Digital Media Principles
CRVNGS is a website for foodies to track and share their cravings.
Introduction
With my undergrad degree in Industrial Design, I came into the course with an existing design background, which has been highly advantageous in that I did not need to learn basic design concepts from scratch. During the course of the MA program, I want to build upon my foundations in design with a more direct approach now that I have experienced working professionally and want to focus more on digital design. I want to expand my design thinking and gain technical skills for facilitating interactive experiences.
I started out the semester by identifying all the most common skills/programs employers listed for the positions that interested me, which in turn, became the basis for my learning goals for the program. Specifically, I want to concentrate on 2 areas: UI/UX design, especially prototyping, and front-end web development, mostly HTML/CSS.
Research
Staying current with design trends is a crucial part of being a designer; we must know what is happening in order to create relevant designs. I am following trends in UI/UX design as well as trends in UX design practices since I have chosen the Interaction Design pathway. Below is a list of the main trends I have compiled from various reputable UI/UX sites. I am hoping to implement UI design features such as custom illustrations, bright colors, minimalism, and creative loaders for my web design project. My projects for the two modules are both driven by personalization in their UX designs. One leverages small-scale data to reveal how cultural associations and personal histories affect our lives and the other encourages interactions within smaller communities. I am also interested in micro-interactions: the use of subtle, sometimes hidden elements that may provide a more stimulating and intuitive experience for users (Romanovskaya, 2019).
One major UX design practice I want to keep in mind is designing for transparency. In our digital age in which information is shared globally in a matter of seconds, this practice is significant in its reliance on designing purposefully for critical thinking to avoid “fake news” and “clickbait” types of content (Braga and Teixeria, 2019). An example is adding timestamps to media so that viewers are not misled from thinking something from the past is current. Similarly, it is evident that we need to render intentionality in our designs to minimize the excess and to establish the best solution for a product’s function (Braga and Teixeria, 2019). After all, the rising campaign for sustainability is just as important in the digital world. For instance, one edge I believe Instagram has over Facebook is its simplicity. Although one could argue that it has many features, the core of Instagram is that the user can interact with others through an exchange of images and videos, whereas nowadays, Facebook is flooded by so many functions that it can become overwhelming to use (perhaps the reason why younger generations are using the most minimal function apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok). The challenge for all designers is how to maximize a product’s value to meet user needs without compromising on its main purpose.
With the web being such a prevalent part of our daily lives, it is only natural to consider users with all different backgrounds, those with disabilities or situational limitations. An estimated 15% of the world’s population has some sort of impairment, including but not limited to visual, speech, physical, neurological, cognitive, and auditory (Teo; Henry, 2019). Those with disabilities have lower rates of technology use, which is directly correlated with the lack of accessible design on the web (Bialik, 2017). By integrating descriptive tags, subtitles, keyboard navigation, and design elements like color, font size, and layout, we can open up educational and employment opportunities to those who face technological disadvantages due to their disabilities (Taylor, 2019). Designing for accessibility is a privilege for us as designers to create equitable use for many of those who cannot control their situations.
Pathway
As we progress into the course, I have better insight towards what I want to accomplish through my studies this year. Initially, I found a few different pathways appealing and wasn’t certain whether to pursue Visualization, Interaction Design, or Motion Graphic Design. After doing more research and working through module projects and other independent work, I have decided that Interaction Design would be the best fit for me. It is encompasses many of my interests in design, yet it also zones in on a specific aspect of UX design: shaping the experience of a product or service. Interaction Design is currently highly in-demand, and I am confident that I will find work that will be both challenging and enjoyable after the completion of the MA program.
Progress
UI/UX
I centered my project for Design Practice on UI/UX web design, and was able to build my understanding of UI/UX design principles through following its process for web design. I weighted ample research (see Research section) on learning the theoretical foundations of web design.
I gained experience in conducting user research and user interviews to heighten the usability of the site. I sketched initial wireframes as starting on paper was a good way to think focally, without the distractions of all the small details. I was able to get an in-depth first experience of prototyping through Adobe XD, which fulfilled the goal I had set from early on in the semester. I also ended up using the program for Emerging Media, although that was not intended from the start. Using Adobe XD was quite intuitive but it lacked certain features that would have made it much more user-friendly, like the ability to crop without masking and certain features to mimic current web design trends. I plan on trying other prototyping tools like InVision, Sketch, and Axure to see which one is the best fit for me.
Take a look at the project pages for the other modules where I explain my UI/UX design process in much more detail (linked above).
I also confirmed my interest in a project with a lecturer from the Business School here at the University of Winchester to collaborate on designing a sustainability app called "Sustainable Behaviour Loyalty App: Project Phoenix." I've started putting together some resources for the design research, but it hasn't progressed much yet because of other coursework.
A huge part of being a good designer comes from staying current with trends and just being exposed to good design. I looked at many different websites and noted UI/UX features that were unique/practical for inspiration.
Portfolio prep
I also looked at a lot of portfolio sites to prepare for building my own later on in the course.
I purchased a web hosting package and domain and set up my Wordpress account so that I'll be ready to start working on my portfolio site next semester.
Front-end web development
I began my coding journey by attending the first month of beginner's coding classes for First-Years (DM1111) with Steve. I also used Codecademy, which appeared to be highly recommended for beginners, to add to my front-end web development learning. I completed their intro course "Make a Website," including the extra practice tutorials that came with Pro. I played around with code basics and practiced making simple pages. It has been a slow start, but I plan on going at it full-force next semester. I will go through the courses on Zenva Academy, as well as the Youtube tutorials from LearnCode.academy and other channels.
Data visualization
I wanted to explore data storytelling as a new media for Emerging Media and was able to learn the basics of Tableau in order to create data visualizations for the project.
Digital drawing
I applied for the position of creating graphics to supplement a psychology lecturer's 11-week workshop, and she approached me with the opportunity. I started drawing digitally on using an Apple pencil on the iPad Procreate app as it was the best way to produce the graphics for what she wanted. I drew the illustrations for my CRVNGS website for Design Practice and I've also used it to create supplemental graphics for the reports. While it was not a skill that I had set out to develop, I think it can only contribute to my development as an artist and designer.
Reflection
For next semester, I want to make much more detailed schedules and create concrete weekly progress goals. I will incorporate my outside-of-module projects and work to insure that everything is given ample time for the fine balance needed in this MA program. I will use a digital schedule management system so that everything is in one place for convenience and refer to it on a near-daily basis. I will adjust my learning goals to include time management skills.
I want to take better advantage of the resources around me. I want to be more proactive in consulting lecturers in regards to my projects so I can have expert opinion on their developments. I relied mostly on a few classmates and friends for feedback, but I see the importance in conversing with industry people. I want to base more learning on published books (rather than just online sources) and also practice and review everything from first semester.
While I may have not been able to follow my set schedules fully, I am pleased with the amount of learning I achieved and can only look forward to a better semester and the new year ahead! I have high hopes that I am on the right path to be hired as an Interaction Designer by the end of 2020.
References
Bialik, K. (2017) 7 facts about Americans with disabilities. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/07/27/7-facts-about-americans-with-disabilities/. [Accessed 8 December 2019].
Braga, C and Teixeria, F. (2019) The State of UX in 2020. Available at: https://trends.uxdesign.cc/. [Accessed 19 December 2019].
Calde, S. (2008) Design research: why you need it. Available at: https://www.cooper.com/journal/2008/05/design_research_why_you_need_i/. [Accessed 12 December 2019].
Lawton Henry, S. (2019) Introduction to Web Accessibility. Available at: https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/. [Accessed 10 November 2019].
Melnik, I. (2019) How to start and create your own social network site like Facebook from scratch and make money. Available at: https://merehead.com/blog/how-make-social-networking-website-like-facebook-make-money/. [Accessed 8 December 2019].
Romanovskaya, V. (2019) 2019 UI/UX Design Trends You Should Know. Available at: https://medium.com/akveo-engineering/2019-ui-ux-design-trends-you-should-know-268b6bdbc0e3. [Accessed 8 December 2019].
Teo, Y. Accessibility. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/accessibility. [Accessed 12 November 2019].
Tozzi, C. (2018) The Hidden Costs of Big Data. Available at: https://blog.syncsort.com/2018/08/big-data/the-hidden-costs-of-big-data/. [Accessed 12 December 2019].
Taylor, S. (2019) Web Accessibility Standards and Why They Are Important. Available at: https://www.rouge-media.com/blog/web-accessibility-standards-and-why-they-are-important/. [Accessed 10 November 2019].
Mailchimp. How to Successfully Launch a Website in 10 Steps. Available at: https://mailchimp.com/resources/website-launch-checklist/. [Accessed 8 December 2019].