This is Medium.

“To make good websites we must be good information architects. We need to learn what motivates people and how they consume content visually. Then we must bake those ideas into our designs.” – Stephen Anderson

This was the opening slide in class yesterday, breaking the ice for another visitation from our friends at Medium. This time around Bekka Reese, graphic designer, and Josiah Roe, president, came to teach us about website taxonomy and information architecture. They broke things down quite nicely for us novices by explaining that working with the web is more complex than piecing together a website. It’s a career hybrid of both design AND psychology.

Josiah explained that the beginning processes of web layout starts with brainstorming. Stage one, otherwise known as the content strategy phase, determines what information is relevant to the site. This is decided by meeting with the client and further studying the target audience: what demographic will be aimed at and who will be most drawn to the webpage. Oftentimes this information isn’t left to the discretion of the designers. There are actually user study groups that perform tests and experiments to see what common mannerisms people exhibit while web browsing: this can range from user paths (what links are most commonly followed) to how the eyes navigate across the screen. All in all, knowing the goals of the website is vital before any design decisions are put to use.

The second component to website design is building the wireframe. This is the site’s blueprint or structural shell. Bekka told us that someday we’ll have a job in which we’ll be faced with varying levels of design complexity (depending on the what the client wants). Her advice: sketches. She also referenced sketching as one of the most important parts of the design process. Although a seemingly grueling task, by doing this, we save time that we could be wasting on “digital sketches.” Plus, this technique should give us a good footing about how we can become most successful with problem solving. Bekka mentioned that she typically starts with site navigation AFTER she makes sure all the information is accounted for.

From here on, the to-do list isn’t as standardized because much depends on what the client is asking for. Josiah told us to be sensitive to user navigation and to design on a grid system. He also said that every piece of information will not fit on a website, so we should be prepared to compromise a bit and be able to think fast on our feet.

I think I can speak for my entire class when I say that Josiah and Bekka exposed us to a lot of useful information about wed design. They’re definitely qualified to do so, check out their clientele base. Thanks guys!

Tubatomicly Medium.

In lieu of having traditional coursework in class today, we had local professionals come and speak to us about the importance of getting familiarized with web development. M.A. Turner of Medium and Alex Ogle and George Bairaktaris of Tubatomic gave us insightful advice into their experiences of working with clients and the web.

“All you need is a Macbook and Google:” the Internet has snowballed into a bottomless well of knowledge with tools that weren’t even available a couple years ago. Students today have a unique opportunity to be flexible and have their efforts become far-reaching due to the rapid growth of technology. Our speakers gave us an example of said power, referencing blogs as one of the most widely used resources on the web. Say someone perfects a craft or develops a trade: the possibility of exposure is virtually infinite through the Internet. All it takes is one viewer to like your work enough to blog about it: one person with a blog could easily attract twelve thousand viewers. That’s just if one person enjoys what they see, imagine if you could attract the attention of hundreds of bloggers. Apparently, some people do.

In addition to personal stories and advice, Mat, Alex and George gave us some encouraging words. Mat repeatedly told us to gain as much knowledge as we could and “put it into our back pockets.” The reasoning? Technology is helping communities become more interconnected, allowing us quicker access to news, media and communication. Decades ago you could easily make one career last a lifetime; whereas in today’s society, specializations have begun to overlap other trades. No knowledge is useless knowledge in a time when information is becoming fair game. As students, as designers, as businessmen and women: the sooner we realize the significance of the web, the broader our professional versatility will become.

In conclusion to this experience, I’d like to extend my appreciation to our guests for taking the time out of there day to come and give my web media class a bit of hindsight. Sadly ironic, it’s not everyday that students get to interact with professionals in their field of study. Thanks again guys.

DIY Summit.

The DIY Summit went rather well. I was a bit overwhelmed at first because I didn’t understand what any of the speakers were talking about (mainly pertaining to web layout and code), but once the shift was made from specific web topics to more generalized issues I began to feel more involved.

My favorite presentation was Kelly Goto’s, “ WorkFLOW: A better, more effective way to work (& live),” because I could directly relate to the message she was trying to convey. One key topic she covered that resonated with me was how to gauge self-flow. She revealed benchmark thoughts that usually determine when you are at optimum free-flowing efficiency. Some ideas included were, “I have the skills I need in order to do my job,” “I am challenged in a positive way,” and “I feel progress on a regular basis.” Afterwards, she described a short ten-minute exercise in which one can reflect about the past and future twenty-four hours and what has been achieved or has yet to be accomplished. Ultimately, the idea of “knowing where you want to go” in order to get out of a rut, was the most invaluable information I pulled from her discussion.

I found other presentations, such as Lea Alcantara’s “The Art of Self-Branding” and Juliette Melton and Mark Trammell’s “Conducting Effective User Research,” inspirational as well. Lea’s seminar was probably the best suited for my class at the time, but Julie and Mark’s discussion provided a foundation of untapped knowledge and new dialogue. Also, I have unrestricted access to Lea’s PowerPoint presentation online. This way, I can revisit and refresh myself on those key points and possibly share this information with others.

Overall, the summit was stimulating and thought provoking. For my first web conference, things went smoothly. My favorite part of hosting the event from the classroom was being able to move around freely without the concern of disrupting others. I realize now that I have a lot to learn about web media. I’m eager, however, to absorb as much information as possible.

Additionally, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who made it possible for my classmates and me to take part of the DIY Summit. It was a great experience and we’re thankful for your generosity.

Juliette Melton and Mark Trammell.

The DIY Summit is a conference for freelance designers and web experts providing advice and tips on specialized topics relevant to the Web Media profession. On September 17th, two of my design classes will take a leave of absence from our daily studies to attend the daylong conference from our classroom. This will be my second conference experience, and my first via the web. I don’t exactly know what to expect.

I had the pleasure in researching two speakers, Juliette Melton and Mark Trammell, before the summit began. Their topic of discussion, which they tagged-teamed, was titled “Conducting Effective User Research.” Let me share with you what I learned about the speakers, then I’ll elaborate on what the seminar should involve.

According to the Environments for Humans website, Mark Trammell currently works at a San Francisco-based company titled Digg, leading user research as a User Experience Architect. (Digg is a social media website that shares stories and information through user submissions and commentary). Mark’s Web experience transcends a decade, in which he has coauthored two books on Web standards. He has also tenured with the United States Navy, the University of Florida, PayPal and the Web Standards Project Educational Task Force. Mark describes himself on his website as a, “Cockney bitch. Young ragamuffin from the streets. French duke lying about in hammocks eating soft cheese. Chimney sweep. Man of leisure.” He also tells us that his musical interests range from acts as Bon Iver, Jonny Cash, R.E.M., Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, Ratatat and the like. Some of his favorite movies include The Breakfast Club, Helvetica, Caddyshack and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Mark’s passionate about his career, and needless to say, has a great sense of humor.

Juliette Melton, also a citizen of the San Francisco area, works at Lumos Labs as a user experience researcher. (Lumos Labs is “a cognitive neuroscience research and development company that builds software tools for improving brain health and performance”). Julie’s job entails user research to better understand and develop/implement more effective “user preferences and organizational realities.” Her knowledge and experience with building websites began in 1997, while her professional career as a web designer kicked off in 2000. Environments for Humans describes her web experience as far-reaching, including higher education, public health and publishing.

The discussion taking place between Julie and Mark (“Conducting Effective User Research”) is supposed to elaborate on how to improve a website by taking note of website traffic flow. Important points being made are said to include “the benefits of user research, easy ways to get started, traffic and task analysis basics, how to write surveys that work and sharing what you’ve learned.” It’s interesting to note that, again, this is my first online conference, and ironically, Julie posted a blog on September 16th to her website titled “Why webinars are generally bad and how they could be better.” This is comforting to read, as I know what not to expect from her speech now.

Hello, world.

HelloWorld is the current exhibition featured in CreateHere’s* gallery space, 55Here*. What makes this show’s silver lining gleam brighter than others is its subject matter: source code. CH defines source code as “the ‘architecture’ that supports contemporary information sharing via the Internet; i.e. websites, and email.” They also explain (with ease) that this “medium is, inarguably, one of the pioneering forces behind 21st century innovation.”

My knowledge of coding and web “anything” is finitely sparse. With that being said, I’ll be quite frank: I have never experienced “optimism” and “coding” in the same thought process; until this exhibit. I oftentimes find rationality in the idea that things occur for a reason and that the idea of timing is most crucial. Well, perfect timing, CH: I’m currently enrolled in a web media course! It was such a relief to finally see web concretized into a physical form, thus bridging the gap of my basic knowledge of art and the mysterious underworld of web goings-on. Take a glance at what I found as the most inspiring works on display.

Weston McWhorter had four contributions to the show. As these were the first pieces to arrive and be installed, I found solidity in the concept. To most people, these “paintings” look similar to…well, paintings. But what McWhorter did was used PHP, a scripting language, to generate the repetitive patterns and colors featured. From here, the designs were printed on canvas to exude the deceptive reincarnation of “high art.” I love when artists defy tradition.

This three-dimensional piece is appropriately titled, “The Space Between the Lines.” Dan Rubin (the designer) and Isaac Duncan III (the sculptor) challenged the preconception of “virtual two-dimensionality” by projecting multiple views of the designing process onto a curvilinear surface: thus, giving it a more…literal depth.

Matt Turnure’s work, titled “#slideshow,” exhibits layers of varying codes: HTML, CSS and JavaScript, in addition to pictorial imagery. The sterile design is minimal, therefore redirecting the viewer’s attention to the backlit subject matter. Well done!

I’m more than certain that most people who attended the event may have overlooked a seemingly miniscule piece of art: the flowers. Avery Patten and Julie Tolbert never fail in bringing floral elegance to all of CH’s events. This exhibit, however, allowed them to be more uniquely engaged with their contributions. Calla Lilies entwined in source-coded ribbon. Now, that’s detail-oriented. Classy!

Aaron Walter is a web designer for MailChimp, an email marketing service based out of Atlanta, Georgia. As a company side project, “Pictaculous,” was born: an internet software that generates custom color palettes from online photo submissions. As a designer, this has become my new favorite tool. In fact, I’ve already given a tutorial to some of my classmates. Thanks Aaron, for making life that much easier!

I’ve saved the best for last: these works of art was created by a man named C.E.B. Reas. According to CH’s blog archives, Reas is an Associate Professor at UCLA and is represented by Bitforms Gallery in NYC. His work is “evocative of transformative systems in motion and at rest.” The hand-made book on the left is titled “Pre-Process Hex.” The more I examined this book, the more I fell head-over-heels: stark white covers with subtle texture and breathable type (that I couldn’t understand) from one crisp cover to the next. I later found that this type is actually code of the framed print existing to its right. This stunning piece is titled “Pre-Process Execution.” I’m not 100% sure about how it was created, but the delicate, blue etchings are code inspired, from a program that Reas fashioned himself. This one’s a jaw-dropper, yet sadly, this image simply doesn’t do it justice. (siiiiiigh).

I can confidently express that my previous source code uncertainties were illogically based. As a connoisseur of stunning visual design, I find a something feverishly hypnotic about the way coding looks: the repetitive language resonates through the caverns of my mind. Whether I grow to love source code or not, I can no longer deny that these tools play an integral role in present-day communications. Thus, my pursuit of knowledge broadens.

* CreateHere – a Chattanooga, TN-based non-profit reaching out to revitalize the city (specifically the South side) through the arts, economy and culture.

* 55Here – CreateHere’s gallery space now has legs: self-sustaining and operational for when CreateHere lifespan will (sadly) come to a graceful conclusion.