Week 11 :: Reflection

It's been a trying 12 weeks, but the quarter has officially come to an end.

The first thing I'd like to say is, this has been an incredibly rewarding class. I can't believe the variety of programs I've learned... from Indesign to Photoshop to Dreamweaver.. I feel like anything I want to create I now have the basic know-how to do it in any one of these programs! I usually leave a class thinking "well I wont be using any of THIS information ever again!" but in this case, for Comm 350, I feel like I've learned a lot of real world, career oriented skills that I can use in the future. With our society becoming more and more technologically robust, having the ability to learn new programs will only get you father, especially as a soon-to-be graduate going into careerland.

Above all, Dreamweaver is by far the program I am most proud of learning. I can't say I'm especially apt at it, but I do know the basics and how to add in third party html code, which is wayyy more than I could have ever done before! The most used skill I acquired was doing Hotspots on my website. A Hotspot is a rollover  clickable area that brings you to another page, pop up, photo, url, etc. Since I used a mix of jpegs and code to create my website (www.kaylalynnphotography.com) I used hotspots on the jpegs to create links. It was really simple to do, but I kept forgetting how to do it, so I referred to this video quite a bit when I was working on my own:

                                     

Moving on, looking back at my blog posts I saw on my "Social Media" blog I signed up for Digg.com, which was for an assignment to try out a new social media site. Until I looked at the blog, I had totally forgot that I had created an account. In that blog entry, I compared Digg to Reddit, which I consider myself a regular redditor, so I've frequented that site a ton, but not Digg at all.

The blogging process this quarter has been enjoyable, but also tedious at times. It was hard to write some weeks when I just wasn't feeling like writing, and those I'd say are my worst blog entries. Others, I'd be really excited about putting my ideas out in blog form, and I'd get really creative and put a lot of voice into my posts. Reading through them again I can definitely tell which weeks were the 'blah' weeks and which ones were my enthusiastic ones.

It's been real, Comm 350. Thank you, Jason, for all the skills you've taught us and for a fulfilling quarter!

Signing out,

Kayla

Week 10 :: Sans Cell

Nomophobia: The fear of not having your cell/mobile phone.
I experienced this uncomfortable phobia-type feeling for 6 days this past week due to switching service providers for my cell phone and there being an error with my activation for almost an entire week. So, instead of following the exact assignment, I'm going to explain what a week without my cell phone was like.

Not being able to just call or text any moment I desired was a bit off putting. The biggest challenge for me was making plans with my friends. Instead of texting one of my friends randomly during the day, "Hey want to grab lunch between classes?" I had to make plans the day before. Seems normal for some people, but for me and my schedule it was almost harder to plan things in advance because I didn't know what to expect each day. So I'd email or instant message my friends on Facebook, set a date, time, and location to meet, and then hope they'd remember and that I'd remember. It honestly reminded me of the days I didn't have a cell phone and I'd make plans with people via calling them on my home phone (with their numbers MEMORIZED unlike today with everything programmed on our phones, eliminating the need to remember). When my phone finally activated (yesterday) I was instantly relieved. It sounds incredibly technologically dependent, but I never realized exactly how much I use my phone for so many things.

With not having my phone I noticed I would compensate by being on my laptop a lot more. Mainly it was to make plans, but I also found myself slightly bored during my freetime without my phone. Having access to other technology when I didn't have my cell made me want to use it more, not only as entertainment, but just a way to reach out and communicate with my friends and photography clients.

It was a disconnected feeling, but in a weird way it was a bit nostalgic of days without sporadic contact and with scheduled plans. I improvised with more technology, but even while using my laptop I still had the feeling of disconnectedness from people I wanted to have instant contact with. Not having my cell phone for a week allowed me to really appreciate the amount of access technology has given us to the people we care about.

Week 9 :: SixthSense

Technology becomes more and more integrated into our lives every single day. Upgrades of iPhones, new Android apps, multiple types of tablets, phones for your tablets, tablets for your tablets... the evolution of technology is astounding and unstoppable. The more new gadgets that come out the more we think we need them, and the more we become engulfed in what we're holding in our hands rather than what surrounds us in our everyday lives. In the Ted talks I watched, Pattie Maes discusses Sixth Sense technology, technology that utilizes our natural body language and gestures to create and control tech.

While watching the video titled "Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense," I paid close attention to the clip Pattie showed of Pranav Mistry using the SixthSence technology in studio and out on the street. I thought the motion to take a picture (framing your index fingers and thumbs to create a rectangle) was really interesting!! As a photographer, I do that on occasion when trying to frame something in my mind, so I thought using that gesture as a tool to take pictures with their SixthSense photography. From that example alone, I have a clear sense of what their goal is as a technology producing company. Is it realistic? That is something I'm a bit less clear on.

The post processing work that the SixthSense technology seems like a step backwards, in my opinion. If someone is out with their smart phone, they can take a photo, edit with apps, and post online literally within minutes of taking the picture. With SixthSense they have to take it back to the studio in order for any post processing (photos for this example) to happen. It draws out the 'sharing' time which is often the reason people take the photos to begin with - to share online with their friends, expanding their handheld technology onto social networking technology and more.

The biggest drawback about where our culture is going with technology is the idea that reality is more interesting when it has some type of technological correlation. Facebook has given us the tools to continuously keep in touch with our friends and encouraged us to share with multiple mediums. When I was out for dinner the other night, I paid attention to how often my friends and I would bring up something Facebook related, "Oh I saw your post about that band coming into town! We should go!" or "Your pictures of your new apartment are so cute, I saw them on Facebook!" Conversation redirects to include one of our most frequently used communication tools, which can be good or bad. It's good because we can share with a broader audience, it's bad because the information we're giving our audience is less intentional and more passive.

Technology as a whole has definitely redirected our growth, market, and social focus for our everyday lives and our futures. We're using our bodies less and our minds more. With SixthSense is trying to do is give people back the ability their body has while still having it be involved with technology in some way. I think the concept is brilliant, but the execution of it must be solid and compliment the fast technology market in order for it to take off.


Sources: 

The Thrilling Potential of SixthSense Technology. Perf. Pattie Maes. TED Talks, 2009. Web.
Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense. Perf. Pattie Maes. TED Talks, 2009. Web.

Week 8 :: Wix

Last week in class we had the opportunity to use online website builders to create a group website pertaining to Western Washington University. My group chose to use Wix which is what I will be writing about in this blog. I've had previous experience with Wix for my photography page, but I have never finished a page with the builder until this group assignment. While I found their format and look to be more ideal than Weebly, the customization interface was a bit confusing and inconsistent. I will explain the pros and cons about using Wix in this blog post.

Wix had really intricate and interesting templates that had the 'wow' factor for what a lot of pages want. Between interesting flash-style slideshows and a large variety of fonts, the customization ability with Wix was impressive. You could choose a template and change enough of it to create something completely new and unique. The interchangeability of the templates were definitely something I desired when creating a page, having it look exactly like the template it offered every other free Wix user wasn't a way to catch someone's eye, even as visually stimulating as they may have been.

From the Wix page, you can find many great tutorial videos which clearly explain the functions and tools of Wix sites and how to start, edit, add, and change elements of your Wix page. This webiste: http://www.wix.com/support/main/flash/getting-started/video-tutorials-step-step-help has video tutorials from Getting Started to Wix Editor to Saving and Publishing to Support Tools. I found the Wix Editor video to be most helpful because of how difficult I found the editing interface to be, which I explain in the following paragraph.

The cons about Wix is that it is ideal for only one person to use at a time. When using it for the group project, we had trouble with saving multiple changes from different computers. We had to prioritize our time in segments to allow for each person to access our conjoined Wix account to be able to edit, change, add, and save pages. Because companies can have more than one person running a site, using Wix wouldn't be the most ideal due to the fact that it's very 'solo user' based. I also found some of the interface options to be a bit confusing and hard to get used to. When changing pages, instead of clicking on the links on the page, you had to go over to the edit bar to switch to the page you desired to edit. This caused misclicking which moved items you didn't want moved, added other elements, or added features to other pages you didn't want anything edited on.

Overall, using a webpage builder like Wix gave me the great opportunity to see what a 'real' website could look like with the right knowledge and tools, but I would recommend Wix as a solo project based site, rather than using it for group projects one may encounter. To check out the page my group and I made, visit this link: http://trybeforeyoudie5.wix.com/kickthebhambucket

Week 7 :: Social Media & Social Change

Facebook. Twitter. Google+. YouTube. Tumblr.

Chances are you have an account with at least one of these social media sites, if not more. Social media is taking over as the main way we communicate with not only our friends, but with people we've never met. It has expanded the channels of communication by inviting non-exclusiveness, anonymity, and interaction for people who would never had the opportunity to talk or share content with before. YouTube has it's own 'celebrity' vloggers and entertainers. People find their news on Twitter. Facebook allows interaction with businesses. Social networking and websites has become so dominant in our culture that it's even integrating into our everyday discourse. It's an important movement to recognize because of its mass increase in traffic and volume each and everyday.

According to the YouTube video "The Social Media Revolution 2012," the number of people on Facebook would make it 3rd place for highest populated country, winning over the United States. Having this many people from so many different places and so many different demographics allows for a much more open discourse and accessibility to others. I remember initially hearing about the Occupy Movement through Facebook and Reddit before ever hearing about it on the news. People would post Occupy forums on Reddit encouraging other people to Occupy their cities and share tactics, signs, photos, etc. Having the tool of social media to communicate to people you'd otherwise not be able to speak to allows for information to travel fast. It's difficult for government to regulate it and keep up with what is being posted. This explanation goes along well with Malcolm Gladwell's article titled "Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted" which explains how social movement nowadays is accelerated and amplified compared to pre-internet days. For example with the equality movement for blacks back in the 1960s used a body rhetoric tactic for social movement by sitting in places they were not allowed to be at the time due to segregation. The way word got around for doing this was through telling people about it, but it was mainly localized due to the limited access to spreading the word elsewhere. The difference now is with social media the limitations are minimal and the information is fast.

Social media can induce social change with viral force. An example of this is the Kony 2012 video. If you haven't heard of it before, the Kony 2012 movement was started by a man named Jason Russell highlighting the children being mistreated and put to war by a man named Kony in Africa. The video was 30 minutes long and had an immense amount of Pathos being used to invoke an emotional response to donate money to Invisible Children to help the kids in Africa featured in the video. I remember being on Facebook and all the sudden seeing at least 30 posts by Facebook friends linking the Kony 2012 youtube video and telling everyone they "HAD" to watch it. The video is extremely well done and definitely invites participation and initiation of a social movement through it's well formulated organization and content. The controversy was its legitimacy due to rumors about Invisible Children not using all the donation money for the movement to save the children under Kony's reign. Another issue was the supposedly 'dated' information about Kony and his whereabouts, because according to some sources Kony had already been arrested. I found out all of this information through social media - not necessarily my friends posting the information themselves, but them sharing links of sites telling this information. Without social media, I don't know how much I would have found on my own.

It's amazing being a part of this millennium social media uprising that my generation is so engulfed in. Having these socials tools is what I've known and become so used to since I was 13-14 years old and first had dial up internet and AOL Instant Messenger. My involvement with online social networking only snowballed from that point and has definitely integrated itself into my daily routine. The majority of my news comes from posts on Facebook or Reddit and it's a rare day when I have to google something to find out what it is all about, since information is so quickly posted and explained on social media sites. Social media and social change are intensely connected and will continue to be due to the fast growth of the online population. This is not just a fad, like the video questions, it is most certainly a solid revolution.

Sources:
Gladwell, Malcolm. "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted." The New Yorker. 4 Oct. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell.

Kony 2012. Dir. Jason Russell. 2012. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Ngak, Chenda. "Invisible Children's "Kony 2012" Viral Video Stirs Emotion and Controversy." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 8 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57393346-501465/invisible-childrens-kony-2012-viral-video-stirs-emotion-and-controversy 

The Social Media Revolution 2012. 2012. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs

Week 6 :: Social Media

Social media is a tool I use multiple times daily not only for communication, but for news and knowledge. Out of the list supplied in this week's blog assignment, there was only one social media site I did not know: Digg. Since I already had memberships or knew about the other sites, I chose Digg to join and research from both the inside and outside of the site.

First, and overview is in order, since that was the initial step I took before digging in (hah..) Digg is a user-submitted content based site that allows for users to vote to rank importance or interest in posts that are submitted. Top posts become featured on the main page so more Digg users see them. The name Digg came from the slang "dig" which is 'to like,' and when users vote on posts they either Digg it or Bury it. The only way you can create a Digg account is through having a Facebook or Twitter account, which limits the amount of people who can use it, but encourages interchangeable content between those social media sites.

There's much comparison between Digg and Reddit, which is another user-submitted content based site with a voting system. I, myself, am a regular Redditor, so I was surprised I hadn't heard of Digg before especially as it is a competitor to one of my favorite websites. Criticism and praise about Digg comes from a variety of sources, but Rachel Metz from MIT Technology Review had the most thorough and well stated comparison of the two sites. Between January 2010 and May 2010 Reddit gained over 7 millions unique users, whereas Digg's number of users dropped significantly. A main complaint about Digg is the interaction interface - there is a limited amount of interaction you can have with other Digg users, despite the site being driven by user-submitted content. Commenting on stories, according to Digg's site, is not yet an option because they "are a hard problem to solve." For being a dedicated Redditor and not having the comment option on Digg, I feel restricted to the community Digg could potentially have if they allowed users to interact more readily. Also, while browsing through Digg, I noticed there are only a few main monitors for ALL content. These are not monitors from the Digg user community, but rather hire-ons working for Digg. Much of the time they are the one's deciding what content ends up on the home page, which almost defeats the purpose of a voting system all together.

My overall impression of Digg was that it's a fantastic idea that didn't quite develop in the most enjoyable way from a user standpoint. The concept of democratically run content is fantastic, but when the site limits their user interaction with the content they post it puts a barrier between where Digg is and the potential it could have as a user-based community, like Reddit. Besides the function of the site, I did enjoy the layout of the content. It's far more image based in comparison to Reddit, which for someone who tends to favor visuals versus reading text, I was diggin' that aspect.

Sources:

"Frequently Asked Questions." Digg. Web. 03 Nov. 2012. http://digg.com/faq. 

Metz, Rachel."Why Did Reddit Succeed Where Digg Failed?" MIT Technology Review. Web. 03 Nov. 2012. http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428520/why-did-reddit-succeed-where-digg-failed/

Nations, Daniel. "A Review of Digg." About.com. Web. 03 Nov. 2012. http://webtrends.about.com/od/digg/gr/digg_review.htm

Week 5 :: Podcasts & Audacity

This week in class we've been learning about and experimenting with the music program Audacity. Audacity is a free audio recording and editing program that is easy to use and often used as a medium for creating Podcasts. Podcasts are similar to radio shows, there's some Podcasts that have a more entertaining aspect, some with more informative, and listeners can subscribe to Podcasts they want to listen to regularly.

I caught on to Audacity pretty quickly, but when I was playing around on it at home I found myself forgetting small simple things. In an article titled "How to Use Audacity" they have three categories for tutorials. The first is Recording, which goes through how to connect your gear, activate recording, record/stop/pause, and other options for how you want to input your audio. Playback is the next category which explains what to do after you've recorded audio. It covers reviewing what you've recorded, changing speeds, and to listen to all, some, or one track that is open in the same file. The last category is Editing which covers how to trim, apply effects, manipulate the audio, and saving. I found the information really helpful as both a new learning tool but also a refresher. The most helpful part for me was the screen shots of each explanation. I'm extremely visual as a learner so having those as a guide made learning new things much easier.

I've discussed the program to use to record Podcasts, but how about the process before that? The prep is probably the most important step of Podcasting because of how important it is for the viewers to hear a show that isn't unorganized. Having things planned out allows you to fit as much in as time allows and keeps you on a steady pace. The first way to do this is have a script. If you're prepared and have practiced what you want to say, it'll come out more naturally rather than reading straight from paper. If you're dong an interview, it's good to prepare the interviewee with the questions so they don't get caught off guard. Another  tip is to be natural, people will want to listen to you and connect with you more if you sound like you're having a conversation with them. These tips and more are featured in Dustin Wax's article titled,  "10 Tip for Would-Be Podcaster."

During the process of making my intro/outro submission, I had the hardest time with figuring out how to add in multiple audio clips and integrate them together. Lowing the music volume while keeping the voices loud enough to be able to understand was one of the most difficult tasks for me. Once I figured that out, I worked on fade out effects. This video has a bit more advanced information I was needed for the basics I wanted to do, but it had a lot of easy to follow tutorials. Here is it below:




"How to Use Audacity." WikiHow. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Audacity>.Video Tutorial: Mixing Voice-Over with Music Bed Using Dynamic Controls. Dir. Dave Dugdale. Learning DLSR Video, 2011. YouTube.
Wax, Dustin. "10 Tips for Would-Be Podcasters." Lifehack. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-tips-for-would-be-podcasters.html>.

Week 4 :: Webpage Layout & C.R.A.P.

In class this week we learned about basic website layout rules using the C.R.A.P. guide. C.R.A.P. stands for Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity. Websites can be designed and laid out in a variety of formations, and some designs will work better for certain types of sites depending on the service or information you're trying to provide. There are many helpful sites online that give valid information and suggestions when creating sites, along with a plethora of examples. I will be using the information I find and apply it to my individual website layout and discuss how certain layouts will work better and why.

In an article titled "10 Rock Solid Website Layout Examples," Joshua Johnson discusses how keeping it simple is the best route to take. If a viewer is overwhelmed by options, movement, colors, link, etc., they will have a harder time being patient and allowing themselves to continue to browse the site. Simplicity, with the vast amount of information available on the web, is the number one thing to keep in mind when designing a page. For my site, Kayla Lynn Photography, I'm going to be using a lot of photos. I want to be sure that I present the photos in an eye catching way that wont overwhelm the viewer. Johnson wrote, "Page layout is equal parts art and science," which I think is an important note to keep in mind. The art is the most obvious appealing part, the face of your page and what you want people to notice first. The science part is how it's arranged and how that is pleasing to the eye, even though some people may not be actively noticing it. The correct combination of them both will allow for a visually stimulating but organized at the same time. A specific note that Johnson makes in this article is having a prominent photo on every page. If all the photos you present are the same size, the eye wont know where to start. However, if you have one photo that is 2-3 times the size of all the others, the eye will automatically catch that one first, and then follow along the page more fluently.

I've discussed simplicity as far as layout, but this rule also applies to the amount of written text/information you supply to your viewers. Keeping the amount of text limited, according to an article titled "Web Site Design Tips," will give viewers the concise information they're looking for, while minimizing the clutter that the appearance of text can have. For my photography page, since the main focus will be displaying a portfolio of images, I will be keeping text to small minimum. The 'About' page will have the most text on it, explaining who I am, what I do, and what I offer. Other than that, the text on other pages such as 'Seniors,' 'Weddings,' and 'Family' I will have a sentence long intro about the section and then keep the rest of the focus on the photos.

In class we've been developing a logo for our page, and due to the fact that my logo will be used for my actual Kayla Lynn Photography business, I want to be sure it's something that represents my style, is modern, and can be used in a variety of sizes and still be legible. I've been experimenting with the letters "KLP" for the logo. According to an article titled "9 Tips for Web Layout Design," having a logo is crucial. It's a way to universally recognize your company through unique symbolism. If someone visits my site and my logo, and then sees a photo watermarked with that same logo on a different site, they'll most likely make the association between the two. A logo acts as the identifier to your company and making it memorable, simple, and unique is crucial for visitor to take note of it.

Sources:

"9 Tips for Web Layout Design." Blur Designs. 22 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. <http://blur-designs.com/blog/9-tips-for-web-layout-design/>.

Johnson, Joshua. "10 Rock Solid Website Layout Examples." Design Shack. N.p., 16 Feb. 2011. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. <http://designshack.net/articles/layouts/10-rock-solid-website-layout-examples>.

"Web Site Design Tips." Great Web Design Tips. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. <http://www.great-web-design-tips.com/web-site-design/209.html>.

Week 3 :: Photoshop Basics

Learning a new program is never easy, especially if you've only seen the results that come out of it, but never used it yourself. I admire a lot of different photographers, especially ones that focus on conceptual photography which often has a lot of post process manipulation involved. Simply by using their imagination and the right programs, they can create some of the most beautiful and unusual images. One of those programs is Photoshop! Obtaining Photoshop is not enough, though. There is an abundance of tools within the program that will ultimately lead you to what you want to create, you just have to learn how to use them.

Luckily, here in the 21st century, we have the internet. There are hundreds upon hundreds of tutorials available - from videos to blogs to workshops to articles - the resources are literally endless. I'm going to provide you with some of the top free resources I've found online that have helped me learn the basics, and I have confidence they will assist you as well!

Lifehacker.com has a lot of written resources for how to complete desired tasks, including Photoshop! I found this video on their YouTube channel which provided me with the visual medium I best learn with, but also has almost 25 minutes of easy to follow instructions!

The basics begin with learning and understanding the tools available in Photoshop. In class, we went over all the main tools and learned their basic functions. The great thing about learning these functions in class is that you can practice them while learning about them, much more hands on than just watching a video. To create my first banner in Photoshop, I used tools such as Move, Dodge, Type, Eyedropper, and Zoom. These are just a few of the tools available. To learn about others I used an article from PhotoshopLab.com called "Photoshop Tool Basics" which have clear descriptions and images of each tool.

The above video is a great example I found of an online tutorial about how to make a banner. Some of the strategies and tools are a bit different than what I did in class, but it is still a great beginner guide for someone trying to learn this without an instructor around.

The biggest challenge for me in Photoshop was learning how to manipulate text. I had no idea how to access the Transform tool to flip and twist text, or how to insert an image as the fill for a text. In an article by Peter Bauer on Peachpit.com called "Understanding Type and Text in Photoshop, Part 1" there are four pages of very helpful information about text manipulation, including pictures and instructions.

It was fun to learn new and helpful strategies to complete the creative goals I have in mind for my website. I look forward to what's in store for us next in class! 

Sources:
Basics of Photoshop #01 - What Does Everything Do? Lifehacker. YouTube. 06 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SafSh_u1FF0>Bauer, Peter. "Understanding Type and Text in Photoshop, Part 1." Peachpit. 13 Apr. 2007. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=715009>.How to Design a Compelling Banner in Adobe Photoshop. EreciasWebDesign. YouTube. 28 June 2010. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vusI-sDEXhE>."Photoshop Tool Basics." Photoshop Lab. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.photoshoplab.com/photoshop-tool-basics.html>.

Week 2 :: Introduction & Web Design

Welcome to my blog! I will be writing weekly about various topics pertaining to communication technologies for my Communication 350 class. Before getting down to business, an introduction is in order...

I'm Kayla!

I'm a full time student at Western Washington University, majoring in Communication and minoring in Psychology. I've always enjoyed how the two subjects correlate - psychology being the study of the internal processes of people, our innate behaviors, and communication being the expressed version that we show the world. Studying the two at once has been incredibly rewarding and insightful!

I also attempt to maintain a life outside of Western's walls, which isn't the easiest to achieve with this being my senior year and all. Besides student, waitress and photographer are other titles I hold. I've always had a strong interest in visual creativity and try to pursue other creative hobbies, but photography is the one that resonated most.

Alright, now that the introduction is over, let's discuss website design.

In Comm 350 each student will be designing their own website. Besides using template sites like Wix.com and dabbling with Weebly.com, I have absolutely no experience with building a webpage. So, in today's blog, I will be sharing recommended "Top Ten Rules" from two different sources. First is from a web development company called Sharpened Productions, and the second is a web design company called Web Design Dev.

1. Content
   Having clear purpose on your website is the most important element. Although this is not a design element, it is the reason people will be visiting your site. If the message isn't clear, visitors will be confused. The internet is a fast tool with overwhelming amounts of information - make sure that information is easy to obtain.
2. Browsers
   Visitors are going to be using a variety of different browsers to see your site, so it's crucial to be sure your layout and functionality works on multiple browsers. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer are some of the main ones visitors will be using. Be sure your functions and visuals on your site are consistent throughout!
3. Navigation
   Being able to easily navigate through a site you're first visiting is an absolute must. If a visitor goes to your site and can't figure out where certain information is, or links lead them to different pages, they are going to become impatient and frustrated. Be clear and concise with where your links will lead them.
4. Fonts
   The fonts you choose for your webpage really embody the 'personality' your page has. Cursive fonts promote elegance, block fonts have a bold statement, etc. You want to be sure you're using fonts that represent the look and feel you want visitors to interpret when they visit your page. Know the difference between serif and sans serif fonts!
5. Colors
   Like fonts, your color scheme on a site brings a visual mood your visitors interpret. Pairing neutrals with accent colors (dark brown with light blue, black with light green, dark grey with light pink) allows for their to be splashes of color without being overwhelming. Putting uncomplimentary colors on top of one another can hurt the visitors eyes, especially if their reading text!
6. Consistency
   When someone is visiting your site for the first time, you want them to be certain that each link they click is leading to another part of your site, not a different site all together. Having consistent colors, fonts, and layouts throughout each page will give the visitor ease when browsing your content.
7. Simplicity
   Clutter is unappealing - whether it be seen in a room, office, or website. Utilizing space in a minimal and organized way keeps confusion out and visitors in. Don't bombard your visitor with too many visuals or graphics, keep it simple and to the point.
8. Errors
   Test run your webpage before launching! Make sure links you set navigate to intended locations. Make sure the main browsers (as mentioned above) present your site in the way you want. Just like proof reading an essay before you turn it in, you should do the same with a site before going public.
9. Subscribing
   Never require your visitors to register or subscribe to your site in order to see information. Many people who see that step on sites will never visit it again, it's an extra step they don't want or need to take when simply trying to find out about what your site offers.
10. Advertising
    Keep advertising to a minimum or nonexistent. Ads do create revenue for sites, but be sure you're choosing ones that somewhat pertain to your service/product/information. Having too many ads or inappropriate ads on your site can be frustrating for visitors. Make sure placement isn't obstructive to the flow you want. 

Researching various dos/don'ts for site development can really help with creating a site you know visitors will enjoy. While you're creating the site to your liking, it is really for the visitors, keep them in mind during the process!

Thanks for reading!

:: Kayla


Sources
"10 Rules of Web Design." Sharpened Productions. 13 June 2012. Web. 03 Oct. 2012.
"Checklist: 12 Most Important Web Design Rules." Web Design Dev. Web. 03 Oct. 2012