Media Project Part 4 - Final Edits

Link to my Expedition Magazine website

My attitude and behaviors influence my projects a lot. By keeping a positive attitude I found that I perform much better. When I start to get stressed from outside sources, I find that I do not do my best and I don't put as much into each project as I could. I learned that staying positive and happy produces the best results!

As I started working on my project I found that I wanted to learn more about different ways I can make my website fun and engaging. I found that I was able to add music or other links to my site but I chose not to include the music because it seemed too overwhelming. I want to learn different ways to make websites unique but not overwhelming to viewers. 

If I had more time I would make my site bigger and better. I would include more pages with a lot more information besides just the template version. I chose that specific template because I liked the simplicity of it, but the pages needed to be a little bit longer. 

This project will help me in my future career by keeping my creative juices flowing. I may not be designing websites, but I do plan on performing creatively every day and this will help me come up with ideas. If I ever come across a position where a client needed help with a website, I will also be able to provide the support and advice I learned from this class to help her/him achieve their goals. 

Media Project Part 3 - Refined Draft

Expedition Magazine Website Link

My website shows a refined draft of my media project. My website includes my logo, tabs, informational links, images, tips, and contact information. The only changes I had made along the way was to change the way I displayed the information on each tab. I think the layout I chose is very clean, minimal, and eye appealing to viewers. Im very impressed with the work I have conducted so far and I can't wait to complete this project. 

Media Project Part 2 - Rough Draft

Media Rough Draft Link to Wireframe

For this month's media project, I will be producing a website for my Expedition Magazine. In the wireframe I have made, I have included the basic layout I want my website to be. At the top will include all the tabs the website will have including photos, descriptions, links, and other information throughout the website. It will concluded with contact information as the last tab. My impression of my progress so far is pretty good. I have the general idea on how I want my website to look in the end and my wireframe shows exactly what I have in mind. I continue to stay on time with due dates of my assignments and I'm really looking forward to seeing how this turns out in the end.

Week 4 Reflection: RISE Self-Evaluation

Brand Journalism: Pro's and Con's in Today's Society

Marketers and Journalists dig deeper into the bad and the good of what is brand journalism. 

            Brand journalism hasn’t always been the vast and useful tool as it is today. Companies didn’t have Facebook or Twitter to reach their target audiences. Social media has allowed them to reach those viewers while also benefitting themselves. Although this is true, a downfall to this is that anyone can publish news or personal views. Another con this causes is that the rich and powerful are not the only ones that can voice their opinions anymore. If a company promotes something in a negative way, it takes a very short amount of time for their product or business to get soiled. A pro to brand journalism though is the fact that businesses can use storytelling to their advantage. By this I mean that brands can create visual stories to sell their products. Which is only becoming more and more frequent.

            Marketing is todays era has become much easier with all the resources businesses are able to use. With social media booming, marketers are able to use these tools to promote their product. Facebook has an option where you can pinpoint your target audience by posting content at specific times, send out messages tailored to the audiences specific interests, and also simple connection tools such as viewing comments, shares, likes, etc. Marketers have been connecting to their audience more now then ever. They are engaging with their viewers on a more personal level in a faster time span. Social media has allowed them to send instant comments, feedback, and personal messages with a click of the button! 

           Not only are businesses branding their content, but they are also advertising and labeling their works. With the constant improvements in digital brand journalism, marketers are learning how to use this to their advantage. They are learning how important a ‘Like’ is on Facebook, a ‘Re-tweet’ is from Twitter, and a ‘Love’ click on Instagram. They are able to see the resonance their product is getting in a much shorter time period. A great pro tool for brand journalism is using the analytics on Facebook. Brands are able to use this tool to really see how well they are doing. “In marketing, you’re trained to leave out the bad and the ugly for good reason: you have to protect the company, your customers, your partners and your shareholders. We’re learning that we have to let go a little. Loosen up our collar a bit to reach our audience at their place and in a more conversational style that’s conducive to dialogue and engagement” (Annalisa quoted from L. DVorkin, 2012).

           

           A downfall to brand journalism is that anyone can publish their own news. With the online world growing every day, more and more websites are being produced and providing false information. Most companies want third-party validation for their work because the general consensus is that an article from a third-party has more validity than someone saying the same thing, but working for the company (D. Spark, 2011). Not only is this a problem, but also companies are finding it much harder to produce content for a profit. Businesses are still figuring out a business plan according to Video Now, a tow center for digital journalism. A company can make a video that reaches over 1,000 views but in the end, they are looking at a profit in anywhere from zero to thirty dollars. Unless marketers are using sponsors, brands will have a harder time profiting from their content. Therefore, marketers are finding themselves in a developmental and investment stage of brand journalism. Research shows that the only revenue businesses have been pocketing is only what they profit from pre-roll advertising. Thankfully, this is all part of the brand journalism process. 

           YouTube is a great example of how having an extensive amount of product can affect brand journalism negatively. With the amount of videos on YouTube, companies have to produce more videos and publish them every day just to keep up with their competitors content. Making sure that the content is accurate, interesting, and sourced is what keeps a good name for journalists. “There are a lot of crap journalism out there, so sometimes it bothers me when people get all high and mighty about branded content. I really think it’s the story, not where it comes from” (A. Friedman, 2013). 

            

           Thirdly, traditional brand marketing opinions were mostly left to the rich and famous, well known dogmatists. Where if something turned out “wrong” such as a negative impact was made, or their brand marketing didn’t work, these well known people would state their opinion and the company would then react to it. Social media has changed that outlook tremendously. With the vast use of the Internet, anyone and everyone are able to voice their opinion about anything. If a company’s brand journalism didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to, one person can voice their opinion, share it with their friends, then those friends can share it and so on. It becomes a domino effect of negativity, which is obviously not good for the company. 

           But, businesses are able to take this negative feedback and turn it into something positive. Always keep a polite and respectful tone when responding to reviews. Engage with customers diplomatically and try to resolve issues whenever you can. Future reviewers may be more likely to behave politely when they’re assured that you read and respond to reviews (A. Morin, 2014). If a company responds to a complaint in a nice and professional manner, it will most likely bring back your customers because they feel appreciated that the business took the time out of their day to make things right. Consumers are way smarter today then they were centuries ago. It is up to the company to earn the trust and credibility they need to thrive. Using negative feedback from anyone is one step closer to success.

           

           Storytelling is huge when we’re discussing brand journalism. It’s almost like the butter to the bread. When a company wants to successfully sell a product, they do so in a creative and story like manner. Visual storytelling is key in content marketing because it sets the business apart from the rest. Not only does this engage the audience, but it also builds credibility to the brand. People want to purchase a product from a company that they trust and feel connected to. “The best stories tap into people’s emotions because someone genuinely connects to what a brand stands for or where it has come from. The marketers who can paint the pictures and create such personal relationships are well on the way to establishing long-term brand loyalty” (S. Hemsley, 2016). Honesty is one of the most important expectations when it comes to brand journalism. If a customer feels inconsistently towards the products or feels lied to, this builds unstable relationships. 

           Again, being honest with the consumer will build life long clients, interested viewers, and profitable margins in the long run. Also, boring stories won’t attract viewers so it’s up to the brand journalist to make sure the content is interesting, entertaining, and truthful. Storytelling in brand marketing is all about imagination, not money. So not only do marketers get to put together an entertaining story while selling their product, but they get to do so without breaking the bank. A brand’s story is no longer limited to or controlled by the media outlets and advertising that it uses. One would even say that this has been completely reversed: the media now runs stories based on how much traction they’ve gained elsewhere. You customers and advocates are now the tastemakers, giving power to the stories that resonate with them (A. Toren, 2015).


            As one can see, there are many pros and cons to brand marketing. It has changed tremendously over the last couple of decades but will continue to be a viable source when marketing. Businesses have an unlimited amount of tools they can use just from the Internet alone. Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are three great tools to find any desired target audience and start to push content in their direction. Social media has brought together both consumer and seller in a way that is beneficial to both parties. Although brand marketing can receive negative feedback fairly quickly, businesses can use this feedback to make a positive impact for their content. Anyone can publish their own news, opinions, facts, and data, but journalists can publish their brand in a truthful and factual manner by being consistent. Visual storytelling is what brand marketing is all about. In order to connect to your consumer on a personal level, journalists must tell a truthful and entertaining story about the product and brand. Overtime, brand storytelling will become more concrete, especially when it comes to the revenue aspect of things. The rich and powerful no longer control and have the only say in media anymore. Brand journalism is all about the telling of a heartfelt and truthful story about a product while incorporating the brand into it. When the brand can connect with their audience, they connect to lifelong friends. 


 

           

           

RISE Self-Evaluation

The purpose of this activity is to give me the opportunity to review my work. By doing this, I will be able to pin point my techniques on what works for future projects. 

Fictitious Project Revision

The purpose of this activity is to better understand what can be improved. By revising my website, I will be able to demonstrate the knowledge and concepts I have learned throughout this course. 

Link to my Website

Before:

After:

The first change I made to my website is the background. Originally, I had a plain blue color. It was very bland. Now that I have added a blurry image of the ocean and surfers, it really brings out the oceanic feel that the business wanted in the first place. This is displayed on all pages except the home page. The second change I made to my site was the alignment. All the text on my site was center aligned which can be unprofessional and hard on the eyes for viewers. On my News and Story tabs, I changed this to left and right aligned. I did, however, leave the center aligned on my menu page and locations page because I felt that those were an exception. Lastly, I had to change my layout of my text due to the change in alignment. When I changed the text to left and right alignment, I had to change the way the text was on my pages to make it more organized and easier to read. 

RISE Portfolio Feedback

The purpose of this activity is to familiarize myself with the RISE model. Using my knowledge I will then apply it to my classmates project for constructive feedback. 

Cat Nance Portfolio Website

Portfolio Site

The purpose of this activity is to create a site where I will be able to showcase my future work relating to my coursework and/or other professional work. By starting it now, I will be able to edit and update it throughout the rest of my program here at Full Sail. 

My Portfolio Site

I am very proud of what I created on my website. In the previous assignment I stated that I wanted to create a portfolio that is neat and professional while also being fun and creative by adding photos. I have done just that. I will leverage my site in the future by adding more recent projects to it. I will also keep updating the blog section that I have included. The area on my site that I feel is the strongest is my projects page. Not only did I include a thumbnail of the project so viewers can see what it is, but I've also included the date it was released and a link to the video. By having large images and providing links to my projects, viewers can get a better understanding of the work I've done in the past. The area that needs the most work is my 'About Me' page. I feel that I could improve on my description in the future and also add more testimonials. Three goals that I would like to set myself when revisiting this site for the upcoming portfolio classes is add more recent content, provide fuller context, and adding a logo. 

Portfolio Inspiration

The purpose of this activity is to familiarize myself with portfolio examples for techniques I can use for mine. By doing this, I will also be developing my skills for future projects. 

http://kyunglee.com 

http://www.ewpeterson.com

http://www.charleshornfilms.com/#!/HOME  

Diigo Exploration

The purpose of this assignment is to further my knowledge within the fields that I am interested in. By doing this, I will be able to apply those fundamentals in my developmental stage of web design.
(Links are provided in the titles)

7 Psychology Secrets for Impactful Web Design 

I chose this particular article because I was intrigued by how psychology plays a role in web design and how I can use this guideline to improve my web site. My three points of interest were how trust, minimalism and a virtual tour plays an important role in how the user interacts with your web site. By building trust, I learned that designing your site relevant to you target audience only increases their safety and familiarity with your site. Giving them a larger chance of revisiting. Minimalism is also very important. I learned that back then, the more things that were displayed on a site, the longer the user would stay, but that isn't the case anymore. By limiting the amount of content on your web site, it creates a simple and straight the point experience for the user. Overall, it produces a positive outcome. Lastly, your web page must resemble a virtual tour. I learned that the easier you make the layout, the more natural it will feel moving around it, the happier the user will be. I learned to avoid dead ends because that will more than likely make the user leave your page. By digging deep into these fundamentals, I feel that it'll help me make positive upgrades to my site. I will make sure that the site engages the correct target audience and that every page is a virtual tour. 

8 Common Design Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

I chose this article because I wanted to make sure that I am not producing any of these mistakes on my web page. I also want to learn how to avoid them for future projects. My three points of interest are not having enough white space, kerning, and using rasters. I learned that utilizing the extra white space on a page is a good idea. It creates contrast and is also used as a guiding tool for users. Kerning is also something people don't think about right away. Kerning is the space between letters. I learned that if it's done right, it can give a new and organized piece of text that is also visually appealing. Rasters is also very important. I learned that most images that are in the format of jpegs, gifs, and pngs are pixel related. By using an image in this format, you risk it looking pixelated if you try to blow it up. To avoid this, use images in the format of Vectors. Vectors are made of lines, curves, and points so if you blow it up, it won't be distorted. I can use these tools to make my website look great by not blowing up my images, adding some flare by kerning, and also utilizing white space. 

Web Design Trend Predictions for 2016-2017

I chose this article because it will educate my on the upcoming trends. I am not super familiar with web deign, so I think this will help give me ideas on deign. My three points of interest are reduction in page height, micro experiences, and renewed emphasis on originality. Page height reduction is a future prediction and hope. I actually tried to incorporate this in my home page on the fake website. I learned that there was a lot more meaning to it than a layout. By reducing the web page height, you are reducing the content making it simpler to view and also reducing the amount of annoying scrolls you have to do just to get to the bottom of the page. I think it's a great idea and hopefully new trend very soon. Micro experiences are pretty interesting. I learned that they are, in an oversimplified way, and app within an app. It's a way for users to view more content on a page, but have it presented in a very simplistic way. Almost like a tab that can pop up displayed more information. It's quite genius. Last of all, renewed emphasis on originality. Having an original styled web page is hard to come by. The authors prediction is that soon, designed pages will be made by custom drawn elements mixed with animations. This idea is very organic and I personally think that it will catch on very slow because it must be presented in the right way. Although I have started to use the reducing the web page height idea, I think that incorporating micro experiences will make it all the better. It's not something that I know how to do, but I will definitely be doing more research on it for upcoming projects. 

Recommended Web Site for the Diigo Library 

30 web design tips to make your life easier 

I think this is a great website for the diigo library and also something to help other students out because it is full with great advice. You don't have to be a pro at web design, this site provides you with links to other sites to be able to code, embed, ideas for layouts, grid templates, and more! 

Site Launch

The purpose of this assignment is to be able to present what my client wants in a website, in a clean and functional manner. Creating this website and testing out its functions is the first step in learning to improve my skills as a web developer. 

Reel Deal Tacos Website

• Yes, I was able to meet all the provisions outlined in my proposal. I went through every point I outlined in it to make sure that I was able to present what I stated to my client.
• There was nothing that I promised that I could not deliver. There was one statement that I changed however and that was when I stated that the phone number will be present at the bottom of every page. After constructing the web pages, the phone number will be present at the top of every page. 
• The most challenging part of this process was organization. More specifically, organizing the menu so that it was neat and made sense when you looked at it. I am actually pretty proud of the way I organized it. It looks simple while also providing pictures right next to some of the menu items. 
• I would like to go deeper into the theme of the page. I stuck mostly with the logo colors given but I want to add more effects such as ocean inspired background pages so that it gives it more of a pop! 

Content Management Systems (CMS)

The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize myself with the Content Management System as well as free websites that I can use to build a website. By learning about the CMS, I will be able to produce a great looking and functional website without any previous experience in programming. 

Reel Deal Tacos website preview

• I chose Wix because it provided me with a bunch of different and professional templates to choose from. They all were very eye appealing and I had no problem finding what I was looking for. 
• I have not ever used a website building platform before. I am surprised by how simple and fun they have made it!
• I chose this particular theme because it was exactly what I was looking for in a template. I thought I was going to have some difficulty finding one or making one that fit my needs for this website, but Wix had exactly what I was looking for. 
• The features I will leverage to meet the needs of my fictitious client is the use of the images that were provided for me. I will be using them on the menu page to further engage the audience, I will also use the social media tabs on the home page to link their sites so that customers can follow them for more information. 
• I have not used any CMS's therefore I would do not have any I would recommend. 

Writing for the Web

The purpose of this activity is to assure that the copy created for an online platform is approached in a cohesive fashion. By demonstrating sufficient knowledge when writing for the web, the viewer will be able to "skim" the copy while getting all the important information they need. 

Reel Deal Tacos GRAND OPENING!

Last Friday, Reel Deal Tacos opened their doors to the public for the first time here in sunny San Diego, California! If you haven't had the chance to catch them at one of their locations, I highly recommend it. They begin each day down at the costal docks to stock up on fresh and organic ingredients. Fish tacos is their famous menu item, customers just can't get enough! This beautiful creation and much more can only be found wherever fresh ideas, ocean breezes, and sunshine are abundant! But in case you don't know where that's at, below is a list of Reel Deal Tacos daily locations and their hours of operation. 

Hours of Operation

EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK!

Lunch: 11am - 2pm Dinner: 5pm - 9pm

Rotating Schedule of Stops

The location of our food truck varies every day.

MONDAYS
Lunch: San Diego State University 
Dinner: UC San Diego 

TUESDAYS
Lunch: UC San Diego
Dinner: San Diego State University 

WEDNESDAYS
Lunch: San Diego State University 
Dinner: UC San Diego

THURSDAYS 
Lunch: UC San Diego
Dinner: San Diego State University 

FRIDAYS
Lunch: Hotel Del Cornado
Dinner: Downtown Gaslamp District

SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS
Lunch: San Diego Zoo
Dinner: Special Events 

Proposal, Site Map, and Wireframe

Competitor Research

The purpose of this activity is to learn what content I want to include on my site and what I don't want. By researching and comparing multiple sites, I am able to get a steady background on what works and what doesn't. 

(website links are included at the end of the video)

Content Strategy

The purpose of this activity is to learn about the best practices for developing web content along with bringing forth what I learned about Content Strategy though this Lynda tutorial. I will also be reflecting on what I found most interesting, what I want to learn more about, and how I will apply the practices I learned to my fictitious scenario Reel Deal Tacos.

The three points of interest I have after reviewing the Lynda tutorial is defining the style, categorizing web content, and working with influencers. After watching this video, I learned that defining your style is extremely important. You must know the voice and tone of your client in order to begin this process. Categorizing is also very important but can also be fun. When you categorize, its important to think outside the box. Instead of sorting the content just by pre-conceived categories, you can also sort it by size, style, and shape. Don't be afraid to get creative! Lastly, I learned that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Take others criticism constructively. Use their responses and feedback to further improve your content. 

What topic I would like to know more about is content audit. I would like to learn more about this topic because it is still puzzling to me. I would like to further my knowledge on why this is an important role in content development. 

I will apply the insight gained from this lesson to my fictitious scenario by addressing all the strategies I learned, toward my project. I will organize my layouts and make a copy so that I can make it convenient and logical.