Shaun Bellis Online Learning Journal

Portfolio: Competitive Analysis

2009-03-02T18:23:00.021Z

creativewebfolio.co.uk [Student]
Aesthetics
I feel that the colours chosen work well together. The reflections don't work for me on this project; they give an amateurish feel. The 'flowers' also offer nothing to the design other than to act as an obstacle when then text size is increased.

Accessibility & Validation
Disappointing, the students XHTML doesn't validate; not that a doc-type has been specified.

Alarmingly, it is much of the same for the CSS. From examining the source code (both XHTML & CSS) I get the impression that it is generated by a WYSIWYG editor. These facts would concern me as a potential employer.

Increasing the size of the type creates issues with the design. This could have been solved with a little work & testing

Navigation
The internal navigation is consistent and reliable but is on the small side. The external navigation is unreliable with some links broken and others purposefully removed. Along side this is the 'blinking text' for all hyper-links in when in the hovered state. All things considered, the site does not provide a good user experience.

Conclusion
As a student project, the site serves it's purpose of holding a corner of the web with the students name on it. I feel that the delivery could & should have been much better considering that this is a final year university student. From this analysis I can see just how important the impression is that the portfolio delivers.

jeffmanske.com [Professional]

Aesthetics
Jeff's portfolio gives the impression that it is flash based, although it isn't. When compared and contrasted the student created project, there is a clear divide in the level of professionalism, experience and skill in favour of Jeff. There are still some issues as detailed below but overall a much more aesthetically pleasing build.

Accessibility & Validation
As is to be expected the site has compliant XHTML [transitional] & CSS [2.1]. All of the content is in one XHTML document which could be arduous for screen reader users. Design breaks when type size is increased.

Navigation
The navigation is consistent, reliable as well as being aesthetically pleasing with a subtle JavaScript based animation to move from one area to another. Regrettably, the site doesn't degrade well for browsers with JavaScript disabled as there is no easy alternative method of navigation.

Conclusion
The site looks great, it shows off his skills as a designer & a developer. The project doesn't consider accessibility as much as it should but otherwise is a project to be proud of.

Considerable difference between this and the student project.

Portfolio: Delivery Requirements

2009-03-02T18:11:00.007Z

XHTML 1.0 Strict
Used to define the sites structure and mark-up the content. I will be using Komodo Edit to build the code to W3C Standards.

CSS 2.1
The Cascading Style sheets will be used to control the aesthetics of the site as well as improving site load times and accessibility. I will be using Komodo Edit to build the code to W3C Standards.

CMS - Content management driven
The content management system will provide me a flexible platform for my portfolio. Allowing me to tailor the site to the requirements of each interview / situation is essential. Following on from the 'Content is King' assignment, I will be using TextPattern as my CMS. TextPattern requires PHP and MySQL on the hosting server.

Photoshop & Illustrator CS3
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator will be used to deliver the web-optimised imagery for my portfolio.

Email
Mail technologies (including IMAP & SMTP) will be used to send & receive emails.

Portfolio: Target Audience

2009-03-02T18:10:00.008Z

Primary Target Audience [Employer]
Rachel is the co-owner of a 4 year old local design company and despite the talks of a recession, her business is growing at consistent rate. As a result she is looking for a new web designer & developer to bring join the team and introduce fresh ideas and new technologies into the business.

Rachel deals more with the running of the business rather than the delivery of the products but still has an eye for design. During her working day she spends around 4+ hours browsing the internet on her MacBook which is running the latest version of FireFox through a high speed broadband connection.

Secondary Target Audience [Client]
Andrew is a self employed building contractor working in the Barnsley area. He uses his existing web site as a medium to generate leads but he has noticed a recent sharp decline in enquires. Andrew understands the value of a strong and consistent corporate identity and as a result, he is investing time and money in a redesign of the now aged web site.

Andrew is looking for a individual to establish a long term working relationship with. Ideally, the person should have knowledge of modern design, development and usability techniques.

Andrew uses his home office Windows based PC and uses IE7 to browse the web through a 2mb broadband connection.

Portfolio: Goals

2009-02-03T14:21:00.008Z

1. Produce valid XHTML 1.0 Stict & CSS 2.1 code.

Working to professional standards.
To aid cross browser & cross platform compatibility [including screen readers].
Reduce site-wide load times [when compared to inline / internal styles].
To aid SEO.
W3C Validator for XHTML & CSS used to measure goal.

2. Level A WCAG 1.0 conformance.

Working to professional standards.
Websites should be to accessible to as wide an audience as possible.
WCAG conformance check-list to be used to measure goal.

3. Maximum 3 page loads to get to desired content from the home-page.

To aid usability / site navigation.
As recommended by Steve Krug [Krug [2000], Don’t Make Me Think’, circle.com. Pg. 41.]
Site structure diagram & usability testing to provide evidence.

4. Portfolio to be up dated using a CMS.

To aid ease of updating & maintainability.
To further develop CMS knowledge.

Fourth quarter and the bases are loaded

2009-01-23T07:55:00.006Z

I look over to my right to see the course schedule blu-tacked to the wall, depicting the remaining four (and a bit) months until the completion of my HND, and the reality of what is just around the corner is upon me.

My focus shifts now firmly upon employment & securing the skills that I need to obtain a job in this increasingly difficult economical climate.

Self Managed Learning Project
For this project I have chosen to learn the server-side programming language of PHP; the reasons for which are discussed in a previous post.

From an employability point of view, learning this language will put me in a strong standing for the type of jobs that I have been looking at.

I feel that of all the units that we have done so far this is the one that I will enjoy most, though I am a little apprehensive about the discipline of keeping accurate records of my learning for assessment.

Content Management
I am pleased to see the inclusion of this unit in the schedule. I have ‘played’ around with CMS during the brief moments of downtime this year but certainly feel that there is much to learn about the area.

From an employability point of view, I feel that this unit will be invaluable as increasingly, from my own experience, clients are requiring control over their website beyond handover.

Skills Gaps
Naturally, I have already began looking at job advertisements to see where the gaps in my skills are. Learning PHP will prove to be an invaluable feather in my employability cap, but increasingly I see jobs advertised asking for knowledge of ASP.NET as well as Flash with ActionScript; skills that without significant self study away from college I would be lacking.

I do feel that my creative work could be the weak link in my employment skills chain. Whilst I do have a small selection of work beyond the college assignments, I worry that this will not be enough commercially viable work to sufficiently showcase my skills; much practice, I feel, is required.

Junior?
Some clarity I feel is needed surrounding the words ‘Junior Position’. When we complete this course do we apply specifically and explicitly for junior rolls or do our skills extend beyond the entry level position?

Closing
We enter now into the final quarter of the HND. Realising that our time on the course has never been more valuable, there can be no excuses, no missed opportunities, just perspirations & aspirations.

I would like to secure a job before leaving the course, however I appreciate that finding an employer that would be understanding enough to allow two days off a week to finish the course is a little optimistic at best. This will be only exacerbated by the competition not only from my classmates but also every other educational establishment's students & employment seeking professionals.

Good luck everyone.

Word Count: 488.

SMLP Resources

2009-01-21T21:25:00.000Z

1. PHP 5 in easy steps (Book)
ISBN: 1-84078-282-x
I have used elements of this book in other projects and has proven to be an invaluable as a beginner to the language.

2. The PHP Anthology (Book)
ISBN: 979-0-9758419-9-0
I purchased this book at the same time as the CSS Anthology from Sitepoint. This book could be considered as a reference book rather than a tutorial / walk through.

3. www.php.net
PHP.net is a fantastic resource containing tutorials & reference material as well as links to related sites.

4. dev.mysql.com/doc/
MySQL.com provides support spacifically tailored for MySQL use including forums & manuals.

5. www.w3schools.com/PHP/
W3 Schools is a well respected & established tutorial (and forum) web site; this section of the W3 Schools focus on PHP.

6. www.tizag.com/phpT/
PHP tutorial & reference web site. The web site also has a supporting forum.

7. www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/php/
HTML Goodies delivers more than just advice on HTML & CSS; this area of the web site delivers tutorial based advice on working with PHP.

8. www.phpbuilder.com/manual/
This web site delivers great PHP tutorials along with examples of source code to visualise the learning.

9. www.killerphp.com/
Kill PHP contains text & video PHP tutorials aimed at beginners.

10. devzone.zend.com/node/view/id/627
PHP 101 - PHP for the absolute beginner.

Self Managed Learning Plan

2008-12-10T16:41:00.003Z

My proposal for the SMLP is PHP. I fell that learning this skill at this stage of my career would benefit me greatly.

My previous qualifications & interests have centered around programming; though this is the first time that is has been focused on the web.

I currently posses a working knowledge & understanding of PHP & its uses on the web; though that knowledge is in its infancy & could be compared to my working knowledge of CSS before the completion of the A9 unit.

Though I have previously written & worked with databases, I am as yet to work with any web based server-side database.

Looking back on one of my previous post ‘Personal Development’, I identified the kind of roll that I would ideally find myself falling into. Additionally noted in the post is the identification of a skills gap; namely PHP.

Because I have a genuine interest in the subject & a programming background, I feel that I would have a high level of motivation & drive to develop my knowledge further.

My second choice for the project would be Flash with action script. Whilst I feel that this skill would be valuable to me & my development, it is not an area that I wish to specialize in so I feel that my knowledge would be likely to fade and / or become rusty after the assignment simply through a lack of call to use it.

In anticipation for this assignment I have already purchased books relating to PHP, though I have had little time to work trough.

I am looking forward to the unit & hope that I am permitted my first choice.

Third quarter and the bases are loaded…

2008-12-03T17:01:00.002Z

It feels like only weeks ago that I was sat in my office talking with my colleagues about starting a web design & development degree; but in actuality, it was more like a little under two years!

So much has changed since then.

CSS & XHTML
I felt that the CSS unit was fantastic! My only regret was that we had other units running at the same time which detracted from some of the more advanced learning. Though this was a shame, I still really enjoyed the way that the unit turned out.

Once again, this unit has shown me how little I actually knew & know about CSS. When John gave the lecture on the box model, everything fell into place. It reminded me almost of when I was learning clutch control in a car.

I am under no illusion that there is still much more to learn & that experience is perhaps the best way to develop my skills further; much like learning to drive, its not until you pass your test that you fully understand what you are doing.

On the Job
This project has been a real eye opener for me so far. Not so much at working with clients as I have had experience with this before (both web & non-web related) but how difficult it can be working with a team where everyone (myself included) is equally inexperienced.

The projects largest revelation for me is how difficult it can be to start up a new company; though I am sure that if this was a ‘real life’ job (what ever that means) then procedures would be in place with longevity of service in mind. The key I feel would be experience.

I do feel that the other team are at a definite advantage to us because up until the point of winning the pitches for the Games Development & the Photography sites we had done equal amounts of work & now we have to carry on with the work we were doing for the two clients that had been secured since almost the beginning of the project.

Culture Vulture
I have enjoyed this unit also so far. I enjoyed the research into the mini, both new and old, as it is a subject close to my heart.

The creative days that we are having has been a completely new experience for me; it feels almost what I imagine the first week of an ‘upstairs’ kind of class.
I have really enjoyed today’s day of exploring line, texture, colour, etc using photography of my local area.

Conclusion
With the end of the year within sight it is important, now more than ever, to stay focused & not loose direction.

Though I am listening to podcasts (Boagworld, Rissington, .net & TWiT to name a few) there is still a whole world of web out there yet to be explored.

I am looking into events where I can network with people in the industry & hopefully find employment; though further my education is still an option.

Soft Skills

2008-11-10T17:54:00.004Z

Skill based commonalities occur across the majority of rolls within the world of work and in many aspects, life.

A large proportion of these skills are accumulated and improved during the completion of other tasks. Consequently, many of the skills are obtained and developed with experience.

Planning & Time Management
This is one area that I feel that I stand to gain the most benefit from developing further. Establishing a list of priorities along side working with any time constraints is required of almost any job roll.

Though I have shown significant improvement since starting this course, I do feel that there is still a great opportunity for personal and professional growth there.

Leadership & Management
I consider myself fortunate that I have had experience in this area before and those skills & experience has been transferred and developed within my roll on the course.

Working with a verity of people with different backgrounds & experiences in a successful manor will act as the accelerant for development of this particular skill.

The experiences of the course has proven invaluable this year.

Presentation
Presentational skills are obtained through practice practice and more practice. The confidence to present comes from ample preparation alongside actually knowing about the subject you are presenting.

I feel that I currently possess adequate presentational skills but this isn’t enough for the industry that I soon will find myself in.

Communication
Communication is essential to the success of any roll within any organisation & comes in many forms & more often than is often indented (non verbal communication in particular).

I feel that with the exception of isolated incidents my communication skills have substantiality & consistency.

However, as with all of the aforementioned skills base, there is much room for improvement before it is to a level that I would call acceptable.

Word Count: 300

Personal Development...

2008-10-08T17:00:00.008+01:00

The job I choose was a Junior Developer based in Sheffield.

Why that job?
The reason the above job appealed to me was primarily because of the salary assigned to the entry level position. The benefits of which would mean that I would have the opportunity to further my website development skills in a guided environment whilst earning a comfortable salary.

Looking at the companies portfolio, it would appear that they have produced an array of work from basic sites to custom content managed systems which would provide me with excellent experience and enhance my confidence.

Skills Required
The advert is predictably asking for an assortment of programing skills, including standards compliant XHTML and CSS, ASP, .NET 2.0, XML and JavaScript. The composition of databases, their management and manipulation is an area that appeals to me; it would appear that this job has plenty of opportunities in that area. The working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop quite accurately describes my skill level.

Skills Gap
Though I feel confident working with standards compliant XHTML and CSS, I am as yet to touch upon some of the other languages. This could be an area of improvement during the self managed learning project later this year; however, it has been said that PHP would currently be a more valuable language to learn initially.

The extent of my experience with databases reaches as far as coding basic databases in Turbo Pascal and countless builds in Microsoft Access; regrettably, I have not had the opportunity to work using web based / server side databases so far.

Conclusion
I feel that there is still areas of knowledge that I need to improve upon, however, I would feel confident applying for the above job with the skills that I already posses; even though they differ slightly from those requested.

Word Count: 300

Best Foot Forward ...

2008-10-07T21:26:00.009+01:00

Hopes and Aspirations

Following my progression onto the second year of the course, I feel a sense of pride and achievement looking back on how far I have come and hope that his feeling is amplified following the successful completion of the second year.

From reading the assignment list of what is to come, I feel that this is going to be a fantastic year; and certainly a busy one.

I am pleased to see the inclusion of the CMS unit as from reading journals and listening to Podcasts from industry professionals out there, this appears to be the way that clients are leading the market; following on from the XHTML & CSS unit that we are currently studying should put us in great standing for employment.

Employability

The second year for me is the last haul before I (re)enter the world of employment. Since starting the course it has always been my intention carry on my eduction beyond the HND into the degree; or maybe even further. To a point, this is still the case but before the (academic) year is out I would like to be working part time in the industry that we are training so hard to get into.

I am under no illusion about how quickly this year will pass by and so I want to hit the ground running with regards employment whilst still furthering my formal education.

I feel that the area that I most need to improve upon has to be my design skills. The best way to achieve this, I feel is read, practice, repeat!

Summary

In closing I am sure that this year is going to be fantastic and aside from the late nights the only downside is that the degree won’t be ready for when we complete this year.

< Year1 / >

2008-05-13T14:21:00.011+01:00

It doesn’t seem long ago at all that I was sat in a circle trying desperately to remember everyone’s name in fear that I was the one to drop the ball (so to speak) and now here I am evaluating the past year.

Many of us have been talking about how much we far we have progressed over this last year, but in reality, it has only actually been a little over 8 months; it typically takes longer for a child to be born! I have a real sense of achievement and feel quite humble.

The transition from full time employment in the big bad world to returning to formalities of education has certainly not been a frictionless process; and to be very honest there are still parts of me that find it difficult to adjust at times.

The level of support that I have personally received so far has been outstanding. Ranging from my tutors to class mates to my friends, family and most of all my fiancée Elizabeth, every step of the way for each time I have stumbled, there has always been someone there to get me back on my feet; Thank you to you all.

Throughout the course of the year, we have had a barrage of visitors to the class all from very different backgrounds and with very different futures. The first of which was from the Design Mechanics. The added benefit with this was that fact that two of the designers working for the company originated from this very course. Jemma and Oliver were model example of what can be achieved with a little hard work. Whilst the Design Mechanics generally regarded as being a ‘stepping stone’ for new designers; it can be perceived as a great first step. The visits were fuelled by the return of previous students; I cannot think of a better compliment to the course and its staff than its produce coming back to help those following in their footsteps.

I have already mentioned that the transition back into education wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked but to add insult to injury a little over 4 weeks into the first semester I was faced with a very serious personal problem resulting in me leaving my home and family to seek new accommodation. This had a serious affect on my concentration, motivation and emotions and undoubtedly my performance; this is much easier to see now looking back.

The recovery was not a quick process and to be honest, I see it as one of those life-changing events from which things are never the same; however, submission dates wait for no man so I had to try and get back to a sense of normality as soon as possible.

A2 – That’s the Plan!

The submission of our first formal assignment (A2) quickly came around; I was full of pride based confidence and bursting with enthusiasm that I had completed my first ever web plan. However, the joyous occasion was short lived as the project that I had given life to had not made the pass grade; needless to say I did not take the news well.

Fortunately, the support from the teaching staff, class mates and family was outstanding and quickly I found myself on my feet again. The referral work comprised mainly of many small alterations; finishing off if you like but cumulatively were quite a drain on my already strained timetable. The amount of time estimated to do this work was, in my opinion, seriously underestimated on my part.

As a recommendation from both the tutor and a class mate, I read a book by Steve Krug called “Don’t make me think!” is a fantastic book surrounding web usability that I would recommend to anyone. Accessibility and usability is becoming ever more important as the number of people now being diagnosed with dyslexia and other such learning difficulties is on the increase and as students with professional aspirations, we have to know how to accommodate and work with these conditions.

I think that one of the issues surrounding the adaptation from ‘real life’ to ‘student life’ was building new working relationships and establishing boundaries. During which stage there was a miss wire somewhere between what was being asked of us, as a class, and what we were doing, as a class. It became apparent that we were treated as a collective and that if the majority did not do what was required then the class had to endure the related punishments to which I did not feel was fair. Somewhat intentionally, I invoked a discussion regarding the subject to try to get a resolve; I am pleased to report that we do not appear to have any / many problems like this anymore.

A3 - Back to Basics

This assignment saw a great opportunity to show off what we had learned in A2. I have always been told that ‘the first is the worst’ and that certainly was the case here. The improvements and levels of confidence were certainly noticeable.

I felt much more comfortable with elements such as the competitive analysis and assets list. I could feel things clicking into place… the right place.

This web plan encompassed an element of writing and collation of imagery, which was extra to the requirements of A2 but it also gave it a feeling of reality. A5 – Builder was coming; I could feel it and couldn’t wait.

Having the referral work to do for A2 at the same time as creating the first submission for A3. I do feel however that this gave A3 a bit of a step up with regards its standards.

A4 – Image Rights

This unit was at the time the first practical based assignment of the year and it was a welcomed change from the theoretical based A3 & A4. The image restoration task proved to be the most enjoyable for me. I was able to pull on my previous experiences of image manipulation from my previous job.

The timed tasks, namely the creation of the web banners, gave me a clear insight into the amount of work that can be achieved in a short period of time when specifically encouraged; something that I have tried to replicate during self-study with limited success.

The image compression aspect of the assignment was particularly interesting to me. I previously had and understanding of the existence of the different file types but not about the instances in which they intended to be used; this certainly is one lecture that will always stay in the forefront of my mind.

A5 – Builder

The A5 was the build of the A3 assignment. The largest frustration that I endured during this unit was adhering to the quite basic screen design(s) that I had generated previously. I miss understood the fact that alterations were in fact permitted to the design so long as they were in keeping with the original flavour and development work was shown.

There had always been an air of haze surround web based form for me before doing this unit. Sites that I had created previously would have benefited dramatically from the facilities offered by formail for example.

Having been bitten by the CGI bug (no pun intended) I decided to test out my new found talent by creating and online feedback come usability questionnaire form. I feel that the form was a complete success and gave a very professional feel to the project.

A6 – Revert to Type

This typographic unit opened my eyes to a world which I had always taken for granted before. I had previously never bore any consideration as to where the typefaces originated from nor the complexities involved in their creation.

The famous typographer presentation didn’t go as well as I would have wanted it to. Almost predictably running long on my first presentation by about a minute and a half resulted in having to do the presentation again but this time in front of the whole class.

The resubmission of this presentation coincided with the discovery that I had referred the A5 – Builder unit. The grade (or lack of it) was on the wall, which was fine but there wasn’t an opportunity to ask for any feedback to put my mind at ease before the resubmission of the presentation.

Needless to say the resubmission, in spite of the preparation, went appallingly. I was embarrassed and ashamed at my performance and at the same time angry with myself for referring the A5 unit. It was not a pleasant time for me.

After a bit of a talk with the tutor and a third attempt at the presentation calm was restored to an otherwise uncomfortable period of time.

A7 – Whaling Whales

Finishing this assignment gave me a grate sense of pride. We were able to draw on all of the experiences and education of the college year and produce something that in my opinion looks really professional. The best piece of advice that I received for this project was to print the CD artwork on gloss paper - and what a difference it made!

I still feel as though there is scope for improvements as with any piece of work and given the opportunity again I feel that I would still come up with the same solution. I am over the moon with the result.

I did create a range of solutions almost to the point of completion which were also aesthetically pleasing however, they were unsuitable for the CMYK print process.

The unit has given me the confidence boost that I so desperately needed.

What would I do differently?

First on the list has to be to seriously reduce the amount of hours that I worked during the first year. There is no doubt in my mind that it had a drastically negative impact on my performance.

Second on the list has to be to seriously reduce the amount of hours that I worked during the first year – it really is that important!

Follow up lectures above and beyond; the lectures are only supposed to be an introduction to the subject.

Adhere to time planning and production schedule and always complete a week early for checking / improvements.

Thoughts about the next year?

I am really looking forward to next year, having read some of the journal and talking to now second years the units sound fantastic. I am particularly looking forward to the client work.

Targets

Ensure that time planning is follow regimentally from the outset.

Work through tutorials and practice, practice, practice with the software applications until their use become second nature.

Improve time planning.

Surround myself with inspiration and good design.

Word Count: 1,789

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Thanks for reading

Shaun Bellis

Quote of the year Awarded to…

“The way to learn to do things is to do things. The way to learn a trade is to work at it. Success teaches how to succeed. Begin with the determination to succeed, and the work is half done already.” – Source Unknown.

Diggin' that Pack

2008-05-09T14:51:00.005+01:00

Hi Everyone,

This is my DigiPak Outter. Feedback would be very much appreciated. Any questions please feel free to ask!

Thank you!

The Good, The Bad and The Summary...

2008-05-06T15:45:00.004+01:00

The Good...

Looking back on last weeks entry, I am pleased to say that I have completed the alterations to the 'Corporate Identity' work and have made great headway with the CD artwork.

The at times fantastic weather we have experienced this week has provided me with the perfect opportunity to spend many hours practicing the sophisticated skill that is photography. Whilst I have never claimed to be a 'photographer', the results (admittedly in my opinion) were impressive and gave me plenty of manipulation opportunities.

This along with the intensive sketchbook work has put me right back where I needed to be. My motivation and determination is at an all time high and I have never been happier with my position on the course.

The idea's and ideals are bouncing around in the ink well that is my mind. I fell that the only thing holding me back is my ability to convey those feelings and idea's to paper / screen; skills and techniques that will improve vastly with practice.

The Bad...

The largest area for concern that I have is that my two days of creative freedom is soon to pass and I will have to go back to the drudgery that is retail employment. I feel that my largest hindrance on the course is the time consuming beast that is commonly known as work. In light of this I have put any measures in place to reduce the amount of hours I have to work each week so that I can concentrate my efforts on what matters, this course.

The Summary...

Finalise the CD artwork
Post the CD artwork on my Journal and on Das Forum for feedback
Complete The Wire advertisement

Thanks for reading

Shaun Bellis

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Quote of the week

"It's not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference." - Paul Bryant

Busy Busy Bee...

2008-04-29T16:17:00.008+01:00

Monday

With a little bit of work, Monday saw the completion of the 'A5 Builder' project. The amendments made were nothing too drastic but has made a world of difference; it just goes to show the value of listening to experienced industry professionals.

As with assignments of past, we have generated a very useful checklist for A7. The checklist comprises of everything from fundamental errors such as checking spellings to hierarchy of submitted CD for print. Checklists like this can prove invaluable during the often busy days before submission.

In addition to the checklist, we revisited our last formal lecture of the first year regarding print and pre-print processes. Reiteration of the lecture in this manor proved to be successful as I personally felt that my understanding of the process was only strengthened.

Monday evening saw many hours of what I can only call fussing over the details; to the point in which my amendments were actually detrimental to my work.

Tuesday

The open discussion about the second year proved to be a great insight into what we can expect (if only a taster). It is quite apparent that the second year is going to be much more intensive than the first; my only apprehensions about the workload is that I will be unable to work the amount of hours that I have been and successfully complete the units.

Following the open group discussion, some of us were invited to a one on one discussion regarding the second year. This was an opportunity to speak openly and honestly about our progression so far and where I feel I want to be; I was pleased with the overall outcome of the talk.

Following a brief fight with the college colour printer and the scurried collation for my 'completed' work so far I was then ready for the seminar class.

Seminar Class

Although not the first time that we had reviewed our work in a critique, on the wall manor I felt a sense of pride of the work that I had done; knowing the work that has gone into it so far to get it to that level. However, and perhaps more importantly, at the same time it gave me a deep insight into how much work I have to catch up on.

From very early on in the class we were told, by several people, not to get too caught up in comparing our work to other peoples in the class. Not as easy as it sounds! Looking around my seminar class in particular there has been some fantastic work produced; Michelle's and Tom's in particular. A Big well done to all of you.

Summary

There is still a lot of work to be done; however it is important to realize how far we have all come as it is all too easy to get bogged down with what is still left to do.

Weeks Tasks

Finishing touches for CO-ID work following seminar feedback.
CD artwork completed.
Preflight checklist.
Weekly commitments; journal reading / commenting etc.

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Thanks for reading

Shaun Bellis

Quote of the week...

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be” - George Sheehan

Amended Business Card Designs

2008-04-26T19:09:00.002+01:00

First of all, thank you everyone who commented on my previous design; it helped me a lot. If you could please do the same for this one I would be really appreciative.

Emit | Business Card Feedback Please

2008-04-24T17:56:00.004+01:00

Hey Everyone,

Its feedback time again please, the letterhead follows a very similar feel as the business card so please think about both when giving your thoughts.

Thank you!

Confusions Galore... or are they?

2008-04-22T16:18:00.011+01:00

Monday morning was not off to a good start. Minutes after walking in the door I had found out that I had referred yet another unit; A5. It would appear that I am not very good at taking bad news; something that was apparent after receiving our very first grades way back when. Inevitably, the poor result had a negative baring on my motivation and certainly my concentration from that point in. This combined with the already anxious and frustrated feeling bubbling deep within originating days before did not make the best tasting cocktail.

Needless to say, the presentation was appalling! I forgot the majority of what I wanted to say, my stutter came back in force and the more these problems happened, the worse they got; I was drastically under my time limit and seriously disappointed. I was embarrassed and extremely annoyed at myself; after all, I spend the majority of the week teaching small classes (typically 5 - 8 people) at work - the nerves certainly should not have had the affect that they did.

Fortunately, the 'question and answer' session immediately after the presentation, in my opinion, went well. Getting the majority of the questions right give me the boost of moral that I so desperately needed.

The rest of the day was to be utilized developing the A7 project; however, following the less than fantastic start to the day I do not feel as though I was even nearly as productive as I could / should have been. All that was going through my mind was "What am I doing wrong!".

Tuesday morning arrived and with a good nights sleep(ish) under my belt and I was in a much better mindset and felt ready to tackle the day. Shortly after the morning pleasantries we were called in one by one next door for what turned out to be the re-re-submission of our presentations which, although not fantastic, went much better. The presentation was pretty much on target time wise and a few of the questions later and it was all over and I was once again feeling a little bit more like myself.

With regards the seminar group, I think that because were are all focused with the task in hand (and perhaps a little afraid of opening our own sketchbooks) the seminar class today, although directed at A1, wasn't as strong as previous

Overall, I do not feel that I have had the most productive week and that my performance(s) have given me much opportunity to improve and push myself further. A stronger focus on my time planning this week will bring this opportunity to life.

Thanks for reading.

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Quote of the week

"To be able to look back upon ones life in satisfaction, is to live twice” - Kahlil Gibran

Amended Design

2008-04-20T21:13:00.004+01:00

Thank you all for the great creative feedback! I have made the amendments and I think that it looks much better; what do you all think?

Feedback Please!

2008-04-20T20:02:00.003+01:00

Hi everyone,

I know its a little bit late on in the week but I would still be really greatful if I could get some feedback regarding the development of my logo. Please look at the previous logo to get a feel for where the idea has come from.

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Thanks

Shaun Bellis

Design Design Desgin !

2008-04-15T16:48:00.008+01:00

Monday

The early parts of this week has seen many fine alterations to the design of my logo; and its still not quite there. However, I believe that it is very easy to fuss over things too much and perhaps compromise the integrity of the design and undo all the hard work.

Quite uncharacteristically I found myself deflated and with my mind on other things; knowing this to be the case I decided it best that I left the creative and developmental work (knowing that I would only have to do it again anyway). As a result, I concentrated my efforts on creating the page structure of the CO-ID and the basic structure of the CD (front, back, inside, etc) so that my efforts were not wasted.

The ramifications of my overly long presentation for A6 has now become apparent; the presentation has to be redone in front of the whole class. This was a concept that originally I wasn't too phased by but now that we have a date for them, the pre-presentation anxieties are creeping in.

Tuesday

Further development of the Corporate Identity was the focal point of today for me. I was surprised how much of the information in there regarding the logo use was (in my opinion) common sense but yet I just couldn't help taking pleasure in knowing that I had written it! Whilst perhaps not totally independent just yet, the self directed seminar classes (go team Alpha!) are working really well. I do feel as though we are all growing and developing not only as designers but as people as well; the seminar classes only emphasis the fact.

Since the beginning of this semester there has been a significant improvement in time planning and evaluation of performance; still room to improve but that can only be a good thing.

Targets

- Finalise final stages of the logo.
- Finalise corporate Identity work.
- Develop ideas for the CD artwork.

--

Thanks for reading

Shaun Bellis

Quote of the week

“Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.” - E. Joseph Cossman

Tip of the iceburg!

2008-04-08T16:38:00.010+01:00

This week has proven to be very productive. Monday saw the introduction to Adobe Freehand and although Adobe have chosen not to support it any further does not diminish its value in the industry as I dare say that many companies are reluctant to come up with the cash to upgrade; this means that it is a real possibility that we may end up using Freehand for some time to come.

I was surprised to see many of the same tools and facilities in Freehand as I was used to seeing in AutoCAD. Frustratingly however, they are not in the same place, nor are they as powerful as the CAD package.

We have been once again fortunate enough to have had a visitor this week. This time the appearance was from Mark Feather, an ex-student from the HND in Web Design at Wakefield College (Steve, is that what you were after? Alpha seminar class will get that one).

The work that Mark undertakes at Empire Direct is very much different from Jonny's from Technophobia. Marks work concentrated almost entirely upon the company site and one site alone. The print work was very limited if at all and the opportunity to do a diverse range of designs / builds is restricted at best.

I think that of the two visits, I would prefer to take the position of Jonny's; however neither roll is specifically what I am looking for but beggars cannot be choosers particularly in the early stages of the career.

The A7 project is proving to be the most involved and enjoyable yet! Following semi-self directed seminar class today we have found that our logo's still have a long way to go. It is understandable that we are to be making errors / less than perfect designs as this is for a lot of us the first time that we have undertaken work like this. Even though the work that I have done so far is less than fantastic, I feel confident that it will all come together as I learn more of what is expected and to what level each day.

This time around I feel that I am much more organised and prepared. My time planning has shown much signs of improvement and it shows in the work that I have produced so far. This is a skill that certainly is transferable into the 'real world' and will continue to develop.

Useful links

FireBug - This is another great Firefox plugin for developers!
Logo Pond - Great source of inspiration!

Feedback

Please be as honest as possible; excuse the quality of the image and my less than perfect illustrations.

--
Thanks for reading / feedback.

Shaun Bellis

Quote of the week

"Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn." - C.S. Lewis

Welcome Back!

2008-04-01T15:09:00.007+01:00

Good Points

The introduction to this terms assignment I felt went very smoothly. Visit by Jonny Haynes from the Sheffield based company Technophobia was fantastic. Although I enjoyed Jonny's presentation, I feel that being the inquisitive individual that I am (understatement I hear you cry) I personally got more from the seemingly informal question and answer session. It was great to see yet another success story originating from the course.

The new assignments are now well underway and the sketchbook evidence is mounting up nicley. Whilst this period, including over the holidays, has seen a significant improvement in the amount of sketchbook work, I am under no doubt that there will have to be much more to come before A1 will be satisfied; its going to have to be a busy few weeks.

The new seminar groups have been selected in accordance with which assignment we opted for during the holidays. We are as yet to receive our grades for the previous assignment; however I wouldn't necessarily say that this is a bad thing as it has kept moral high and allowing all of us to concentrate on the new assignments.

Things that could have been better.

I can honestly say that I am satisfied with how thing have gone and wouldn't have changed a thing.

Targets

Carry on the progression of my logo.
Hit the time sheets hard.
Ensure that the 'big picture' is in the forefront of my mind as well as working on the details.

I have also found some information regarding Royal Mail's envelope branding guidelines which may be of use for this and future assignments.

Thanks for reading.

Shaun Bellis

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Quote of the week

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep" - Scott Adams

Listening Week...

2008-03-11T16:28:00.010Z

This inaccurately labeled "reading" week has proven to be very different; and I don't just mean from other reading weeks, I mean from anything I have experienced before!

I have always used music to set the tone to suit the circumstance; for example working environment, driving, etc. but never before has it been the focus of my activities.

From talking to some of the other students I am fortunate in that whilst it is not exactly my taste, the music I had was very similar to the 'Chilled Euphoria' albums that I have have in my collection.

My sketchbook is now filling up nicely boasting around ninety annotated logo's and three mood boards. I think that everyone's reactions were very similar this morning ... "Mood Board?!" but after a quick group discussion and some advice from the ever artistic Gary Benn, we were all on track.

From the work I have undertaken with logo's so far, I have found that as a general rule of thumb, the simple logos are much more affective and often more attractive. Logos like the ones belonging to 'Intel', 'McDonalds', 'Coca-Cola' and 'Volkswagen' to name but at few are almost intently recognisable with just a passing glance.

I am looking forward to the self study task(s) this week if it is in keeping with that we have done then we certainly are onto a winner!

The developmental process we have undertaken here is very different to methods I have adopted in the past. It is very interesting to see how even just mind maps and mood boards allow you to interpret your own understanding of what you do and break it down to its rawest and simplest entity - only then can you begin to move forward.

Thanks for reading.

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Quote of the week

"Education: That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding." - Ambrose Bierce

Music that speaks for itself...

2008-03-10T18:00:00.002Z

The relaxing, soft tones pulsating are almost like a massage for your mind. Drift off into your own little world and explore new levels of creativity and imaginative play.

The warm, welcoming and almost hypnotic instrumentals, combined with an at times tribal feel makes this album a must have for any collection.

This easy listening compilation is perfect for anyone wanting to clear their mind of distractions and allow their concentration to be focused on the task at hand. The album can slip seamlessly into the background of almost any thought-based activity.

Each track blends almost seamlessly into the next allowing your mind to focus on other more pressing issues.

The soothing and tranquil melody takes full advantage of the featured creative use of silence and neutral repetition; this album would be an ideal alternative to the sounds of nature to aid problematic sleep patterns and / or high levels of stress and unease.

The almost tantric sounds emitting from your speakers will take you away from the ‘hustle and bustle of modern day living; making this the first choice for anyone relaxing after a busy day in the office.

If silence is bliss… then this is the new silence!

A6 - Evaluation

2008-03-04T22:56:00.010Z

A6 – Evaluation

Good Points

This has been once again, a fantastic unit for me. The levels of creative opportunities and levels of excitement in the class have been unmistakable. Following the quite theoretical based units, A2 & A3, it has been a refreshing change to get much more involved with the mechanics of the design process with A5 & A6.

I am pleased to say that the use of the time planning sheets during the timed tasks has greatly evolved in comparison to previous tasks, and have proven to be a real asset when ensuring that all submissions are met on or even before time.

Whilst I still feel that the majority of the work that I have produced for college is a little on the ‘safe’ side, I am very proud of the work I have done so far; each perhaps for different reasons, but proud nonetheless.

I have intentionally included the timed projects in the ‘Good Points’ section as I feel that they have been the reason that I have enjoyed these units so much.

Hokai

My initial thoughts when were handed the 'Hokai' brief for this project was that we were restricted in the space we had, the text to be shown and the face that it had to be showed on, so … how many solutions can there be? Many as it turns out. Whilst some of the designs were similar, the majority of the class had taken a much different approach to the same brief.

Jonathan Gee

Following the ‘Hokai’ small label adventure, the much larger (A5) ‘Jonathan Gee’ article added a different flavour to our design pallets; perhaps the variety if tasks that we’ve undertaken during this term has kept things interesting and dynamic.

Vodaphone

Regrettably, I absent for this task; however, much of the work I have sampled from other students looked fantastic.

Grid

The ‘Grid’ task was the first part of our final timed assessment of this period. The way that the design was split into two sections helped to show us the importance of establishing a solid grid (comprising of columns) before entering the content; but most of all, sticking to it.

Story

The ‘Story’ task was, in my opinion the more technical and enjoyable of the two sections. My initial thought was that the second part of the task was going to be much easier and it was simply a case of positioning some pre-written text; however, by the end of the task, some hour and a half later, I had a great sense of pride from implementing the practices I have been taught to date. By amending the tracking, leading and kerning I was able to ensure that both the top and bottom of each of the three columns was aligned perfectly. To aid in my manipulation of the text I opted to use a pull quote; the practical use of the pull quote also provided the design with a break in the text which, in my opinion may make the piece appear more attractive to read.

Zuzana Licko Presentation

I got a lot of personal satisfaction from the research for the presentation. Until recently, I never realised how much thought and effort goes into the production of a typeface. Inevitably, whilst researching Zuzana, my path crossed with many other famous typographers in brief. It would appear that as with any kind of design, typography, and typographers, are subject to quite harsh criticism and a thick skin is part of the job description.

Areas that could have been better

Whilst the application of time planning has greatly aided my development during the timed tasks, I regret to say that they have been some what neglected this time during both the A5 and the A6 assignments. I believe that in many ways this can be credited to the condition of my health through this unit; however, I do not feel that it is an excuse as if anything, I perhaps should have used to opportunity to make the time planning work harder and suit my circumstances.

I feel that due to my unfortunate illness and subsequent absence, I am at a disadvantage to many of the students. Whilst I have successfully caught up on the lecture notes, there is no substitute for actually being there.

Although, as I mentioned before I am very proud of the work that I have produced (each for various reasons), I do feel that the designs could have been more adventurous. An increase in the amount of inspirational work in my sketchbook may give me give me an confidence boost to stretch myself just that little bit further.

Summery

Although my attendance and health has not been quite what I would have liked it to be, I have really enjoyed this set of units. I feel that my skill development and technical knowledge has increased fourfold since the beginning of the course. My only regret is that my opportunities to follow up lectures notes to obtain a greater understanding are currently quite sparse; however, this issue certainly is one that I have already put measure in place to address.

Based upon the rate of my development so far, I cannot wait to see what the next term brings!

Targets

- Improve time planning.
- Increase amount of self-directed learning.
- Increase the sketchbook work.
- Be more adventurous when designing.
- Get some rest during this half term.

Word Count: 906

Thank you for reading.

Quote of the week

“Don't mind criticism. If it is untrue, disregard it; if unfair, keep from irritation; if it is ignorant, smile; if it is justified it is not criticism, learn from it.” - Unknown Source.

CGI Heaven

2008-02-26T16:34:00.007Z

********************************
10:48am on Monday the 25th of February 2008
MY PERL SCRIPT WORKS!
********************************

After many stressful hours, buckets of blood, sweat and tears and enough elbow grease to fuel the proverb itself for years to come, my feedback form works!

After travelling down just about every avenue in a desperate hope to rectify the problem, with the very much appreciated help of Sue and Greg, we deduced that the issue was simply (tuft) the location of the send mail program.

The time spent trying to resolve this issue has not been a complete waste as I now feel as though I have a much greater understanding of the process than what I perhaps would have had if it had worked first time.

The only problem now is that I have gone form mad! After I realised that the same engine (script) can be used with many different forms, I set about creating my usability testing form ONLINE!

This might be described as some as a novelty; however, I believe that many people are lazy and unenthusiastic about filling in questionnaires in general so anything that makes the questionnaire easier to fill in can only make it more inviting and more likely to get filled in.

Today’s timed task highlighted to me the importance of each lecture. Whilst I have read and understood the notes from last week, it is no substitute for actually being there for the class.

Whist I liked how the final piece turned out, I do feel that it would have benefited greatly from my presence in the lecture; I cannot help but think that I 'played it safe' in fear of making an obvious fundamental errors.

I still have a lot of work to do over this week in order to successfully meet the submission dates; undoubtedly my illnesses has had a baring on my workload and performance; however I will simply have to preserver.

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Quote of the week

"It MUST be the hosting ... its configured correctly I am sure of it!" - Shaun Bellis (famous last words)

Nothing to see here

2008-02-19T22:28:00.000Z

As the title suggests there is nothing much to report on this week. Illness (Sinusitis I am told) has one again left me incapacitated.

I have never been poorly as much before in my entire life! Deciding that I'd had enough yesterday I visited the doctors whom prescribed me with 6 tablets to take a day (including the antibiotics) and a nasal spray; and for which I was charged £20 for the privilege!

No doubt during this week I will be once again harassing people to find out what I have missed.

As is my nature I have been trying to get done what I can whilst at home. The one thing worse than having to pay for my own tuition fees, is having to pay for my own tuition fees and not getting the benefit because of SINUSITIS!

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Quote of the week
"Not a happy bunny!" - Shaun Bellis

Half Term

2008-02-12T23:24:00.000Z

Half term so far has meant to me two days working at home! The relaxed atmosphere has given me chance to work out some of the more 'niggly' issues with the current projects.

I think I have been quite fortunate compared to some of my classmates as other than a CGI related issue (which I am blaming on how I have set my hosting up) the build has been quite smooth sailing for me.

Given more time, I would like to change the design of the A5 build, however, whilst the aesthetics is less than perfect (understatement) the functionality and practicality of the site works well and it would be a shame to jeopardise that for the sake of vanity.

I am keen to get on with the usability testing of the site so any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.

See the site here.

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Quote of the week

“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” - Chinese Proverb.

Playing Catch Up...

2008-02-05T15:27:00.000Z

Catch Up...

Another great productive week!

My first priority at the start of the week was to catch up on the notes I missed last from the previous week.

I had planned for about 20 minutes worth of copying / catching up time; however, come first break I was still at it (in the cafeteria might I add).

I think that this really set the tone for the week as many of the tasks I have undertaken so far have taken much longer than originally anticipated.

Usability & Accessibility...

This is becoming an area of increased interest to me. The more I learn, the more I find there is to learn! The prospect of making a living from consultancy later in life is something certainly worth considering.

I can feel a DasForum post on the way.

Timed Task...

Of the two timed tasks we have had so far, I would have to say that this one has been the most enjoyable and rewarding for me personally. The atmosphere was much more productive which lead to a much better design; and in my opinion, the printed version worked well.

Everyone had a much clearer idea of what had to be done and the seriousness in which the time scales were to be taken.

Feedback Groups...

The new seminar groups are working very well for me at the moment; the level of productive discussion, whilst remaining light hearted in places, is high.

I feel as though after each seminar session that I am much more comfortable with what is expected for each stage of the assignment.

Conclusion...

Overall this has been a very productive week. There has been a good balance between work and play making the level of output and quality high.

There is still much more to be done this week during self study so please keep an eye out on both here and on the forum for work to comment upon.

Thanks

Shaun Bellis

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Quote of the week

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” - Proverb

Usability Questionnaire

2008-02-03T19:20:00.000Z

With our usability testing in mind, I have found a really good example of a usability questionnaire.

Obviously we are not allowed to directly copy the sites content, but its a good starting point.

If anyone has any others then please do share. Likewise for good accessibility statements to reference (see DasForum post).

--
Thanks

Shaun Bellis

Quote of the week...end
"Usability is like oxygen - you never notice it until its missing" - Unknown Source

Poorly Again... or is it still?

2008-01-29T21:48:00.001Z

Once again, I find myself victim to the very much-overstated illness that is Man Flu!

My attempts to hide my illness and come into college were quickly foiled by Steve. After a quick feedback session, it was decided that it was best if I went home and rested; perhaps this is the reason I find myself once again poorly.

However, this time the illness has cost me more than just a few days off college. Much to my regret I have been unable to attend the visit to the Design Mechanics.

I am sure that I will be able to read about the experience on the other peoples journals; perhaps there will be a small talk on Monday regarding the days events as there was when the Design Mechanics came to visit us.

Fortunately, whilst I am not yet 100% better, I am well on the way back to good health.

This week will have to see an increase in self-study hours to accommodate for the poor start.

Quote of the week

“People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” - John Wanamaker

No rest for the wicked!

2008-01-22T21:00:00.000Z

[Before I get into this post, I have been playing and have come across a very useful bit of HTML. Where the font is Dark Purple if you hover your mouse over it and see what happens - Let me know what you think].

Good points

Monday

This week saw our formal introduction to CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). Even though I have what I would now call basic knowledge and understanding of CSS, I found myself to be very impressed with its capabilities; almost immediately the proverbial cogs of my mind were turning with ideas for future projects.
Along with the introduction to CSS, we also had a lecture regarding Adobe Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver is an application that I consider myself to be reasonably competent with; however the lecture and ‘creative play’ benefited me greatly and will have a baring on how I do things in the future.

Feedback forms have always been somewhat of a mystery to me. I have heard a lot about them but I have never actually used one nor seen the results returned from one. Following the lectures we’ve had and from talking to other people I feel that my curiosity has now gotten the best of me and during this weeks self study I aim to create and successfully implement a working (test) feedback form.

Big thanks to Torro who instigated the creation of a pre-submission checklist. This is a fantastic idea which will hopefully avoid any still omissions for the A5 – Builder project.

Tuesday

I loved the timed design task! The more we do tasks like this, the more comfortable I am with them (kind of practice makes perfect). My design work still leaves much to be desired and is possibly the area in which I stand to make the biggest improvements.

I am really enjoying the A6 - Revert to Type. Once again it is showing me just how little I knew about design and the principles behind it before I started this course.

The seminar groups this time have been decided by putting people with similar grades together. Today’s seminar session, I feel worked very well. Everyone in the group contributed well. Lets keep it up; great work.

Bits that could have been better.

It was a real shame to have missed out on the submission of our first timed task by merely seconds. I suppose that the strictness of the submission time was to give us an indication of how serious we have to take these things.

Based upon the seminar groups today, I realise that there is still much work to do bring the A1 project up to scratch.

Conclusion

In closing, I would once again thank Steve for organising the visit next week to the Design Mechanics. Whilst I am a little bit apprehensive to show the work I have done so far, I am really looking forward to the opportunity to visit a working design studio (however small it may be).

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Quote of the week
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand”. – Chinese Proverb

Check Point One

2008-01-15T22:12:00.000Z

After much apprehension over the festive period, I am very please [and proud] to say that I have made it into the second semester.

Whilst not an overly promising start, due to illness; I am sure that this semester will prove to be even better than the previous.

Monday's lesson saw the classes introduction to Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver was one area that I was under the impression I was very knowledgeable about; however, our creative playtime and the lecture once again proved that there is still much to learn.

I am pleased to announce that I have passed the A3 assignment that I was worrying so much about; and with some alterations, A4 can be turned around also.

I do feel that the presenting of the grades worked much better this time around. The nervous tension was still there but there was also an air of excitement. I would be happy for the grades to be presented in this manor in the future.

In all honesty, I was expecting a much lighter morning for our first day back [perhaps a team building exercise / ice breaker as on our first day]; however, upon reflection, there were things that had to be done and the schedule is so tight that this simply couldn't have been the case.

From looking at the up coming assignment sheets, I am really looking forward to getting my head down and making as much progress as possible early on. The production schedule MUST be abided by as closely as possible to ensure that I have a CLEAR week at the end of the assignment to iron out problems that have recently been brought to my attention.

Regrettably, I missed the class today [Tuesday 15th] due to illness. However, I will ensure that all notes are caught up on and any gaps are filled in.

The atmosphere in the class on Monday was fantastic; which was surprising considering it was results day. Whilst everyone seamed relaxed and positive, we all now have a much clearer understanding of what has to be done in order to succeed on the course.

The class were asked a rhetorical question during our Monday morning talk [and paraphrase a little] "Is this what you want... are you willing to do what it takes?" the answer without a shadow of doubt is YES! This is what I want to do, I am willing to do what it takes.

www.shaunbellis.co.uk

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Quote of the week

“Plan backwards as well as forward. Set objectives and trace back to see how to achieve them. You may find that no path can get you there. Plan forward to see where your steps will take you, which may not be clear or intuitive.” - Donald Rumsfeld

Semester 1: Performance Evaluation

2007-12-21T23:12:00.000Z

Now that the first semester is over, I look back upon the 3 assignments that are now completed and handed in and smile with pride. It has, by no means, been an easy ride; however, I never expected my return to education to be anything other than a challenge.

A2 – That’s the Plan!
The commencement of the first assignment saw the introduction to my first formal web plan. Whilst I have created a handful of websites in the past, the process in which I undertook during the design and creation has been completely different.

I have found it very interesting to see how we are supposed to approach design tasks such as this.

As can be expected, the referral of this assignment came as a complete shock. The marking scheme was like nothing I had ever seen before and posed quite an obstacle between a pass and me.

However, following the comprehensive feedback from Steve [the course leader], I was soon back on track. The alterations were minimal and seemingly painless; before I knew it, the resubmission was in and the other assignments were well on their way.

As ever, there is much room for improvement with the A2 resubmission; the thing to remember is that we are students and that the educational journey we are on is exactly that.

A3 – Back to Basics / A4 – Image Rights

With A2 now a distant memory, it was time to concentrate my efforts into the two active assignments, the very similar A3 and the much more creative A4. Advancements in my experience and design techniques give the dual running assignments much more of a professional feel than A2.

My creativity and ability to work under pressure has been explored in quite some depth during the last few months with timed assignments and imaginative web banners.

With every day that has passed since I started the course in September, my desire to be a designer has increased significantly. I consider myself to be a well-motivated individual who has a passion to succeed.

Whist I aim for perfection, there is still much room for improvement; in particular with my time management, or at least the planning / recording of it.

I feel that the quality of my work has and will continue to improve significantly as I progress through the course.

Targets

Short Term [Semester 2]
Improvement of my time management skills during this next semester is going to be essential. Over the Christmas period, I am going to become very familiar with the upcoming assignments, featured on the HND Interactive Media Website.

Additionally, during the upcoming semester, I am looking to ‘raise my game’ and achieve at least a merit in the next assignments.

My design and creativity skills will naturally progress over the next semester; I am willing to put in as much work as is required to further this.

Mid-Term [End of the course]
By the end of the course, I foresee myself being in a very employable position. This is based upon the position that many of the second years and previous students now find themselves.

Before the completion of the course, I predict that I will have completed some ‘outside’ work either as an individual or as part of a small team from the class.

Long-Term [Employment]
I think that everyone is of very similar disposition in that freelance / self employment is the ideal with regards employment; however, being much more realistic, I think that working for a company may be a much more practical approach as much experience is to be obtained by those who have walked the path before you.

In closing, “Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life.” – Unknown Source.

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Word Count: 645

Happy Holidays...

2007-12-11T21:59:00.000Z

Following the advice of a wise man, I have altered my approach and rolls in many things since I started this course; much to my benifit.

In spite of the turbulent times I have experienced during the first few months of the course, both personally and academically, I honestly feel as though everything is beginning to make sense.

If everyone is being honest with themselves, I do not think that there is anyone who hasn't at some point questioned their position on the course; this is only furthered by the people who have left. However, four and a half months in and I really feel as though I belong.

As I reminisce about my first [and only] week off work since starting this course, I look back upon a very productive week; however, there much work to be done and every second counts.

Steve has very kindly given the class the opportunity of working from home on Monday the 17th of December [the day before the submission of A3 and A4]; an opportunity that I do not intend to miss [for clarity I will be working from home on the 17th].

During Monday [in particular the afternoon] the atmosphere in the class, for some, was surprisingly relaxed considering the impending submission[s] in a weeks time. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it shows that students have been making good use of their time planning and are either in front or on schedule.

I am now looking forward to the actual build of the A3 - Back to basics assignment in the New Year; the work that has gone into the A3 project, it would be a great shame not to see the site created and uploaded.

--
Quote of the week

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."- Derek Bok (1930-), Harvard University President

Image Restoration

2007-12-07T18:06:00.001Z

Before

After

Feedback please everyone... [be nice :-) ]

Thank you in advance

The Sky's the Limit

2007-12-04T16:15:00.000Z

Hi there everyone,

This is the first of my two banners. I would like to thank everyone who has commented on the banner so far.

However, as this is an evidence based course, I would be very grateful if you could post additional feedback here.

All feedback greatly appreciated.

[19.8k]

P.S.
Once I have a good enough draft of the other banner, I will
upload that one for feedback also.

Introduction

This week has been a very productive one. Aside from the many self-study hours fuelling my attempt to regain the time lost during my referral work, I feel that the ‘college time’ part of this week has gone really well.

Monday

The resubmission feedback was delivered well. It showed us how simple errors can [and do] have a very large impact on our grades. I personally know that the feedback time on Monday has already had an influence on the direction of both the A3 and A4 assignments.

The remainder of Monday was spent working on the content of A3. I feel that for this particular section of the task, it worked well that this was done in class as many of the students were sharing references; strengthening both the groups bond and giving clarity to areas of the assignment.

Tuesday

With the ‘heads up’ before we left on Monday night regarding coloured pencils, we knew we were in for a bit of ‘studio time’ come Tuesday morning.

Sure enough we were welcomed with an other timed challenge [bring it on :-) ]. Today’s challenge was directly related to a one of the sections in A4; the planning and production of two static banner adverts which conform to IAB [Internet Advertising Bureau] standards [26.4].

Not such a problem? We have done this kind of thing before [with the business cards]. Think again. Although this task was similar in that, we had a strict time restriction and a limited amount of canvas in which to produce our designs.

However, working on 5 different images we had to create 2 different sized [sizes were given] static banners to be used on the web. With the motivational encouragement of Steve, we managed to produce 40 rough sketched banners within a very short period. How short? At one point we had to create 4 banner ideas within 1 minute! I was amazed how much can be done in such a short period with the correct coaching.

My sketchbook is beginning to look more like how I would have imagined a designers sketchbook to look! :-)

I do feel however, that this kind of pressure based production would be somewhat difficult to reproduce at home / without the encouragement of someone else.

Although my design skills are not fantastic [and my drawing skills are even worse], I am overall very pleased with the results [see above for an example].

From looking around the class, it was apparent that the majority of the group really enjoyed the task and as a result produced some good quality work.

The support [as mentioned in previous entries] was as apparent as ever again today. Many people took full advantage of other people opinions and altered their designs accordingly.

This week is set to be my most productive yet. Motivation and self esteem is high and for the first time since I started this course I HAVE A WEEK OFF WORK!

I will [as I am sure many others will] be posting my draft banner ideas on DasForum so please please please if you are not already an active member, sign up, log on and lets get some creative feedback and support given to each other.

Great work everyone

--

Thank you

Shaun Bellis

Quote of the week
“Know your limits, but never accept them.” – unknown source

Action Time

2007-11-27T21:33:00.000Z

The referral work has now been resubmitted and I am feeling quietly confident this time around. The work I have done for A2 has already played a vital part in the development of the second web plan [A3].

Even though my referral work was started on the night that my official feedback was given, I still found myself coffee fuelled and still [only just] awake and working at 4:30am of the morning of re-submission [today]. This is just another late night amongst many recently.

This week has seen a very important lecture surrounding P.A.R.C. [Proximity Alignment Repetition and Contrast] possibly the most important acronym that we will encounter this year; the explanations of which are common sense when you think about it; however, sometimes it takes someone to point it out to you before you implement for the first time.

In addition to the above, we have also had our long awaited presentation feedback. I am very pleased with mine, apart from the occasional time, my stutter did not show through and my presentation [according to all the ticks on the review form] was a success.

We ended the 'in college' week with a progression of our image restoration. After realising that I had set my image to CMYK [Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black] instead of RGB [Red Green and Blue] the restoration process became much easier.

My 'self study' time this week is going to be once again very busy. Being as I am, after reading my assignments over again I feel that there is room for improvement and I fully intend to make full use of the remaining time before submission.

If I am being honest, I am really nervous about getting the result back for the A2 assignment a failure would be devastating for me at this time. Fingers Crossed

However, looking forward, I will concentrate my efforts on the assignments in hand.

We have had our first attempt at a timed project, a business card design. We had 15 minutes design times and 15 publication time; I must admit i thoroughly enjoyed the two tasks.

Although, this is more like the reality of working as a designer [tight time scales] I saw this more as a personal challenge over anything else. Even though the designs I produced still leave a lot to be desired, overall I am very happy with the results. I look forward to more tasks like this in the future.

--
Quote of the week

"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind." - Source Unknown

Skin Deep

2007-11-23T21:59:00.000Z

Hi Everyone,

As you are aware us first years are faced with the image restoration project. An obstacle we are all going to have to face is going to be the digital reference for a natural skin tone.

If anyone has any useful links, ideas and / or examples they would like to share can do so here.

Here is a useful link I have found. [I am also going to post a discussion on DasForum]

Let me know what you think...
:D

Practical Magic

2007-11-20T16:34:00.001Z

Good Points

Once again the practical aspects of this course are beginning to shine through. With this weeks introduction to the third part of the A4 assignment, the image restoration project, my enthusiasm for the course has increased.

Although I have undergone image manipulation in the past, I have never tried to restore a photograph which has been this badly disfigured. Whilst this kind of restoration work isn't exactly ground breaking, the level of personal satisfaction so far is high.

Whilst the lectures are a necessity to our progression to the course, the practical side of things always appears to encapsulate the attention of the class on a much higher level.

Although I wasn't present for the lecture on Monday on the colour wheel, the notes which I borrowed from James Bell proved to be quite comprehensive (thanks James). The colour wheel is something that I had heard of but never really understood until now.

It is now apparent that with each week that passes that the intricacies of the course are unveiled.

I am looking forward to the next two weeks, not only because of the practical work we are currently undergoing but also because of the resubmission of A2. This might sound strange at first, however, I feel that I have a much clearer understanding of what is required to the right side of the marking scheme.

Fingers crossed :-)

Not So Good Points

The exclusion from this Mondays lecture was disappointing. Remaining ever positive, I am sure that this will be the last time that is happens; things like this are not intended as punishment, but as a wake up call.

Aside from the missed lecture, the only real 'not so good point' would have to be the late nights involved in bringing my referral work up to scratch and for the progression of the A3 and A4 assignments. I am sure that they will pay off quite shortly though and I will be back on form.

Targets

Maintain strong standards with regards time sheets; this includes the comments.
Continue with referral correction work.
Further progress the A3 and A4 assignments.
Read through this weeks lecture notes.

--
Quote of the week
“I said there was but one solitary thing about the past worth remembering and that was the fact that it is past - and can't be restored” (unless its a photograph!) - Mark Twain

Seminar Groups and Pre-submission dates

2007-11-20T02:03:00.000Z

Ok so no one likes the pre-submission reviews often incurred during seminar groups; however, although the cause of much frustration for myself and my colleagues, I feel that they are a very necessary part of the course; particularly for my circumstances as without these pre-submission dates, I feel that for many people (myself including) the majority of the project work will be carried out in the latter weeks of the project and the quality would suffer as a result.

The toll of having now THREE assignments to complete, I feel, is now catching up on me. The referral work is taking up much more time that I had originally allowed for it. However, because I started this work early, I now have into the second week for corrections.

I can't work out yet if this is because of the referral in the first instance, (and the associated pressures and fears of failure of the first assignment spilling into the present) or the will to succeed that is driving me on? One of my largest fears is “Am I going to be good enough to make the grade for after Christmas.

Who know's... All I can say is that I do worry !!

Quote of the week…

“Progress comes from the intelligent use of experience.” - Elbert Hubbard

Compression followed by relief...

2007-11-13T17:30:00.000Z

I have really enjoyed this week.

I have had the feedback for the referred submission and to be honest it wasn't as painful as I first thought. It appears that the majority of the issues were a miss understanding on my part of EXACTLY how something was to be done.

I feel really quite positive about the feedback I have received and feel that it will give me better direction for the future.

The more practical aspect to the course is beginning to come out now and I'm feeling really into it.

The lecture on image compression today made me feel right at home. File formatting, coding and optimisation are more suited to my academic background than anything we have done so far.

I know it sounds geeky but even entering the data from the image compression tests into Excel I felt right at home.

Following Monday's class, I feel that I now have a greater understanding of the time sheets. The lecture really put time planning and the time sheets in a format I clicked with. The only real challenge now will be to keep up the positive steps by ensuring that the production schedule and time sheets are adhered to.

The seminar groups have also gone well this week. Although much shorter than hour of last week (due to assignment feedback), proved very useful. The pointers for our assignments during these sessions could make all the difference.

All this with JB's 'monkey' business, this week really has been great.

This weeks targets;

Make headway with the referral work for personal review next week.
Refinements to be made to the A4, ‘Are we designers are we artists or are we both’ essay.
Complete Image compression essay.
Complete delivery requirements.
Complete competitive analysis – two sites.

I hope that next week will be as productive as this one.

--
Quote of the Week
“Knowledge becomes wisdom only after it has been put to practical use” - unknown source

Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.

2007-11-05T17:03:00.002Z

Overview...

This week has been, so far, an emotional rollercoaster. Over the space of two days I have experianced anxiety, relief, pressure, reassurance and consolation.

First thing (almost) on Monday morning we had a well recieved and very open discussion about the previous term. I feel as though this really cleared the air and fetched everyone closer still.

Presentation...

Although perhaps I didn't let it show, I was a bag of nerves all morning. Will the presentation files work? Will I remember what I want to say? Will the nerves get to me?

Thankfully, in my opinion the presentation went well and almost exactly to plan. The only real concern was the fact that I went 3 minutes over. Perhaps a result of trying too hard not to rush? I am not sure.

Following the presentation and open floor discussion, I felt that my personal confidence and self-esteem was at an all time high.

The results...

The results are in not only for our first submission but also for the 'blogtastic' student of this half term and also with regards the email responses.

Being the opinionated individual that I am, I managed to post the most comments on peoples journal's with the total weighing in at 52 (20 more than the minimum required).

In addition to this I managed to come second with the email responses. However, whilst I have done well in some areas, it is evident that I have lapsed in others.

When I heard the words, "Sorry, but you have referred", as prepared for it as I thought I was I was destroyed.

I think that my body language gave me away to the other members of the group; and I apologise to everyone for reacting in such a negative way.

The Support…

Thank you everyone for the support. As I mentioned before my body language and sudden change in attitude was evident to all.

So much so that I was asked to ‘pop next door’ for one on one support. I honestly believe that I couldn’t have gotten through yesterday with the assistance that Steve gave me. Steve was open, honest, supportive and very easy to talk to. Not only did he help me with to deal with the news I had just received but also give me advice on many other aspects of my life at the moment, which may have had a bearing on my performance.

Thank you Steve.

However, the support did not end there. Upon returning to the class I was presented with the message below as a draft on my blogger account that I had left open whist I was next door.

"I need to cheer up and smile.. I know it's a bit of a set-back, but I definitely need to look at the positives and get past; then pass on the referral time! I need to not let it get to me and effect me too much, the group hates it when I'm unhappy as I am such an integral part of the group, and looked to for advice (being the granddad of the group) as people look on me as a kind of leader.. and have the generous nature to give people help and actually care.. & the group care about me

I should :]"

This coupled with overwhelming support from the rest of the class has put me right back on track. I couldn't have done it without you all.

Seminar Groups...

Welcome Andy and Greg. We have had our first seminar discussion this afternoon and I feel that it went great.

Just as I imagined we are all getting on very well.

I really enjoyed the lectu… no… discussion this morning surrounding “Are we designers or are we artists?”

This kind of activity is definitely more like the kind of things I enjoy. Andy and I, in the absence of Gary (the art connection) Benn, were intentionally tying to be controversial in the things we were saying and challenging responses where possible to fuel the fire of discussion. This again, I feel worked well.

Although an emotional one, I really have got a lot out of this week. It has been a lot to take in all at once but even still an productive one.

--
Quote of the week

“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” - Colin Powell

Working from home

2007-10-30T15:17:00.001Z

Reading week journal entry...

Tasks

Prepare a five minute long presentation to satisfy Learning outcome 4.4 (Ideas Generation) surrounding the different cultural perceptions and interpretations of the colour 'Orange'.
Composition and publication of this week’s online learning journal.
Secure personal hosting complete with professional, suitable domain name.
Ensure that I have posted comments on at least 32 other peoples journal entries since the beginning of the course.
Read and implement the communications guidelines to be posted by Steve Smith in this journal.
Read and annotate the next two assignments ready for next week.

Good Things

I have really enjoyed working at home. I feel as though with a little more self-discipline, my place of residence would provide me with a very productive working environment.

Though out my research into the psychological affects and cultural perceptions of colour (not just the colour I have been assigned), it has really opened my eyes to the fact that society plays a large part in how we interpret things.

It is now my understanding that the colours companies use in their corporate identity give off similar subconscious messages to body language.

I feel that people and companies should be very aware of the colours they use.

Having already had my own hosting and domain name has slightly relieved the pressures off this week.

Bad Things

Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed this weeks tasks, I have found that it is quite easy to become distracted at whilst working from home. I have been fortunate that for the majority of it I have had the house to myself.

In closing

I am happy that we are going to get our first presentation out of the way as I believe that we all need the practice; the first is the worst.

I am pleased with the level of productivity produced by myself when working from home.

I feel that the group is beginning now to really bond. Almost everyone made a real effort to ensure that we were all in communication through today and yesterday and that people knew what they were supposed to do.

Well done to everyone who managed to do everything they were asked.

---
Quote of the week...
“People can have the Model T in any color - so long as it's black” - Henry Ford

A much welcomed break

2007-10-23T15:08:00.000+01:00

Two days into the half term break and I am feeling much more relaxed. Now fully recovered from my life threatening episode of 'Man Flu', I can appreciate the small break we have.

I am a little anxious for the 'reading week' task we have been promised. The uncertainty of what its going to be has left me a little uneasy, perhaps tainting the break a little.

I am hoping that everyone is going to remember to do their half term blogs; mainly because I do no think that everyone should be punished for the minorities mistakes, even though this seems to be what has being happening.

I am however looking forward to getting my grade and feedback, regardless of the result. From talking to many of the first and second years I can now see that even a referral could still be conserved as a positive (however not desirable) result.

Only time will tell.

--
Quote of the week

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time” - John Lubbock

A weight off my shoulders...

2007-10-16T13:38:00.000+01:00

Now that the assignment is in I must admit, I feel much better in the knowledge that there is now nothing else I can do to it.

The pressure, that I didn’t think was there has suddenly gone. Replacing it is the excitement and apprehension of things to come.

I am undoubtedly worried about the grade I will receive for my work, but the ignorance of not knowing is filling me with the optimism of at least a pass.

As daft as it sounds, handing my work over to the receptionist (particularly my sketchbook) I felt almost like a parent leaving their child at school for the very first time.

It’s strange the attachment that has grown between me and the book that at first I had little understanding and respect for.

The presentation on… well, presentations, I found, was very useful. Little tips like, keep you hands out of your pockets, maintain eye contact and a strong voice makes me feel as though I have been told some kind of inside secret.

Although during school I did suffer badly with a stutter, I have since developed a technique of almost improvisation acting.

By taking on the role of a confident, outspoken person, I find it easier to deal with situations like presentations and such.

Having not done many presentations I am again a little apprehensive but as Steve said, it is perfectly normal to feel like this.

Being truthful, I am looking forward to doing the presentations, particularly if they are group to class presentations; this would in my opinion be a good way to ‘break us into it’.

I am pleased that we now have half term to clear our heads before the next project; this should give us an opportunity to hit the ground running.

In addition, I am looking forward to working with Andy and Greg in our new seminar group. I am sure that we each have different skills to bring to the table which would should be interesting.

--
Quote of the week
“The way to learn to do things is to do things. The way to learn a trade is to work at it. Success teaches how to succeed. Begin with the determination to succeed, and the work is half done already.” - Source unknown

A2 - Evaluation

2007-10-16T01:07:00.001+01:00

Evaluation

Good points

I have now successfully completed my very first web plan. The creation of the web plan has given me an understanding of the importance of planning and strong time management.

I have a real sense of achievement as the transition from full time employment to student who has a job has been quite difficult for me.

Through out the duration of the project, I have felt more and more like I belong. Although the course is still in its infancy, I feel as though my planning and design skill have improved four fold.

The realisation that I am not as good a the preconception I had of myself before I begun is not necessarily a bad thing as I now have a clearer idea of where I am and where I am going.

The introduction to software such as PageMaker and Photoshop (I had previously used Fireworks for all image editing) in both class and self study has proven invaluable; however I do feel like InDesign would be more suited to my requirements from now on.

I am now reading more books, which can only be a good thing. The book I have most enjoyed has to be ‘Don’t make me think’ by Steve Krug; a web usability guide.

I now feel much more confident presenting my work and emotions online (in this instance

The two major presentations we’ve had have proven invaluable. The levels of motivation following were at an all time high. To know that the now second years were going through exactly what we did was of great reassurance.

The visit from The Design Mechanics again provided much enthusiasm; I think that this is mainly due to the fact that some of us could potentially be employed by David in the not too distant future and it was inspiring to know that two students from this very course have entered the design world and are working doing what they enjoy.

Bad points

As I mentioned before the transition back into to a student as been a difficult one for me. The has, at times been the source of much frustration to me as I am used to having much shorter deadlines involving multiple projects at once.

One area which has largely let me down has been my time management skills. The weekly time sheets and production schedule (in this form) are very foreign to me and have taken an amount of adaptation of my working habits to get them to work for me.

During the project I had a personal problem which basically cost me a weeks worth of actual production time and has been the source of much bewilderment and emotional discomfort to me.

Whilst I do not feel that the week away from the project hindered its development, I do feel that my state of mind has been altered.

Key things I have learned

How to create a web plan
CSS is not just used for text formatting but also for layouts, etc
The importance of documenting all my work
Introduction to new, industry based software applications
Resources extend further than the internet
Do not trust everything that you read – always get a second opinion
My design skills are not a good as I will be

Things to avoid next time

Start the intensive time management from the beginning of a project and stick to it, as this was of much help once it had ‘clicked’ into place for me.
There has been a few needless ‘run-ins’ with the tutor. Simply doing what is asked of us, first time, could have easily avoided these issues.
Ensure that work is completed as early as possible and that there is plenty of ‘padding’ in the time planning to accommodate for any unexpected circumstances; such as what happened to me this time around.

Targets for the future

Improve time management skills
Improve design skills
Make the transition from PageMaker to InDesign
Continue improvements in software knowledge / expertise

Conclusion

To say that this project has, in my opinion, gone well in spite of the person problems and adjustment issues wouldn’t be quite right; I feel that because of these difficulties I have had to work a little harder to achieve the same result. However, I now feel in a stronger position to approach the other projects in the future.

On the whole I have enjoyed the project. I have learned a lot in the few weeks I have been on the course and met some very talented and supportive people along the way, whom without this course I may never had the privilege to meet.

Quote of the Week
“Uncertainty and mystery are energies of life. Don't let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at bay and spark creativity.” - R. I. Fitzhenry quotes

2007-10-09T16:36:00.000+01:00

Now that possibly the worst week of my life is now behind me, its time to crack on with the job in hand.

The pre-submission submission date has worked well. The combination of been a bit behind (mainly due to last week) and the was then impending deadline had a very positive affect on my motivation and productivity.

I am half way through reading 'Don't Make Me Think' by Steve Krug. I truly recommend this book to anyone. The best way I can describe the book is that its like taking a really cold shower first thing on a morning, it distinctively awakens you and opens your eyes.

One of my favourite parts is where Krug states that users tend to treat websites as billboards rather than as the intricate masterpieces that we all like to believe we create. Its not so much the realisation that this is the case that sticks in my mind but Krugs reaction to this. He states that we have to make great billboards.

This furthers my belief that in life you have to do the very best you can with the cards you are dealt.

Motivational Quote of the Week
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve." - Dr. Napoleon Hill

Screen Design

2007-10-09T09:16:00.001+01:00

Hey everyone,

This is my finial screen design for the A2 That's the Plan! What do you all think?

The resolution is low and so doesn't really do the banner any justice but you get the general idea.

--
Thanks

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies

2007-10-07T17:34:00.000+01:00

For the last 23 and a bit years, I lived with my parents and my younger brother. However, this week my entire world has been turned upside down.

I have never felt so unwanted and rejected in my entire life. From what was a home is now no more than bricks and mortar.

I wont go into exactly what happened, however, what I will say is that it has to be the hardest weeks of my life, resulting in me moving from my parents house in with my fiancée and her family.

The entirety of this week has been spent unpacking my belongings, spending money that I could really do with hanging on to on desks, beds and other such furniture and generally feeling so pathetically sorry for my self and wondering what the hell has happened.

I am extremely lucky that Beth's family was so understanding and has permitted me to live here with her until we are able to get some where of our own.

How does all this relate to the course? Well besides basically loosing a week of my project time, it has given me additional external pressures both emotionally and financially.

Being the person that I am, I like to think that I am strong enough to get through this. Everyone has been very supportive throughout all of this and for that I thank you all. Trying to remain positive, it is a new start and a challenge for me to adapt to.

Quote of the week
If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. - Mary Engelbreit

A Much Valued Experiance

2007-09-26T23:03:00.000+01:00

The Design Mechanics (such as great name)

Big thanks to all who attended today's presentation, this includes the students as well as the three representatives from The Design Mechanics and of course Steve and John.

The Design Mechanics were very informative and I found the experience to be invaluable. The presentation consisted of very good questions leading to equally good responses.

It was a reassuring to see both the company owner (Dave) and the former student (Oliver and Gemma). This ensured that the presentation had a good balance.

The question and answer section, I feel was the most revealing. During this Dave gave an insight into the qualities that he, as an employer, would look for in perspective new employees; the frustrations of working with real clients and some of the common pit falls.

Gemma and Oliver appeared very happy and confident in what they do, and that is reassuring.

As I expected, once the presentation was over and I was driving home, a whole multitude of additional questions were running through my mind; such is my personality.

In conclusion, The Design Mechanics seam very good at what they do, however, I am not sure that the 'stack em high, sell em cheap' approach is the right career path for me - but you have to go where the work is at the end of the day.

----------------------

I’m not sure if its me. I’m not sure if it’s the environment. I’m not really sure what it is but with each week… no with each day that passes I am feeling more and more like a designer. My attitudes and whole method of thinking has been turned on its head.

I am now looking at advertising / promotional material and thinking… “…well that’s good… but it’s not how I would have done it”.

With the introduction this week of ‘Page Maker’ it reiterates the fact that I do not know everything. Far from it in fact.

Inspirational Quote of the week...
“Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” - Mark Victor Hansen

For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned...

2007-09-18T15:07:00.002+01:00

Wow... another week over. The realisation of how fast the last three weeks have gone is now upon me and as the ever more pressing submission date is closing in, I can only see the situation amplifying. The importance of strong time management is ever more evident. I am pleased however, with the level of work I have done so far and feel on schedule. Following my second ever seminar group, I have realised that I have adopted a slightly different direction with my work to what is required of me; however, as quickly as the realisation was upon me, ideas for alteration and improvement and redirection were brewing.

The low point for me this week is realising that I have taken a slight miss-direction with the approach to my work; however, remaining ever positive, I see this as a learning curve and take it on the chin.

The highlight of this week for me was the purchase of a football for use at dinner time. Not course related I hear you say; however, I have found that after the physical exhaustion of playing football in the afternoon, everyone has worked out their 'wiggles and fidgets' and seam to get on with their work really well upon the return from lunch. Partly due to this interaction, the group as a whole, both socially and professionally, I feel is beginning to grow together; this can only be a good thing.

Its seams that I am now finding inspiration from just about everywhere, taking into consideration both attractive, well constructed design work and web site structures, and equally poor work for things to follow and as important, things to avoid.

The Google based 'Web Developer Toolbar' is proving ever more useful with every day that passes for assessing both your own and other people work. It is interesting to see just how many large websites do not comply to the relevant web standards.

In conclusion, (pardon the cliché), "Work Hard - Play Hard". The balance of the two will make for a very health and productive working environment.

Inspirational Quote of the week...
“Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't
own it, but you can use it. You can't keep
it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it
you can never get it back.” - Harvey MacKay

Week two

2007-09-11T17:13:00.001+01:00

What Happened?

This week we have been given our first assignment, ahhh!! This is the first piece of formal work I have been assigned in 5 years, so as you can imagine the apprehensions running through my mind, ‘Do I still have what it takes to produce course work to a high standard?’, ‘Can I amend my attitudes and approach to suit the requirements of the course?’.

The first sign’s, although still only early days, are pointing towards ‘Yes I can’. The class as a whole are very supportive with good, positive attitudes towards the work and each other.

Following my first ever seminar group session, which I enjoyed, my motivation and self confidence is high. Steve kindly showed the group last years sketchbooks, which I feel lifted the air of tension and uncertainty surrounding them. I found it reassuring to see, as with the presentations done by the second years, that we are not alone in the emotions and fears that we have and that progression is made quite early on.

My only piece of creative criticism surrounding the seminar groups is that they are in my opinion too short. I do however, feel that as we progress this will not be so much of an issue.

The timesheets / production schedules are a totally new concept to me. In my working life I have been used to been given a ‘pile’ of work and told to get on with it; which of course is the wrong approach. On reflection, the time sheets and production schedules will certainly form a large part of ensuring that each section of the assignment gets the time is deserves and consequently be a huge help to me.

Worst Part

The worst part for me has to be the realisation that I am not as good at planning my time as I first thought; however, this is not just a negative as it has given me a benchmark in which to improve. People say that ‘practice makes perfect’; this however it not necessary the case, ‘perfect practice makes perfect’, to which I have a way to go.

Best Part

The best part for me I feel was the seminar groups. Although they could have done with been longer, I feel that the one on three worked well. It gave me enough time away from the class in a more, personal and individual environment but without the ‘interview’ / ‘on the spot’ feel of one on one. After seeing the previous year’s sketchbooks, it has given me direction and the feeling that I can expect to see personal development quite early on.

Key learning / development points

· Seminar Groups – my first.

· The importance and practical uses of the sketchbooks.

· The importance and practical uses of the bl.. I mean, online learning journal ;-)

· Research from only one source is not definitive.

On the whole this has been a very productive week for me and I am happy with the outcome. I hope that during the next few weeks my personal and professional progression continues.

From the beginning...

2007-09-06T20:34:00.000+01:00

Where do I begin?

Very good Steve. Ok so the beginning, I was in McDonalds getting a quarter pounder meal with cola when one of my friends, Steve, ran inside shouting "someone has crashed into your Saxo!!". Thinking that Steve was messing around, as he does, I went outside only to find that someone had reversed into the rear quarter panel of the car that I had spent 18 months and £6,000 on, (not including the £3,000 to buy the car). The Saxo VTR in deep blue was my, at the time, most valued possession.

After a month or two arguing with the insurance, I decided that I would never build a car like it again and decided to sell the 17" alloy wheels, the custom made straight through, dual exit exhausts, the PlayStation and custom made, one off fiberglassed 7" widescreen tft monitor in the dash, the CD changer and very expensive head unit and so on...

The problem I had then was that I needed a car, I had a limited amount of time before the insurance company wanted the 1.2 16v Clio Extreme (an overstatement to say the least) back. As I was driving to my fiancées house I noticed a Suzuki Vitara, Wide Boy (huge 255 x 55 x 16 tyres and body kit to match), convertible, and it was only £1,400!! I had to have it!!

Cash in hand I bought the car. Shortly there after I had my first day driving to work in the very slow, noisy and uncomfortable Vitara... I loved every second of it!! Once I had gotten to work and parked up, some of the lads from the factory (I worked in the office) approached me saying that they also had 4x4's, many of which were purpose built (lift kits, winches and so on). The lads asked me if I wanted to go 'cogging' with them; which I later found out meant off roading, I still to this day do not know why it means that.

After my first time off the tarmac and into the dirt, I was hooked!! So much so that I decided to have my first ever go at making a website showing the great times that me and my friends were having. Camera in hand I set about taking picture of the cars in very risky situations, I quickly got myself the tag of the photographer. The images were plentiful and the design of the site was well on its way, but what to call the club? Names such as "zuki-boys" and "fuddy-muckers" were on the tongues of some of the members. Then seemingly from no where my now fiancée, who is now in the final year of her teacher training degree as an 'Early Years Specialist', whom I am very proud of, came up with the name 'Sludgepuppies'. BRILLIANT !! All the members agreed instantly that this was the way to go. Later that night I went home and purchased from 123-reg.co.uk my very first hosting and a domain name 'www.sludgepuppies.co.uk'.

Pleased as the proverbial punch and with the enthusiasm of a child after eating a whole pack of blue smarties I was away. What started as a 'I think I'll give that a go' ended up in all the cars brandishing the sludgepuppies.co.uk website and external companies approaching me with special offers for the club and the promise of banner exchanges and advertising deals.

Once I realised that I can use the same hosting to erm well, host more than one site I then purchased www.shaunbellis.co.uk. Then I was away, following that came a very basic site for www.adcustoms.co.uk which was a none paid site for a friend who did mobile mechanicing / car modification. The site never really amounted to much as we were too busy in the pub to worry about anything like that.

Things then got a little bit more serious when I was approached to do www.homefarmcrafts.com (currently located at www.sludgepuppies.co.uk/hfc). This was my first serious 'outside' work. After starting this site, I decided that this was something that I really wanted to do for a living and the only way I was going to be taken seriously was to get some serious qualifications and guidance.

After some time going over what each course had to offer me, taking into consideration things such as pass rates and location, I decided upon Wakefield college under the tuition of Steve Smith. Very early on after making contact with Steve I had a new found respect for him not only as a tutor but as someone to look to for advice and guidance.

After some deliberation with my current employer and direct manager (whom I consider a close personal friend) and my fiancée and family, it was decided that my best course of action would be to pursue my career as a web designer / developer by means of the HND in Interactive Media with the option of furthering that to a degree.

Before I knew it, it was my first day as a student again after 5 year (since I completed my 'A' Levels). It felt like it was my first day in 'big school'. The nerves were intense and I was shaking like a Christmas tree coming up to December. To make matters worse, when I entered the classroom of what I can only describe as being full of people of the same age my younger brother, I felt like I was the tutor been quick obviously the eldest member of the class. The chairs were arranged in a circle, never really a good thing for a first day as for anyone who has been in that position before, you just know its going to be some kind of awkward ice breaker in which you attempt to learn other peoples names and for them to learn yours. However, it really wasn’t that bad. My new classmates proved to be very friendly and supportive, I no longer felt like the guy dressed in blue in the middle of a Barnsley home match crowd.

Within no time at all Steve had us in seemingly (to the untrained eye) random groups enabling us to work with every member of the class, very subtly breaking the ice will all members of the group.

Seamlessly I am no longer the odd one out and am now one of the group, having dinner with the lads and so on.

More to come... watch this space !!

Image Post

2006-11-14T09:14:00.000Z