Final version of Website and Evaluation

Here is the URL address for my website:
http://www.kevinpenny.com/ruth/website/Index.html

The main media text I had to develop was a website for a brand new TV Channel, TV4U. The website had to include at least three hyperlinked pages, and I had to use original images, audio and video.

I designed my website using the software Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 and CS4. This software allows people to develop their own website using codes and a range of tools to develop the website.

Housestyle

It will be seen that throughout the website I have used a housestyle. A house style is where something stays the same on the website. The housestyle of my website is the layout. On my website each page at the top has a Logo, a banner that reads “the channel 4 U, and the menu bar below the logo and the banner. This is to keep some kind of consistency going throughout the website. Also it allows people to know how they can navigate through the website, because the menu bar is always at the top of page. The background also remains the same throughout the website this also counts as part of the house style.

The Logo

The logo I designed on the software Adobe Fireworks. I used the ellipse tool to draw a circle. I then chose a Black fill effect background from the assets library. I used the text box tool to draw a text box. The text “TV4U” is in the font style of Base 05 and is bold. The reason I chose the logo was because the dark colour connotate night, this is when TV4U starts. I asked young people what they thought of the logo and they said although the logo was dark, it represented their emotions, how the white font connotates their happiness and the dark colours connotate their unhappiness. A young person I asked about the logo said it connotates the rollercoaster of emotions a teenager feels the dark colours represent anger and the white font represents calmness. After looking at existing websites, the logo of the TV Channel or the website is always the link back to the homepage, people seem to recognise this. So to keep the similar convention going, I made my logo the link back to the homepage.

The Banner

The Banner I again designed on the software Adobe Fireworks. I designed a banner because after looking at existing TV Websites, I realised that many websites have banners. I designed a banner that would stick to the colour scheme. The banner is in dark colours to represent the teenagers. The banner ahs a slogan on of the TV Channel. The slogan is “the Channel 4 U” this is to allow people to develop the recognition for TV4U.

Menu Bar

To design the menu bar I used the table tool. I split the table into three columns, and one row. The links of the website went in the menu bar. Each link, Programmes on TV4U, TV4U Schedule and Pick of the Week, is in a Purple underlined font. This is the typical convention of website. The links are always underlined, this is how the users know that these are links. The links allow people to navigate around the website quickly and easily. I did not want to make my links in the menu bar too complicated because I wanted the audience to recognise the links easily. I kept the menu bar at the top of every page so people knew where to go to navigate off the page.

Background Colour

I had to decide upon a background colour that would represent my young audience. I originally went for Black, but then I realised black connotates black and white movies and my website is full of contemporary colours, so I opted for a colour that was going to connotate youth. I went on the internet to look at the different meanings of colours. After reading about the different colours on Youth, light blue caught my eye. After looking on the internet the main connotations of Blue is youth, truth and peace all the values of young people. The main shade of blue called Turquoise is the main shade of blue which connotates youth and communication. This would be a good colour to use on my website, because I am trying to communicate with the audience.

Homepage

I start with the housestyle of the Blue background; the logo, the banner and menu bar all being at the top. Underneath is a poster that is advertising the show New Rock Music Show. I created the poster on Adobe Fireworks. The image I used was the NRM image. I tried to take an image that had connotations of rock. I felt I did this because I found grey hoodies that had connotations of rock, and I did our make up and hair so there was connotations of rock. On the poster I drew blue boxes that contains text. The colour Blue I used again because it connotates youth, and Sweet and Sour are full of youth. The text is in a white font colour and white connotates innocence, and teenagers are innocent. The text I included was all relevant to the launch of the TV Show, I need to get across to the audience when the brand new channel begins.

Underneath is the white writing that connotates innocence. I included an introduction as a welcoming to the website. I wanted to welcome the audience and give them information to what this website has to offer. The text stand sout from the blue background and is easy to read.

Programmes on TV4U

This page informs the audience about the new programmes that are on TV4U. I again kept the housestyle going making it clear how people can navigate.

I included a video that has all the relevant information of what programmes are on TV4U and when they are on. On the video I included a piece of music by Black Eyed Peas called “I Gotta Feelin”. The song is about having a good time. That is what my TV Channel is about and that is young people having a good time in life. “I Gotta Feelin has positive connotations. The music is very upbeat and goes well with the video as the video is trying to get all the brand new talent across to the audience.

Underneath the videos is the images that represent the shows. Each image is recognisable and people can relate to the images. I tried to capture images that stuck to the typical conventions of teenagers, fashion, music and emotions. I felt I did this well, as I tried to use as many young people as I could in the images I captured. Underneath the image in the font style of elephant is the names of the shows. The reason I used he font style elephant is because it is chunky lettering, and looks fun. The font style elephant has connotations of fun because the letters are round and not too straight edge. I didn’t want the images to take up the whole of the page so I made them smaller.

Underneath the images is the different information on the shows. The first piece of information is related back to the first image of “Festival Time”. I created the heading in Adobe Fireworks. The font style is Cambria and is in the size 58. This is so it stands out. I continued with the font colour blue because it goes with the colour scheme but also continues with the connotations of Youth. All relevant pieces of information is in white. However, the genre of the TV is in light blue so the audience know what sort of genre of TV they are watching. The information I included was when the show is on, who it star and what the show is about. I kept on designing all the headers in Adobe Fireworks to keep the consistency going and kept to the layout of the information:

1) When it is on

2) TV Type/genre

3) Who it stars

4) What the show is about.

I wanted people to find the information out quickly and easily.

TV4U Schedule

The housestyle continues on this page. I have kept the same background colour for consistency. At the top, underneath is the introduction to what the page is about. It allows people to make the decision on whether they have come to the right page to get the information.

Underneath the introduction is a table, this is the schedule for the first night of TV4U. The table is split into three columns:

Name of the Programme

Time

What is it about?

The first column Name of the Programme is in the font style Franklin Gothic Demi and is in White. This stands out from th Blue background and people can read the name of the show easily. The time of the show is in a light yellow. The light yellow for me connotates sun set, and all my shows are on in the evening/ night. Again the font style used is Franklin Gothic Demi. I did not want to swap amongst colours too much. In the last column in the colour blue: What is it about? I put the text in blue because all the shows I have included connotate youth with the storylines they have. Around the schedule are the images representing the shows, each near the row of information that is relevant to that show.

Pick of the Week

This page gives information on the show that should be looked out for. I wanted to inform the audience about the great talent that this new TV Channel has to offer. Under the housestyle is the poster I designed on Fireworks. The poster is advertising the show teen models. Half the poster is in dark blue and the other half is the image of my sister. In the poster is 3 stars that read “Is she the next Teen Model?” Under the image is the time of the show and what day it I son. There is also information on the show in the font style Franklin Gothic Demi. I have continued with the colour blue on the posters because it connotates youth, and as the audience can see the person in the poster is very young.