OUGD504 END OF MODULE EVALUATION

Throughout this module I have learnt a lot more about printed production and began learning about design for screen. This was the first time I had done a brief related to screen so I was quite sceptical with using the software that was unknown to me. I ended up learning quite quickly how to use Adobe XD and AfterEffects which is great because I'll be able to use the software in other projects. Being able to animate things will be a great use and can be applied in a great variety of medias. Also, learning about more specific production methods and how they effect the general quality of a book was really interesting. I also learnt about how one would go by pricing an independently created book which would be useful in independent publishing specifically. I found this very useful as it is something I am greatly interested in.

Something interesting that I learnt about was how the produce of these two briefs within the module would be applied out of university and in an actual working situation. For instance the different roles related to print and screen. I came to the conclusion that I much prefer print over screen in general for several reasons. I like the satisfaction of having the physical book in my hand at the end of the production and feeling its weight. I also enjoy experimenting with all the different paper stocks and seeing how the ink prints on the pages and the effects they have. I feel like I don't get that sense of completion with the screen. When reviewing a book I like to take into consideration every little detail of it and appreciate how it was made compared to screen where I'll quickly surf through the site without appreciating its design. I feel like this is because a lot of them are way too similar and also I haven't learnt as much about screen in general compared to print. An issue I came up with was that even though I prefer print, would I end up working with screen? This is because it seems that independent publishing is more of a hobby perhaps and screen is way more professional. I feel like this may lead to working with something that I do not enjoy as much as something else.

OUGD504 FINAL OUTCOME GIFS AND ANIMATIONS

Here are a few gifs and animations to accompany my final production, giving it more context outside of a few stills of the site. This first video shows how the user would simply interact with the page upon a first glance and how they would engage with the students work, entering an interview with that individual. The user would simply click on the work they'd want to see more about and then they would be taken to a separate page instantly featuring more images of the work and a feature. Travelling from the main sites page to this one is really simple and quick and only requires one click. This has been tailored to the target audience, keeping in mind they would probably know what they're looking for upon entering the site, they can access the information they want really quickly and efficiently. After the user has reached the end of the feature they will be bought back to where they left off on the main page. 

This short animation demonstrates what would happen when the user hovers the cursor over a certain students work. I wanted to make it as clear as possible what was clickable and what was not. Having the image fade and a rationale appear teases the user to click on that link and continue reading. A roll-over button has also been included, just incase it wasn't incredibly clear already. When inside the feature, the images would not do this obviously stating that these were just complimentary images. 

This animation demonstrates how simple it is to graciously transition from the home screen to the search bar. This is a really important feature within the site as it can direct the user to something a lot more specific to their needs. The search bar can be easily sourced from any page via the header as you can see a small symbol representing a magnifying glass at the top right. 

This feature works very similarly to the previous one. The refining system can be found at the header upon any page once again but this time on the left, separating the search and the refinement system. The user will once again be taken to a system where they can refine their search between course title and institution to find something more specific, for instance students studying fashion at Glasgow. The small symbol for this system has been illustrated as a filter icon universally known on the web for filtering things. 

All of these features have been created with the target audience in mind, creating a simple UI to improve the UX. 

OUGD504 DFS EVALUATION

After completing my design for screen brief, I learnt a great amount about the creative process for all things related to screen. This was the first time I'd completed a brief for screen so it was my first time learning about software such as Adobe XD and AfterEffects. I learnt about how much consideration goes into each element of a website, especially the smaller aspects you wouldn't normally consider consciously. I personally found these small things to be the most important for instance having a scroll bar on the side, roll-over buttons and a refining system within the site all aid the user experience massively. These are all things that maybe the user probably wouldn't even notice because they're so used to these types of sites however, if it was missing they most certainly notice.

I found out that to have a successful design for screen of any form, you need a good UI to compliment the UX. You have to make sure they work perfectly on the even levels like a relationship or a seesaw. These two elements are the most important things to consider when creating a design for screen. I think that I at one point forgot about the user experience and focussed too much on the interface, forgetting who my target audience was and what they would be looking for. During a crit this was pointed out to me and I believe I managed to cater more for the audience after this feedback, evening out my UX and UI.

If I was to do this brief again, I'd take more consideration for the different platforms that the site would be viewed on. I'd probably create another version of the site more suited for mobile screens, for instance phones and ipads. I also feel like next time I could do a little bit more research into my target audience to better suit the site to their convenience.

OUGD504 FINAL DEVELOPMENT

I finally developed my website in response to my final feedback from the crit, completing the site to its full potential. I began by adding the thing which was most requested in the crit which was a refinement system. This would help the user filter what they were looking at to something a little more specific. This has been fine tuned to my target audience as it was made aware to me that I have lost consideration for them. My site is aimed at working professionals mainly who would most likely be visiting the site to find something more specific relating to their practice, instead of scrolling through lots of students work trying to find something they had in mind. I have now included a filtering system to allow this which also gives all the options available between institution and course title. This will give the user a much specific field to browse through instead of the armada of random students work. I have included a filter illustration along the header of the site which can be found on every page for easy access. The idea was that this symbol is almost universal for its function and shouldn't need much explanation at all. It sits on the new incorporated header which gives to user more sensibility of the fact they're on that site. It was stated to me that maybe my site was originally designed for mobile use not desktop so including this header has given this context a more literal edge. It also features somewhere for the tools such as the refine and search tool somewhere to sit.

As stated before, people believed I was focussing too much on designing for mobile when I was really doing it for desktop. To achieve a more desktop focused site I had to change the layout of my images slightly. This means I'd include more imagery within one page, giving the user more to look at instead of putting one persons work in the spotlight straight away. This idea also relates back to the user experience and how they'd want to perhaps view more and know their options when deciding what or who to read about. The layout of the images is not too formal as they are all different sizes, having them placed the same width apart but hang low at different lengths gives the site more character and translated my tone of voice well. I still wanted it to seem approachable, creative but also professional. This conveys that message quite well I believe.