just a thought

I had this thought on April 22, 2010. I actually like keeping this journal thing. It helps me go back and take a look at what I done and how I came up with the idea. I wish I had more entries because my memory doesn't seem to work too well. And today I'm feeling adventurous so lets see what more I can find to take photos of.

prototype

Worked very VERY hard on the prototype. My plan was to get most of it done so all I had to work on was the final photo essay. I finished what I was hoping to get done and I'm pleased with the results. May change a few things and see what feedback I get back from the class. Most of the site is designed using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. The main navigation menu is Flash and the small logo in the beginning is Flash. I used Photoshop to create most of the graphics and added the reflection to the photos in Photoshop as well. I purposely created the horizontal scrolling to view the photography. I thought the idea was different and not many sites used that scrolling. I do have something else in mind for the galleries if the horizontal scrolling is not liked, thought I would give it a try. We'll see... :)

Link to prototype:
www.intellectelement.com/senior_project/index.html

photography

It's week two and still no computer, finding it difficult to get to a computer to work out my project. Luckily I have a antique desktop that I can atleast do some of my project on but its not connected to the internet. That has become another roadblock. So now I have been taking some photos to work with my project and I have also been creating some drawings to use in the project. I carry my camera with me all the time now so I can just take a photograph whenever I need to. I also found some really cool Websites that offer free sound files. I would also like to try and incorporate some of my own sounds but I think with the alloted time that I have I may run out of time.

Websites researched:
http://www.a1freesoundeffects.com/
http://www.soundsnap.com/
http://www.findsounds.com/

preparing the project

I developed a layout that would work with the content that I have so far. I also set a plan to start the newly developed photo essay. I mapped out where I would like to go and take some photographs and created a list of objects that I could take photos of. I plan to post some of those photos I was able to take on here. The rain has slowed down some of my progress and also the fact that my motherboard when up on my laptop, sent it to california to have it fixed. In the mean time I created an animation for my homepage and a flash menu. I also created some of the graphics that I will be using for the Website. Right now the Website is in basic HTML format with some Flash. I researched some more Flash tutorial sites and found some tutorials that can help me making my project a little more interactive. Of course due to budget I'm working with CS2, yes I know a little out of date.

Websites researched:
http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorials/Flash/1
http://www.flashdesignerzone.com/tutorials/
http://www.w3schools.com/flash/default.asp

senior project

I am now into my senior project class so I am continuing my project journal for this class. Hope to make lots of progress and look forward to seeing the finished project. I just hope it turns out good. :)

final project

This is the final week in my senior research class. I worked on creating my final presentation. I am pleased with my results and would like to present something to the audience and hopefully send the message of why I am exactly doing this type of project. My purpose of this project to create something that can show all my skills rolled into one for viewing pleasure and for future potential employers.

goals

There are several goals I would like to accomplish for this project. I created a timeline that will help me as a guide to get my project completed. I wrote specifically what I would like to accomplish for each week.

My Weekly Goals and Timeline:

• Week One: Layout Developed and Most Content (Prototype)
• Week Two: New Images taken and Edited in Photoshop
• Week Three: Start implementation of animation, sound and drawings to photos
• Week Four: Create the Photo Essay slide show in Flash
• Week Five: Test slide show, workout the kinks
• Week Six: Final project completed

issues

Some roadblocks that can possibly come up are trying to find things to implement with the photos. I have the ideas in my head of what I'm looking for or what I would like to created. I think this issue will be easily resolved once I take the photos and can take a good look at them. Once I have the actual photo I'm going to use I can vision what I would like to implement with that particular photo. I did some research on Flash tutorials and found a few pointers I think that will help me accomplish what I'm looking for.

Websites I researched:
www.good-tutorials.com

concepts

The concept of this project to create a sort of bundle package of my skills. I would like to use mainly Flash for this project because I think it will work best with what I am trying to accomplish. I also believe using Flash will make it easier to implement the sounds, animation, and drawings into the photos. The topic of this essay will be mainly closed down businesses or abandon places. I created a list of places that I could visit to take some photographs but it's also enter at your own risk type of thing and some places are guarded but I hear if you ask the guards nicely they will let you take pictures.

Here's my list for now, subjects may change:
1. local gas station
2. local duck pin bowling alley
3. ft. armstead
4. enchanted forest
5. rosedale hospital

the look

Okay so I decided to go with the photography website and creating a more interactive photo essay. Now I'm starting to think of ideas of how I can come up with a layout that would look professional and fit the theme of the essay as well. I created a draft layout and it's very basic but I think it will work very well. I already had in mind that I wanted to stick with something simple with easy navigation. The color scheme I chose is mainly black and white, grays and oranges. This way it can flow off the main website that I created for my other photography work. The colors seem a little dark for me but may workout once I start adding content.

brainstorming

Coming up with a project that I would really have a passion for was more difficult than I thought it would be. I originally had planned to create a photography essay Web site but I wanted it to be different from most photo essays already out their on the web. I wanted to basically create something that was a good portfolio piece as well as something to showcase to employers when searching for employment. So I decided to create a photo essay and implement sound, animation, and drawn artwork within some of the photos of this new photography essay. I tend to also add to this essay often to have the users come back to my website. Other project ideas would have been a children's learning site or an interactive children's book, also I was think of creating a fitness/health type of Website. I think I'm more passionate about photography out of the three categories I had in mind so I think I will be sticking with the photography essay idea.

why?

I'm creating this blog to create a design journal for my senior project. I have my journal on paper and I also have it in PDF format but I thought it would be easier for me as well as the users to just create a blog and journal that way. The first six or so post were from my senior research class so even though they show up as being posted now, this is what I had written down about a year ago for the senior research class. I am now in my senior project class and going to continue to post my thoughts and progress for this journal. So here it goes.