Web Site URL

Just in case it dropped to another page..The major assignment has been uploaded to the address below.
http://users.tpg.com.au/judy_lee//site2.html

Web development diary 5: Technical? problems in a shell

There were way more problems i encountered from doing this project in Flash than in any other software programs I have used. Quite often transparency functions do not work and object could not transform/ blend into it properly. worst yet, quite a few major effects, including the abstract spiky screen transitions and a later newly implemented background wave bar simply is impossible and does not work well enough. In the final product you'll be able to see a moment with a train pass through the screen, and that was one of the many places I wanted to apply the abstract 3D effect on and unsuccessful. There was also one effect that went against what i wanted it to do, however that effect actually end up alright.

These technical problems took way more time than i expect to fix/ tune up (I never thought of a simple line would take me more than four hours to try and fix it but end up with nothing), and due to that I'm forced to drop my plan on adding audio to the web site unfortunately.

However with the four times double of the normal time I would expect to spend on these issues, the final web site still please me somewhat with the more dynamic functions of the web site than it is possible to do with Photoshop + ImageReady.

Web devlopment diary 4: Visuals examples of intended design

As I have noticed that it is quite hard to describe abstract visuals, here they are for a similar visuals that I am directly aimed at for the screen transiting visuals effects.




Hit the jump for exact size image.

Web development diary 3: Hands on Flash 8

With hands back on Flash 8 while my last experience on Flash was Flash 4, there are quite a few changes, but somehow i felt that there are still many inconveniences with Flash comparing to PhotoShop.

Anyway I am still sticking to Flash as it is the only option to achieve a more dynamic factor, which is a must for my web site ideas. Below is the flow chart and basic layout of the web site.

The flow cart and lay out is still basically the same idea as my first idea as I think it is not only nice and attractive, it allows users to be aware of what the page is about rather than just waiting for the page to load or play mini games that does not interest them just to kill the loading time.

Click here for exact size view.

Web development diary 2: Reconsider concept

Since it seems that combining music as a support to express space for the navigation is not sufficient enough, I have went through another brainstorming of ideas, without much success, I have decided to consider space as a private space.

As a person who doesn't like blogging, creating a blog type of web site is not an ideal way to good with the concerns of high programming knowledge needed for databases. As I have some experiences in the basics of PhotoShop and ImageReady for making semi dynamic interactive web sites, I think I will take a challenge on both Flash and Illustrator for the project.

Web Site uploaded and running!

I have uploaded the web site to the following address:

http://users.tpg.com.au/judy_lee//site2.html

Supporting documentation and development entries will be posted here in a short time.

Website research report

The site I have chosen for the research is www.postgal.com

Originally named Underline, the web site owners (John Chan and Pam Hung) received more than ten awards for their uniqueness of their styles on a range of skills ranging from web development, animation, multimedia and character designs. Postgal.com is also the few pioneers on using extensive flash context and layout since flash is introduced to the public since 2001. Postgal.com is now the group’s profile web site, with their works such as the well known “Fool Lee” animation split into another separate web site.

The site is integrated with both design and art elements, where I believe the design factor lays on the identity of the web site of being a profile web site that is designed to be informative without much hassle to navigate the site. On the other hand, the art aspect of the web site exists, which keeps the style of the group which will be mentioned below.

The structure of the web site follows a narrative of interactivity of the character. Due to that case, the web site feels a lot more organic than it is. The visual metaphor of the site involves a lot of interactivity such as the followings:

- opening up a box

- opening a mail

- stepping on different blocks

The interactivity is creative and very self explanatory during navigation of the web site. Help is also available when users rollover the postgal.com icon.

This English version of postgal.com is however not using hyperlinks to reference to other sites other than its own postgal.com group pages.

The use of full Flash and some likely to be Java script technology of the site may not be new in nowadays, but it is used in the group’s own way of fashion to enrich the experience to the users like no other Flash web site. This experience is also reinforced if not created by the background music of the web site. The uniqueness of the tone and style of this background music is a major key that makes postgal.com stands out from other web sites. Users can notice a object in the vox at the index page of the site, and the object keeps updating once a while to make the experience for users to feel fresh once in a while when they visit the web site. A side note is that for the Chinese version of the site, the main menu flash animation menu and background music changes quite frequently.