My research and planning helped me a lot at the beginning of the task. My research helped me as I was able to find out various things that I wasn’t aware of such as codes and conventions, and ways to annotate a website. I also used different you tube videos when working my way around Dreamweaver, these helped me a lot as it allowed me to work out how to overcome any problems that I faced. They had step by step guides to explain the processes to you. These helped me to understand the way in which Dreamweaver worked. When taking part in my research I also looked into a number of issues that are currently big topics in the media. I looked into topics such as sexual health, child abuse, smoking and healthy eating. All of these were very interesting subjects however sexual health had caught my eye when looking though these. As I established that it is problem both locally and nationally.
My planning allowed me to make use of my research and to make my decision that I wanted to create a health promotion campaign. When I first conducted my planning I wanted to base my health campaign around sexual health. However after planning it and also looking at more campaigns so I was able to plan my website I changed my mind and decided to create a healthy eating promotion. The reasons for this were because I didn’t feel that healthy eating is promoted enough through the media. And I felt that through doing a healthy eating campaign it was going to be move valued in the current media than sexual health would and healthy eating and child obesity etc. is portrayed more in the media than anything else that I carried my research out into.
At the beginning of the task I done some research. Through doing my research it allowed me to look into different websites. I annotated a variety of websites, in which I found they all had similarities as the all had the same house style throughout and had eye catching colours and not much text, keeping it all precise and to the point. It was through doing this that I learnt about codes and conventions.
  Hes my preliminary task. Below i have annotated the ways in which codes and conventions are portrayed in this task. | |||||||||||||
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My main task also follows a number of codes and conventions. My main task includes title and strapline, headings, click throughs and links of pages that go from one to another.
Each of my pages have the same layout with the navigation bar at the top of the page and there is text in certain places and they all follow the same principle. Although I wasn’t aware of the different codes and conventions of a website I researched into this which helped me with my understanding.
This is the strapline that is on every page throughout my website. The only thing that changes is the heading as each page is about a different topic.
Below is an example of click throughs these allow the audience to be able to click into different pages that open up in a new window. This allows the pages not to look too full and overloaded with information.
From my preliminary task to my main task I feel that I have developed my skills. When taking part in the prelim task I did not have a great understanding of the software Dreamweaver this created some troubles for me as I struggled with getting the programme to cooperate.
Below is the navigation bar and heading from my prelim task. Here is a basic layout of what a website should look like.
Above is my navigation bar and heading for my main task. Although still similar to my preliminary task I learnt how to move around the separate pieces in the navigation bar.
I also learnt how to create a logo which made the product seem more like a real media product as most websites have a logo to accompany them as they are always associated with something.
I also feel that I have made progress in making the product look more like a real media product. As I have learnt the different way in which the programme allows you to do it. When looking in my research I came across a number of videos that were a great help in my progress from my preliminary task.
Below is an example of a click through. This allows the audience to go from one page to another without having to open a new window in the process.
When creating my video I also had to learn how to use iMovie on a Mac. This wasn’t an easy process as I hadn’t come into contact with this software before. But once I understood the basics of this programme it became much easier for me to work my way round, and for me to be able to edit my small video.
The target audience for my media product are people that want to make a difference in their families lives. It may be more aimed at females in a family as they have an instinct to nurture and take care of their family. I have made my product aimed at my target audience by putting information on there to give them tips and guidance different ways to be able to make changes in their families’ lifestyles.
Here is a print screen from my website to show different ‘activities in your local area’. This allows my target audience to see what is available to them and different days out that families are able to go out on. From clicking on the different activities will take you through to another page through a ‘click through’. This allows my target audience to get some information on the different activites and see a number of pictures related to where they are wanting to go.
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Above is the result of clicking on the link that is there. Here you can see the pictures and information about the activity.
The subject matter of my website would appeal to my target audience because healthy eating and keeping fit is something that is in the public eye and is a growing national issue with childhood obesity. The more publicity that it gets the more people are going to want to be making a positive change.
The subject matter here is relevant to families staying fit and healthy there are relevant pictures and information of different things that people can do to make them little changes in their lifestyles.
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Throughout my website I attracted the audience through having a catchy logo the appeals to the audience.
My website is based around this colour scheme of black and yellow. I have used these colours throughout because when I had my feedback from my questionnaire my target audience wanted a bright and colourful site. However I didn’t want them to feel over whelmed with different colours so I just kept with two. This way it allowed me to keep consistency throughout the site. I also attract the audience by keeping all the information throughout precise and to the point as my target audience are adults with children and families so I wanted as little amount of information on there as possible but whilst also being able to provide all the information that was needed. As having a family my target audience aren’t going to have the time to read through irrelevant information whilst trying to pick out the important bits. So I have already done that for them, and presented it on my website.
I have also included a fair few pictures so the target audience are able to have visual images or different things that are available rather than just reading through information that maybe they can’t see what the place is like that they are wanting to visit. So I have taken relevant pictures for them to be able to see, and have put these on the corresponding pages
2 My media product represents my target audience as I have used bright colours all the information that I have used is concise and to the point which allows people with a busy and hectic lifestyle to just read about the facts that are there and not have to read through pages and pages of irrelevant information to find what they need.
Above is an example of information that is concise and to the point. On this page there is also relevant pictures. The heading of this page is ‘staying fit and healthy’
Here is the navigation bar that is used throughout the site. It is easy and simple to use and makes the target audience feel more at ease when using my product. All of the links that are shown here when clicked on show you exactly what they say. The target audience therefore don’t have to read through pages of information before they find what they are looking for.
I have tried to control the user experience through using bright colours to catch the user’s attention. Making all information that I use on the website easy to access and more important information to stand out by putting it in bold, through doing this it allows the text to stand out and the target audience are able to take in the more important information.
I feel that the institution that may distribute my media product would be the internet. This would be the institution to be most likely to distribute my product because it is a website. My product fits this criteria because the codes and conventions that it follows and the way that I also present my product. The internet is also a worldwide used source and would be able to distribute my product quick and effectively.
Looking at my completed media product there are a number of improvements that I would make. Before I started the task I would look into Dreamweaver and ensure that I understood the basis of the software and what I didn’t understand I would look into and find ways that I would be able to overcome things that I found difficult. This would have enabled me to make progression quicker and
Looking at my full product there is a number of improvements that I would have made. Such as looking into Dreamweaver more and understanding the different ways that I am able to use the programme. This would have enabled me to make more progression quicker rather than me hitting obstacles and having to then look into the problem there and then. Rather than me already knowing how to overcome the problem and not slowing my progression down. When I did struggle I was able to make alterations in my schedule to allow for things to take longer than I expected.
My schedule was as follows:-
Date | Event What you are doing | Resources |
15th September -9th November 2010 | Prelim -Taking pictures for the task -Understand how to use Dreamweaver -Take pictures that are relevant to my task | Dreamweaver Word You tube |
10th November- 13th November 2010 | Research -Annotating websites similar to the ones that I want to do -Choosing target audience | Word Variety of websites |
14th November-18th November 2010 | Planning -Plan for what I’m going to be putting into my main task -questionnaire -Plan of what pictures I’m going to take | |
19th November- 17th December 2010 | Main task - Create a relevant video -Taking pictures | Dream weaver I Movie |
18th December-5th Jan 2011 | Evaluation -Evaluate everything that I have done. -Prelim, positive and negative points -Screen shots of everything, annotations | Microsoft word |
I felt that I could have managed my time more effectively, although I had a schedule plan I didn’t always stick to it, and some things took longer than others. If I had the opportunity to do this again then I would ensure that I used my time to the fullest.
When my task was complete I showed my finished product to people that fitted into my target audience, and within this I had a wide range of feedback. A number of my audience said that the liked the easy navigation and the use of colours that are used through the product. They also liked the way in which all the information was concise and to the point which enabled them to make use of the information available to them.
However I had some people say that the pages were too crowded with information and didn’t have the time to read through it all.
Should I have the opportunity to do this task again then I would ask my target audience fo feedback all throughout the progression of the task. This way I will then know the areas that need more attention and can make any necessary changes throughout whilst also meeting the requirements of the audience.
