Scott Chang (G6, 409b)
"Learning html isn't simple. It takes a lot of time and effort. To become good in something, you have to work hard at it. Learning computers is like a sport. The more time you put into it, the more you will get out of it. At first, html was very confusing. After hours and hours of practice, it became easier and easier. Once I knew how to make one thing, I could go on to the next thing. Taking ICS 101 helped me to prepare for a class like Dr. James' class. I wasn't an expert, but I knew the basics of html."
Flordeliza Finta (G10, 409a)
"Sometimes people will freeze to death trying to wade into the pool an inch at a time, and by throwing them into the pool as this class does, they learn much more rapidly a vital skill that will expand their awareness and increase their competitive edge in the workplace."
I think that both Scott and Flordeliza have reached similar conclusions regarding learning HTML and Web page design. They have both reached the essence of the learning process of designing a Web page and it would be very helpful for any future generational students to think about and heed there advice. One reason that I chosen these two quotes was that my suggestions and advice later on at the end of this paper is very similar in its approach. I too share there ideas of what method is best to learn HTML. Both Scott and Flordeliza emphasize that while at first it is going to be very hard to learn HTML once you keep at it the whole process will naturally become easier and easier and more natural. They both also seem to agree that learning such a skill is very beneficial and satisfying for the designee. Perhaps the most important point that they throw out is that becoming proficient in Web page designing requires above all lots and lots of hard work. Nothing comes easy. Scott chose to emphasize the many hours of practice and training required to get a firm grasp upon the concepts and techniques of making home pages. While Flordeiza too emphasizes practice, she touches upon the importance of just jumping right on in to the whole Web design experience. Although it may be intimidating and more overwhelming it is a good process to learn. I think such sudden exposure forces the student to learn from experience; to try new things and to make mistakes and learn from them. This is the best way to learn. It is interesting and neat to see that all three of us have independently arrived at similar conclusions. There really must be some sort of truth in what we are saying for us to have each arrived at this thought -- some sort of common experience that we all go through. And this idea seems to hold true generation after generation after generation. I am sure that ten generations from now, students will be reiterating similar ideas and thoughts.
GLOVER'S SITE DESCRIPTION:
Jeff's site is geared towards a specific audience and that is people who are interested in making Web pages. Jeff gives us one perspective on what makes a "good" page and what makes a "bad" page. He has a list of "savvy" items and techniques to use on Web pages and also a list of "sucky" items and tenchiques. I think that it is important to remember, as Jeff reiterates many times, that his recommendations and opinions are merely a guide and offered only as suggestions. No one has to follow his advice, nor is he the "expert" or "authority" on Web page design. His Web page itself seems pretty well designed both aesthetically and information content wise. Of course it had better be if he is going to write about Web page design. In addition to his lists he also has some extra tips that will make Web browsing and creating Web pages a much easier and fun experience. His page also has an added commercial feel to it since he promotes and has links to his CD Web Starter Kit. I also noticed that his site has not been updated in quite a while from February 1998. Seems as if he is slowing down or getting awfully busy doing other things.
DR. JAMES' SITE:
"The shape of cyberspace is dependent on hypertext technology. The super-magical word here is "link." From the outside perspective, a link is a virtual teletransporter on your Page. Click on it, and in one or a few more seconds, you are inside someone else's cyberspace castle. You can't tell by the travel time how far you've gone."
I picked this quote as one of my favorites because I think it accurately sums up one of the most powerful aspects of the Internet. A major part of my the Internet is so amazing and is going to change our lives is because of the wealth of information that it makes available to us and just a click of a button. Whereas before to get information on companies if you were interested in buying stock, for instance, you would probably have to write to them or go to a broker. Nowdays with the Net their are virutually hundreds of sites with information on all the companies. This empowers the individual investor who can now compete with the large institutional investors. Another example has to do with just researching a topic for a paper or presentation. As a college student I know from experience the amount of time it takes to research a topic, as well as the frustration involved. Previously you would have to drive all the way to the library to look up information. Now you can dial in to the libraries Web page and search for journals and books on-line. The amazing aspect is that the information arrives so fast. Just imagine requesting information from a computer half-way around the globe and receiving it in just seconds. Simply amazing -- it is truly a virtual teletransporter.
"In general, we try to achieve two important results with a Home Page. One is that it should be clear (unconfusing), informative and useful. The other is that it should be beautiful, with a creative and entertaining style."
I think that this statement is all so true. Everyone who designs a Web page whether it be a amateur or professional, child or business, the intenet of creating that page is to display information and to create a visually pleasing medium on which to view that information. The beauty of the Internet is that one can add all sorts of elements to the page that one could never due on just regular paper or even on television or radio. The beauty of the Internet is that it is truly interactive so that someone could include pictures, sound, and animated movies all in addition to the standard text. The ultimate goal, however, is to find a balance between informative and useful and creative and entertaining. It is a very difficult and dangerous line to tread. How does one make a page visually interesting without overdoing? It is a question that many have had to deal with and many will have to deal with in the future. People have written books and Web sites on what is the best ways to design and display a Web site. I think that eventually what it comes down to is your own personal taste and the purpose of your Web site. If it is a sight that needs a lot of visuals, pictures, and sound, like a commercial site that is selling something, then perhaps you will need more of these things at the expense of content and straightforward text. On the other hand, a site that caters specifically towards displaying journal articles or technical information may need less "accessories" and would benefit from just plain out text. Part of the fun and challenge of Web design is to struggle to find the perfect fit for you.
"Home Pages have a motivating force determined by the reason for its existence."
I found this quote interesting in that it kind of made me have to think about just what it meant. Its is saying that home pages have a motivating force. In other words, home pages do not just appear spontaneously or at random. Someone had to have created them and that someone must have had some kind of reason for doing it. And it is that reason that is the motivating force. I think that there are a lot of motivating forces behind Web page development. For instance there are a whole bunch of Web pages out there with the sole intention of making money. Profit is what drives the creation of business sites that sell something either to individuals or other businesses. On the other hand there are also a whole lot of other pages out there that are created solely because the "owner" had an interest in Web page design and wanted to become part of the Web community. This obviously is a vastly different motivation for making a Web page then the previous reason. In this case it could be seen as a sort of hobby or even as an intellectual achievement. Another category of Web pages might have been designed because someone forced the "owner" to design it. For instance if someone was taking a class in which they had to do it as an assignment then they might not necessarily have been doing it because they had a desire to do it. Of course the motivation behind Web page development could be a combination of many of these reasons. For instance a student might really have the desire to build a Web page and also have it required because he is in a class. What ever the reason one thing is for sure, there are many reasons behind a Home Page.
HOME PAGE EXPERIENCE:
As I mentioned previously above when I first came to this psychology course I didn't have very much of a background or understanding of Web page design. In other words I basically started from scratch. Initially it was difficult to do the first Web page assignment. I spent many hours reading the book trying to make sense of all the instructions and commands for HTML. What was frustrating was that I wanted my pages to look professional but yet I couldn't do it, in fact I still can't do it. The thing is that its important to take little steps at a time. You just can't expect to be producing professional looking pages from the first month much less the first day. Just focus on improving a little everyday and with every page and gradually you'll see that you are actually making progress. I think it also helps to do a lot of surfing and browsing on the Internet both on the previous generations' home pages and other sites on the Internet. This is important because then you can see all of the possible design options and trends and you can choose and incorporate the aspects that you like into your own Web pages. Currently I look back and can't believe how far I've come and how much I've improved my skills although I still have a long ways to go. I feel more and more comfortable with HTML with every assignment that I complete. And with each assignment I try to incorporate something different and new that I have not previously done into my pages. In the future I hope to continue designing Web pages for my own personal satisfaction. I would like to improve my knowledge and skills including learning dynamic HTML and Java. As far as advice for future students, I think one of the most important things to remember is to enter the class with an open mind and a motivation to want to succeed. Do not be afraid and intimidated by the technology if you are not used to it. It is natural of course, but the more you are afraid and do not confront the fear, the less you will practice your skills and the slower you will learn and become comfortable. While its good to read the books and talk to other students, you learn the most through trial and error when you actually try to do things for yourself. So just jump on in there and try different things and eventually you'll get the hang of it. For Dr. James, I think your class is extremely helpful and relevant to the real world. I think that at some point the generational community might become to large for its own good. It might be information overload and people might get lost in the sea of homepages. For now its manageable but I don't know about the near future. As for what you could do about it I really don't know. I guess its just a reflection of the Internet in general and its phenomenal growth. Another neat idea might be to hold on-line real time Internet class discussions where students wouldn't have to come to a physical class in Gartley Hall, but rather they would meet in a chat room in virtual reality. Just a thought.
RELATED SITES:
http://www.metrognome.com/infodesign.html
http://www.webreview.com/95/08/17/design/arch/aug17/index.html
After entering his main home page for his site there is a button titled "Sucky to Savvy Click here to Begin". After clicking on it it takes you another page titled introduction. The introduction seemed like a home page inside of a home page. Actually come to think of it the home page was more like a cover page or kind of like a store front. The introduction page was more of a home page in the sense that it was the central point from which you could branch out and explore the rest of his Web site by clicking on the links. On the left side of the page in a column he has all of his links to the "sucky" and "savvy" do's and don'ts for Web pages, as well as his Extra Tips pages covering topics such as speed vs. design, jpgs vs. gifs, cookie crumbs, meta tags, etc. Towards the bottom of the page the user can also click on a proceed to next page button which will link to the next page in line. This makes it easy to continue on one straight path and to go in a previously planned order, while the side column allows you to jump around to different areas in whatever order you want to view the information. It also helps in that the user can see ahead of time what to expect and how the entire site is mapped out. This helps to prevent a feeling of being lost or overwhelmed.
Clicking on his "go to main page" link I was taken to a page that serves as an index site with links to all of his sections. The way that he has it set up is very impressive, something I've never seen done before. What he has is pictures of four different links: Sucky to Savvy, DisneyWorld Trip, WebSite Starter Kit CD, and How to Tell If You Have a Sucky Home Page. In the middle of the four pictures is a picture of himself. When you move the mouse over a link his arms move to point to that link and a caption comes out of his mouth describing the link. I think it is accomplished by the use of Java applets. I thought that this was a very interesting way to liven up links and make it different and more effective.
Clicking on his advertisement for his CD, I was taken to a page describing what is on the CD and how it can help you to design Web pages. It seemed pretty neat and I guess it could be useful and helpful for people who have little or no experience designing Web pages and who want easy to use templates to get started right away. I think, however, for people with modest to lots of experience, this CD is not a necessity to have. There is a button to press if you want to continue to order his CD which takes you to a page where you can fill out your order information. At the bottom of the page, if you don't click on the order link there are four links to: FAQ for my pages, Go Back to Main Menu, Feedback for my pages, and What's new on my pages. The FAQ page provides information regarding himself, his site, and his services. Apparently he designs and creates all of his own icons that are found on his page and he doesn't like it or allow other people to "steal" or use his icons. He even has made it so that if someone tries to use it illegally, a watercolor mark will appear to indicate that it has been stolen.
Finding sites related to the psychology of web design and navigation was not that easy. There doesn't seem to be to many sites out there or I just couldn't find them. Anyway I went to a search engine and I first tried typing in psychology and web design and navigation. That didn't work out too well so then I tried psychology +web design +navigation. That seemed to work better and I got one site. I then switched search engines and typed in the same search. I found what I thought was a related site and clicked on it. The site itself wasn't that good, but it had lots of promising links. One of the links turned out to be useful and that's how I discovered the second one.
"Information design is a discipline that combines elements of graphic design, interface design, usability, cognitive psychology, writing, and editing with a heavy dose of analysis and practicality. By providing structure and context for data, information designers render information in the best way for its intended audience.
Information design projects begin the same way as most design projects: with an examination of the target audience, intended message, and desired outcome. Once you know the characteristics of your audience, you can construct and present your message in a way that elicits the appropriate response from your audience."
I think that this page emphasizes the importance of the content of the page which is what we talked about above. The author is saying that it is important to know who your audience is because then you can design your Web page more effectively to take advantage of the psychology of your audience.
"But users will only be impressed by your site's coolness factor the first time. They'll get mighty sick of cuteness and splashiness after a while, and hey, let's face it: A successful site should not concentrate on initially engaging the interest of new users. It should also ensure that users will return time and time again by providing a functional, useful information product or service. Don't sacrifice that functionality to aesthetics, because after the feeling of falling in love wears off, you'll be married to your Web site."
This short quote from this Structure and Effectivenss page once again touches upon the theme that Dr. James had mentioned in his quote above. This is the idea that a Web page has to be not only visually appealing, but also functional and finding that balance is important. The author makes the point that after the initial feeling of wonderment the only thing left will be the content.
