GETTING STARTED

In the first class session we were told to make a list of internet brands we are part of. For me, this would include Facebook, Youtube, Flickr, iTunes and such. We were asked to come up with words that give a meaning/purpose to these sites, along with demonstrating the idea behind these sites.

So what are these online platforms we have in mind?
I have chosen to include iTunes, flickr, Youtube, Facebook, Trademe and Seek. I picked these sites because I am a member of each and every one, and I have a history of using these sites.

The word I have chosen to associate with these sites is 'Interactive.' This is because each of these sites enable the user to sign up and become a member, allowing the user to create their own page or channel. Unlike other online platforms that you may have in mind (e.g sites relating to a specific company/tv series etc), these are not sites where the user is just simply 'looking things up.'

Below I have mapped out a brainstorm of descriptive words for my range of online sites, as well as my chosen adjective - 'interactive.'

IDENTITY AND THE INTERNET

In the second class session we were shown a documentary about the turning point for someones life because of the internet. We were also asked to create a timeline relating to our presence on the internet (e.g sites like the ones I listed above.) This probably wouldn't outline everything (some sites will be missed out.)


PROPOSAL (FOR WEB DESIGN):

My idea for a website is a simulated social network site that will function similar to other online sites such as Facebook, twitter, myspace, Google+ etc. The major difference is - instead of a simple page outlining your status, feelings and personal details, the user is required to create their own personalized character and their own virtual reality environment. You can add to your experience with the site by installing a simulator which allows you to feel like you're 'living your life' inside the screen. 

Creating your character and environment is fairly simple. The site will give the user a series of toolbars where you can alter your characters appearance, you may want your character to resemble 'you,' somebody you look up to, or something of your own creation. Your virtual reality environment starts of as a large white space (similar to the Matrix), however, you can model objects, landscapes and buildings to create your environment. Seeing as this is social networking site, the user's character will be able to interact with other characters once the user has added them on to their page. The way this works is once the user has added/confirmed a friend, that friend's character will be able to visit your environment and vice versa. To simply 'chat' with your mates, click their characters and a toolbar will come up. It will allow you to either post an open status on their page, or private message/casino chat them. If your mates are online, they will be walking around the chatroom of your environment.

The proposal for the assignment may not be fully accurate as I am not a very good coder and probably require more time to build a fully functional webpage relating to what I have just discussed. The webpage may use ideas from the Nintendo pokemon games e.g the starting point where you can choose your character simply by selecting ethnicity (your character will resemble your stereotypical italian if your chosen ethnicity is italian), you may change eye and hair color + your characters clothing will outline your chosen interests. The 'likes' work in a similar way to Facebook, but instead you will have a room where you can place posters up that resemble your 'likes.' 


Precedent Images:

These images here outline how the character creation tool will work. 

Here are some images of sites that I took the environment creation tool from.

Naming the Domain:


Thinking of an idea for naming the brand took some serious thought. I started off by researching website/domain naming on thesitewizard.com, and came up with names like 'insider' or 'insideme.' However I decided to play around with names of original websites - my personal favourite being YouTube, so I decided to rename the domain 'MeTube'. Like most social networking sites, I have decided to shorten meTube to 'm' for a simple yet eyecatching logo.

3 concepts I wish to convey in my Brand:

As a starting point for the web design, I have chosen three words that simply sum up the personality of my domain/brand, however also need to reflect on my identity. The three words include innovative, empathetic, personalised. Innovative: The reason I decided to go with this word is because web-design/or brand design is about taking your train of thought to the extra mile to come up with new ways of problem-solving and decision-making. Empathetic: I chose empathetic because web-design is all about attracting millions of internet-users from across the globe, and with my brand, I wish to convey a new kind of 'crowd pleaser.' Personalised: Because this site is all about personalised design, you can create you own character, your own room/area, and the character ideally should resemble you as a person.

Logo Design:

Banner Design:

Main Page Design:

Colour Scheme Choice: