Websites that I Found to be Interesting:
Yes, perhaps it is a little typical that I would take the opportunity of examining the website that is Facebook. Although, I think that it goes without say that the fact that we use Facebook so often is because of how simple and easy it is to use the social networking website. The website was made for the sole purpose of bringing people together (hence, social network); therefore, it was designed to be as user friendly as possible.
Everything is easily accessible from the start of your personalized account to the simple browsing/posting activities people can enjoy thereafter. Personally, I have never found the navigation difficult. Never have I taken the time to google instructions for how to do something on Facebook. Everything you will ever need is easily set up in the navigation of the website. From editing your profile, getting in touch with friends, or checking out your wall, Facebook has it in the palm of your hands…or at the click of your mouse. Even more magical, Facebook allows us to get live-updated notifications on what has happened to our profile (eg., friends posted on your wall, someone tagged you in a photo, etc.). To my satisfaction, Facebook has outdone itself as a social-networking website. I really see no flaws.
The look of Facebook is simple, perhaps not very creative in terms of visual customization of the website. However, this compliments the website for the large mass of information and interaction the website puts out. Rather than seeing Facebook as too plain, I see it as clean and organized. The design for the navigation, as I stated before, is very user friendly with the addition of looking clean. The only argument I have agains’t Facebook’s design, perhaps mentioned a thousand times, is the fact that the users cannot change anything about the design of the website in terms of colour or skins. While I won’t mind for the website to stay the same, it would be nice to see us being able to at least change the classic blue scheme.
Overall, Facebook is a great service to us all.
Being a web designer myself, it is common for me to look around the web for creative portfolio websites. An online portfolio is a reflection of yourself and the work you present. I feel a high level of creativity and individuality should pop out from a personal portfolio. This is why I am constantly looking and building new website layouts for myself to reflect a part of me to anyone who comes by my own portfolio. John Panagiotou has shown me how he too, wanted to represent himself in a unique way. His portfolio website can very well stand out from the crowd. However, the portfolio is far from perfect and can use a few minor touch-ups to help it through.
The portfolio itself looks great. It starts out with a calm atmosphere of a wooden table, probably a common workplace for John. An ambience is built with catchy music in the background. Then, random pieces of paper seem to fall from nowhere and land on different places of the table. Although, these represent different works that John has finished in his days of being a designer. It is built with an interactive interface which allows for the user to organize his work in various ways, or jump right in to see what this designer is all about. Information about the work is posted at the click of a piece, with some pictures showing a glimpse of the work.
The navigation was simple and easy to work through. It is obvious to see how John’s website’s main focus was on his portfolio pieces. Vivid colours created a great contrast with the calm background. I saw this as a method used to attract more attention to the pieces rather than the website’s other information. This, of course, is a must for portfolio websites. Like John, I feel like people should be able to jump right into the action.
A problem I had with the website is how John decided to illustrate the small preview of each of his works. When seeing his website creations, it looks like he took photographs of the screen with the pieces in display. Although this goes along with the theme of photography documentation of the work, I found this completely unnecessary for the website. Screenshots would have been much more effective, in my opinion.
This web portfolio is creative and original. It certainly caught my eye!
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Now that i’ve discussed websites that I see as good examples, I felt that I should take the time to look at a bad website.
Don’t even get me started here, folks. My initial reaction when I stumbled upon the webpage was scrambling over to the mute key on my laptop. Having settled that, it is only then that I started to notice the disaster that the website puts on. Although this website was created to outline the common mistakes of any web designer, something everyone can value from, the simple task of staying on the website to view it can be very exhausting. The website is covered with animations, so much that you cannot concentrate on one thing at a time. Not only that, but there are countless problems that give this website a very heavy “STAY AWAY”.
The website is a minefield of errors! It would take a crazy like Picasso to call this website aesthetically pleasing. However, the website is a great lesson to anyone who is just starting to make websites.
Continuing My Digital Footprint
In an effort to expand my digital footprint, I plan on joining other social networks where I can either post my work, or lead people further into who I am by introducing links to my other social networks. With this combination, I can create a strong impression as an artist, and make myself easily accessible to others. My plan of sharing these links will hopefully allow information on me (my digital footprint) to become more intertwined for when I am searched in various search engines.
To me, an alias is important; an alias can resemble a level of creativity, or just make a simple mark on a page. Using a consistent alias (each time attached with my name), I am able to further link parts of my digital footprint together. My current alias is, of course, LoadingShoe.
Considering I am already using many social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and even Flickr (very recent), I would say it is already pretty easy to find me across the web. This, and the fact that my last name is so incredibly rare, makes it so easy to find me through a simple search engine. What I am very happy about in particular is that the first impressions people will have of me (with the use of a search engine, I mean) will always be directly related to art. This is because my personal portfolio is the first to pop up when my name is searched.
However, as I grow and continue to sharpen my digital art skills, I will need to update my personal portfolio. This is how I feel people will get to know me as a creative person.
EDIT:
So I recently posted up a video on Vimeo! That just popped up to being number 4 on my google list! Now all I have to do is script the website I’ve been working on for Image Arts, and voila, my name shall pollute an entire page on google’s search engine.
My Digital Footprint
1) What does your current digital footprint says about you?
To my self-satisfaction, my last name is rare indeed. So rare, that I am the ONLY student in Canada with the last name Zatroutine. Come to think of it, me and my family are the only “Zatroutine”s in Canada. Ergo, the results from a search engine whence my name is imputed, comes very short. Besides my Website, my Facebook, my Facebook in Korean, and my Twitter, nothing comes directly linking to me (or things made by me).
One interesting post that I found was made by a website that puts up common terms put on people’s Facebook status. I was involved in this because I once put up a status which included the word “Antediluvian”. Besides groups on Facebook, and other people who have me added as a friend on there (or some other networking service), nothing else shows up that is minor.
2) Would you want an employer or teacher to see that? What do you want it to show and say?
Personally, I would not react in a negative way if an employer or teacher was to see this. As far as i can see, nothing embarrassing shows up. Also, considering my own website shows up first, I am rather satisfied with the search result.
I feel that because my Digital Footprint is so clean, I have the great opportunity of making my reputation not only stronger, but more related to my design and/or work.
My Group’s Wiki
As part of our first class, we were assigned to look at different New Media Artist, write about what they did, and specify how we think they are New Media artists. Together, we compiled information on the several artist.
As a second part of the assignment, we were asked to come to a consensus on how these artists related. Finally, we had to create a definition for New Media.
Vitali Zatroutine's Blog 