5 min presentation

Research questions and my aims and objectives?

Right my objective when starting this project was to achieve a better understanding about web design and website construction. The idea throughout the whole brief was to create a finished portfolio website. I think as the brief went on this has still been the case but i've decided that a website can be a constant work in progress as it can be changed and adapted relatively easily. I think i was also using the brief to dip my toe in the water again in terms of whether web design was something i wanted to pursue in the future. I can safely say that this is not the case and I wouldn't actively go looking for web design work in the future as it just doesn't float my boat. I have managed to learn various new things about web design such as css that I have found valuable but i didn't go as deep into as i could have. This was simply down to me not having much of an interest to learn more about it coding is a good example.

I think my initial research questions were all very technical as i was trying to access what the best programs or coding language etc would be best to use for my website. It wasn't until later that i started to look at why i was making the website and who would be looking/using it. I asked myself questions like what was the aim of my website? How was it going to function? (which ties in with my technical questions) and how i was going to get people to look at my website? I think this process helped my get a better idea about how to plan my site and make it work better.

Research methods?

I used various research methods to cover both the technical side and also for inspiration as to how the site was going to function and look. I looked at a lot of the websites i use on a daily basis and picked out points that i liked. I also started looking at other peoples portfolio websites to get an idea about what sort of components they included in their website and how they styled their sites. This was mainly done by spending time searching the internet and was quite random in the sense that i wasn't looking for specific elements.

I've spent quite a lot of time in the library this project using their magazine back catalog and various books. I think working from books is a good way of researching for me as it gives you time to absorb the information when your reading through it and you can then select what is appropriate for you. I also got a load of video tutorials off James Rhodes on css. I found these quite tedious but i think that's down to the fact that you cant go at your own speed you have to wait for the guy to go through everything. I don't think that it helps if the guy talking all the time is really annoying but that said i think this is another effective method of technical research.

I think the best method of research that i undertook this brief was attending the workshops on css & flash. I have used a lot of what i was taught in those sessions on my website and i think it was the most accessible way of learning. It helps that you can do it at the same time as the person walking you through it and you've got that extra help you don't get from a book or online tutorial.

Research outcomes?

By research outcomes I'm guessing you mean stuff we've been working on so in my case my portfolio website. I am happy with my current website, however it's not exactly what i had in my head at the beggening of the brief but i think I've realised that simplicity is best when it comes to portfolio websites unless you are a web designer. As i said earlier i don't see myself doing much more web design work in the future so a simple sight that focuses on my photographs and video is better for me. I am at the stage now where i need to get the site live and then get some feedback as to how it works online and then i can make any appropriate changes. The main area i can see changing is how i display my work on the portfolio page as i have already seen another way that i could approach it (thanks to Andy's blog/new website) but this is definitely a work in progress for me, so anything and everything on my current site is liable to change.