Fur aside, There were many pieces within the gallery that I enjoyed. It has compelled me to consider thinking about how I will present my own BFA show. I feel like I should focus on design strategies that tie together and will have a concise and coherent outcome.

Idea Numero Dos: I want to do something that deals with the school shootings. Perhaps a site that can raise money for mor eprotectin at college campus, or give money to the families that lost their children, or the victims of the shootings.

Idea Numero Tres: National Black Out Day. Everyone in the world turns off all of their electricty and lights for 10 minutes.. Then Satelite Images are taken of the earth without the mass pollution of electricity.. It will reveal the earth as natural in appearance.

Which idea has more potential? Are the ideas good or would you change something about them?

Thanks guys

New and improved search engine sites make it almost effortless to find any information that one may need. Google has become such a powerhouse that a verb was created in its shadow. Hosting sites, too, have become an efficient means of webology. [Yes, I do believe I just created that word] Image hosting sites such as photobucket, tinypic, and imageshack all allow users to easily upload their photographs and share them with anyone on the net. [I googled webology, and it turns out I did not create the word] Sites such as rapidshare and megaupload allow its users to easily share video and audio files. All of these examples, although the interface isn’t too expansive, are vital to the new era of internet that surrounds us.

Some sites rely heavily on layout. Imagine that you’re a graphic design student interested in web design. It would be extremely important for you to be able to create a webpage that is representative of your passion and of you. With the internet becoming such a powerful tool, it is necessary as designers to be able to adapt to the changes that may arise. Right now, nearly everything that isn’t internet based still has a connection to the internet through its website. The businesses recognize the importance of the internet and the excellent marketing opportunities that it possesses. For example, all television companies have websites that advertise the shows that they have. If someone were to hear about a new show and want to find out more, it’s only a few clicks away. Within the last couple years, television companies are even allowing viewers to watch their shows via the internet. This makes it extremely convenient for viewers who may have missed the airing of the show on television. Soon, I’m willing to bet that most all television programming will be moved to the internet. When this occurs, there will be no more need for television or cable companies. Even sports games and award shows can be sent to monitors via live stream. It is crucial that websites are up to date in their design and interactive appeal. There is also a high competition on having a sleek design that is continuously exemplified through the creation and renovation of websites.

This expansion of the web’s capabilities introduced us to web 2.0. Simply put, 2.0 is the second generation, if you will, of the internet. While originally, it consisted of simple sites aimed at getting information across, more so than attracting viewers, 2.0 embodies all of the types of sites and ideas previously mentioned in this article. With my prediction of television being streamed live from computer monitors, comes the idea that soon web design will evolve into something so interactive that perhaps a monitor would not even be needed. Maybe the future of the computers we grew up learning, exploring, and altering will shed away from its shell and become something beyond a keyboard and mouse. An idea that comes to mind is one in which websites are three dimensional and are presented using projectors. Imagine a type of interface that allows typefaces, images, and themes to move seamlessly upon our desks. Although I doubt this structure would be labeled web 3.0 [I’d say more like 5.0], I do know that it will be ground breaking in the way that designers work. It will open up an entire new genre of design that combines web coding and three dimensional design. It seems almost ridiculous to think about a computer that would offer such capabilities. But what is even more astounding is the fact that when that happens, it will only be a matter of time before something even more innovative is born.

Steven Heller touches on the topic of interactivity in his book, Becoming a Graphic Designer. Throughout his explanation of what to expect as a web designer, he touches on various, important topics. First of all he touches on how vast the internet has become and the appeal it has towards all other types of medium. Even though he states that the internet is still considered a compliment, or a type of bonus, to primary media, I believe that notion will soon fade. He also focuses on how many institutions implement a web design course as part of its curriculum. Collaborative efforts are vital to the success of a website as well. Finally, Heller touches on the importance of designing websites that are attractive and relatable to its viewers.

The internet is excellent in many ways and would be nearly impossible to note all of them. However, some very crucial elements come to mind. First of all: community. Websites such as web forums allow people with similar interests or hobbies to share their views with each other. For example, it may be suitable for a big sports fan to partake in a discussion of his favorite team on a forum because it allows him to express his opinion of the matter with numerous others who may feel the same way. Outside of the forum, the social atmosphere may restrict his ability to discuss different matters and get the feedback that a forum may offer. Furthering the idea of community, networking sites have most recently been implemented, especially with the introduction of facebook a few years ago. Facebook, and myspace alike, allow its users to network with each other, whether it be personal, professional, or a means to reconnect with friends and family. Facebook has gain a lot of popularity because of its sleek interface and its uniformity in layout. An interface is simply when the program establishes the appearance of the site. Alternately, myspace allows its users to customize the look of its page with a theme they’ve chosen or designed themselves. While myspace has the reputation of being less professional, it still allows its users to connect or reconnect with people they otherwise may not have been able to. The internet has also given way to the era of the blog. A weblog has a sort of joural-esque quality that allows its owner to post whatever they deem appropriate. Blogs also represent a community atmosphere because it allows its viewers to reply to the authors’ original piece. Further still are new and improved search engine sites that make it almost effortless to find any information that one may need. Google has become such a powerhouse that a verb was created in its shadow. Hosting sites, too, have become an efficient means of webology. [yes, I do believe I just created that word] Image hosting sites such as photobucket, tinypic, and imageshack all allow users to easily upload their photographs and share them with anyone on the net. [I googled webology, and it turns out I did not create the word] Sites such as rapidshare and megaupload allow its users to easily share video and audio files. All of these examples, although the interface isn’t too expansive, are vital to the new era of internet that surrounds us.

Some sites, however, do rely heavily on layout. Imagine that you’re a graphic design student interested in web design. It would be extremely important for you to be able to create a webpage that is representative of your passion and of you. Websites, like printed design, share a story and evoke emotion of its viewers. As Heller mentions, the website of Cartoon Network is going to be drastically different than that of the New York Times. He also mentions that it would probably be tough for a designer of the New York Times website to try and design something for the Cartoon Network. Once designers find their niche, it may be difficult for them to branch towards others. This is a bad thing. With the internet becoming such a powerful tool, it is necessary as designers to be able to adapt to the changes that may arise. Right now, nearly everything that isn’t internet based still has a connection to the internet through its website. The businesses recognize the importance of the internet and the excellent marketing opportunities that it possesses. For example, all television companies have websites that advertise the shows that they have. If someone were to hear about a new show and want to find out more, it’s only a few clicks away. Within the last couple years, television companies are even allowing viewers to watch their shows via the internet. This makes it extremely convenient for viewers who may have missed the airing of the show on television. Soon, I’m willing to bet that most all television programming will be moved to the internet. When this occurs, there will be no more need for television or cable companies. Even sports games and award shows can be sent to monitors via live stream. It is crucial that websites are up to date in their design and interactive appeal. There is also a high competition on having a sleek design that is continuously exemplified through the creation and renovation of websites.

Because of the ever expanding web, it is important for institutions to implement a web design course within its structure. By doing this, you are letting graphic designers of all sorts to gain knowledge of an important subcategory of design itself. Even those whose focus may be on print or packaging can still benefit from the knowledge of web design. For example, one may work for a company who makes wonderful 2d designs but lacks the type of website that attracts clients or viewers. By knowing what internet sites should have and how to make them stand out could be extremely beneficial to the company which in turn will benefit you. Also, knowing all aspects of design is great because it gives you the opportunity to explore different mediums in your approach or concept of work. Institutions are also important in their ability to expose you to group projects. By collaborating in groups, you enable yourself to learn from others while at the same time presenting valuable pieces to the overall concept. In the real world, many projects, including web design, are based on the compilation of many designer’s efforts. While one person of the group may be responsible for the coding/programming aspect, a few others may collaborate to establish the visual aesthetic. This group is also part of the client/designer relationship. The client must be expressively and actively present in the creation of their website, allowing them to update the site without relying on the designer for everything.

This expansion of the web’s capabilities introduced us to web 2.0. Simply put, 2.0 is the second generation, if you will, of the internet. While originally, it consisted of simple sites aimed at getting information across, more so than attracting viewers, 2.0 embodies all of the types of sites and ideas previously mentioned in this article. With my prediction of television being streamed live from computer monitors, comes the idea that soon web design will evolve into something so interactive that perhaps a monitor would not even be needed. Maybe the future of the computers we grew up learning, exploring, and altering will shed away from its shell and become something beyond a keyboard and mouse. An idea that comes to mind is one in which websites are three dimensional and are presented using projectors. Imagine a type of interface that allows typefaces, images, and themes to move seamlessly upon our desks. Although I doubt this structure would be labeled web 3.0 [I’d say more like 5.0], I do know that it will be ground breaking in the way that designers work. It will open up an entire new genre of design that combines web coding and three dimensional design. It seems almost ridiculous to think about a computer that would offer such capabilities. But what is even more astounding is the fact that when that happens, it will only be a matter of time before something even more innovative is born.