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
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)