Wednesday, 2 December 2009

The final day before the deadline:

I went back to the pages, reviewing them. I decided that it was necessary to make use of all the facilities available to me, in order to make the pages look more three dimensional.

I managed to achieve this using extrude and bevel three dimension effects.

I received all of the slides again, deciding that they were as completed as I believed they could be, given the truncated space of the assignment.

Next I had to consider mounting. I decided that I would mount onto black mount board. This is because my web portal has a white background, therefore this would either not stand out at all on a white mount board, or it would make one of the colours look ‘off-white’ which is not desirable.

I purchased spray mount – as this was the first time I had used it I initially experimented with it on mock ups.

I got my work printed three times – in case of any eventualities. I used a guillotine to cut them down to the appropriate size – I ensured that I these were A4 size, and I decided that I would like 2 per A3 board, as this would best enable them to be seen in their ‘full glory’ or so to speak.

I then printed off the typed text and secured this on the back of the board, ensuring that this was properly aligned before I positioned it securely.

What next?
Hand-in at 2:00 tomorrow, tonight I must ensure everything is securely in my portfolio and ready to take straight there tomorrow.

Reconsidering the format of Game Level 1 & 2

Yesterday I spent reconsidering the format of the games; level 1 and level 2. On reflection these are very juvenile and consequently not reflecting the brand identity successfully.

It is important that they convey the fun element of the game, yet they must still retain some of the high end style that dyson evokes.

I therefore went back to the game, initially removing the barbed wire that ran along the bottom; this was just an extra before, and when looking at the dyson telescope original game, it was all about simplicity.

I then rethought the colour scheme; initially I had used an amalgamation of colours but this time I stuck to the main colours I had been using throughout the campaign – grey, yellow, purple and black.

These created a much more stylised look. I also made these bars narrower and more graph-like. This helped to create further sophistication and I was gradually moving away from the bulky image of the dyson that I was previously suggesting.

What next?
With the deadline ahead of me I must review all of the slides both individually and collectively. I then must made final amendments and must consider mounting and the best way to present my work.

Creating the dyson video

Since my last blog update I have been working on an additional section of the site – a video. This included a screen shot of what the video would look like mid-playing.

I then created a story board for the narrative sequence of this – this took 12 hours, hence the last of blog update yesterday!

The story basically told that the dysonator was having trouble with old vacuum cleaners, battling with leads and wands, so he binned these.

He then went in search of an alternative vacuum cleaner – aptly visiting the dyson store. Once at the dyson store he buys a dyson Telescope dc11.

This is then used at the dysonators home to eradicate all dust from the kitchen, using the correct brush tool.

Once dysonator has finished he compacts this away, storing it in the kitchen cupboard with ease. He then sits down and watches some ‘compelling commercials’ i.e. the dyson ad.

This is intertexual promotion!

I then thought back to the second banner ad that I must create – I thought I could use some of the story board as a comic type strip, to entice the person to click and visit, for example: to find out what happens to dysonator click here. Except this would not even have to be written but would simply be an enigma.

I consider the different types of banners I could create, already having the vertical dyson banner, I consider the horizontal banner and button ads.

What next?
I am having concerns over whether the game is really in keeping with the dyson style, therefore this may need re-jigging, making it more dyson-esque in appearance.

Monday, 30 November 2009

Developments since last update:

Since my last blog update, I have been going backwards, looking at designs from existing sites and portals, and allowing these to have influence on the way that my outcome looked.

I decided that the accent colour purple did work well, but that it was not used in the right way – rather than looking stylish it looked very heavy and therefore not high-end.

I changed the background of the site after viewing the Robinsons web page, seeing how they made use of white space for the backdrop and then built their design upon this – I believed this would work for me.

I also tried to move away from the hard edges that appeared in my design, therefore I used tweaking effects on the outer box, and included and inner box to convey different moods through tones – this also helped link in with the header bar that I used.

I included the new dyson logo which was the dysonator robot, and I wanted to include text somewhere stating that this was the household robot, yet I needed to think of the most appropriate place to position this.

I created one banner add which took the form of an evolution process as inspired by a banner that I viewed online.

I began creating another in the form of a house, it was however necessary to remember that these banner ads were in strict rectangular forms and therefore I would have to use a set backdrop if I wanted to use the house shape – It could not be free-standing.

If I were to used a house, I would have to use the slogan somewhere – and then I must ensure continuity with the online site – I desired to create a well-rounded campaign and truly wanted this to be demonstrated throughout.

What next?

I must work on tweaking my idea yet – now I have got the colours right, it is all about the formatting of the page. I must also work on a final page for my campaign, the checkout page – I have an image in my head of a robot in a shopping trolly… I must see how achievable this is.

Sunday, 22 November 2009

Creating level 2 of the game:

I then created level 2 of the game, to give an impression of the game-progression.
This was based on research into popular SuperMario games.

The same theme ran through level one as it did with level two, yet this level was clearly more challenging. It began with a battle out between the dyson-bot and another robot; this was using dust collected from level one; emptying the hoover.

I then added blocks as different layers for the dysonbot to navigate around, in its quest for the next accessory/component.

The dust mites had become more evil on this level, as signified by the red colouration – connoting danger! The dust had become more valuable, as suggested by its golden paint fill. The points would appear on the screen using the same star that was viewable on the first page of the web design, ensuring continuity.

The colours this time brought in the accent colours of purple and blue that were explored on the genuine dyson website – this brought everything together very nicely, and it is believed that I should go back to page one and start adding in little hints of these accents – this colour addition would likewise evolve and transform as the pages go along.

Each time the next level loaded, the game would revert back to loading page one, and document the new score and the updated stats card.

What next?
I have reached the number of slides that I should produce, consequently I must now think about tweaking these, ensuring continuity throughout with regards to colour, size and design. I will compare all slides in sequence and assess what works and what doesn’t work so well before I move on.

Creating the game loading page and level 1.

Today I considered the creation of page four and consecutive pages of the game.

The first page was to be a loading page, for this I used images from the internet and edited them accordingly; I also used parts of the vacuum cleaner to make this more robot-like.

I used the hose and the tail and the brush as a head extension, then other brushes for the arms and feet. This was to be the character that the users worked with in the game, it was therefore necessary to portray him as a friendly household robot, but also powerful.

The page included a list of online users, listing people who the current user could play alongside – this would make the game a lot more interesting for the player. It also listed the player’s high score and had a stats card for the dysonbot.

The information on this stats card would grow and improve depending on how well the player did on each level. The loading of the game was signified by an appropriately coloured loading bar.

Level 1 of the game took the form of a maze. This was a window that opened alongside the original window, as signified by a cross placed in the right hand corner.

The dysonbot started out at one end of the maze and had to get to the centre as quickly as possible, battling other competitive bots, and jumping dust mites, whilst collecting dust and crumbs along the way.

With each piece of dust that was collected, information about the Telescope would appear – this would be an interesting fact, for example.

The aim was to collect the dyson Telescope accessory in the centre, in order to accumulate more points, and also an additional attachment which would improve the robots strength for level two, and also increase the information of the stats card.

What next?

I will leave this level as it is, and more on to level 2. I will research further into games on a similar nature, and those completely different – in order to be positively inspired.

Creating page 3

Today I worked on creating page three. I referred back to the home page that informed me that the third link should document different attachments for the dyson telescope.

I created this page by initially using the same grey and black gradient, before amending this to better suit the message of the page. I added an effect to this and then modified it with a plastic wrap; this gave more of a technological impression, linking to the robot theme.

I placed the dyson Telescope in the centre of the page. The impression that I was trying to give off is that the dyson Telescope is so powerful; the circular backdrop represented the swirling suction of the dyson cylinder, whilst the vacuum cleaner was sucking these components in; suggesting the absolute power of the suction – as a product, this is what it is trying to promote to differentiate itself from other products in the range.

Each of the items that were positioned on this page was edited using the colour 16 trace facility. This ultimately gave a photorealistic depiction of the item, which was necessary with regards to the purchase process, people do like to have a good idea of what they are purchasing.

However, I felt it was in keeping with my theme, and also not fundamentally necessary to include the true image of the dyson components, as people are more likely to buy them for their function, not their aesthetics.

I therefore was clear that I would have to provide substantial information about each of these items. I considered that the background would swirl around at an average speed so that the items could be seen and located; once the user hovers over an image the spinning would stop and the item would enlarge, providing a drop down list of information, and links to checkout.

What next?
I must view page 1, 2 and 3 in relation to each other, seeing if there are any lapses in continuity. I must then start thinking about page four of my web design – the all-enticing game, and how this would affiliate market for my product.

Creating page 2

Today I worked on creating page 2. Page 2 was to be the ‘view product’ page, however I was torn between two lines of thought. Should I simply show the product four times over? Or should I demonstrate it through stages of transformation?

On Google I found images of the dyson Telescope, one showed the front and back view, the other demonstrated the different extensions of the brush, and the other showed the compacted version of the Telescope.

I initially experimented with showing four different angles, with captions saying ‘front’, ‘back’, ‘tranform’, ‘compact’. However, this was very general, and nothing about it was particularly enticing to compelling for the audience – it was necessary to create something which was more interactive.

The second idea I had was visually more difficult to create. I layered each of the aforementioned images on top of each other, altering their transparency. This was supposed to demonstrate the transformation process of the vacuum cleaner, with regards to its role as household robot.

This page required annotation and description about the product, in order to provide information for the potential customer; I had to think of the best way to present this, linking into the new-found interactivity of this page.

What next?
Next I must compare pages 1 and 2, seeing where similarities and differences occur and assessing the effectiveness of these. I must also move onto page three, which will list the components that the customer can purchase alongside the dyson telescope.

Creating page 1 and establishing a theme:

Since my last blog update I have been thinking of a USP/ESP which is to become the domain name of this product.

Research into the vacuum cleaner, and all of its components, taught me that the Telescope had many different functions; there was an attachment provided for almost every different requirement, and different floor surfaces. I therefore began to think of it as a ‘household robot.’

I then began to find similarities in the physical appearance of the Bumblebee Transformer, and the Wall-E character, consequently I felt I could use these advantageously in sublimely getting across this message.

When creating my first page I had to think of navigation. I put myself in the shoes of the average visitor to the site. I used an image of a dyson vacuum cleaner and completed a live trace on it, I then used the same effect on an image of dust. I had to think of how I would signify to the visitors that the site was loading; I began to consider the function of a vacuum cleaner; to suck up dust.
I then ensured that the cleaner was positioned correctly to allow it to look as though it was doing this.

I used buttons to suggest easy navigation; I did not include too many of these, as I did not want to inundate my visitor. The buttons were yellow with black writing, this suggested the dyson brand, yet at the same time looked fairly CAT or JCB-like, therefore I would have to add refinement to the design.

I used a gradient in the backdrop and circular shapes, all of these linked in to the cylinder that the vacuum cleaner is renowned for.

I decided on a theme for this website – I would not show the product in full initially, I would instead us a live trace for the webpage and use more colour and detail as the visitor progress around the site.

I felt I was able to do this because of the site domain, and also because of the transformation theme that permeated the site.

What next?
I will leave page one as it is temporarily, and move onto the formatting of other pages; this will ensure continuity with regards to the backdrop etc.

Selecting my brand and product line:

Since my last blog update I have made huge progress, first and foremost selecting the brand and product for my website design.

I chose dyson and the ‘Telescope’ vacuum cleaner. The reason I chose this brand is because it is well established and has a long line of products, a couple of which are really prominent in the viewers mind.

I chose the Telescope range rather than the standard up-right vacuum cleaner, because the telescope had not been as heavily saturated.

My initial research into this brand/product took me to the dyson website, where I observed the use of colour in design. Dyson is immediately recognisable for its use of grey and yellow in design, this is therefore something which I desired to continue throughout.

However, I always paid attention to the use of accent colours, found in not-so-popular dyson ranges, for example purple and blue – these could consequently be used throughout the site.

My research then took me looking at dyson promotions, for example their advertisements in the forms of posters as well as online ads. This taught me that I was on the correct line of thought, as my colour scheme likewise reflected these, showing continuity throughout the brand.

What next?
Next I had to think of a domain name for the Telescope vacuum cleaner; this must link to it’s USP/ESP.

Sunday, 8 November 2009

Initial Ideas

My very first concepts:

Today I began my initial brainstorming for ideas of the line of thought in which I could go, below are my very first ideas:

Ideas for initial brainstorm:
Dell: Laptops, Printers, desktops, TV
Apple: iPhone, Nano, shuffle, touch, Mac, TV
Samsung: Mobile, TV, Camera, PC - home appliances: Vacuum cleaner, washing machine, microwave, refrigerator.
Nokia: Mobile phones, Mini laptops, music
HP: Laptops, desktops, Printers, scanners, handhelds & calculators
Coca-cola: coca-cola cherry, coca-cola zero, diet coke, sprite, sprite zero, fanta orange, zero, lemon, lemon zero, fruit twist, lilt, lilt zero, Dr Pepper & zero, Oasis varieties.
Idea: ‘Something for everyone’
Microsoft: Bing, Internet explorer, Office,
McDonalds: Little Tasters, McFlurry, McMuffin, Big Tasty, Chicken Legend, Filet-o-Fish, Happy Meal,

What next?
I must continue to think of a very solid line of thought. I will visit the website links on the brief given to me. Once I am certain I have found the right product line, I must very carefully and articulately think of a domain name.

Saturday, 7 November 2009

Receiving The Brief.

Receiving the brief:

On the 29th October I was set a new brief entitled ‘web promotion’. I found it necessary to dismember the brief, in order to fully understand what is required of me.

The aims of the brief were to increase knowledge of web marketing, to consolidate my research, creative, presentation and technical skills, and to increase and develop my knowledge and awareness of online regulations.

It is important to understand that ‘e-marketing gives businesses access to the mass market at a price that is affordable.

Some of the benefits of e-marketing include: global reach, lower cost, trackable and measurable results, 24-hour marketing, personalisation and more interesting campaigns’.

As part of the brief I must produce a website for a brand and product line of my choice. The purpose of this website is to inform the media and consumers about the new product and increase awareness with the use of two banner ads.

I must initially choose a fashion related company, this should have a strong range of products.

It is necessary to conduct extensive research into this product, in order to establish what its USP/ESP is. It then will become necessary to produce a new domain name in relation to this.

Possible design layouts must be considered through research; a series of pages will illustrate these layout ideas.

The final slides must illustrate the concept of my design and I must fully explain how it navigates.

What next?

My aim for tomorrow is to have decided on a brand that I am willing to work with for this. This will be decided after producing an initial brainstorm.