OUGD601: End of Module Evaluation

What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

My research skills have improved dramatically within this module as in previous years I have tended to use a selection of sources and craft my argument around that however this year I have really tied to look as a many sources as possible to both strengthen my argument as well provide myself with a range of perspectives that can help mould my own viewpoint. Through this my research skills using the library and the internet have significantly improved and I can now use these tools more efficiently to gain the knowledge that I need.

In addition to this I also think my writing skills have improved this year. In past years I have always been one to integrate my quotes within the text I am writing. However this year I have tried to include a range of different styles of quoting within my work such as using extended quotes as well paraphrasing the work of others. In regards to my writing skills I also think that having to write an extended piece of text has meant I have improved my skills in regards to structuring my argument in terms of paragraphs as well how to structure the text as a whole to make it flow.


What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

This has truly been a unique experience for myself in regards to how I think about designing user interface. within work I have produced in the past I principally look at existing trends and current work to influence how I design an interface. However within the module I have looked to academic research to influence how and why and interface should work and this has been an immensely rewarding experience and I believe i've developed a much better product as a result of this and a it's a product that is backed up by theory. This method of looking to user research before designing an interface is a way of working I hope to bring forth into my other projects and briefs.


What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

The main strength that I can see within my work is the production quality both the interface that I have designed as well as the website in which it sits both have high production values and are well finished. I will aim to capitalise on this in future my continuing to develop my skills within Photoshop as well as furthering my skills when building and developing websites. A strength that I also feel I have demonstrated within this module is my ability to look forward and produce a piece of design that is current but also presents ideas for the future.


What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?

The main weakness that I can see within my work is that I have created a range of mockup for my vision of what YouTube could become and these mockups have been crafted for all devices such as Televisions and iPhone however the nature of a website means I can't show all of this work and therefore I can only present a selected version of my concept. Furthermore on a website the mockups are still image this mock ups would be enhanced if they moved and showed how the user would interact with the interface. In the future I will try to build upon on this and use such software as After Effects to brings my ideas to life and make them move and feel more realistic.


Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1. If I were to do this project again, I would definitely start my primary research a lot earlier, I started to collected primary research from October time however as I was contact high profile people no one ended up getting back to me. I therefore has little time to collect research that was of quality. I was lucky in that using the internet allowed me to collect primary research instantaneously. However has I began this process much earlier I would have been able to gain higher quality results.
2. I would better time manage my time within this module so that I have more time to push my idea further than I already have done within this models. This would have meant that my project outcomes were more elaborate such as filming a video, which I have under estimated how long this would take and therefore I couldn't produce this.
3. I would have liked to have gained my feedback on my practical project. As I had scheduled that I would begin my practical project over christmas and finish it this meant there was little opportunity for me to collect feedback. I made use of Facebook to specific surface feedback however taking my work to a critique would have provided myself with much stronger feedback. 
4. If I were to do this module again I think I would like to seek collaboration for aspects of the practical which were beyond my skill set for example creating a video which I have no experience in an working with someone who does would have meant that I could have produced this within the allotted time. 
5. If I were to do this brief again I also think I would have liked to allowed myself time to bring the product to life and make the design into a usable design through using such software as Quartz Composer this would have meant i'd have been able to text my designs to see if they actually work.
   

How would you grade yourself in the following areas;
Attendance: 5
Punctuality: 5
Motivation: 4
Commitment: 4
Quantity of work: 5
Quality of work: 4

DISCOVER, DEFINE, DESIGN: Synthesised Output

View my practical output that has been developed as a direct reaction of the research undertaken in my dissertation, at this web address. My practical has taken the findings from the written element, which I have then used to theories potential ways in which YouTube could be developed in the future. I have designed an entirely new user interface for YouTube which features a new ways of engaging with the platform, this has all been presented and explained on the website bellow.


 YouTube Kaleidoscope

DESIGN: Designing and Coding the Website

Designing
I initially started my creating my website with Photoshop, I used the interface images I had designed and applied them to real world image, to show them in use, and I also showed them on there own for specific elements of the site.

Coding
After finalising the website I photoshop, I used a tool called WebFlow which enable me to code the design into a functioning website.

DESIGN: Proof in the Pudding

http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/13/youtube-gets-a-daily-highlight-reel-courtesy-of-dreamworks/

YouTube have today just announced a new service and programme coming soon to the platform which provides a daily highlight of the YouTube's top content which is curated a narrated by a presenter.  This is exactly the concept that I have proposed for the future of YouTube, so it appears that the future is already here. I was initially disheartened when I read this article but it's really a positive outcome as it means my research project and practical project have lead me to create something that it's both possible, and is happening or is going to happen in the future it demonstrates that my thinking is heading in the right direction.

DISCOVER: Primary Research

As my initial primary research idea to email YouTuber's directly did not work as I did not receive any replies therefore decided to try another avenue of research collection to again a primary view for my research. I used E-research as my methodology behind using an internet forum to speak directly with YouTube Partners, which are high profile users within the YouTube Community. I posted an initial series of questions which was put out openly to the community for users to comment back.

DESIGN: Translating the Design Across Devices

Widescreen TV
When translating the design for television, the design needed to be dramatically enlarged so that all type was at least 28pt as this is the most readable font size for television. This meant that less content was show on the TV but the layout remained the same. Furthermore arrow buttons were added into the design where scroll is used on the web as television don't have a mouse scroll feature as part of their input.

iPhone

It was initially difficult to translate the design to iPhone as it's not a device that is natively used in landscape mode like the other devices. Therefore when translating the design to iPhone I switched the interaction from the sides to the top of iPhone this meant the same design could be implemented and work functionally the same but at the top of bottom of the screen rather than the sides. 

DESIGN: Live Guide

At this stage that the main design principles had been consider it was more about tweaking layout and colour within an individual section of the site design. For the live guide I first started working with a light grey however I don't think work as there was no distinction between this secondary navigation and the main navigation.

Whilst in the design process, I added some new features to this aspect of the site and added options to look a live content happening in the future and the ability to keep a schedule of upcoming live content. I switched to darker grey palette which unified this secondary navigation. 

I experimented with using both light and dark backgrounds for this sections, I felt that it could be beneficial to give this section a grey background in opposition to the rest of the site so that it felt different from the guide and it was clear that the user was looking at live content however overall I felt it was too heavy.

The final design for the Live Guide and the viewing of a live stream. Clear distinctions are drawn between primary and secondary content/navigation areas with use of dark grey to contrast with stark white.