- Highlight where I'm at now
At the moment I am currently doing a creative digital media apprenticeship with Distinctive publishing. I have been being taught how to create websites using Dreamweaver. By this i mean i have learned how to code and use css style sheets. I have also learned a lot more about the different tools in photo shop and Adobe Illustrator. By learning a lot in this apprenticeship it has giving me a lot more skills using Adobe Programmes such as flash, illustrator, photoshop and dreamweaver.
- Highlight where you want to be
In the future i would love to have my own design business with my friend Jonathan Robinson who is also on the same corse as me at the moment. By design business i mean creating logos, flyers, posters, t-shirt designs, business cards and much more. I would also like to include web design but this wouldn't be a strong point but this is something i could work on in my spare time.
-what the first steps are for me to get there.
The first steps for me to get there would be to just go for it. Start by business early on so i would have a lot more experience than i would in a couple of years. I know the 1st years usually the hardest so it would be best to get it out the way. The second year your meant to break even and the third year is when you start to make some money. So by hearing this i would rather start up as quick as i can as it will give me a lot more experience in the industry.
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Unit 39- Undertake Image Asset Managment
The word asset management can mean a lot of things. Things like what file formats you use, where you save the files, where can they be stored or what will happen if you move the files from their original saved location. These are the things I'm going to be talking about in this blog.
When you are thinking about saving work it is essential that you keep a master copy (the original) saved some where safe. This is because you can always edit the original file if it is a photoshop document or a illustrator file. You don't just want to save it any where, you are going to want to save it some where it won't be deleted. You should also think about saving these on a memory stick or portable hard drive. This is just incase you do delete it by mistake on your computer or mac.
There are a lot of aspects at work which can effect image asset management. For example when i have been creating my website i have been saving all my images into one folder per project. If some one was to move this it would effect my website as they would not load up on my site. In other work places this can be a problem if people were to move images or files as they would not know where they had been moved to. Another problem could be if some one renames the images or files.
To prevent images from physical damage during the work processes images should be stored safely and should always have a back up copies just incase something like this would happen. Another way for the images not to get moved or deleted is by naming them properly. By this i mean give them correct names. For example on my website, I have an image of a Facebook button and i have named it Facebookrollover. If i was to just call it Facebook, some one might just delete it as it does not sound very important. This is why it is very important to name and save your files carefully
When editing any images you want to make sure that you make a separate save to the original image. This is because you will always need to keep the original. When naming your edited images you should name them correctly. For example if I had an image called Button, my edited image could be called Button-edit1. This would make it more clear which files was which and would help avoid confusion.
Before using images for your work it is important that you take a look at all the images that you have (look at the quality and purpose). This is because you don't want to have a lot of useless images taking up any space that aren't going to be getting used. Once you have rated your images it is important that you save them with appropriate names and in an appropriate file structure.
When gathering images it is very important that you get permission to use any images which are copyrighted. This is especially important if you are working in a business because there are copy right laws about needing permission about using other peoples images. It is very important that you do not infringe current laws and guidelines.
When all files are archived appropriately it is important that these images get backed up incase they get deleted or lost. Most companies will back up the files on a disc, memory stick or portable hard drive. Another method of backing up files is to store it online. I have used this method while creating my website by using drop box. It allows you to upload your files online from one computer and download them from another computer. This saved all the hassle of wires and plugging in and out memory sticks/ hard drives.
When you save an image it will almost always have the date it was created, the date it was modified and the date it was last opened saved. This is viewable in they information tab on the images. To do this you just have to right click the image and then go to "get info". It will then open a small tab which will display this information.
When in a company there are organisational procedures used when capturing and downloading images. These can be many things depending on the company. For example when capturing an image for a company it would be very important to store the images in the companies space so that they have access to it. This also means when the company want to use the image they can download it form the companies network and then use the image appropriately. If they were to upload the images by using a camera all they would have to do it plug the camera into a P.C or MAC then drag the files into the space where they would want to be stored (companies area).
Colour management plays a big part in capturing images and downloading images within a company. This is because when images are being transferred between different devices they need to keep the same colours. Colour management try's to obtain a good match across all the devices so the colours all look the same. By different devices i mean computer LCD monitors, plasma TV's and printed documents. it basically helps the colours have the same appearance on all of the devices.
When you are thinking about saving work it is essential that you keep a master copy (the original) saved some where safe. This is because you can always edit the original file if it is a photoshop document or a illustrator file. You don't just want to save it any where, you are going to want to save it some where it won't be deleted. You should also think about saving these on a memory stick or portable hard drive. This is just incase you do delete it by mistake on your computer or mac.
There are a lot of aspects at work which can effect image asset management. For example when i have been creating my website i have been saving all my images into one folder per project. If some one was to move this it would effect my website as they would not load up on my site. In other work places this can be a problem if people were to move images or files as they would not know where they had been moved to. Another problem could be if some one renames the images or files.
To prevent images from physical damage during the work processes images should be stored safely and should always have a back up copies just incase something like this would happen. Another way for the images not to get moved or deleted is by naming them properly. By this i mean give them correct names. For example on my website, I have an image of a Facebook button and i have named it Facebookrollover. If i was to just call it Facebook, some one might just delete it as it does not sound very important. This is why it is very important to name and save your files carefully
When editing any images you want to make sure that you make a separate save to the original image. This is because you will always need to keep the original. When naming your edited images you should name them correctly. For example if I had an image called Button, my edited image could be called Button-edit1. This would make it more clear which files was which and would help avoid confusion.
Before using images for your work it is important that you take a look at all the images that you have (look at the quality and purpose). This is because you don't want to have a lot of useless images taking up any space that aren't going to be getting used. Once you have rated your images it is important that you save them with appropriate names and in an appropriate file structure.
When gathering images it is very important that you get permission to use any images which are copyrighted. This is especially important if you are working in a business because there are copy right laws about needing permission about using other peoples images. It is very important that you do not infringe current laws and guidelines.
When all files are archived appropriately it is important that these images get backed up incase they get deleted or lost. Most companies will back up the files on a disc, memory stick or portable hard drive. Another method of backing up files is to store it online. I have used this method while creating my website by using drop box. It allows you to upload your files online from one computer and download them from another computer. This saved all the hassle of wires and plugging in and out memory sticks/ hard drives.
When you save an image it will almost always have the date it was created, the date it was modified and the date it was last opened saved. This is viewable in they information tab on the images. To do this you just have to right click the image and then go to "get info". It will then open a small tab which will display this information.
Friday, 16 March 2012
Unit 35- Undertake Technical Adjustments of Images
Editing images in photoshop is very easy, even for people who have never used the programme before. To change the colours of images photo shop uses a thing called RGB colour. This refers to red, blue and green which are primary colours. These three colours are able to make over 16 million different colours. The reason we used RGB on photoshop to edit images is that they are used to be viewed on the computer screen. These colours all have a colour value of 255. When you change the value of each colour the colour you are trying to get will change.
When editing an image it is better to have a big image (high resolution) so that the image does not pixilate when editing it or rescaling it. It is also a good idea to rescale the image when you are ready to the size you want it before adding it into another programme. This will save you time and the image won't need rescaling on the other programme.
There are a lot of different editing software which is relative for editing images but the best of them all has to be Adobe Photoshop. It has so many different features, tools and uses as it allows you to change the image mode from RGB colour or to Grayscale etc. There are a lot of different methods to editing images depending on your design style that you are aiming for. By this i mean there are a lot of tools used for different things. These tools can help you achieve the image edited how you want it to be edited.
To get the images into the software all you have to do is go to file >open> then select the file. If in Photoshop it is better to have the photoshop file as it would have the layers already set out for you. One of the worst things you can do as a designer is not save the original image with all the layers on because if you need to come back to change anything you won't be able to. In programs like photoshop there are options for grids and rulers to help you when scaling images or editing. These are basically guild lines on where/ where not to edit.
Photoshop is a great tool since you can save the original photoshop file image then edit from that and make more images from that. For example a client might want a poster made on photoshop. Once i had finished it i would then save it as a photo shop file. I would then reopen this and edit the colours of the poster then save it again as a Jpeg. I could do this three or four times, this would then give me more examples to show the client and see which one they prefer. If they didn't like it then i could open the photoshop file and edit the original. It is very important that you save your files the correct format as it can effect the quality of the image. This can also matter if you don't want a background on an image and you don't save it as a PNG.
By law a photographer will own all copyright on any photos that they have taken. This only applies if they were taking for themselves. For example if some one was to take images for a company then those images would belong to the company not the person who took those images. Another way that it wouldn't apply is that if the photographer signed an agreement that assigns the copyright to some one else.
It is quite important to mark your work as it will make it clear that the copyright exists on you images and then they would know who to contact to obtain permission to use these images. This could potentially make you a little bit of money if people wanted to use your work. For example most photographers will charge people for using there images.
Unit 27- 2D Animation For Interactive Media Products
The main use/purpose of computer animation in interactive products is to make the page stop being static. Its to draw the viewers eyes away from the page for a second. . They are mainly used in banners. For example on my website i have used 2D animation at the very top of my website to point at the buttons and say click for more information.
The main techniques used in 2D animations are frames and tweens. A frame is a still image and by having a lot of frames together it makes it look like the image is moving smoothly. To make the image move you would make a tween between a large group of frames. To increase the speed of the animation you would increase the amount of frames per second. To create these animations people use Adobe Flash.
People expectations of animations have increased a lot over the years since technology is improving fast and is improve so fast. This means peoples expectations are very high. Since i am not a animator my animations obviously wasn't going to be great so i made quite a simple animation which went with my website.
To save my animation i saved it as a flash file but i also had to export it as a movie. This would then allow me to put it on my website. If i had any changes that needed to be made i would edit the flash file then save over the exported one. My animation matched the theme of my website and wasn't to flashy.
When creating the animation it is important to name your layers so you don't get confused. It is also a good idea before you start creating your flash animation to import all the image files/ sound files that you will be using throughout the animation.
The main techniques used in 2D animations are frames and tweens. A frame is a still image and by having a lot of frames together it makes it look like the image is moving smoothly. To make the image move you would make a tween between a large group of frames. To increase the speed of the animation you would increase the amount of frames per second. To create these animations people use Adobe Flash.
People expectations of animations have increased a lot over the years since technology is improving fast and is improve so fast. This means peoples expectations are very high. Since i am not a animator my animations obviously wasn't going to be great so i made quite a simple animation which went with my website.
To save my animation i saved it as a flash file but i also had to export it as a movie. This would then allow me to put it on my website. If i had any changes that needed to be made i would edit the flash file then save over the exported one. My animation matched the theme of my website and wasn't to flashy.
When creating the animation it is important to name your layers so you don't get confused. It is also a good idea before you start creating your flash animation to import all the image files/ sound files that you will be using throughout the animation.
Unit 25- Produce Copy for Interactive Media
When creating a website or blog you will be wanting to make it look good for your target audience. This nears that your constraints will depend on what type of audience you are aiming for. For example if you were to make a website for a professional company you aren't going to make it bright pink with flowers. You are going to want to make it look clean and professional. This can be annoying for designers as most designers have there own style and may think some things look better then others.
When using a content management system there can be a lot of issues. The main issues you will encounter will be coding issues. This can be a huge problem since it would effect your whole website and give you a lot of problems whereas if you made a mistake using HTML you would only have to change the small mistake you made. There are a lot of advantages while using content management systems though. The main advantage of using a content management system is that it is very easy to use and get used to even if its your first time on using it.
When making a website it is very important that you keep the same style through out the whole website. This means that the text and colour scheme should stay consistent throughout. This means if you use Arial on 75% of you pages and times new roman on the other 25% your website if going to look very un-proffesional. You must also make sure that you check your grammar, punctuation and spelling before posting anything online as this can look very un-professional. When adding text on your website as the main content it would be a good idea to space it out (add some images in as well). No body wants to read a huge block of text as most people would just find it boring. When typing your text you are going to want to make it accessible for every one. Im not saying to dumb it down but don't use huge words which no one has heard of etc. It would also be a good idea to add in hyperlinks with your text content. For example if i mentioned my portfolio i could link it from the word portfolio so people could go take a look. Along with the grammar and spelling it is very important to include appropriate captions / descriptions to go along with the content.
Metadata is used on webpages to identify what language it written in and what tools have been used to create it. It will also say where to go for more on the subject. By using this is will increase the quality of the original data/files.
One of the best ways to check any errors on your website while creating it is "Preview in Browser window". This will allow you to see what your site will look like when it actually goes live. This means that you can look for mistakes (for example an image may not load and you may have to re-upload it). To check text a good way to see if its all correct is to copy it into Microsoft word and spell check it all.
When filling in the content to your website you don't want to be typing in any false information. This means that i would make sure what i was talking about is true before writing a big page of text and it all being wrong. It is also a good idea to link your sources of information so that viewers can take a look for themselves if they don't get what you are talking about.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Unit 24- Manage and Market Own Freelance Services
One of the best way to find contents for business in this industry would be to look online. This will allow you to filter your search and find clients that are looking for the work you are looking to complete. Another method of finding clients for work could be face book or other social media. All you would have to do is advertise yourself and ask them to get in touch with you if they were looking for a designer. Another way to get work in through design crowd or other websites like this. There will be clients which post briefs and as a designer it is up to you to complete these projects and have a chance of winning and getting the money.
The best way to keep your clients is to keep in touch with them. For example you could get there number or add them on Facebook or ask them to follow your Facebook page if you have one. This way they would see any updates. By using a Facebook page it means you can add an e-mail to stay in touch or they could just message you on the Facebook website itself. This would make keeping in touch a lot easier.
By participating in networks and expert organisations to support being a freelancer will help you promote yourself within the industry. It will also allow you to attend different events that take place with the organisations. When going to these events it would be a great idea to being business cards or flyers with you to exchange with any other designers or new clients.
Since i am finishing my job here at distinctive as an apprentice designer i have thought about ways to promote myself. One of then set ways is to use a lot of social media. By linking my portfolio on my Facebook it allows 200+ people to look at my work and if they enjoy it they could share that link which would then lead to me getting more views and then could lead to more work.
There are a lot of different systems available to get in touch with you when there is new work available. For example there are creative media sites which you can sign up to which would then message you when work was available to apply for.
In the last paragraph i talked about different websites that would message you when there was new work available. These sites can potentially be classed as agents as they find you work. By signing up to these websites i am representing them by finding a job through them. Another way that i could find different agents would be to look for different creative media companies online in my area.
Websites like design crowd have the feature to comment on your work. This means that you are able to get feedback on your work that you have posted on the site. Since i have posted a lot of my work on Facebook, people are able to comment and give feedback to any of the images that i have uploaded. This will give me the opportunity to see what i have did wrong and know how to change it for next time.
As a freelance designer it is important to work flexibly. This means not to spend to much time working or spending to much time in your personal life. Its about finding the right balance of work and fun. But when work needs to be done it better to get it out the way. For example if i knew i had a project due in in 3 days i would organise my time so that i know i would have everything finished in time.
There are a lot of important business decisions while being a freelance designer. Like how much work are you going to do over a certain amount of time or what type of design that it is that you would want to do. Me myself would prefer to be an all round designer and do logos, flyers, posters, business cards and the odd website from time to time. By opening up your options it gives you the chance to get more work.
One of the most effective ways tho manage your budget as a designer is record everything you buy/ need. This will let you plan out how much you have to spend over periods of time. For example you could make a spreadsheet to add up how much bills, materials etc costs and then have it add up how much you have to spend on yourself.
Being a freelance designer means you never know what work is going to come in which means you don't know how much you will be getting paid until the work actually comes to you. This can be a bit of a problem to maintain a good amount of cash-flow as your pay will be in big chunks. You will have to manage your money well and make decisions of what you can and can't spend.
To find out how well you have performed it would be a god idea to ask your employer. This way they will be honest with you so you can get the best feedback you can get. Also by doing this you can compare it to the last time you asked which means you can see how you have improved.
When reading contracts as a freelance designers i would make sure i read it around 3 times so i knew exactly what i was signing. I would make sure that the contract meets legal and industry requirements by comparing it to past contracts that i have signed or finding an old draft contract. When communicating the obligations of all parties you want to be able to speak clearly and not mumble so they know exactly what you are saying.
With very important lets such as a final copy of a signed contact it is very important that you store it very securely. To do this i would keep a copy of it on something like drop box as it means i would always be able to get a copy of it if needed. With the written copy i would keep it in a folder which i would keep organised so i wouldn't loose it.
The best way to keep your clients is to keep in touch with them. For example you could get there number or add them on Facebook or ask them to follow your Facebook page if you have one. This way they would see any updates. By using a Facebook page it means you can add an e-mail to stay in touch or they could just message you on the Facebook website itself. This would make keeping in touch a lot easier.
By participating in networks and expert organisations to support being a freelancer will help you promote yourself within the industry. It will also allow you to attend different events that take place with the organisations. When going to these events it would be a great idea to being business cards or flyers with you to exchange with any other designers or new clients.
Since i am finishing my job here at distinctive as an apprentice designer i have thought about ways to promote myself. One of then set ways is to use a lot of social media. By linking my portfolio on my Facebook it allows 200+ people to look at my work and if they enjoy it they could share that link which would then lead to me getting more views and then could lead to more work.
There are a lot of different systems available to get in touch with you when there is new work available. For example there are creative media sites which you can sign up to which would then message you when work was available to apply for.
In the last paragraph i talked about different websites that would message you when there was new work available. These sites can potentially be classed as agents as they find you work. By signing up to these websites i am representing them by finding a job through them. Another way that i could find different agents would be to look for different creative media companies online in my area.
Websites like design crowd have the feature to comment on your work. This means that you are able to get feedback on your work that you have posted on the site. Since i have posted a lot of my work on Facebook, people are able to comment and give feedback to any of the images that i have uploaded. This will give me the opportunity to see what i have did wrong and know how to change it for next time.
As a freelance designer it is important to work flexibly. This means not to spend to much time working or spending to much time in your personal life. Its about finding the right balance of work and fun. But when work needs to be done it better to get it out the way. For example if i knew i had a project due in in 3 days i would organise my time so that i know i would have everything finished in time.
There are a lot of important business decisions while being a freelance designer. Like how much work are you going to do over a certain amount of time or what type of design that it is that you would want to do. Me myself would prefer to be an all round designer and do logos, flyers, posters, business cards and the odd website from time to time. By opening up your options it gives you the chance to get more work.
One of the most effective ways tho manage your budget as a designer is record everything you buy/ need. This will let you plan out how much you have to spend over periods of time. For example you could make a spreadsheet to add up how much bills, materials etc costs and then have it add up how much you have to spend on yourself.
Being a freelance designer means you never know what work is going to come in which means you don't know how much you will be getting paid until the work actually comes to you. This can be a bit of a problem to maintain a good amount of cash-flow as your pay will be in big chunks. You will have to manage your money well and make decisions of what you can and can't spend.
To find out how well you have performed it would be a god idea to ask your employer. This way they will be honest with you so you can get the best feedback you can get. Also by doing this you can compare it to the last time you asked which means you can see how you have improved.
When reading contracts as a freelance designers i would make sure i read it around 3 times so i knew exactly what i was signing. I would make sure that the contract meets legal and industry requirements by comparing it to past contracts that i have signed or finding an old draft contract. When communicating the obligations of all parties you want to be able to speak clearly and not mumble so they know exactly what you are saying.
With very important lets such as a final copy of a signed contact it is very important that you store it very securely. To do this i would keep a copy of it on something like drop box as it means i would always be able to get a copy of it if needed. With the written copy i would keep it in a folder which i would keep organised so i wouldn't loose it.
Unit 7- Creative Industry Awareness
There are a lot of fields in the creative media sector. For example there is a all round designer, people who do print, the manager of a design company who only does account would still count as being in the creative media sector. This is the same for other industries like sport for example, In football a physio is like a doctor but it would still be classes as in the sporting industry. As for the different industries with in creative media there is a huge list. Here are just some of the big industries with in the creative media sector: animation industry, computer games, films, publishing, photo imagery and the television industry.
Most industries within the creative media sector work t together. By this i mean if a publishing company made a book then the film industry could use that book to make a film out of it then split some of the profits. This will created a good relationship between the two companies and maybe create work between them both again in the future. By two companies working together in the same industry it means that they could potentially advertise together. This could mean that the film industry could put a advertisement on the TV about a knew movie which is out and they could also say check out the books during the commercial. This could get both companies more customers and would be cheaper then having two separate adverts.
In the creative media sector there are 4 stages of a life cycle. This means there is a sequence of activities which happens with new projects which are created. First of all they go through a birth phase where everything is defined (first ideas). Then they will go onto a planning phase. This means they will plan out the project in detail. The next phase is the execution of the plan. This means when the project starts getting build (coming to life). The last phase is the exit phase. This is when the project has been successfully developed. These 4 stages have names. The 1st stage (birth phase) it originally called the imitation phase. The second phase is originally called the planning phase where everything gets analysed. the third phase is originally called execution and controlling. This is probably the most import an phase during the life cycle as it ensures the project activities are properly executed and controlled. The last phase is originally named closure or exit as the project manager must ensure that the project is brought to a completion.
If you are to create a project in an industry you must make sure that all teams in that industry are working well together. For example if i was in the film industry there would be many departments like audio, special effects and the actors. For the film to work well these different departments would have to work together well so that the project can be as good as it can with out any problems. Even if some of the departments don't get along it is import ants that they still try and work together with out any hassle. In the different departments there are around 8 members of a team. The creators which are split up in to two sections (the plants and the resource). The next set of members are leaders which are also split up into two groups (the coordinators and the shapers). After the leaders then comes the implementers and yes these are also split into two groups (team builders and team implementers). The last members out of them are called the completers. These are the people who finish up the tasks at hand. These are also split into two groups called the monitors and the completer finishers. As you can image a lot of communication is needed between the teams.
Most industries within the creative media sector work t together. By this i mean if a publishing company made a book then the film industry could use that book to make a film out of it then split some of the profits. This will created a good relationship between the two companies and maybe create work between them both again in the future. By two companies working together in the same industry it means that they could potentially advertise together. This could mean that the film industry could put a advertisement on the TV about a knew movie which is out and they could also say check out the books during the commercial. This could get both companies more customers and would be cheaper then having two separate adverts.
In the creative media sector there are 4 stages of a life cycle. This means there is a sequence of activities which happens with new projects which are created. First of all they go through a birth phase where everything is defined (first ideas). Then they will go onto a planning phase. This means they will plan out the project in detail. The next phase is the execution of the plan. This means when the project starts getting build (coming to life). The last phase is the exit phase. This is when the project has been successfully developed. These 4 stages have names. The 1st stage (birth phase) it originally called the imitation phase. The second phase is originally called the planning phase where everything gets analysed. the third phase is originally called execution and controlling. This is probably the most import an phase during the life cycle as it ensures the project activities are properly executed and controlled. The last phase is originally named closure or exit as the project manager must ensure that the project is brought to a completion.
If you are to create a project in an industry you must make sure that all teams in that industry are working well together. For example if i was in the film industry there would be many departments like audio, special effects and the actors. For the film to work well these different departments would have to work together well so that the project can be as good as it can with out any problems. Even if some of the departments don't get along it is import ants that they still try and work together with out any hassle. In the different departments there are around 8 members of a team. The creators which are split up in to two sections (the plants and the resource). The next set of members are leaders which are also split up into two groups (the coordinators and the shapers). After the leaders then comes the implementers and yes these are also split into two groups (team builders and team implementers). The last members out of them are called the completers. These are the people who finish up the tasks at hand. These are also split into two groups called the monitors and the completer finishers. As you can image a lot of communication is needed between the teams.
Unit 6- Ensure Your Own Actions Reduce Risks to Health and Safety
In my job at the moment I am a graphics designer. This means the only equipment i use is a computer. I am currently in an office space which means there are many computers in one room. The main hazards and risks are cables and wires. These have the potential to trip people up or pull the computer over if not hidden away properly like they should be. Another risk with these wires are that they contain electricity. This is a potential hazard as electricity can start fires or give you an electric shock if touched. Another risk since we are using computers is any sort of liquid / drink near the computers. These could be knocked over and break the equipment. This is very dangerous since the equipment all uses electricity and a liquid is a conductor of electricity.
My responsibilities in the work place are to make sure i do not have any drink on the desk near the computers unless it has a tightly sealed lid on it. Another thing i do to avoid risks and hazards is to make sure i don't put my bag in the middle of the floor. I put it under the desk at my feet so people don't trip up while walking past. Another one of my responsibilities in the work place are to act responsible around the equipment. If i was to knock one of the computers over it could potentially brake or land on some ones hand or feet. Since i am a graphic designer i do not have to wear any sort of uniform, i just have to dress smart/ casual. This means any clothing that makes me comfortable just not anything inappropriate. This is because designers need to feel comfortable in what they wear while at work.
While at work it is important to identify who to go to if there is a problem. For example if there was a fire, this would be a great hazard as there is a chance of injury (burns etc). It is important that people know what to in a situation like this. If i was in this situation i make sure every one got out of the building including myself of course and i would alert my boss (learners). Once every one was out i would ring the fire brigade.
Rubbish is has the potential to be a risk if it is not disposed of properly. For example if some one was to throw rubbish on the floor some one could trip on it and hurt them selves. If i saw rubbish on the floor i would pick it up and put it in the bin as it is a risk and very un hygienic.
The best way to reduce risks in my work place would be to make sure that there are no drinks on tables and a specific area where you could store your drinks with out them getting spilt on computers. Another way to reduce risks in my work place would be to get cable ties for the wires of the computers. This would tie all the wires together making them easier to hide so no one would trip. As for bags i would just make sure that they are kept under desks and out of walk ways so no one trips.
There is a lot of difference between where i work and a construction sight for example. By this i mean in a construction site you would have to wear a hard hat and steel capped boots to avoid the risk of injury from any construction materials where as in my job i would need non of this. Risks and hazards change form job to job and are never the same so its a good idea if you know about them when getting into the job so you don't get injured or so that you don't injure some body else by accident.
My responsibilities in the work place are to make sure i do not have any drink on the desk near the computers unless it has a tightly sealed lid on it. Another thing i do to avoid risks and hazards is to make sure i don't put my bag in the middle of the floor. I put it under the desk at my feet so people don't trip up while walking past. Another one of my responsibilities in the work place are to act responsible around the equipment. If i was to knock one of the computers over it could potentially brake or land on some ones hand or feet. Since i am a graphic designer i do not have to wear any sort of uniform, i just have to dress smart/ casual. This means any clothing that makes me comfortable just not anything inappropriate. This is because designers need to feel comfortable in what they wear while at work.
While at work it is important to identify who to go to if there is a problem. For example if there was a fire, this would be a great hazard as there is a chance of injury (burns etc). It is important that people know what to in a situation like this. If i was in this situation i make sure every one got out of the building including myself of course and i would alert my boss (learners). Once every one was out i would ring the fire brigade.
Rubbish is has the potential to be a risk if it is not disposed of properly. For example if some one was to throw rubbish on the floor some one could trip on it and hurt them selves. If i saw rubbish on the floor i would pick it up and put it in the bin as it is a risk and very un hygienic.
The best way to reduce risks in my work place would be to make sure that there are no drinks on tables and a specific area where you could store your drinks with out them getting spilt on computers. Another way to reduce risks in my work place would be to get cable ties for the wires of the computers. This would tie all the wires together making them easier to hide so no one would trip. As for bags i would just make sure that they are kept under desks and out of walk ways so no one trips.
There is a lot of difference between where i work and a construction sight for example. By this i mean in a construction site you would have to wear a hard hat and steel capped boots to avoid the risk of injury from any construction materials where as in my job i would need non of this. Risks and hazards change form job to job and are never the same so its a good idea if you know about them when getting into the job so you don't get injured or so that you don't injure some body else by accident.
Unit 5- Contribute to Good Working Relationships
When in the work place you need to be able that you can communicate well with other people (treat people like you would expect to be treated). It is also good to be yourself while in a work place so that people will be able to see you as an individual. While talking to people it is a good idea to speak clearly and make eye contact. This will show that you are confident and are not shy to speak up. It is very important when being spoken to listen to every thing that your boss / manager has to say and keep eye contact. It is very important that you do this other wisest will look like your not listening or just day dreaming. At work it is a good idea not to be "self-fish". By this i mean take others in to consideration, make other people feel comfortable with in the work place. For example if your going to make coffee, ask other people if they would like a cup.
Not every body in the work place will be happy or easy to please but thats just life. Some people are just generally moody. If you can try avoid these people as it will only cause problems within the work place. If these problems do occur i would try and just clear the air and be friendly. To avoid getting stressed or angry at work i would try not to get held up with work, try and keep up to date. This means that you will never be behind and having to worry about un finished work the next day.
At work you will find that you make a lot of close friends since you see them almost every day of your life. This means all the people you see (members of staff, co-workers and even customers). If some one new comes into your work you should make then feel welcome. Help them out, make sure that there comfortable and know what they are doing. If they be very friendly back try introducing them to the rest of the group.
Not every body in the work place will be happy or easy to please but thats just life. Some people are just generally moody. If you can try avoid these people as it will only cause problems within the work place. If these problems do occur i would try and just clear the air and be friendly. To avoid getting stressed or angry at work i would try not to get held up with work, try and keep up to date. This means that you will never be behind and having to worry about un finished work the next day.
At work you will find that you make a lot of close friends since you see them almost every day of your life. This means all the people you see (members of staff, co-workers and even customers). If some one new comes into your work you should make then feel welcome. Help them out, make sure that there comfortable and know what they are doing. If they be very friendly back try introducing them to the rest of the group.
Unit 24 part l - Be able to manage own systems, Accounts and Records
This is a screen shot of my Excel spreadsheet which keeps track of all of my costs and payments. This is just a small example of what it will look like:
Since we already have the software and the computers/ programmes to create all the designs we need to it won't cost me anything for those. Also since i am not using any printing, posting or envelopes i do not have to pay anything. The reason i made this excel spreadsheet is so that i can keep track of how much money i would have to spend.
Unit 24 part ll - Be able to manage own Contracts
By using design Crowd i will be finding a job that looks like I could do a good job of it and submit a quote to the job. The job i choose is linked in the screen shot below:
The job that i choose is flyer design. The reason i choose to do a flyer is because it a quick and simple process that just requires design work. As you can see above the project shows you how longs left (1 day) which means i would have to finish this project in 24 hours. Now that i have chosen the job i wanted to do i must then "Submit a Quote" this means I will give them a price for how many hours of work I would work for and think about how much it will cost me to create there design. Below is a screen shot of my quote which the client will see. As you can see in the screen shot i have linked my portfolio so that they can have a look at some of my past work. I have also wrote a little about myself as a designer so they can get to know me a little bit before they pick some one to go ahead and create there flyer.
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Unit 4- Professional Behaviour in the Creative Media Sector
Not every work place is the same. This means the behaviour that people have while working will be different in most jobs. For example the culture of working in a office will be completely different then working on a constructive site.
In a design studio the culture is very laid back and relaxed. This is because designers need to feel comfertable while working and designers aren't that serious that they would have to wear a suit to work. On the other hand in other some media companies will have a dress code which would usually be smart-casual but if t hey have to attend important meetings with producers then they would have to wear appropriate clothing such as a suit. Most jobs in the creative media industry do have the same culture / atmosphere in the office. Usual they will be very polite and respectful to each other and give each other a hand if they need it.
Peoples behaviours can vary a lot in the work place and no one knows how people are going to behave like. There are a lot of different challenging behaviours with in the work place. For example there are aggression, self-injurious behaviour, property destruction, oppositional behaviour, stereotyped behaviour and the most common inappropriate behaviour. These are just some of the different types of challenging behaviours with in the work place. These are mainly how one employee would interact with another employee with in the work place.Things may happen out side the work place which could effect how people behave with in the work place.
If problems in the work place were to arise it would fall to any of the other employees to inform the manager / boss of that company about the issues that have arisen. This means explaining what has gone on and who was evolved.
When one person with in the work place has irresponsible behaviour it does not effect them it will effect every one that uses the work place. For example if some one was to mess about make noise and not do work it will disrupt the rest of the work place from getting on with them jobs (not being abel to concentrate etc). Anther good example of this is if your working with in a team and one of the people with in that team does not complete the required work for the group then the rest of the group will also get punished for not completing the work.
In a design studio the culture is very laid back and relaxed. This is because designers need to feel comfertable while working and designers aren't that serious that they would have to wear a suit to work. On the other hand in other some media companies will have a dress code which would usually be smart-casual but if t hey have to attend important meetings with producers then they would have to wear appropriate clothing such as a suit. Most jobs in the creative media industry do have the same culture / atmosphere in the office. Usual they will be very polite and respectful to each other and give each other a hand if they need it.
Peoples behaviours can vary a lot in the work place and no one knows how people are going to behave like. There are a lot of different challenging behaviours with in the work place. For example there are aggression, self-injurious behaviour, property destruction, oppositional behaviour, stereotyped behaviour and the most common inappropriate behaviour. These are just some of the different types of challenging behaviours with in the work place. These are mainly how one employee would interact with another employee with in the work place.Things may happen out side the work place which could effect how people behave with in the work place.
If problems in the work place were to arise it would fall to any of the other employees to inform the manager / boss of that company about the issues that have arisen. This means explaining what has gone on and who was evolved.
When one person with in the work place has irresponsible behaviour it does not effect them it will effect every one that uses the work place. For example if some one was to mess about make noise and not do work it will disrupt the rest of the work place from getting on with them jobs (not being abel to concentrate etc). Anther good example of this is if your working with in a team and one of the people with in that team does not complete the required work for the group then the rest of the group will also get punished for not completing the work.
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Unit 3- Awareness of converging Digital Technology in Creative Media Sector
1.1 A lot of digital Technologies have been created for the purpose of use in the creative media sector. For Example photo shop was primarily made for photographers but is now used by designers all over the world. Another example could be scanners and printers. Almost every designer at one point will use a scanners, printers and mobile devices. Almost every designer will have a mobile phone. Weather it be for personal use or to keep in touch with clients.
1.2 There are 4 key issues to do with intellectual property and copyright issues relating to digital technology. These four issues are sharing, piracy, copy right infringement and plagiarism.
2.1 Converging technology is when you take two old products and merge then into one big product. the products can range from everything and anything we use now.
Copy right is a huge issue in creative and digital media. For example if i made a design and wanted to use for my self i would have to copy right it so that no one else could use it. If i didn't copy right it then i anyone would be able to use the work.
There are of media platforms such as T.V, online videos, live streaming or BBC inlayer for example. These can all be used with out any struggle which makes these a great way of viewing any new media. The content which gets made for multi-platform series can be anything. The season why they are made is so that they will work on all platforms weather it be mobile phone, computer, or laptops.
One of the most safest ways to buy online is to use something like Pay pal. For example if you were to buy something online you would have to pay a small commition fee to pay pal. This is how pay pals makes there money but by doing so there keeping your money safe. This can potentially be annoying to customers but its the safest way to go about buying online.
If there was no converging technology there would be almost no news as there would be no evidence of this happening. For example if some one was to record a celebrity doing something bad and then send it to the media it could really affect there celebrities life. If there wasn't any converging technology then there would be no evidence of this video.
You tube is one of the most popular types of converging technology on the internet. It was created in 2005 and is now one of the most popular websites on the internet. Not only do people use it for personal use (blogs etc) but companies now use it to advertise. Since you tube is so popular they have made it so it works on every platform and can upload from almost any platform with many options like audio or with out, allow comments or simply make the video private (only viewable by friends/ subscribers).
1.2 There are 4 key issues to do with intellectual property and copyright issues relating to digital technology. These four issues are sharing, piracy, copy right infringement and plagiarism.
2.1 Converging technology is when you take two old products and merge then into one big product. the products can range from everything and anything we use now.
Copy right is a huge issue in creative and digital media. For example if i made a design and wanted to use for my self i would have to copy right it so that no one else could use it. If i didn't copy right it then i anyone would be able to use the work.
There are of media platforms such as T.V, online videos, live streaming or BBC inlayer for example. These can all be used with out any struggle which makes these a great way of viewing any new media. The content which gets made for multi-platform series can be anything. The season why they are made is so that they will work on all platforms weather it be mobile phone, computer, or laptops.
One of the most safest ways to buy online is to use something like Pay pal. For example if you were to buy something online you would have to pay a small commition fee to pay pal. This is how pay pals makes there money but by doing so there keeping your money safe. This can potentially be annoying to customers but its the safest way to go about buying online.
If there was no converging technology there would be almost no news as there would be no evidence of this happening. For example if some one was to record a celebrity doing something bad and then send it to the media it could really affect there celebrities life. If there wasn't any converging technology then there would be no evidence of this video.
You tube is one of the most popular types of converging technology on the internet. It was created in 2005 and is now one of the most popular websites on the internet. Not only do people use it for personal use (blogs etc) but companies now use it to advertise. Since you tube is so popular they have made it so it works on every platform and can upload from almost any platform with many options like audio or with out, allow comments or simply make the video private (only viewable by friends/ subscribers).
Unit 2- Communicating and Presenting Ideas in the Creative Media
1.1 Talking face to face is on of the best communication techniques as it allows you to ask questions and see how people react. Another method o communication is talking over the phone. This can allow you to call in if you were going to be late or if you were ill. One more method of communication would be instant messaging. THis is a quick way to get in touch with people hence the name "instant".
1.3 To give constructive feedback I would first listen to what they had to say then give my view on it. This would work the same for receiving feed back but the other way around. I would explain my points then listen to the feedback that people had to offer.
1.4 Memory stick- teams can use this to share work within the team. This is a good method of copying work for the team also as it is a very quick method. E-mails - Team mates are able to e-mail each other the work or any instructions. Another method to that can be used in teams is Team Discussion. This means that teams could have a talk to say where they are unto and how much they have left to do
2.1 There are a lot of examples to make a presentation effective. The main Technique that you would want to use is to face the audience. This lets the audience know that you are speaking to them not the screen. Another technique which can be used is to speak clearly. If you do not speak clearly people may not hear you and miss out on any information that you are explaining. You will not want to read off the slide show or the presentation as you won't be facing the audience. I would recommend taking in some notes. The last technique that you could use if to take your time. Trying to hurry a presentation will lead to skipping information or people getting confused.
1.3 To give constructive feedback I would first listen to what they had to say then give my view on it. This would work the same for receiving feed back but the other way around. I would explain my points then listen to the feedback that people had to offer.
1.4 Memory stick- teams can use this to share work within the team. This is a good method of copying work for the team also as it is a very quick method. E-mails - Team mates are able to e-mail each other the work or any instructions. Another method to that can be used in teams is Team Discussion. This means that teams could have a talk to say where they are unto and how much they have left to do
2.1 There are a lot of examples to make a presentation effective. The main Technique that you would want to use is to face the audience. This lets the audience know that you are speaking to them not the screen. Another technique which can be used is to speak clearly. If you do not speak clearly people may not hear you and miss out on any information that you are explaining. You will not want to read off the slide show or the presentation as you won't be facing the audience. I would recommend taking in some notes. The last technique that you could use if to take your time. Trying to hurry a presentation will lead to skipping information or people getting confused.
Unit 1 – Awareness of Employment within the Creative Media Sector
For this unit i will be describing the main types of employment status within the creative media sector:
1.1: There are three main types of employment statuses, Workers, employees or self employed. I think all three types of these apply to the creative media sector as some designers are self employed. I am currently working within a large group and we are classed as employees. Workers will be people who work individually but working for some one else
1.2: If you are a full time or part time employee you are required to pay income tax, which will depend on how much you earn a year. If you earn more then £7,745 a year you will have to pay income tax. if you are self empaled the big difference is that you have to pay your own tax and national insurance. If you are an apprentice you will not need to pay tax as you are not earning over £7,745 a year.
1.3: Workers must not work more then 48 hours on an average per week. They must only have a minimum period of paid holiday and are only aloud the minimum amount of rest breaks. Employees are able to request flexible working hours. They are aloud time off for emergencies. This means that they can either work agreed hours over a period of days or choose when to work. Being self employed means that you are you own boss. This means that the hours you work can be very flexable since you can pick the hours that you want to work.
2.1: A prospective employer is an employer who you might work for in the future or have a change of working for. Basically its an employer that you would like to work for but are not yet working. In the creative media market place there are a lot of potential prospect employers in the north east. For examples the types of jobs i would search for in the north east would be digital media jobs.
2.2: If i was going to choose an employer in terms of my own personal interests i would first search the internet with specific job searches in the north east. When doing this i would include key words such as Newcastle, digital media and different job names.
3.3: If i was going to describe and pitch an idea to an employer or commissioner i would either present them with a presentation or just try and explain my idea face to face or over the phone.
1.1: There are three main types of employment statuses, Workers, employees or self employed. I think all three types of these apply to the creative media sector as some designers are self employed. I am currently working within a large group and we are classed as employees. Workers will be people who work individually but working for some one else
1.2: If you are a full time or part time employee you are required to pay income tax, which will depend on how much you earn a year. If you earn more then £7,745 a year you will have to pay income tax. if you are self empaled the big difference is that you have to pay your own tax and national insurance. If you are an apprentice you will not need to pay tax as you are not earning over £7,745 a year.
1.3: Workers must not work more then 48 hours on an average per week. They must only have a minimum period of paid holiday and are only aloud the minimum amount of rest breaks. Employees are able to request flexible working hours. They are aloud time off for emergencies. This means that they can either work agreed hours over a period of days or choose when to work. Being self employed means that you are you own boss. This means that the hours you work can be very flexable since you can pick the hours that you want to work.
2.1: A prospective employer is an employer who you might work for in the future or have a change of working for. Basically its an employer that you would like to work for but are not yet working. In the creative media market place there are a lot of potential prospect employers in the north east. For examples the types of jobs i would search for in the north east would be digital media jobs.
2.2: If i was going to choose an employer in terms of my own personal interests i would first search the internet with specific job searches in the north east. When doing this i would include key words such as Newcastle, digital media and different job names.
3.3: If i was going to describe and pitch an idea to an employer or commissioner i would either present them with a presentation or just try and explain my idea face to face or over the phone.
Friday, 9 March 2012
Flash Banner
Before i started creating my flash animations i drew up a quick sketch to give me an idea and an aim of what i want my animation to look like and how it will move. Below is a photo of the drawing that i created:
For my portfolio i needed to create a flash banner. This banner is going to go at the top of my website so that my portfolio is not static (so it moves). The animation i am going to make is the same banner that is already on my website just that it now moves. The programme that i will be making my animation on is called adobe flash.
First of all i had to load up adobe flash. Once it as open i had to create a new action script 3.0. Once i had the new document open i then had to chance the size of my banner. To do this i clicked modify document then changed the dimensions of the banner. Once i had the banner the size i wanted it i then added layers to my flash document so that i could use them later on in my animation.
Once i had my layers up i then had to insert the images i was using onto adobe flash by going to file then import to library. This meant i had all of my images on flash ready to be placed onto the layers. I put each image on a separate layers to allow me to move each image separately. To do this i dragged the image onto the first layer. Then i clicked 70 frames along the line and inserted key frame. I then moved the image to where i wanted it to be in 70 frames times. To make the image move i had to highlight the area between both key frames then create classic tween. This means the image will move from where it first started to where i placed it. I then repeated this process for the rest of my images till i had my flash banner complete.
The only problem i had with my banner is that is was to slow and wasn't on a transparent background. To fix this i change the FPS (Frames per second) this means the amount of frames which pass by per second. To make the background transparent i had to go to File > Page Settings, then tick the box which says HTML wrapper. I then had to change the window mode to "Transparent Windowless". This then means that when i opened my flash on my dreamweaver website it would have to background.
For my portfolio i needed to create a flash banner. This banner is going to go at the top of my website so that my portfolio is not static (so it moves). The animation i am going to make is the same banner that is already on my website just that it now moves. The programme that i will be making my animation on is called adobe flash.
First of all i had to load up adobe flash. Once it as open i had to create a new action script 3.0. Once i had the new document open i then had to chance the size of my banner. To do this i clicked modify document then changed the dimensions of the banner. Once i had the banner the size i wanted it i then added layers to my flash document so that i could use them later on in my animation.
Once i had my layers up i then had to insert the images i was using onto adobe flash by going to file then import to library. This meant i had all of my images on flash ready to be placed onto the layers. I put each image on a separate layers to allow me to move each image separately. To do this i dragged the image onto the first layer. Then i clicked 70 frames along the line and inserted key frame. I then moved the image to where i wanted it to be in 70 frames times. To make the image move i had to highlight the area between both key frames then create classic tween. This means the image will move from where it first started to where i placed it. I then repeated this process for the rest of my images till i had my flash banner complete.
The only problem i had with my banner is that is was to slow and wasn't on a transparent background. To fix this i change the FPS (Frames per second) this means the amount of frames which pass by per second. To make the background transparent i had to go to File > Page Settings, then tick the box which says HTML wrapper. I then had to change the window mode to "Transparent Windowless". This then means that when i opened my flash on my dreamweaver website it would have to background.
Digital Communication
The purpose of my website is to inform dub step and drum n bass fans about the new releases of songs made by some of the best musicians. To do this my site is going to be updated on a regular basis. The reason i choose Dub Step and Drum n Bass music is that I'm a big fan myself. This gives me the chance to share any of the music i personally think is good. For example the main three artists that i will be talking about and sharing there music are Feint D'n'B, Klaypex, Skrillex and many more.
Target Audience
Since my website is all to do with music the age of the audience that i am aiming for is of a huge variety. This is because every one in the world loves music or will have some musical intrest in their life. I am obviously expecting the user to enjoy the genre of music that is on my website other wise they wouldn't be on my website. Hopefully my site will attract teenagers more then it would older members of the public. The reason for this is Dub step is a very modern genre of music and i really don't think that the older generation would enjoy listening to it as it is load, up beat as it is classes as electronic dance music.
I have also thought about the legal and ethnical side go my website. This means that I have sure I don't violate the Copy Right Law by using other peoples images. This means that all of the images I used had to be made by me or edited by me.
Cross Browser Format
To make sure that my website worked in different browsers, Dreamweaver allows you to preview your website on different browsers. This feature plays a big part in my website as it allows me to make sure that every works on every browser.
Use of content
The main content that I will be including is information on new releases of songs by D'n'B and dub step artists. I will also provide links and maybe videos to youtube etc so they can listen to the new releases at the time. I will also supply information on the artists. This information will let the reader know a little bit about the artist.
Site progression
When i first started building my site i used a lot of tables to get the lay out just right like in my design template. By using the tables it allowed me to insert a lot of rows/ columns and insert all the images i needed to. My website started to look really professional as i had added more and more rows. I had three rows for the main content of my site. I was planning on putting an artist on each row and changing it when i update my site weekly. For each row i had four links to social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Sound-cloud and youtube.
After getting some practise and learning more about HTML and CSS coding i then recreated my website using <Div> tags. This allowed me to recreate my website with out having to mess around with tables etc. I made a new style for every <div> that i used in my site. I feel like using <div> tags allowed me to progress through my website a lot faster then using tables. Also by having a different style for each <div> allowed me to change many things like font, font colour, padding and much more.
Software
To create my website i used a lot of different software. To create the design for my website i used photoshop to draw up a rough sketch that i was going to use as a template for my site. Once i had drew up the template i then used it to draw up my site on dreamweaver by using tables and the colours from the template. By making this template it made sure i had a good idea what kind of style i was making my website. I downloaded a lot of different brush sets to use for the background of the site. It took me a little while to find the brush set that i was going to use for my set but once i had found the right brushes all i had to do is add them into the banner and background of my site. Once i had messed around on photoshop chaining the background etc i noticed that my background would not go well on dreamweaver as a background would keep repeating. So what i did was make a white background but added a blue gradient to that it looked fine when it repeated.
When on dreamweaver i started to hand code it myself by writing the HTML (hyper text mark up language)and making my own CSS (cascading style sheets). To get used of using style sheets i played around changing the text colour, size and the padding.
Testing my site
The main way that I was testing my website was by using the preview site feature on Dreamweaver which allowed me to see what my website would look like when it was actually on the world wide web. While using this feature it give me the opportunity to test all of my hyper links that I have used through out my web site. It has also allowed me to make sure that all of my images load properly and to make sure that my lay out sits correctly on the web page. This section played a big part in making my website as it showed me the mistakes I have made which then let me know that I needed to fix them.
Transferring document onto web
To upload my website i made sure i had my website just how i wanted it and was working 100% (all the link and images). To get my site online i used a free hosting package. The one i used was Webatu and the domain name i chose was www.ronimp3.site50.net.
When i was ready to upload my site i had to transfer all my files online. To do this i used file villa which is a very popular FTP programme. This allowed me to transfer the files to a server which the website wil be hosted on. i transferred everything i used on my website like images, the index page and css files. This would then allow my website to go live when i hit the up load button.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Screen-O-Matic
On this recording I putting in my roll over images onto my portfolio and linking them to my social media links by using the "Open new Browser" tool.
Monday, 5 March 2012
Portfolio
I will be creating a portfolio on Dreamweaver to be able to sell myself as a designer. To do this i will use all the skills that i have learned through out my coarse. I will be putting up all the work i have done on this portfolio and i will be linking up social media links to it so people will be able to get to know who i am as a person not just a designer.
The programmes i will be using to create my website are Dreamweaver, Illustrator and Photoshop. First thing i need to do is add a table into Dreamweaver. This would then allow me to place images inside it to have a steady structure to my site. The width of my table would be 960 pixels as thats the width that i would like my website to be in a browser. The next step of creating my portfolio was applying the background which i made in photo shop.
Once i had my background it it gave me the chance to create the images to fit in the table on my site. To do shit i was taking screen shots of the size of the boxes in the tables. this then allowed me to get the perfect size for my images. The main images i was going to put on my portfolio are 4 links to social media websites, the logo that i have created for myself as a designer and a banner at the top of my portfolio. I created/ edited these images in photoshop by using various tools.
The programmes i will be using to create my website are Dreamweaver, Illustrator and Photoshop. First thing i need to do is add a table into Dreamweaver. This would then allow me to place images inside it to have a steady structure to my site. The width of my table would be 960 pixels as thats the width that i would like my website to be in a browser. The next step of creating my portfolio was applying the background which i made in photo shop.Once i had my background it it gave me the chance to create the images to fit in the table on my site. To do shit i was taking screen shots of the size of the boxes in the tables. this then allowed me to get the perfect size for my images. The main images i was going to put on my portfolio are 4 links to social media websites, the logo that i have created for myself as a designer and a banner at the top of my portfolio. I created/ edited these images in photoshop by using various tools.
Once i had the graphics that i needed for my site i then put them all in the correct spots in the table. Some of the images (the social media link) were roll over images. This mean i had to have two images for the links. One for the original image, and a second for the roll over image. Creating the images took a little bit of time but wasn't to time consuming.
As you can see in the screen shot below i have started placing the images into my table on dreamweaver by going to insert, then image. The image in the centre of the screen is a PNG which means it has a transparent background.
Once i had created all my images all that was left to do was place them in my table on my site, and link my roll over images to my social networking web sites. By adding roll overs it makes my website more user friendly. Here is an example of one of my roll over images for my Facebook social network link.
The links that i have put on my website don't link strait to the social networking sites. It opens a new link to a new browser window. This means that you won't have to go back and forth on webpages since you can just look through then close the new window and carry on looking at my portfolio. To make the links link to a separate browser you have to click on the images that you want to add the link to then add a new behaviour. The behaviour i need to add was "Open Browser Window". Once i click on that another window popped up as you can see in the screen shot below. This window allowed me to put the webpage i wanted to link to form the button, The width of the new browser it would open and the height of the new browser.
After getting all of my images into my site I then added information about me and what I do as a designer. I also added my twitter feed in my portfolio so that people would be able to see what I've been up to, If I've posted anything new such as images of new work etc. To add my twitter feed i used the website http://twitter.com/about/resources/widgets which allows you to put your twitter feed on a widget and then change the size and colour scheme to match your website. Below is a screen shot of me creating my widget. As you can see there are a lot of options to change the colours of my widget to which ever colour i wanted it to be.
Once i had all my images onto my site it was almost finished. I just had to finish the links and insert some content into the centre of my table. To do this I created an editable region which means I can edit the text in the area which has a editable region. This is what my website looks like now that i have finished the design work for it.
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