Week 9 Outside of Class

This weekend I read Chapter 1 of Above the Fold. Here are my notes:
Chapter 1 - Understanding Web Design:
THIS IS THE INTERNET

• The internet is a series of interconnected computers called servers, that enables companies, brands, organizations, governments, religious groups, and individuals to share information on a worldwide scale in real time
• The web is only a portion of the internet
• When a user types a URL into the web browser, the computer transmits a signal to a server, and the server responds by sending bits of information back to the computer
• the computer then takes that information and configures the files based on two things: the markup and styles that come from the designer/developer, and the preferences and limitations of the Web browser and computer itself
• The following factors influence exactly how a page appears on a screen:
• Color Depth
• the number of colors that a monitor is able to display
• most current computers/monitors can display millions of colors
• monitors could only display 256 colors - meaning web designers could only use 216 colors called the web-safe palette
• Monitor Resolution
• the number of pixels when measured horizontally and vertically on a monitor
• most monitors today are 1024 x 768 or higher
• most sites these days are optimized for a 1024 pixel width and are designed in a size range of 975 and 990 pixels wide
• Operating System
• the main difference in operating systems is their ability to anti-alias type (anti-alias type looks smoother because the system creates a blur around the characters)
• non-anti-aliased type can look jagged or "pixelated"
• Browser Type
• a web browser is an application whose function is to receive layout and styling information from a host and display that information on screen

DESIGNING FOR THE WEB

• the more things that appear to have been done on purpose, the more effective a design is likely to be
• web designers must be tolerant of a range of color matching as opposed to a need for exactness that can be achieved in print
• there is no page height or width on the web
• widows are impossible to predict
• the use of imagery on the web can be restricted by a target audience's tolerance for download time
• web designers need to have a contingency plan - a backup plan that allows for user variables

GOOD WEB DESIGN IS AN EXPERIENCE

• good web design goes well beyond evidence of a plan - good web design is an experience for the user

I also read Activating Composition Space, Entry Point, Feedback, and Minimum Usable Design in IID

ACTIVATING COMPOSITIONAL SPACE

• Activating compositional space is the idea of taking white space and having it create a positive flow with the surrounding content
• Activating compositional space will assist in determining hierarchy, visual rest and reading gravity

ENTRY POINT

• is important for first-time users because there may only be a few seconds to entice them to use a digital interface or enter a web site
• entry point designs should have a clear hierarchy, and the decision choices should direct the user to a path within the content

FEEDBACK

• when a user has indicated an action of completed a task, the system or product will respond to the user to reinforce that action has happened
• feedback can be communicated in various forms, such as an auditory sound, physical action, verbal response, visual cue or a combination

MINIMUM USABLE DESIGN

• minimum usable design focuses on the web design process instead of a physical product
• when a design in usable for a large part (say 50%) of the intended audience without actually being complete