Websites are often constructed in a way that is used to persuade the thoughts and opinions of the viewer.

Assessing whether or not a website is creditable means researching the page and discovering whether or not the information provided is fact or fictional and also wther or not the sources of the information are viable and are likely to be creditable sources of information. (Nicholls.edu)

B.J Fogg , Ph.D of Stanford University reserached the issue of credibility of websites with his presentation “What makes a website creditable.” his 65 page presentation explores the elements behind creating a creditable website, understanding what a creditable website is, and also introducing the issue. (Fogg, pgs 1-4, 2006)

In order to establish whether or not a website is creditable, a reader must establish whether or not the website obtains information that is creditable, the authors are well known and also provide informtation that is viable.

As a student, how viable or creditable a website is, is extremely important when completely essays and assignments as it allows me to feel comfortable with the information I am providing in my work, and also allows me to feel confident with the work i am submitting as it is creditable by well known and viable authors and sources .

WIKIPEDIA

What is Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is a free-content online encyclopedia, that is available to edit by anyone. Its aim is to allow individuals to be knowledgable in all that they seek to know.

The reason behind wikipedia not being creditable in university assignments is due to the fact that wikipedia can be altered by members of the public. This means that although wikipedia can be accessed by proffessors and authors and their informatrion can be added to subjects and pages, it is also available to members of the public whom can add their own information and understanding on certain issues and subjects.

As a student myself, some things on wikipedia do appear to be creditable, yet the fact that it is able to be edited by any person(s) makes it harder to beleive and also is not a viable source of information.

Fogg’s Studies (1999-2002) Anticipated issues that may affect the users’ perceived Web credibility in future.

- Credibility is the believability of a website. With time, the information provided to websites will becme even more bias and will not be as credible.

- Sources will become less educated and websites will most likely become more like Wikipedia, and will be able to be edited by memebers of the general public.

- Levels of expertise behind answers on websites will decrease over the years, with less educated answers being provided.

- Websites will be vastly created and often will have information provided said to from credible sources, yet they may not be.

 REFERENCES

Assessing Credibility of Websites. Retrieved on 31 May, 2009, From  http://www.nicholls.edu/pt3/Hurricane/website_credibility.htm

Foggs, B.J. (2006) Web Credibility. Retrieved on 31 May, 2009, from http://www.slideshare.net/bjfogg/web-credibility-bj-fogg-stanford-university

 Foggs, B.J. (2003). Persuasive Technology: Using Computers(pp. 122‐125). Amsterdam: Morgan KaufmannPersuasive Technology: Using Computers(pp. 147‐181). Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann

Fogg, B. J. (2003). Credibility and the World Wide Web. In Persuasive Technology. Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do (pg 122-125) Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.

ACTIVITY

Brochure (Assignment 1)

Pages 1 & 2

Pages 3 & 4

Pages 5 & 6

Assignment 2 -

Slideshow

Class Activities

Caricature:

Web Homepage Activity

homepage

Summary:

“The greater the effort to accomplish a task, the less likely the task will be accomplished successfully.” (Lidwell, Holden, Butler. pg. 148. 2003) This quote opens up the door to much more meaning than what is iniatially stated. Performance load is the amount of physical and mental energy that is necessary when completing an activity. The greater the load, the mor elikely it is that there will be mistakes, and the greater chance that they will not succeed. The more pressure put on an individual to succeed, puts added and unnecessary stress onto the person (often students) which is likely to result in failure rather than accomplishment

There are two types of loads : Cognitive and also Kinematic.

Congnitive load is the mental activity and the amount that is necessary for success. This is generally in memory, inititial perception, and problem solving. (Lidwell, Holden, Butler. Pg. 148. 2003)

Kinematic is the physical activity used to succeed in activities. The amount of steps or movement and also the force used to accomplish something, for example, an assignment or essay. (Lidwell, Holden, Butler. pg. 148. 2003)

http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/chippersfield/index.htm

This link allows you to see a student with a high cognitive load. This student is being taught algebra, but because of the mental stress being put on him, his performance is slipping, and he is gradually working towards a fail. Unless the teacher becomes aeware that this activity is becoming to mentally strenuous for the student, the young boy will fall behind in his work, and will not be properly taught or understand algebra. (Chipperfield, 2004)

REFERENCES:

Lidwell, W., Holden, K., Butler, J. (2003). Performance Load in Universal Principles of Design (pg 148-149). Massachusetts:Rockport.

Agile Testing – Performance Load (2005) Retrieved on 25 May, 2009, from http://agiletesting.blogspot.com/2005/02/performance-vs-load-vs-stress-testing.html

Chipperfield, B. (2004). Cognitive Load Theory. Retrieved on 30 May, 2009 from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/chippersfield/index.htm

Sun, D.C. (1995). Study of the Kinematic and Load Sharing Properties of Wormgearing with non-symmetric tooth profiles. National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Technical Information Services, Distributor.

Chunking Principles. Retrieved on the 31 May, 2009, From http://www.chambers.com.au/glossary/chunk.htm

Chase, W.G., Simon, H.A. (1973). Perception in Chess. Cognitive Psychology, 4, 55-81

CHUNKING

Chunking information allows the mind to memorise large amounts of information with many different sources or meanings. Chunking is where the mind absorbs lots of information that not only relates to one topic, but can hold information from a vast amount of topics and subjects. Chunking is often makes use of the short term memory are of the brain and holds large amounts of information in this area.

Herbert Simons, an American Psychologist explores the principle of chunking and in his research he explains chunking as being a more efficient use of short-term memory by recoding information. (Simons, 1973)

Chunking is a principle that applies to the effecdtive communication of information between human beings. The principle of chunking is that the information should be presented in small yet ‘digestible’ units. (Chambers)

In relation to design and visual communication, the mind allows pieces of the images to be held in the short term memory which allows the student or individual to access the information when it is necessary. Images often hold much more meaning than what words can say or describe and often can be elaborated on easily once they are clearly embedded in the memory.

ACTIVITY

Calculators are now used to help with the stress of the cognitive load. They allow the brain to with hold from storing so much information and allow the calculator to adopt the role of “memory”.

Cars hold a physical performance load as they produce speed and also are an everyday product use to help humans move around.

The GPS Navigator allows the mind to relax when travelling, whilst technology leads the way to the destination. They are used to navigate to a certain destination and allow the driver to concentrate on his or her driving skills instead of stressing about how they will find where they are going.

Presentations is “The Conceptual Age”

The article goes in depth on the book A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink where he paints a picture explaining how the era (at the time) has turned into the ‘conceptual age’ and ‘high-concept.’ As well as change with time, this era has now primarily belonged to a certain concept of people; designers, techers, artists, etc. This allows the reader to acknowledge that those who are artistically educated now have a power that once did not exist to such a person. (Reynolds, pg 14, 2008)

The conceptual age is ften feared and not fully understood. Chris Busch explains his interpretation of the conceptual age in a way that allows people to understand and also be aware of the changes in society;

“The Information Age we all prepared for is ending. Rising in its place is what I call the ConceptuaL Age, an era in which mastery of abilities that we’ve often overlooked and undervalued marks the fault line between who gets ahead and who falls behind.” (Chris Busch, 2008)

Firstly, there was the Information age, which wa soften perceived as being a logical and precise era, but that period of time is over, we now welcome the conceptual age, ruled by emotion, empathy and artistry.(Pink ,2005) The conceptual age is largely known as the era where those who are educated and/or artistic will hold the power in society.

REFERENCES

Reynolds, G. (2008). Presentations in “The Conceptual Age”. In Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (pp. 14-19). Berkeley, CA : New Riders

Busch, C. Conceptual Age (2008) Retrieved on 25 May, 2009 from http://chrisbusch.com/2005/02/the_conceptual_.html

Pink, D.H. (2005) Retrieved on May 25, 2009, from http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/brain.html?pg=1&topic=brain&topic_set

Al, E. (2006) Managing IT Professionals in the Internet Age. Idea Group Publishing.

ACTIVITY:

Slideshow Presentation

 DESIGN. STORY. SYMPHONY. EMPATHY. PLAY. MEANING.

The design behind my presentation is quite busy, yet i used this effect to show the full extent of greyhound racing over seas. The dominant colour, blue is used to show darkness and sadness.

The story behind my slideshow is the hardhip and the struggle of the racing breed, and how 30 seconds can either save them or kill them. They are used to race and make money, but as soon as this is finished, they hold no use for the owner/trainer and are often disposed of.

Symphony; the harmonious composition, how it is structured. I structured my slideshow in such a way that allows the viewer to become engaged and also feel what is going on. The colours and the structure allow the viewer to not only see what is going on but to feel the emotion behind the writing and the images.

Empathy; the images and what is said allows the viewer to hold great power to feel the emtions of the animals, and to empathise with their critical and also fatal case.

Play; how a slideshow is structured allows the designer to play with design. I was able to custom animate my slideshow, using suitable animations to set a mood or feeling within the slide, which would also influence the viewer and their thoughts towards the issue.

Meaning; Images often hold more meaning than words, and they also construct a greater power of meaning than that of simple words. The images i used are quite destressing for most to view, but make the viewer aware that this does happen, and that it is a very serious matter in which should be dealt with.

Aesthetics is the artistic way in which something is presented and the way it is presented. It is used mainly in design to attract an audience and to meet the needs and please the target audience(s).

 Aesthetic: (noun)

 “A branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, taste, the   creation and appreciation of beauty”

                                                              – Merriam – Webster

The article in which I am analysing argues the issue of aesthetic designs and whether it is easier used than less aesthetic designs. Although aesthetic designs are favoured amongst society, and often perceived as being ‘easier’ to use, there is no way of evaluating whether this is true or false unless proper research is conducted.

In order to establish whether or not aesthetic designs a re a feasible way of design for you, you must establish whether or not it is important for you as a person to present your design in a way that best describes you and your way of thinking. On the website Aesthetic Designs, the designers have explained their ideas of design and the way in which beauty and nature influence their thoughts of design through identity, graphics, web, motion, music and video. (Aesthetic Designs)

It is often discussed that aesthetic design holds much more purpose than to just be artistic and beautiful. Notcot.org explains “Domestic Aesthetic makes eco-conscious goods.” (Notcot.Org)

Not only can aesthetic designs be proposed by the materials they are made from and the way they are formed, but can be distinguished also by the colours they are. For example, the colour pink can show or represent how “sensual experiences, like smell, are an integral part of Aesthetic Design.” (Casey & Martens,pg. 53, 2007) 

References

Croce, B. (2006) Aesthetic as Science of Expression and General Lingusitic.  BiblioBazaar/Bibliolife LLC P.O. Box 21206 Charleston, SC 29413

Notcot.Org. For your Ideas+Aesthetic+Amusement (2006-2008) Retrieved 27 May, 2009, from http://www.notcot.org/post/17118/

DeTnk, A New Way of Collecting Design (2008) Retrieved 25 May, 2009, from http://www.detnk.com/month/2008/07?page=1

Casey, E., Martens, L. (2007) Gender and Consumption: Domestic Cultures and the Commercialisation of Everyday Life . Ashgate Publishing; illustrated edition

ACTIVITY

Products found in everyday life that reflect the aesthetic principle.

Product one : Serving Dishes (can be used for dips, etc)

Although this product can be often seen as simple, the aesthetic way of design allows a designer to take something relatively simple and make it artistic and look unique. This is shown in the image below of the serving dish used to reflect aesthetic design. The dish adopts the aesthetic design principle through its unique presentation and the way it reflects nature and beauty. The materials used to make this item is wood, which is a material from nature and is often used to make furniture and other beautiful and unique creations.

Domestic Aesthetics

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/23/domestic-aesthetic-housewares/   

Image two : Candle holders

Candles are ofte seen as therapeutic and relaxing. As well as candles being relaxing, the water and nature are seen as holding much power in the relaxation of people. In the image, the candle holders are shaped like pebbles, which are often used in sign of peace and also to reflect serenity and calmness. The candle holders, like the dishes above, are also made from a wd material, adopting the sense of nature and also giving the pieces a sense of uniqueness and beauty. Both of these images were supplied from the same website and also created by the same designer

Domestic Aesthetics 2

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/23/domestic-aesthetic-housewares/

Plate - Language of Domestic Aesthetics

http://www.detnk.com/month/2008/07?page=1

Language is often used as a means of expression and artistic way of presentation. In the image above, the plate is branded with the word BLAME and although it is reasonably simple looking, it represents the aesthetic design principles as it represents a beauty that often cant be seen by all, but holds greater power than the average dinner plate.

The designer Karen Ryan states ”Each discarded plate is individually chosen and used as a canvas full of its original language of domestic aesthetics. These existing aesthetics are juxtaposed with emotive words that are both ironic and poignant. The words become the only remnant of the original pattern as the remaining surface is removed.” (DeTnk, 2008)

Ashleigh Paikos

ps. Its my birthday, and I am now 18 years old!

Perth Cup 2009

This photo was taken at the BMW Perth Cup 2009. In this Photo: Emma Sparkman, Mal Brown and Ashleigh Paikos

Uploading an image onto your WordPress Blog is simple. In the add new post document, there is a toolbar (Upload/Insert) the first icon is to insert an image. If you right click onto that you can then select an image from your file and then upload it on your page.