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