Forms of Credible Websites;

Presumed -

A belief of credibility due to the viewers general assumptions;

Representation of a non-profit organization;

Site URL ending in ‘.org’;

Reputable source recommends the site;

Reputed - 

The endorsement or recommendation of a third party;

Surface - 

Credibility based on first impressions – professional looking; 

Earned - 

Credibility according to past performance/ reliability of information;

A2

Assignment 1 

Assignment 2

Caricature

Type Portrait 

Image Manipulation

References & Sources

Fogg, B. J. (2003). Credibility and the World Wide Web. In Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do (pp. 122-125). Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.

Fogg, B. J. (2003). Credibility and the World Wide Web. In Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do (pp. 147-181). Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. 

Public Interest Registry (2009) .ORG: Advance your mission. Retrieved from http://www.pir.org/

The Sartorialist (2009) The Sartorialist. Retrieved from http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com

http://www.nike.com.au

MacBook: This product positively satisfies performance load as the clean lines and simple design decreases the amount of physical and mental activity required increasing the chance that the goal will be achieved. 

 Vogue Cover: This product is very harmonious in the colour choice, directional lines and use of imagery. It achieves a positive performance load as it is pleasing to the eye – not difficult to view. 

West Bend Electric Can Opener: This product achieves a low performance load increasing the chance that the goal will be achieved as there is low cognitive and kinematic load. 

Images

www.amazon.com

www.stylefrizz.com

www.tycromedia.com

Q1

Performance Load 

Performance load is the amount of mental and physical activity required to achieve a goal. The book Universal Principles of Design states that if the performance load is high, the performance time and effort increases and the likelihood of accomplishing the goal successfully, decreases. The cycle reverses for low performance load with a higher probability of being successful. Performance load is made up of two types of loads – cognitive load and kinematic load. (Lidwell, Holden, Butler, 2003). 

Cognitive load is the amount of mental activity while Kinematic load is the amount of physical activity. Universal Principles of Design describes design as being a mode of minimizing performance load to the highest extent possible. (Lidwell, Holden, Butler, 2003). 

Q2

There is a design technique called “chunking” to reduce cognitive load, it refers to the condensing of information into smaller more consumable sections. This technique in relation to design and visual communication means that the eye takes in smaller amounts and retains them in the mind more effectively, so if a design is done well and with out clutter the observer will consume it easily and without recognising anything has been designed at all, as more importance/ focus is placed on the actual meaning of the work. (http://li.fccj.edu/chunking.htm)

Q3

Many of the ideas for visual design have been borrowed from psychology. Psychology is a necessity in visual design, in order to design effectively the designer needs to know what psychological effects their work will have on it’s observers. Design and art provoke very strong emotional reactions making the understanding of the psychological activity of humans a necessity.   

References

Chikatla, S., Ismail, T. & Amarasing, K. (2006) Cognitive Load Theory. Retrieved from http://www.southalabama.edu/oll/mobile/theory_workbook/cognitive_load_theory.htm

Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (2003). Performance Load. In Universal Principles of Design (pp.148-149). Massachusetts: Rockport. 

Sweller, J. (2003) Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Retrieved from www.sciencedirect.com 

Instructor Resources: Instructional design jargon explained – Chunking. Retrieved from http://li.fccj.edu/chunking.htm

The six right-brain directed aptitudes necessary for professional success and personal fulfilment;

Design

Many people believe that design is only surface deep, that it can be seen and acknowledged although it isn’t however a necessity. Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery describes this as “decoration” rather than design “…it is unmistakably there.” Reynolds describes the feature of best designs as the actual “design” not being recognised because of the designers level of skill – for example “the design of a book or signage in an airport.” These are good designs as the observer takes note of the message or meaning that is trying to be conveyed rather than the surface design – colour, typography, etc. (Reynolds, 2008, para 6). He also states that design is not an afterthought and should start at the stage of preparation.

Story

The most successful presenters tell stories to illuminate and animate their presentations, they don’t just present “the facts” – this is so appealing as it is a basic human instinct to tell and to receive stories. (Reynolds, 2008, para 9).

Symphony

Good presenters will make connections and relationships that we haven’t seen before. Symphony is the connections that are made between information to form the bigger picture so that we can see things in a different way. “Symphony is about utilising our whole mind – logic, analysis, synthesis, intuition – to make sense of our world … It’s also about deciding what matters and letting go of the rest.” (Reynolds, 2008).

Empathy

Empathy is about taking on the emotions of others in different positions. Empathy is utilised in presentation through the presenters perception of the audience – whether they understand the message the presenter is trying to convey or not – and the presenters ability to make alterations according to this. (Reynolds, 2008)

Play

Playfulness and humour can greatly enhance a presentation – not just presenting in a serious way. Laughter and humour = creativity and productivity. (Reynolds, 2008)

Meaning

Reynolds describes presentation as an opportunity to make a small difference in the world. He says that we “are born for meaning” and seek opportunity for self expression and to share what we feel is important. (Reynolds, 2008)

Q2

Colour Psychology Presentation Design;

The Colour Psychology presentation that I created was mainly focused on design (of the six aptitudes). I attempted to create symmetry in my design with clean lines and by changing the weight on each page so that it alternated on each side of the page.   

Story and meaning were conveyed through the text, also I believe that powerpoint presentations should hold only the absolute necessary information and the main bulk of the meaning should be delivered through the speaker themselves, this is why I only used a small amount of text and large pictures to capture the interest of the audience better. 

Symphony has been created through the discussion of how the colours work together, so basically through the story. I didn’t use Play in my presentation even though I used quite a playful design technique, as I didn’t think it was necessary and also because I believe humour has to be somewhat spontaneous to work. 

References

Reynolds, G. (2008). Presentations in “The Conceptual Age”. In Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (pp. 14-19). Berkeley, CA: New Riders.

Greer, M. (2008) Encourage Right Brain Thinking, retrieved from www.inspiredprojectteams.com

Pink, D. (2009) Dan Pink: A whole new mind, retrieved from www.danpink.com/wnm.html 

Aesthetics vs. Usability

The article Aesthetic – Usability Effect from the book Universal Principles of Design describes the connection between the way people use objects and how aesthetically pleasing the object is. The article states that if an object is more aesthetically pleasing the user will, in most cases, perceive the object to be easier to use when compared to a less aesthetically pleasing object that performs in the same way. This message was backed up in the online journal by Mark Boulton – “Good usability is inherent in good design because people think well designed things work better, whether they do or not …” (2005, para 9).

An opposing view to the aesthetics usability effect was that aesthetics can cloud good usability and confuse users, particularly in architecture as buildings with bad way-finding strategies can be very frustrating. The web designer, Jeffery King, at kingdesk.com describes a very good example of this; on his arrival at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco he found the layout of the hotel reception completely confusing as the placement of the escalators and their directions were reversed, the Hyatt Regency explained that this was because the entrance to the service desk from the other escalator gave a better first impression, Jeffery King states how ironic this is as they are willing to frustrate and annoy their customers just so that the aesthetics are better, leaving a bad first impression anyway because of the service. (2005, Journal).

Q2

Three objects that meet the Aesthetics – Usability Effect are;

One. 

Kitchen Aid Mixer – Aesthetically the Kitchen Aid Mixer is very pleasing, however, as far as usability is concerned it probably isn’t any easier to use than any other mixer, it just seems easier because it’s the best looking of its kind. 

Two. 

iPhone – Again this is another object that is Aesthetically pleasing and therefore the perceptions of it are that it is somewhat easier to use than others in the same category. 

Three.

A comparison was made between two cars by Mark Boulton on his website; he states that although the Audi A4 Avant and the Skoda Octavia Estate are very similar in functionality the Audi is preferable because of the design of the exterior of the car and the branding and advertising of the company. (2005, para 9).  

References

Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (2003). Aesthetic‐Usability Effect. In Universal Principles of

Design (pp. 18‐19). Massachusetts: Rockport.

Boulton, M. (2005). Journal: Aesthetic – Usability Effect, Retrieved from www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/comments/aesthetic_usability_effect/

King, J.D. (2009) Aesthetics Over Usability. Retrieved from http://kingdesk.com/articles/aesthetics-over-usability/ 

Images 

blogs.fineliving.com

weblogs.baltimoresun.com

markboulton.co.uk

• http://www.nometech.com/blog/ – one of the best information sources with info on all different aspects of WordPress and info from comment spam to how to customize your login page. 
• http://www.noupe.com/wordpress/powerful-cms-using-wordpress.html – How to transform your WordPress blog into a Content Management System with the application of 101 different techniques.
• http://justintadlock.com/archives/2008/08/25/tips-on-using-and-developing-for-wordpress-happily – it’s all in the title ! 
• http://blog.themeforest.net/wordpress/9-useful-snippets-for-your-wordpress-functions/ – some useful tips for WordPress widgets and how to add a ‘send to twitter’ function.
• http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/wordpress/tutorials-for-developing-wordpress-themes/ – a good sight for design information – how-to knowledge and design ideas

Learning Portfolios also allow for communication outside of the classroom and enable students to transfer work easily between home and class. The learning portfolio is a great tool for students as they can review their work, set personal and educational goals and demonstrate their strengths, as well as being able to recognize their weaknesses and academically grow from them by going back over work and improving it.

Demonstrating Accomplishments

•  the ability to master the major topics of the course. 
• the ability to provide evidence of the evolution of an assignment.
• choose which assignments best demonstrate their ability and articulate why they chose the piece. 
• make links between experiences and achievements. 
• recognize patterns in various subject topics for better justification and substantiation of ideas in their own work. 
• self analysis and reflection (clarity of purpose).
• the use of digital technologies to demonstrate their competency in that area.
• to be proactive towards future achievements and opportunities after their current course has ended. 

Sources 

Kimeldorf, M. (1997) Portfolio power: The new way to showcase all your job skills and experiences; Princeton: Peterson’s

Zubizarreta, J. & Millis, B. (2009) Learning portfolio: Reflective practice for improving student learning; Wiley, John & Sons, Inc. 

Ash, L. (2000) Electronic Student Portfolios. Arlington Heights: Skylight Professional Development

Kimball, M. (2003) The web portfolio guide: Creating electronic portfolios for the web. Longman

Cambridge, B. (2001) Electronic portfolios. Washington: AAHE