Recently, I was fumbling through the net, curious about patio furniture design. I do not have a large enough space to put more than two chairs and a table; so I wondered what unique sets I could find. Patio furniture has definitely come a long way. There have always been similar concepts, of course, table, chairs and so on; but the way the pieces are formed can be much different.

There are so many resources that can be used to make patio furniture. I always wondered what triggered in a designer’s brain to show them where to go next. Many things can be required of patio furniture, so it is a good thing that there are many designers to meet the needs of different people.

Some people prefer metal furnishings, while others may prefer wood, plastic or wicker. Each to their own. Metals can be found in forms from the extremely detailed to the simple modern styles. The more floral styles are “old-fashioned” and the detail that is put into them is exquisite. Wood patio furniture was simple slats of wood with some details and maybe some curves, depending on how much one could afford. These are still very common, as they still have beauty, but some prefer the more modern look. Today, workers have access to tools that can bend and twist wood to form interesting works of functional art. There are also more advanced tools for working with metal, but it seems that the modern look is more sleek and less detailed.

There are many more options to choose from, so I will continue my search for the right piece. Decisions, decisions.

So now the time has come to submit my final post this term. It is a sad time, for the time has passed all too quickly. On the bright side the holidays are near and we will be able to mingle with our families and our friends! Turkey and presents are just bonuses in my book, but great bonuses at that! Just when I was on the threshold of losing my mind, I began to understand more about CSS and interface design and operations. Unfortunately, we only have two more classes, which does not seem to be enough. I have to give credit where it is needed, although this term has been rough, we got through it and get to continue on to the next level; next term! I feel like I have learned quite a bit from our interface class from starting out with no knowledge beforehand. Being able to create my own blog design and then applying it online to have a bit of functionality was inspiring. I now believe that it will get easier, it will be better!

Re-designing a web interface for someone has been harder than I thought it would be. For Kids Kottage; a non-profit organization that helps families in need, their main focus was never really on their website. It was quickly posted up without a designer to back them up. Although the interface needed work, I did not think it would be this difficult to make some small changes. I wanted to keep the structure of their site in tact while changing the navigation and colour schemes as well as their hierarchies and type choices. Over-all it probably sounds like I wanted to change everything, but this is not so. I think that they have potential for improvement, and by allowing the class to come up with our designs for their site, it has opened up the opportunity for them. Once we have finished our designs we have to transfer the files to dreamweaver and then change the CSS as we see fit. Although I am very slow and still learning that process, I am getting much closer to understanding it. With practice I should be able to prepare myself for the next stage! I am very excited to move to the next chapter, but I will have to bookmark the stage I am at in order to practice and refer back to it.

I found that the Apple site has a similar navigation system to the one I want to create. The only difference is that I chose to drop my secondary navigation below the primary navigation. The Kids Kottage is a very inspiring non-profit organization that deserves attention from a designer, and I hope that they will appreciate all of our efforts to come up with the perfect design to represent them and their goals.

*Originally posted by Marlene (Bakkelund) December 9, 2009 at 5:56 pm

The next project is under-way and I still have to learn/understand how to properly complete the previous project. Unfortunately for the class, we need to be shown how to do our projects, not just have a pdf and attempt it at home. I value learning new things but I cannot learn if I am not taught. At first I was learning a lot, but then as we progressed through this project I became confused. I do hope that this next project will be more beneficial; however, if we are using what we should have learned from this last project, then I guess I am out of luck.

I am looking forward to continuing onto the next project, but I still want to finish learning how to do this one. Oh well, change is good, right? Maybe if I move on I will be able to understand the new project and it might help me to go back and fix the previous one. I guess I will soon find out!

I stumbled upon a very interesting website today. It is a graphic design and publishing center website. What I found to be interesting was how simple and clean the interface was. Going from page to page was simple and I did not get lost. I read a bit here and there and felt like I needed to read more. The topics were interesting and the site gives upcoming designers a chance to show their stuff. The layout of the page is not cluttered even though there are advertisements showing. I knew exactly where I was in their site at all times because of the tabs and the content within the pages. If you get a chance I would suggest you check it out. There are some great graphic design hints!

I hope, by sifting through this site, I am able to open my mind a bit more and relax. Maybe for the next project I will not be so stressed. Maybe.

*Originally posted by Marlene (Bakkelund) November 25, 2009 at 6:15 pm

Without the right kindling, the fire will not start.

Just last year I was excited for the real world and thought that I knew so much. I never considered that we were missing valuable information. I figured that the instructors should have had enough experience, from their years of teaching, to know what to teach us and how to prepare us for our final year. Apparently I was a little wrong. We are now in our final year and soon have to face the real world and apparently lack the necessary skills. We seemed to be the class to experiment on since we first set foot on the school grounds. In our first year we were told that it was more important to be a good designer rather than know how to use computer programs properly. As each year goes by the curriculum changes behind us. They were testing different courses to see which ones would be more beneficial. Graduates from previous years have helped me see why this seems to be a problem. Those students had completely different course arrangements than we have now. When they were in their final year they knew how to use the computer properly for design and could easily conjure up a logo or two. They were taught the necessary skills for their majors, the ones we seem to be lacking. The illustration students know more computer programs than the digital media students. We were not introduced to dreamweaver until this year, and barely touched on illustrator or photoshop.

As a digital media student, I believe that we should be the class that knows how the programs work and by now should be able to whip up a web page no problem. Because we were never introduced to Dreamweaver we are not up to date for our interface class. We can put together a design for a blog background, but most of us do not know how to make it transfer properly to the web.

The students are not the only ones who have the bad end of the stick. The third year instructors have to pick up the slack from the second year because we were not properly prepared. They have to teach us the basics as fast as possible before even beginning with their teachings. The college should have some responsibility in knowing where we are at for our major. If the instructors were able to communicate with one another, they would know what we know and where they should begin. I don’t think that anyone is at fault ; however, it becomes the students problem if we do not know how to use the programs that are intended for use by our specific majors. I think the students would benefit more if we were introduced to our majors in the second year, not the third.

*Originally posted by Marlene (Bakkelund) November 12, 2009 at 2:26 am

Just last year I never would have thought that I would be able to come up with a fluid interface design. Heck, a year ago I never even knew what an interface was. I had an idea about it, I thought it was the finished product for a website. I did not have it exactly right, but at least I knew it could deal with web sites. Now, here I am today. I have successfully designed an interface for a “template” coffee company; and am moving on to design for myself.

Designing an interface for myself; to portray my identity, seemed like a piece of cake at first. Then, as I worked through the project, doing sketching and brainstorming, I realized I don’t really know how others see me. I see myself as artistic, fun, creative, extremely patient and kind. Though this might be true in my mind I needed to know what others think. I had created a small survey, the one we were told about last week by a guest speaker, asking different people to write down three adjectives that they believed describe me. With success I was able to find some ways to identify myself. There is a lot more to creating and maintaining an identity than I thought. Not only should the interface design choices portray the designer, but so should the way they talk, their image, design style and choices, and just basic choices and decisions made at the office. If one is trying to be a hip and young business, they should not have an old grouchy man or woman taking calls.

Knowing a bit more about myself will help me in creating an identity that will be recognized. There is still much to learn in terms of interface design, and many things that I do not understand. At this moment in time, I still have very little understanding about XHTML. The saying “Practice makes perfect” only applies if one is able to practice. I am hoping that with a little encouragement and advice and understanding, I will be able to improve my skills.

*Originally posted by Marlene (Bakkelund) October 28, 2009 at 6:20 pm

Until now I had never actually realized how complicated designing a website would be. I started the design process with sketches and roughs, just like we were shown from previous instructors. However, I soon came to realize that the process of interface design is much different. Instead of thinking about how the design will look when printed and how the viewer can interact with it, there are some different rules that need to be followed.

Good interface design is much different; for starters, the viewer will see the design on the computer screen instead of being able to hold it and analyze it. Web sites need to do many things that regular design processes don’t touch base on. While both need to catch the viewers attention, a web site must first let the potential customer know where they are. If they do not know what site they are on, or what area of the world a specific site is from, the viewer usually leaves that site in hopes of finding a more efficient one. Therefore one of the most important things to remember is to show where the site is based. For example, if a coffee shop is based in Edmonton there should be something online to indicate its location.

Navigation is extremely important when you want to design an interface. There should always be a home page link that can easily be found. Potential customers who view websites do not find it convenient to guess where to find the information that they are looking for. Therefore, it is important to make sure the navigation very clear. It would also be a good idea to make it clear what page the viewer is on. Buttons and different colors and other hierarchies are good ways for indication. Picking background textures and colors for type, boxes and photos can also play a huge role in the viewers experience. The interface should feel like the subject that is being represented. If it is a coffee site, a good idea is warm colors, coffee textures and making it feel welcoming and comfortable.

Home navigation should be easily found on each page of the site. Also the viewer should be able to tell the difference between each navigation; primary, secondary and tertiary. Scrolling is not so fun for the viewer either. If there is too much information the reader will get bored or possibly go cross-eyed from looking at the computer screen that intently. Simple is a good thing for the most part, but giving too little information could be a poor choice as well.

Although Ford’s website holds a massive amount of information, I think think they designed it fairly well. The only problem I really had with it is that there was no home link other than the Ford logo. This camping website that I was looking at showed a lot of confusing information. Because it was so cluttered with text and images, I had a more difficult time navigating through the site. I will give it five points for having a home page link at the top of each page though.

*Originally posted by Marlene (Bakkelund) October 14, 2009 at 10:52 pm

As new assignments are handed out each day, my expectations for what i will be learning changes. Recently I learned that XHTML (extensible hypertext markup language), which I have never heard of before, is a stripped down language used today by a wide range of devices. Mobile phones, car navigational systems and even vending machines use this technology for easy navigation. Next time I want a package of gum from the vending machine, i’ll probably be thinking about how it works. When you put in your money, it is able to count it perfectly, which I still don’t know how it can do that. Next, you push two consecutive buttons for your selection and amazingly the machine knows exactly what you wanted. Technology and how it works is amazing and is changing every day. There are some basic XHTML elements that we have learned including how to define a list item, define emphasized text and how to define an image. These skills will probably come into play later on during my career, so learning them now is a necessity. Considering that we, as a class, have not touched base on web designing or used any of the elements that would come together to create links, acronyms, headings etc. we are very new to it and will probably get lost along the way at one point or another. If we were introduced to it, even just a bit, then we would have a bit better start and we would be more prepared.

So far my interest level in interface has raised a bit. I believe that once I come to understand what happens behind the site I will be able to be a better interface designer. Having to put together my very first site map and wire frame was very difficult. I am not sure how much detail should be put into each column or how to properly arrange empty boxes to show where pictures and video would be. Colours are important to me, so not being able to use any color threw me off a bit. I think I could have expressed the design of the site a bit better with a touch of colour.

My new expectation for Interface Design is that I will learn how to properly place in elements to do what they are supposed to. My favorite coffee shop knows what they are doing when it comes to interfacing. I like going to check out sites that invite you in through colour and interaction. Well organized and colour that pops can also be inviting because they grab your attention in a good way.

I have come across sites from time to time that seem as though they were put together by amateurs. Luckily this class should show me how to avoid looking like an amateur. Some cafe sites that I have looked at, for our previous assignment, have jumped out at me. This is not because they are pretty, in fact some sites made coffee seem very unappetizing. Sometimes there are digital media sites that seem like they are trying too hard.

I have high hopes that this class will show me proper interface designing techniques to help me with meeting future client’s needs.

*Originally posted by Marlene (Bakkelund) September 30, 2009 at 7:20 pm

Until now I have never tried to set up my own blog, or have ever attempted to keep a journal. I may have accidentally stumbled upon a blog or two, but never was I part of the blogger world.  I was just introduced to the idea of blogging and its importance in the design world. It was a news flash for me; I know that the world is mostly digitally based but I am only just being introduced to the larger scheme of things. Blogs can connect you and fellow designers. From there you can bounce ideas off of one another; and if by chance you need advice or just need updates you can go to your blog and dig. Gathering insights from others will be a great help and should help me to think more outside the box.

Design is a funny thing, especially in a blogging world. There is good design and there is bad design but not many that fall in between. At least, no one will categorize it as such. When it comes to web design, the same categorization comes into play. Either the design is good or bad.

Good blog design vs bad blog design:
It is very difficult to decide on whether a design is good or that it is bad. There may be certain things that grab the viewers attention, and at the same time there could be some things that turn off the viewer’s interest. Using an operation known as SEO, Search engine optimization, (a term we learned last class) is a great way to use the space on your blog wisely. This system will ensure that space is not being wasted and; at the same time, not crowding the page. A CMS, content management system, will also operate for you in the same sort of way. Keeping organized is professional and will put your blog at the advantage.

Key points for a good blog:

• Eye catching colors.
• Organized information, and easy to navigate (columns work well).
• Write about things you are passionate about and write in detail, keep in mind that if it gets too long the reader loses interest and same for single sentences.
• Well organized and referenced photos and links.
• Oh and keeping the blog updated shows the viewers that you really are interested in what you are blogging about.
• Dedication = ‘turn on’ for viewers!

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/
As a medical blog it is well organized and easy to read. There is no clutter and no wasted space, which really caught my attention.

http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/
Although there are a lot of links and many different blog categories, they are organized in a neat manner. The colors are also arranged well and don’t distract the reader.

What to avoid:

• Poor titling and referencing. Photos and descriptions should be kept together for easy viewing.
• Bright, hard-to-read script.
• Brief descriptions that basically send the viewer away as soon as they can.
• Lack of interest in the topic and not having personality.

http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/
For a graphic design site, I do understand that the choice of having color was reasonable. The only problem I have is that when I am reading the colors all over the page are very distracting because they are so bright and vivid. This blog site also feels a little bit cluttered and it looks like they could have taken a bit more time to get a better result.

http://sportsblogs.org/
I felt that this was very busy, and lacked clarity. I had to really focus on separating the different postings and the color choices were not much help. Photos might have helped as well.

*Originally posted by Marlene (Bakkelund) September 16, 2009 at 4:08 pm