Evaluation

1. From my research I found out some conventions of a website. One of the main conventions of a website was the layout the majority of the websites used a three column layout. I didn’t use this convention on my website as I thought it was to basic and I thought that I could have a layout that was just as efficient as the three column design is. I have made a layout that appeals to my audience because the audience are going to be cancer patients so the don’t want anything depressing they just want it to be straight forward. I also found out through my research that most websites have a header bar at the top with a logo inside of the header bar. I also used this convention on my website. I used this convention because I thought it was the best way for them to recognize the logo with the name being in the same bar. So when ever they see that logo they are more likely to remember who’s logo it is. Another reason I thought it was good to have the header bar at the top with a logo is that it is like the first thing you see because it is quite bold.

The links across the top and down the left hand side

Three Column Design

I found many different conventions from my website research, I have used some of the conventions and challenged others. For example one of the conventions I noticed a lot of the websites used was putting the links along the left hand side of the page and also along the top just underneath the header bar. I challenged this convention by not putting the links underneath the header bar I only put them down the left hand side instead of along the top as well.

Header bar with logo

The links along the side and not along the top

2. I done a survey in which I got 30 replies from. From my survey I found out that cancer affects everyone there isn’t a certain age group it doesn’t affect. It also hasn’t really got and specific gender that it affects. There is a very wide range of people cancer affects. Pretty much everyone who replied has some how been affected by cancer in some way or another. They might know someone who has it, someone who did have it, or someone who has passed away from it.

I think my site reflects that there isn’t any specific age or gender as the style isn’t childish but isn’t very grown up it is basic and straightforward. From my research I also found out that a lot of the people who will be visiting my site will be either cancer patients or people who have suffered from cancer or family members of cancer patients. I have reflected this in my site with the nice simple happy colours they needed to be happy because the people who are visiting my site are people who have been involved with cancer somehow so I needed my site colours to be happy as cancer is a very unhappy and depressing thing to get or have. So it cant be unhappy and depressing as it will depress them more and therefore more unlikely to donate money. My audience is a very wide range because nearly everyone has known someone who has had cancer and they also know the stresses it puts the family under.

3. I am going to discuss the difficulties and differences between a website campaign, radio programme or film. One of the differences is that you get a much more visual experience (doesn’t apply to the film). Also on a radio programme or film you can only fit in a certain amount of information as you have a certain period of time, but on a website you can put as much information as you want on there because there is no time limit on it.

I did a bit of research on how to design a website. I found out many different basic conventions to how to design a good website. The most useful piece of research I done was the survey because these made my target audience more categorized so I could base how to design my website around that. From the answers I got from this I realised who my main target audience were and based my website design on that as obviously you make your website to fit your target audience otherwise its not going to appeal to them and they aren’t going to look at it.

4. The audience for my website are people who might have had cancer, might be in a family of someone suffering from cancer or known someone who might have passed away due to cancer. I have an extremely large audience as cancer affects everyone even if not everyone gets it, pretty every survey that I received back implied that they knew someone who had cancer or has had cancer. So people who might not have even had cancer are still usually very willing to donate. But the main people who donate are people who have been involved around cancer for example they have had it themselves or they mum, dad, brother, sister or child has had it or another member of the family. These people are more willing to donate a sufficient amount of money as they know the stresses and heartbreaks or cancer. I have tried to make my website most applying to the people who fit into my target audience. Which I found out through my research was family members who are middle aged and both female and male. This is why I have tried to create a website appealing to both sexes and a range of ages. I have tried not to favour any age group or gender.

5. I have attracted that audience by using formal language without it sounding sarcastic or rude. It needed to be formal as cancer is a very serious thing and you can’t like make it sound jokey and silly as it is extremely personal. Cancer is very emotional thing to have and very emotional to be around and involved in. This is what I based my colour choice on as I know how emotional cancer is so I chose bright happy colours to true and make the website as nice as possible. I also didn’t choose the colours to suit a certain gender either I have got what I would describe as male and female colours in use on my website. The font I have used isn’t to formal but isn’t like a childish font as I want the people who visit my website to think we are a good cause and donate. I think all of the audience who has visited my website have responded well to my website and have had good comments on it.

6. The main things I learnt from the experience of making a website is the amount of planning there is to do before you actually make the website. Also the experience of using many different programmes on computers. Some of the programmes I had never used before and the ones I had I now know a lot more about and feel more confident using them. I also now know a lot more about getting a website actually up and running on the world wide web (WWW).

7. I have learnt a large variety of new things and techniques when I was set this task of making a website. I mainly got used to the Apple Mac computers as I wasn’t familiar with these. Once I was familiar with the computers I learnt many different ways and techniques on how to use IWeb and Photoshop on how to edit images and create a website. These will come in very handy when I need to use them again.