4Ju41uDSqiK8kJId8RwJPZTbKcit4vSYQwg1N8gplrp8_fsVAWpnMm0tWjRnLLBZUccrk8/s320/google1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275233925801728754" /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> The Google website is essentially an internet search engine, and it tries to stick to this purpose with its design. As it has grown in popularity and versatility, many other features have been added, such as maps, mail, news etc, but this have been kept to unobtrusive links on the top left of the page. The main feature is simply the logo and the search bar, making the page as easy to navigate as possible. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> This simplicity makes the page very suitable for its purpose, and it is also memorable, as most websites have very little white space. It is probably so familiar to most people that they don't really look at it, but Google occasionally challenge this when they produce a one-off customized logo for special events. This use of humour and responding to the times makes it seem less of a giant faceless organization. Even so, some people would probably prefer less minimalism. Google needs to appeal to as broad a range of people as possible, so it probably takes care not to exclude or alienate anyone with complex navigation- the more specialized tools are there for those who need them. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> I would suggest that some of the features, such as news and shopping, are a bit too discreet, as I rarely think about using them, even though I look at other news and shopping sites. <br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Website 8: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Yahoo!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal; font-family:Georgia;"><a href="http://uk.yahoo.com/?p=us">http://uk.yahoo.com/?p=us</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:18px;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsroTf2kwGTfxHffT7BRqJVigBDB0V4Dd45vLeM3I8iIrJqBoFyCWdTWp4JimjifQWeXjbW4uFmwPotHyQkos4tmBrQYrWoOQ6s1WsQzKfIv3aq7ctLLqW7P3vQtC0o70k4cL82BWuyJI/s320/yahoo1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275274625297294818" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> The Yahoo site is a rival search engine to Google, but it takes a different approach to layout. The search bar is just one feature at the top portion of the page, while the rest is crammed with links and advertisements. It is quite clear and usable; I think its main fault is that it is not particularly distinctive or memorable, and looks just like almost all others sites of this kind. It is aimed at the general internet user; I don't think its core audience could be easily narrowed down.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> The site has a wide variety of navigation tools, such as tabs, tables, buttons, drop down boxes, and picture links. There is so much information competing for your attention that it is difficult to take in. I think you would have to use it regularly to find your way around quickly. A lot of links take you straight into completely separate websites. You need an account to access some areas, and Realplayer for others. I would make the overall look of this site more distinctive and less busy.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Website 9:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Apple</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:'lucida grande';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal; font-family:Georgia;"><a href="http://www.apple.com/">http://www.apple.com</a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnAjsJim2ST0c-OIj_8aB-WuMLtrJmDd-Tasr7gQsNJdctMgpQsaCbmkRlPaA3GGO27rvMaPEd40Nt42H61BCVzWxWJqJ2bZeOopEEQRSmCQvxZ-1ygg55XOZPc_fg8aOQCREauvyEtk/s320/apple1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275286731673703602" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Apple website is a showcase for Apple's products and services, from which you can order items and download a variety of music, videos. etc. It is designed to reinforce the Apple branding, using the white and brushed steel that is used for their computers. The Macs are all displayed with the distinctive purple aurora desktop, which emphasizes the visual quality of their computers. Although there is a lot of information on each page, it doesn't look crammed, and doesn't shout at the viewer. </span><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> The website will be used by people who are design and technically literate, as well as young music fans downloading music. The overall impression is of a sleek and modern website which reflects its products, and should appeal to its users. It is well laid out with a large navigation bar and no overly obscure links or unnecessary gimmicks. I couldn't make some of the animated tutorials work, and the pages take a few seconds to load, which makes it less browsable. I think some of the iTunes/iPod pages which will be used by a lot of teenagers could be made a bit less bland. <br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Website 10: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Macclesfield Council</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><a href="http://www.macclesfield.gov.uk/">http://www.macclesfield.gov.uk</a></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNOHmEboxSLHNL_YKf1tKSPk5lxsShPTJzT8URTe6PjRB3b5YQOaGjzvnVauAlcYymtCWSgdAscEPae06rqAYM9UIaFKFuLYLvmPwEePyUjpCWWeQh9RlSV9ckX2L3bdgJmnOKwB8GtE/s320/macc1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275299719271326978" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> The website is designed to provide information to Macclesfield citizens about the council's services. There is plenty of material to this purpose. The main reason I have included it is because it is the only site I have seen which offers a variety of alternatives to its standard layout, which aims to include all types of users. For example, you can look at a text only version, you can magnify the site, and also play an audio version (although only in Internet Explorer). The site is clear and easy to navigate. Its design is formal and business-like, because it is a public service rather than a site to sell or promote products. <br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> Although it is good to see a website which is inclusive of partially sighted users, this service is limited to users of Windows Internet Explorer, so it could be improved by being usable in all browsers.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0