The following is an email I sent to the client outlining a content idea, and his reply to that email:
Steve,
Thought of an idea for content on the website, and give another opportunity for myself to write content.
"Day in the life of: A Year 1 Student"
"Day in the life of: A Year 2 Student"
"Day in the life of: A Year 3 Student"
Diary-esque pieces, gives potential students an idea of what an average day is like for a Journalism Student at FUCA.
Assuming you like this idea, what I'll need from you are timetables for the various student years.
Thoughts?
Again, if you like this, I'll need the info ASAP.
Regards,
D
Yes I think that could work.
I suggest you use your own experience as the reference point. You have been through all three years of the course and you know the timetable pattern. You could use a certain amount of writerly licence in devising a day of classes, it does not have to be absolutely literal in terms of timetable. Or take a week in the life rather than a day which thenm allows you to consider a sample of classes.
I think this is a good idea because this is the kind of thing that prospective students want to know, and it has an engaging human interest appeal.
S.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Client Correspondence
The following is an email I received from my client and the respons that I sent (dated 14 April). I have yet to receive a reply:-
Steve,
Regarding site design, the only similarity to the FUCA website is the double left hand nav bar. The content design and navigation structure beyond that is different. The reason the double left hand nav bar was used is because the navigation style (by year group) made sense to have the sub-groups listed next to the main nav groups. I studied the ABC and Chris Hoy websites as discussed in the blog, and chose some of the elements of presentation of each. ABC's colour scheme and contextualising, without their layout as it seemed messy and confusing, and elements of Chris Hoy's layout, avoiding the content display as it involved scrolliing and I wanted to avoid this.
Regarding navigation by year group, that was a decision that we came to when it was decided that navigation by speciality would be too unbalanced. Besides which, from a personal note, I would want to see a break down year by year so I could see progression throughout the course.
Regarding tne listing of each unit and description thereof, I looked through the FUCA website and decided that the display of units that it featured was not good (one long list, bulk text). I preferred to see the units listed, then with the possibility of checking each for more information. Bear in mind the user is not forced to see this additional available information, but they can if they so choose to so I see no harm including it.
You mention you would want the important sections to be students showcase, over course information. I would point out that the sub-nav bar lists student testimonials and galleries, so the user is at most only ever 1 click away from seeing these sections.
Would you like me to change the layout in any way having discussed these issues?
Additionally, the blog screenshots are the maximum size allowed for by blogger, this is not a conscious decision, and they are just to give an idea and document progress.
D
David,
OK, I have had a look at the screenshots on your blog.
It is rather difficult to make judgments on the basis of such small screenshots and of course these shots are static so I can't really get a feel for what is always on screen and what if anything is pop-up or context-sensitive.
I see that you have gone for the UCA style navigation bars at the side although I did express some misgivings about these when we talked about using the UCA site as a basis for the design.
As a tutor evaluating this as a piece of web communication, I would say that the screenshots suggest a well organized site with well thought through systems of links and some quite complex levels of information about the course. Therefore the site suggests itself as a good example of technical skill in website building. However, how effective is it in attracting the target audience of youthful prospective Farnham students? Is such detailed information - down to the unit level - really necessary?
From a pragmatic assessment/project point of view, as we do not have much by way of student work content yet, it might be wise to decrease the focus of this site on student work samples and shift the focus a bit more toward information on the course. The pages and spaces for student showcases can be built in but we may have to wait a bit yet before mp3 files etc start to come in. Again you can write introductory text and contextualising content for these sections and leave space for the files to be plugged in later.
So to fill the site with unit information helps in the sense of obtaining content, but in terms of building an attractive menu bar, we are left with the years 1,2,3 menu options which are perhaps not what a prospective course applicant is thinking about. Although it would make sense to organize student work by year, I am not sure years should be main level menu choices.
I'll leave you to chew these points over. I am not that worried about the detail of wording used to describe individual units - the descriptions of content on the front pages of unit descriptors are well written on the whole and are easily usable and adaptable for a range of purposes. I am more concerned by the main menu arrangement which to me does not entice and how we flag up, display and signpost attractive elements of the website, such as the student views of the course and the best student work (even if the content ain't here yet we can still figure a way to signpost the place where it will be put).
Steve
Steve,
Regarding site design, the only similarity to the FUCA website is the double left hand nav bar. The content design and navigation structure beyond that is different. The reason the double left hand nav bar was used is because the navigation style (by year group) made sense to have the sub-groups listed next to the main nav groups. I studied the ABC and Chris Hoy websites as discussed in the blog, and chose some of the elements of presentation of each. ABC's colour scheme and contextualising, without their layout as it seemed messy and confusing, and elements of Chris Hoy's layout, avoiding the content display as it involved scrolliing and I wanted to avoid this.
Regarding navigation by year group, that was a decision that we came to when it was decided that navigation by speciality would be too unbalanced. Besides which, from a personal note, I would want to see a break down year by year so I could see progression throughout the course.
Regarding tne listing of each unit and description thereof, I looked through the FUCA website and decided that the display of units that it featured was not good (one long list, bulk text). I preferred to see the units listed, then with the possibility of checking each for more information. Bear in mind the user is not forced to see this additional available information, but they can if they so choose to so I see no harm including it.
You mention you would want the important sections to be students showcase, over course information. I would point out that the sub-nav bar lists student testimonials and galleries, so the user is at most only ever 1 click away from seeing these sections.
Would you like me to change the layout in any way having discussed these issues?
Additionally, the blog screenshots are the maximum size allowed for by blogger, this is not a conscious decision, and they are just to give an idea and document progress.
D
David,
OK, I have had a look at the screenshots on your blog.
It is rather difficult to make judgments on the basis of such small screenshots and of course these shots are static so I can't really get a feel for what is always on screen and what if anything is pop-up or context-sensitive.
I see that you have gone for the UCA style navigation bars at the side although I did express some misgivings about these when we talked about using the UCA site as a basis for the design.
As a tutor evaluating this as a piece of web communication, I would say that the screenshots suggest a well organized site with well thought through systems of links and some quite complex levels of information about the course. Therefore the site suggests itself as a good example of technical skill in website building. However, how effective is it in attracting the target audience of youthful prospective Farnham students? Is such detailed information - down to the unit level - really necessary?
From a pragmatic assessment/project point of view, as we do not have much by way of student work content yet, it might be wise to decrease the focus of this site on student work samples and shift the focus a bit more toward information on the course. The pages and spaces for student showcases can be built in but we may have to wait a bit yet before mp3 files etc start to come in. Again you can write introductory text and contextualising content for these sections and leave space for the files to be plugged in later.
So to fill the site with unit information helps in the sense of obtaining content, but in terms of building an attractive menu bar, we are left with the years 1,2,3 menu options which are perhaps not what a prospective course applicant is thinking about. Although it would make sense to organize student work by year, I am not sure years should be main level menu choices.
I'll leave you to chew these points over. I am not that worried about the detail of wording used to describe individual units - the descriptions of content on the front pages of unit descriptors are well written on the whole and are easily usable and adaptable for a range of purposes. I am more concerned by the main menu arrangement which to me does not entice and how we flag up, display and signpost attractive elements of the website, such as the student views of the course and the best student work (even if the content ain't here yet we can still figure a way to signpost the place where it will be put).
Steve
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Client Correspondence
As stated previously, having received the email interview completed from the client, I replied regarding content re-purposing and content inpu. The following is the email I sent, and the reply I received from the client:-
My Original Email
Steve,
Thank you for sending me the email interview. Hopefully we will get some good input from other students regarding the rest of the content.
In the meantime, I have integrated and re-purposed your email interview. I have also taken a look at the FUCCA site and re-purposed some of their information regarding the course (overview) and its units. At present, I have done relatively little editing to them (referring more to the units than the overview (which I edited a lot)). I have re-structured them, and re-distributed/re-displayed them. I have additionally changed some of the tenses and tones, as well as the addressing statements. E.g. It no longer says, 'the student will', but 'you will', etc.
I am assuming that these unit descriptors closely match those in my unit handbook, and the writing style seems similar to yours, so I assume it is yourself that has written them? As you are the client, and the site is an extension of your 'product display', is this re-purposing a problem?
Please let me know ASAP so I can redraft if necessary (this will be very time-consuming as I am including a seperate description of each unit, so I would like to begin as soon as possible if this is the case)
Thank you in advance,
D
The Client Reply
I'm glad you got my email, I was concerned perhaps you had not received it.
I'll get back to you tomorrow about the questions in your email below. Apart from these, are there any other questions still outstanding?
I attach some MPEG4 video that might be suitable content. This is footage of the recent voice coaching session. The voiceover is self-explanatory and you can use that as a basis for some contextualising text introducing the footage and the idea that the course includes input from specialists.
Pay particular attention to your contextualising text throughout the website. With so much repurposed and edited text, your contextual copy will be one of the main written elements of which you can claim sole or principal authorship.
Sean Walsh completed an edit today of a vox pop video featuring student views on the course. We left it rendering tonight; all being well it can be converted to MPEG tomorrow and emailed to you.
Second year web projects are proceeding well and most are online so it will be possible to link to these. I will check the URLs and the live status and then forward the links.
S.
My Original Email
Steve,
Thank you for sending me the email interview. Hopefully we will get some good input from other students regarding the rest of the content.
In the meantime, I have integrated and re-purposed your email interview. I have also taken a look at the FUCCA site and re-purposed some of their information regarding the course (overview) and its units. At present, I have done relatively little editing to them (referring more to the units than the overview (which I edited a lot)). I have re-structured them, and re-distributed/re-displayed them. I have additionally changed some of the tenses and tones, as well as the addressing statements. E.g. It no longer says, 'the student will', but 'you will', etc.
I am assuming that these unit descriptors closely match those in my unit handbook, and the writing style seems similar to yours, so I assume it is yourself that has written them? As you are the client, and the site is an extension of your 'product display', is this re-purposing a problem?
Please let me know ASAP so I can redraft if necessary (this will be very time-consuming as I am including a seperate description of each unit, so I would like to begin as soon as possible if this is the case)
Thank you in advance,
D
The Client Reply
I'm glad you got my email, I was concerned perhaps you had not received it.
I'll get back to you tomorrow about the questions in your email below. Apart from these, are there any other questions still outstanding?
I attach some MPEG4 video that might be suitable content. This is footage of the recent voice coaching session. The voiceover is self-explanatory and you can use that as a basis for some contextualising text introducing the footage and the idea that the course includes input from specialists.
Pay particular attention to your contextualising text throughout the website. With so much repurposed and edited text, your contextual copy will be one of the main written elements of which you can claim sole or principal authorship.
Sean Walsh completed an edit today of a vox pop video featuring student views on the course. We left it rendering tonight; all being well it can be converted to MPEG tomorrow and emailed to you.
Second year web projects are proceeding well and most are online so it will be possible to link to these. I will check the URLs and the live status and then forward the links.
S.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Site Construction
With some content coming in, I have begun site construction in earnest. The following is a screenshot of the 'Index' or 'Homepage':-
Year Overview:-
The Unit Index:-
And the Unit Detailed:-
Client Correspondence
The following is the email I sent back to the client having received the completed email interview:-
Steve,
Thank you for sending me the email interview. Hopefully we will get some good input from other students regarding the rest of the content.
In the meantime, I have integrated and re-purposed your email interview. I have also taken a look at the FUCCA site and re-purposed some of their information regarding the course (overview) and its units. At present, I have done relatively little editing to them (referring more to the units than the overview (which I edited a lot)). I have re-structured them, and re-distributed/re-displayed them. I have additionally changed some of the tenses and tones, as well as the addressing statements. E.g. It no longer says, 'the student will', but 'you will', etc.
I am assuming that these unit descriptors closely match those in my unit handbook, and the writing style seems similar to yours, so I assume it is yourself that has written them? As you are the client, and the site is an extension of your 'product display', is this re-purposing a problem?
Please let me know ASAP so I can redraft if necessary (this will be very time-consuming as I am including a seperate description of each unit, so I would like to begin as soon as possible if this is the case)
Thank you in advance,
D
Steve,
Thank you for sending me the email interview. Hopefully we will get some good input from other students regarding the rest of the content.
In the meantime, I have integrated and re-purposed your email interview. I have also taken a look at the FUCCA site and re-purposed some of their information regarding the course (overview) and its units. At present, I have done relatively little editing to them (referring more to the units than the overview (which I edited a lot)). I have re-structured them, and re-distributed/re-displayed them. I have additionally changed some of the tenses and tones, as well as the addressing statements. E.g. It no longer says, 'the student will', but 'you will', etc.
I am assuming that these unit descriptors closely match those in my unit handbook, and the writing style seems similar to yours, so I assume it is yourself that has written them? As you are the client, and the site is an extension of your 'product display', is this re-purposing a problem?
Please let me know ASAP so I can redraft if necessary (this will be very time-consuming as I am including a seperate description of each unit, so I would like to begin as soon as possible if this is the case)
Thank you in advance,
D
Client Correspondence
I have heard back from the client, and as such can now begin re-drafting the email interview that was completed for me.
The following is the answers received:-
Year by year breakdown: What are the aims for student development in Year 1/2/3?
We aim to produce graduates who are distinctive and who can offer employers something extra.
Many of the media employers we speak to tell us they are looking for journalists who can do more than write. They are looking for content producers. Multiskilled people who can perform the traditional role of the journalist - research, interview, write, edit - but who can also operate the technology so as to present content in a variety of ways - in print, in audio form, in video, and of course on multimedia web pages.
Our journalism degree is a multimedia degree. Our graduates are multiskilled content producers and they are in demand by employers.
In year 1, all our journalism students get a thorough grounding in digital media production. Today, even print journalists working on a newspaper might have to go in front of camera to present a comment piece, or do audio or video editing, so all students learn the basics of digital media file formats and putting together image, audio and video content for the web.
Our students get a taste of print, radio, TV and web production in semester 1, and choose to specialize in any two of these four in semesters 2, 3 and 4. So, by the end of second year, our students should have a good level of writing and production skill in those two media. This increases your employment options and again equips you for a multimedia environment.
Also in year 1, there are background and contextual studies in journalism to broaden your knowledge and increase your understanding of the place that journalism and the media occupy in society.
There is practical training in Teeline shorthand - still much in demand by editors and a skill that enables accurate note-taking that will stand up in a court of law.
In year 2, training in media law helps you to further protect yourself as a working journalist and this is complemented by studies in politics, government and the institutions that you will have to report on.
In year 2 you will explore areas of media and cultural theory in order to prepare yourself for a dissertation in year 3. The dissertation can be on a wide range of topics and we encourage you to link it with your interests and with your journalism practice.
Also in year 3, there is an advanced group production in your chosen specialist medium (print, radio, TV or web), an individual final project and an industrial placement.
What is the final goal for the end of the course, i.e. What do you ultimately hope to teach students so as to prepare them for careers in the field?
This is probably covered in the above.
What makes this course unique, i.e. Why should students choose this course over another?
Our journalism courses are very flexible. The way in which you can mix media specialties in any combination - print and TV, or radio and online for example - is unique.
Also, the feature briefs are negotiable. If you wish to write and talk about sport, music, fashion, cars, politics, sailing, mountain biking or global warming - then any or all of that is possible.
What is your course philosophy (I'm aware this will probably tie into the earlier questions)?
We aim to produce distinctive graduates who are highly employable with versatile writing skills and a range of high-level production skills.
What are some prominent FUCA Journalism alumni doing now?
Farnham journalism graduate Alex Kramer presents Going for Gold on Five. In radio, we have graduates working in stations ranging from local stations like Eagle FM and BBC Southern Counties to BBC World Service and Radio Netherlands International. One of our current students works part-time at BBC2's Newsnight.
A number of our recent graduates have gone straight into good jobs in communication and public relations, such as at the award-winning London PR agency Taylor Herring and leading retail developer Westfield - the company behind Europe's biggest shopping mall, at Shepherd's Bush in west London.
Have you any upcoming plans for the course?- Is there any further information that you consider important and essential content?
I had better go home now but I will forward further content later.
Obviously we have the new degrees launching in September.
Feel free to adapt content from the course pages on the UCA website. There is a separate page for each of the journalism courses at Farnham - the main degree, then sports, motoring, leisure. There is a slightly different emphasis on each of the course pages and there are paragraphs and passages in there that could be adapted for this new website. You may be able to use or adapt the images on the course pages. If you cannot download them then I could forward you image files.
There are a few paragraphs also on the studentjournos blog page that potentially could be adaptable.
OK I hope this helps and gives you some content to work with.
The following is the answers received:-
Year by year breakdown: What are the aims for student development in Year 1/2/3?
We aim to produce graduates who are distinctive and who can offer employers something extra.
Many of the media employers we speak to tell us they are looking for journalists who can do more than write. They are looking for content producers. Multiskilled people who can perform the traditional role of the journalist - research, interview, write, edit - but who can also operate the technology so as to present content in a variety of ways - in print, in audio form, in video, and of course on multimedia web pages.
Our journalism degree is a multimedia degree. Our graduates are multiskilled content producers and they are in demand by employers.
In year 1, all our journalism students get a thorough grounding in digital media production. Today, even print journalists working on a newspaper might have to go in front of camera to present a comment piece, or do audio or video editing, so all students learn the basics of digital media file formats and putting together image, audio and video content for the web.
Our students get a taste of print, radio, TV and web production in semester 1, and choose to specialize in any two of these four in semesters 2, 3 and 4. So, by the end of second year, our students should have a good level of writing and production skill in those two media. This increases your employment options and again equips you for a multimedia environment.
Also in year 1, there are background and contextual studies in journalism to broaden your knowledge and increase your understanding of the place that journalism and the media occupy in society.
There is practical training in Teeline shorthand - still much in demand by editors and a skill that enables accurate note-taking that will stand up in a court of law.
In year 2, training in media law helps you to further protect yourself as a working journalist and this is complemented by studies in politics, government and the institutions that you will have to report on.
In year 2 you will explore areas of media and cultural theory in order to prepare yourself for a dissertation in year 3. The dissertation can be on a wide range of topics and we encourage you to link it with your interests and with your journalism practice.
Also in year 3, there is an advanced group production in your chosen specialist medium (print, radio, TV or web), an individual final project and an industrial placement.
What is the final goal for the end of the course, i.e. What do you ultimately hope to teach students so as to prepare them for careers in the field?
This is probably covered in the above.
What makes this course unique, i.e. Why should students choose this course over another?
Our journalism courses are very flexible. The way in which you can mix media specialties in any combination - print and TV, or radio and online for example - is unique.
Also, the feature briefs are negotiable. If you wish to write and talk about sport, music, fashion, cars, politics, sailing, mountain biking or global warming - then any or all of that is possible.
What is your course philosophy (I'm aware this will probably tie into the earlier questions)?
We aim to produce distinctive graduates who are highly employable with versatile writing skills and a range of high-level production skills.
What are some prominent FUCA Journalism alumni doing now?
Farnham journalism graduate Alex Kramer presents Going for Gold on Five. In radio, we have graduates working in stations ranging from local stations like Eagle FM and BBC Southern Counties to BBC World Service and Radio Netherlands International. One of our current students works part-time at BBC2's Newsnight.
A number of our recent graduates have gone straight into good jobs in communication and public relations, such as at the award-winning London PR agency Taylor Herring and leading retail developer Westfield - the company behind Europe's biggest shopping mall, at Shepherd's Bush in west London.
Have you any upcoming plans for the course?- Is there any further information that you consider important and essential content?
I had better go home now but I will forward further content later.
Obviously we have the new degrees launching in September.
Feel free to adapt content from the course pages on the UCA website. There is a separate page for each of the journalism courses at Farnham - the main degree, then sports, motoring, leisure. There is a slightly different emphasis on each of the course pages and there are paragraphs and passages in there that could be adapted for this new website. You may be able to use or adapt the images on the course pages. If you cannot download them then I could forward you image files.
There are a few paragraphs also on the studentjournos blog page that potentially could be adaptable.
OK I hope this helps and gives you some content to work with.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Client Correspondence
I have still not received content from the client, so am unable to continue.
I have sent another reminder, dated March 24th, which reads as follows:-
Steve,
It is becoming a matter of urgency that you provide me with content for the website. I have begun construction, but am extremely limited without content to base design and navigation on.
I remind you that it was agreed that you would provide content as the site is a POS for the course and you will need to select the best students to showcase. I would also ask you to complete the email interview that I sent to you.
This is the fourth reminder that I have sent you, please respond ASAP. I do not wish to find myself unable to complete the unit and therefore my degree because I have no content.
D
I have sent another reminder, dated March 24th, which reads as follows:-
Steve,
It is becoming a matter of urgency that you provide me with content for the website. I have begun construction, but am extremely limited without content to base design and navigation on.
I remind you that it was agreed that you would provide content as the site is a POS for the course and you will need to select the best students to showcase. I would also ask you to complete the email interview that I sent to you.
This is the fourth reminder that I have sent you, please respond ASAP. I do not wish to find myself unable to complete the unit and therefore my degree because I have no content.
D
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Client Correspondence Update
I have still not received word from the client, so site construction is presently on hold. The following is the last email sent:-
Steve,
I am writing to remind you that I still require your input in terms of the interview questions I sent you and provision of content for the site. I am also waiting for you to make a decision regarding the name of the site. My site construction needs to get underway, but I cannot begin to build without content.
Please could you ensure that this is complete, as I do not want to waste any more time and end up with a hard-pressed deadline.
The following are copies of my previous emails so you can refresh yourself as to the questions I asked and the materials I asked for.
04/03/09
Steve,Could you please confirm to me that you received the questions I sent you, and update me as to the state of your answers.
Additionally, I would ask that you please start gathering work from students who you would like to showcase. I cannot do this as I do not know which students you want to display and it really is a case of 'the cream' being required.
D
27/02/09
Steve,Re: Site Content
Could you please answer the following questions for me, so that I can present the information in some form (homepage or philosophies, etc.)-
Year by year breakdown: What are the aims for student development in Year 1?-
" 2?-
" 3?-
What is the final goal for the end of the course, i.e. What do you ultimately hope to teach students so as to prepare them for careers in the field?-
What makes this course unique, i.e. Why should students choose this course over another?-
What is your course philosophy (I'm aware this will probably tie into the earlier questions)?-
What are some prominent FUCA Journalism alumni doing now?-
Have you any upcoming plans for the course?-
Is there any further information that you consider important and essential content?D
Many thanks,
D
Steve,
I am writing to remind you that I still require your input in terms of the interview questions I sent you and provision of content for the site. I am also waiting for you to make a decision regarding the name of the site. My site construction needs to get underway, but I cannot begin to build without content.
Please could you ensure that this is complete, as I do not want to waste any more time and end up with a hard-pressed deadline.
The following are copies of my previous emails so you can refresh yourself as to the questions I asked and the materials I asked for.
04/03/09
Steve,Could you please confirm to me that you received the questions I sent you, and update me as to the state of your answers.
Additionally, I would ask that you please start gathering work from students who you would like to showcase. I cannot do this as I do not know which students you want to display and it really is a case of 'the cream' being required.
D
27/02/09
Steve,Re: Site Content
Could you please answer the following questions for me, so that I can present the information in some form (homepage or philosophies, etc.)-
Year by year breakdown: What are the aims for student development in Year 1?-
" 2?-
" 3?-
What is the final goal for the end of the course, i.e. What do you ultimately hope to teach students so as to prepare them for careers in the field?-
What makes this course unique, i.e. Why should students choose this course over another?-
What is your course philosophy (I'm aware this will probably tie into the earlier questions)?-
What are some prominent FUCA Journalism alumni doing now?-
Have you any upcoming plans for the course?-
Is there any further information that you consider important and essential content?D
Many thanks,
D
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Client Correspondence 2
The following is an email sent to my client (dated 4 March 2009), requesting that he gather and deliver to me content that he wishes to be showcased on the site.
Steve,
Could you please confirm to me that you received the questions I sent you, and update me as to the state of your answers.
Additionally, I would ask that you please start gathering work from students who you would like to showcase. I cannot do this as I do not know which students you want to display and it really is a case of 'the cream' being required.
D
Steve,
Could you please confirm to me that you received the questions I sent you, and update me as to the state of your answers.
Additionally, I would ask that you please start gathering work from students who you would like to showcase. I cannot do this as I do not know which students you want to display and it really is a case of 'the cream' being required.
D
Client Correspondence
The following are questions that I sent to my client (dated 27 February 2009), in an attempt to conduct 'an interview' and gather the information that will be required on the homepage of the site.
I have not as of yet received the answers to my questions.
Steve,
Re: Site Content
Could you please answer the following questions for me, so that I can present the information in some form (homepage or philosophies, etc.)
- Year by year breakdown: What are the aims for student development in Year 1?
- " 2?
- " 3?
- What is the final goal for the end of the course, i.e. What do you ultimately hope to teach students so as to prepare them for careers in the field?
- What makes this course unique, i.e. Why should students choose this course over another?
- What is your course philosophy (I'm aware this will probably tie into the earlier questions)?
- What are some prominent FUCA Journalism alumni doing now?
- Have you any upcoming plans for the course?
- Is there any further information that you consider important and essential content?
D
I have not as of yet received the answers to my questions.
Steve,
Re: Site Content
Could you please answer the following questions for me, so that I can present the information in some form (homepage or philosophies, etc.)
- Year by year breakdown: What are the aims for student development in Year 1?
- " 2?
- " 3?
- What is the final goal for the end of the course, i.e. What do you ultimately hope to teach students so as to prepare them for careers in the field?
- What makes this course unique, i.e. Why should students choose this course over another?
- What is your course philosophy (I'm aware this will probably tie into the earlier questions)?
- What are some prominent FUCA Journalism alumni doing now?
- Have you any upcoming plans for the course?
- Is there any further information that you consider important and essential content?
D
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Site Name
It was brought up through a client comment on this work journal, that a name for the site was not discussed.
My initial thought would be that 'FUCCA Journos' would suffice.
That said, 'FUCCA Journalism' would be a bit more formal and potentially viewed as more professional, thereby appealing to industry representatives.
However, the appeal of 'Journos' and the informal approach is that the site is predominantly aimed at prospective students and they may appreciate the informal touch (makes choosing a university course less scary!)
I am reluctant to suggest site names that far from these two as I feel that they are concise and explain the site efficiently. Anything abstract may only confuse viewers, not to mention hinder 'site-finds' through search engines.
The final choice will of course come down to the client.
My initial thought would be that 'FUCCA Journos' would suffice.
That said, 'FUCCA Journalism' would be a bit more formal and potentially viewed as more professional, thereby appealing to industry representatives.
However, the appeal of 'Journos' and the informal approach is that the site is predominantly aimed at prospective students and they may appreciate the informal touch (makes choosing a university course less scary!)
I am reluctant to suggest site names that far from these two as I feel that they are concise and explain the site efficiently. Anything abstract may only confuse viewers, not to mention hinder 'site-finds' through search engines.
The final choice will of course come down to the client.
Site Revisions
Following the client feedback session, the following is the revised site map, where the 'Speciality' navigation system has been replaced by the 'Yeargroup' navigation.
And the revised 'Main Index' page.
And the revised 'Main Index' page.
Further Client Feedback
Having met the client on Monday (February 16th), the following issues were raised and discussed:-
'Look & Feel'
It was decided that in terms of developing a web presence, the site need not display too great an affiliation with the FUCCA website. The reason for this is that the following FUCCA website negatives were identified:-
Navigation
In terms of navigation, it was decided that the previously discussed navigation via speciality would detract from the message that the course is trying to put across; that cross-media specialisation is what the industry now expects from graduates.
The alternative that was agreed upon was that navigation would be based on yeargroup. This would allow the site user to browse through the site year by year, getting an idea of what was taught in that year, and seeing work examples of students in that group. They could also see how the students developed over time, and a 'finished product'. This final page was referred to as a 'Sales' page, where course outcomes and deadlines would be explained. This would appeal not only to prospective students, but also to industry representatives investigating the course.
Student/Tutor interviews could also be easily integrated into this navigational structure.
Misc
It was discussed that an introduction for the course, and possibly the philosophy (special emphasis on cross-convergence of skills), would be essential information that would need to be included on the site.
It was also suggested that student interviews could be shown through video, rather than just printed interviews, as this makes the statements more real and more human. It seems less like 'propaganda' that the university has created just to sell the course.
'Look & Feel'
It was decided that in terms of developing a web presence, the site need not display too great an affiliation with the FUCCA website. The reason for this is that the following FUCCA website negatives were identified:-
- Difficult to Navigate - The site map is confusing and not as self-explanatory as it could otherwise be
- Hard to Update - The content management system that the FUCCA website utilises is poor and updating the site is very time-consuming
- Not Aesthetically Pleasing - The site's colour scheme (salmon and blush) is not the most visually appealing, and was considered out of character for the image that the Journalism department wishes to put across
- Not Effective at Showcasing Student Work - This was the obvious negative from the beginning and is the reason that my website is being designed
Therefore, the following sites were put forward as good examples aesthetically, that could be emulated:-
The ABC website, abc.go.com, which is sleek and whose black background is more in line with the image that the Journalism department wishes to convey.
The Chris Hoy website, chrishoy.com, which is a minimalist design, though very neat and clean as a result.
Displaying Student Work
It was generally decided that print work could be viewable either as a pdf, or as a jpeg.
Video could be shown via a shockwave media player.
Radio/Podcasts could be put online fully playable as mp3s.
Online work was more tricky as any site uploads wouldbe very large and take great amounts of time. However, the client suggested that a number of his students had put their work online, and so the site could simply provide links to them.
It was decided that the work would need to be contextualised and as such the unit brief could be displayed alongside the work shown.
In addition, it was decided that for showcase purposes, only the best work should be shown. The reason for this being that the course is trying to sell itself to students and employers, and it would therefore need to show the top quality of work that could be achieved.
Navigation
In terms of navigation, it was decided that the previously discussed navigation via speciality would detract from the message that the course is trying to put across; that cross-media specialisation is what the industry now expects from graduates.
The alternative that was agreed upon was that navigation would be based on yeargroup. This would allow the site user to browse through the site year by year, getting an idea of what was taught in that year, and seeing work examples of students in that group. They could also see how the students developed over time, and a 'finished product'. This final page was referred to as a 'Sales' page, where course outcomes and deadlines would be explained. This would appeal not only to prospective students, but also to industry representatives investigating the course.
Student/Tutor interviews could also be easily integrated into this navigational structure.
Misc
It was discussed that an introduction for the course, and possibly the philosophy (special emphasis on cross-convergence of skills), would be essential information that would need to be included on the site.
It was also suggested that student interviews could be shown through video, rather than just printed interviews, as this makes the statements more real and more human. It seems less like 'propaganda' that the university has created just to sell the course.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Client Feedback
I have had some feedback from my 'client', and as this is designed to be a business case study with the focus on responding to client requirements, analysis, and expectations, have decided that the feedback is therefore integral to the design process.
As such, I have included it (with slight editing so as to remove extraneous material).
Feedback is as follows:-
Hi David
...It is important that you generate some original content, including some original writing. We both need to think about what that could/should be. Your analysis of target audience is correct; any such showcase site will have prospective students as a key audience, and they are mainly young people, so right away this has implications for the style of writing; we could also introduce search engine optimization as part of the brief for the writing on the site. One idea for original content might be mini-interviews with students and/or staff...
I take on board your analysis of the UCA website but... that is not necessarily a good starting point for a journalism showcase site. It may be better starting with a blank slate as to look and feel. The emphasis on splitting the media specialties as a basis for navigation is also perhaps not so good: all the industry feedback we are getting just now talks about convergence and cross-media skills. [We] need to be selling [students'] versatility to potential employers - translating that to a navigation structure would take you a different route to that suggested.
The department could buy a domain name and some hosting for this project, in which case you could come up with some possible ideas for a site name, and that in turn could lead to different and interesting ideas as to look and feel.
One final thought is that it might be possible to commission work from other students for the site - eg animation students could supply comic strip style animations. That sort of thing could enliven a site like this, but of course it can also complicate the project - you would have to consider the pros and cons of such a commissioning approach.
S.
As such, I have included it (with slight editing so as to remove extraneous material).
Feedback is as follows:-
Hi David
...It is important that you generate some original content, including some original writing. We both need to think about what that could/should be. Your analysis of target audience is correct; any such showcase site will have prospective students as a key audience, and they are mainly young people, so right away this has implications for the style of writing; we could also introduce search engine optimization as part of the brief for the writing on the site. One idea for original content might be mini-interviews with students and/or staff...
I take on board your analysis of the UCA website but... that is not necessarily a good starting point for a journalism showcase site. It may be better starting with a blank slate as to look and feel. The emphasis on splitting the media specialties as a basis for navigation is also perhaps not so good: all the industry feedback we are getting just now talks about convergence and cross-media skills. [We] need to be selling [students'] versatility to potential employers - translating that to a navigation structure would take you a different route to that suggested.
The department could buy a domain name and some hosting for this project, in which case you could come up with some possible ideas for a site name, and that in turn could lead to different and interesting ideas as to look and feel.
One final thought is that it might be possible to commission work from other students for the site - eg animation students could supply comic strip style animations. That sort of thing could enliven a site like this, but of course it can also complicate the project - you would have to consider the pros and cons of such a commissioning approach.
S.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Site Templates
I've designed some basic site templates to give 'the client' an idea of a layout for the site that I think meshes with the FUCCA website, and is clear and concise so as to allow easy navigation and viewing.
The 'Homepage' is very similar to FUCCA's, though the picture would of course be related to the Journalism Course, and I have not included a 'News&Events' or 'Search' box as I feel they would be redundant bearing in mind the content and size of the site.
For the 'Main Content' page, I have only included 3 of the 4 specialities. The reason for this is that I do not believe it will be possible to gather any Online examples (the inherent number of files required for a website in comparison to a Print piece, and especially compared to Radio and TV pieces, makes the task too great). Furthermore, I am unsure if there are any online works worth displaying. However, a note can be added to the bottom of the page highlighting to viewers that the website they are viewing is the work of an Online specialist.
Were the client to disagree with me, or an optimal method for displaying an Online student's work could be found, all 4 specialities could be shown. If that were the case, I would display the sections in a 2x2 square shape, rather than follow the existing 1x3 layout. This is because I believe a 1x4 would leave the sections too tight vertically.
It should also be noted that in contrast to the current 1x3 layout, the sections could be displayed in a 3x1 form (each stacked horizontally on top of each other). I believe 1x3 is aesthetically more pleasing however, and a 3x1 layout is more likely to require scrolling.
The 'Content' pages, I have laid out with a centralised text box, and a thumbnail gallery displayed on the right-hand side. I intend to have these thumbs enlargeable, either through a flash plug-in, linking to a new window, or auto-prompting the browser to open the image in a new window when clicked.
The 'Homepage' is very similar to FUCCA's, though the picture would of course be related to the Journalism Course, and I have not included a 'News&Events' or 'Search' box as I feel they would be redundant bearing in mind the content and size of the site.
For the 'Main Content' page, I have only included 3 of the 4 specialities. The reason for this is that I do not believe it will be possible to gather any Online examples (the inherent number of files required for a website in comparison to a Print piece, and especially compared to Radio and TV pieces, makes the task too great). Furthermore, I am unsure if there are any online works worth displaying. However, a note can be added to the bottom of the page highlighting to viewers that the website they are viewing is the work of an Online specialist.
Were the client to disagree with me, or an optimal method for displaying an Online student's work could be found, all 4 specialities could be shown. If that were the case, I would display the sections in a 2x2 square shape, rather than follow the existing 1x3 layout. This is because I believe a 1x4 would leave the sections too tight vertically.
It should also be noted that in contrast to the current 1x3 layout, the sections could be displayed in a 3x1 form (each stacked horizontally on top of each other). I believe 1x3 is aesthetically more pleasing however, and a 3x1 layout is more likely to require scrolling.
The 'Content' pages, I have laid out with a centralised text box, and a thumbnail gallery displayed on the right-hand side. I intend to have these thumbs enlargeable, either through a flash plug-in, linking to a new window, or auto-prompting the browser to open the image in a new window when clicked.
Site Map
I've designed a basic 'Site Map' illustrating how a user would typically move through the site. However, the nav bar would allow for extra pathways, most noticeably between the main section homepages.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
FUCCA Website Analysis
The FUCCA website has a somewhat strange layout. Instead of the 'standard' L-shaped nav bar, it is laid out with a double left-hand nav bar. The left of which is the main topics, and the right being the subtopics thereof as to be expected.
The other slightly odd layout issues with the site are the 'Search' box and the 'News&Events' box. Having looked at the site with two different browsers, the 'News&Events' box seems to jump around, its position varying between Firefox and Internet Explorer. However, regardless of browser, the 'News&Events' box placement seems a little odd, almost floating in the page. The same can be said of the 'Search' box, which is placed above the display image. Whilst this is also floating, it looks even more detached from the site than the 'News&Events' box. I believe this is because it is not vertically aligned with any other element on the page. If it were to line up with the right-hand side of the image, it may look a little more integrated. As it is, it too looks detached.
The Journalism pages are bristling with information about the course, though I feel that they are lacking in examples of students work, thus creating the 'gap' that I am seeking to fill with my site. There is only one image available that aims to reflect on the course and this is of the television students. Whilst this shows a little of the facilities and equipment, I still feel that the issue of showcasing students' work is unaddressed.
Furthermore, whilst the page has a lot of textual information and is as a result very informative for the reader, it means that the page requires scrolling. It may be advisable to spread the text over several pages. Whilst this would reduce scrolling, it would make the site-map more expansive and require further 'clicking' on the part of the viewer, and it has been remarked that a 'well-designed' website is one where the viewer can find all of the information within three 'clicks' or 'advances' from the homepage. There are pros and cons of both approaches.
What has been made clear for me though, is that textual information about the course is covered in sufficient depth that it would be redundant for me to convey it as well. The shortcoming is still the showcasing of student work however, which gives my website viability.
In addition, the site has also displayed to me some design conventions that I should adopt; namely a double left-hand nav bar, and the basis for a colour scheme.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Unit Introduction
I have decided that for my final independent online project, I will treat the unit as a business case study.
I intend to create a site that will act as a showcase for students' work. However, it will be a showcase of FUCCA students, and specifically FUCCA Journalism students.
The aim of the site will be to act as a POS (Point of Sale) for the university, and specifically, for the Journalism BA degree course.
The target audience will be A-Level students who are researching courses and universities to decide which to apply to, and hopefully attend and take on a degree course with.
The overall idea behind this is to gain business experience for myself, and that is why I have chosen this particular aim, audience, and content. As a result of doing so, I can approach the course leader in a business capacity, rather than as an academic tutor. By switching this role, I can turn tutorial sessions into business meetings, whereby I can display my work thus far, gain input, and then re-design/re-structure the site so as to better reflect my client's wishes.
What this means for me professionally, is that the work will have to reflect the client's desires as accurately as possible. A portion of the design and content management will be taken away from me, as the client will have the final say in how they want the site to look, and what content they want displayed; at the end of the day, the overall aim of the site is to act as a POS for the university after all.
In terms of design, I do not believe the site need necessarily be that complex. The key aspects will be for it to be easily navigable, and clear/concise so as not to draw too much attention away from the main content (students' work showcased).
I will have to assess the existing FUCCA site, and mirror my site on their design. The reason for this is that the site is designed to be a selling point for FUCCA and in that regard should be in many ways an extension of it. It would look odd if the site were too distanced from the FUCCA site, as they would look unrelated.
In terms of content, I will need to liase closely with the course tutors so as to gather content that they feel they would like to display; works that they are proud of and feel would effectively sell the course to a prospective student. In this way, I can display 'Print', 'Radio', and 'Television' pieces, whilst the site itself would be showing 'Online'.
In addition, student testimonials (past and present) may be further content that could be included. It would be better to include student testimonials than a 'university pitch', as student testimonials will be viewed by prospective students as more trustworthy, accurate, and reliable reflections on the course.
Any text featured on the site will have to be fairly light. It needs to be always kept in mind that the audience (excluding the occasional mature student) will be 17-19 year olds. If the text is too heavy, it may be a deterrant.
In terms of marketing the site, I do not feel that this necessarily an option. The goal of the site is to give prospective students an idea of what students on the FUCCA Journalism course can achieve. The site itself could be linked to by the FUCCA site if they so chose, and potentially by Steve Miller's personal blog (a blog designed to be used as a Journalism student resource). The site would be affiliating itself with and linking to these two sites regardless of whether they link back or not.
The structure of the site will be kept simple, with four main sections so as to reflect the four specialties that the course focuses on. Each section will showcase a particular student's work in that specialty (potentially more than one student's work could be displayed). Further to this, there may be a 'Introductory' or 'Home' page, and an 'About Us' page. I am unsure whether or not to include an archive page, as the work displayed could be updated over time (a suitable time frame could be at the end of every semester when new work has been produced), and old work kept. This is however, an issue that would have to be discussed with the client.
Again, the site needs to be simple so as to get the sales pitch across as effectively as possible. The true 'sale' so to speak will be the work showcased, with the site design itself as a further display.
I think that for a site like this, RSS feeds are potentially redundant as they are not the focus of, or related to the focus of, the site itself. The same could be said of comment options and forums. I do not believe these are common features on University showcase sites, and as such will most likely be left out. That said, this is another feature that will need to be discussed with the client.
Whether or not the site goes live is ultimately up to the client. It could be hosted by BlackApple as was suggested for the previous semester's work, or it could be given to the university and be hosted on the same server as the official FUCCA site.
The first step is of course to design a 'pitch' for the client, based on the points covered here and see if their needs are matched therein. If not, the design of the site, including content and features, can be adjusted before site construction begins.
I intend to create a site that will act as a showcase for students' work. However, it will be a showcase of FUCCA students, and specifically FUCCA Journalism students.
The aim of the site will be to act as a POS (Point of Sale) for the university, and specifically, for the Journalism BA degree course.
The target audience will be A-Level students who are researching courses and universities to decide which to apply to, and hopefully attend and take on a degree course with.
The overall idea behind this is to gain business experience for myself, and that is why I have chosen this particular aim, audience, and content. As a result of doing so, I can approach the course leader in a business capacity, rather than as an academic tutor. By switching this role, I can turn tutorial sessions into business meetings, whereby I can display my work thus far, gain input, and then re-design/re-structure the site so as to better reflect my client's wishes.
What this means for me professionally, is that the work will have to reflect the client's desires as accurately as possible. A portion of the design and content management will be taken away from me, as the client will have the final say in how they want the site to look, and what content they want displayed; at the end of the day, the overall aim of the site is to act as a POS for the university after all.
In terms of design, I do not believe the site need necessarily be that complex. The key aspects will be for it to be easily navigable, and clear/concise so as not to draw too much attention away from the main content (students' work showcased).
I will have to assess the existing FUCCA site, and mirror my site on their design. The reason for this is that the site is designed to be a selling point for FUCCA and in that regard should be in many ways an extension of it. It would look odd if the site were too distanced from the FUCCA site, as they would look unrelated.
In terms of content, I will need to liase closely with the course tutors so as to gather content that they feel they would like to display; works that they are proud of and feel would effectively sell the course to a prospective student. In this way, I can display 'Print', 'Radio', and 'Television' pieces, whilst the site itself would be showing 'Online'.
In addition, student testimonials (past and present) may be further content that could be included. It would be better to include student testimonials than a 'university pitch', as student testimonials will be viewed by prospective students as more trustworthy, accurate, and reliable reflections on the course.
Any text featured on the site will have to be fairly light. It needs to be always kept in mind that the audience (excluding the occasional mature student) will be 17-19 year olds. If the text is too heavy, it may be a deterrant.
In terms of marketing the site, I do not feel that this necessarily an option. The goal of the site is to give prospective students an idea of what students on the FUCCA Journalism course can achieve. The site itself could be linked to by the FUCCA site if they so chose, and potentially by Steve Miller's personal blog (a blog designed to be used as a Journalism student resource). The site would be affiliating itself with and linking to these two sites regardless of whether they link back or not.
The structure of the site will be kept simple, with four main sections so as to reflect the four specialties that the course focuses on. Each section will showcase a particular student's work in that specialty (potentially more than one student's work could be displayed). Further to this, there may be a 'Introductory' or 'Home' page, and an 'About Us' page. I am unsure whether or not to include an archive page, as the work displayed could be updated over time (a suitable time frame could be at the end of every semester when new work has been produced), and old work kept. This is however, an issue that would have to be discussed with the client.
Again, the site needs to be simple so as to get the sales pitch across as effectively as possible. The true 'sale' so to speak will be the work showcased, with the site design itself as a further display.
I think that for a site like this, RSS feeds are potentially redundant as they are not the focus of, or related to the focus of, the site itself. The same could be said of comment options and forums. I do not believe these are common features on University showcase sites, and as such will most likely be left out. That said, this is another feature that will need to be discussed with the client.
Whether or not the site goes live is ultimately up to the client. It could be hosted by BlackApple as was suggested for the previous semester's work, or it could be given to the university and be hosted on the same server as the official FUCCA site.
The first step is of course to design a 'pitch' for the client, based on the points covered here and see if their needs are matched therein. If not, the design of the site, including content and features, can be adjusted before site construction begins.
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