Evaluation: Emma

Website: http://nataliekrayworth.wix.com/socialmedia

I have promoted each app using the features that, I think, are the most important features of the site. I created an event on Facebook inviting people to discuss the results of the General Election the week after it had happened - The Facebook Event allows people to say whether they are going or not and is easy to use. When promoting Twitter I tweeted asking people for their opinions on the General Election , this means that people would have to use the search 'General Election' to find the tweet. I think this is an apt way to promote the app because the search bar makes it easy to find tweets either using hashtags or not. 

I did the same thing on Instagram allowing people to find the picture through the tags. On YouTube I decided to post a video from a concert that I had been to. I decided to do this because a lot of artists use YouTube as a platform to share their music which means there are a lot of music fans on YouTube. Sharing a concert video would allow people to connect with the band and the person who had attended.  Chats is a good feature that Google Hangouts uses. This is what I decided to focus on while promoting the Google Hangouts app. You can also draw on Google Hangouts which is another fun feature that I wanted to promote for the app. While promoting Skype I focused on the fact that you can use this while on your mobile and anywhere around the world. For MMS, I thought that promoting the fact that you can share images and videos would be a good way to get the app attention because teenagers want to share images. A main feature of Snapchat is the video feature - which is what I decided to promote.

I think that the content I created was effective in its aim, which was to promote these Social Media apps. The work that I chose to do surrounding these Apps and Websites shows off their most important, and sought after features so in terms of promoting the Apps I think that the content did a good job of showing what they're really about and how you can use them.

My target audience with the use of these apps are teenagers and young adults between the ages of 17-21 because this is the age that people would get interested in the Election and the people who don't have a lot of information about it. Social Media is a good way to learn things and to hear other opinions so I thought that this would be a good audience for me to target with the Apps. 

The website that I made is laid out very simply which means that it's easy to navigate. On the top of the page you can see the different Apps laid out which makes it clear to see and you can head straight to the page that you want to see. The colours are light and neutral which means you can easily read the text and the videos are set up so that they are simple to view. 

Some of the content was quite difficult to get - finding people to interview and to get them to express their opinions on the Election wasn't easy to do so I only ended up with one good interview that I could use on the website. Going along with this, I had to make sure that I only got serious answers on Twitter and Instagram which meant deleting anything that wasn't succinct enough or contained swearing.

To improve, I would probably choose a different subject that I used to promote the Social Media. The Election is a controversial topic, although important, so it was difficult to find people willing to take part and to interview. In terms of the whole project, if I did it again I would make sure that I had enough time to get everyone done to a better quality. 

Google Doodle

I created this Google Doodle to showcase how diverse and multicultural Google is. Google search has the option to search in multiple languages and Google Translate is a huge part of the search engine. When you're on the website you can also choose to read the website in a lot of languages from around the world. I thought that this really shows who Google is as a company and I wanted the doodle to really sum this up.

Digital Communications: Emma (Case Study)

Who created Snapchat?

Snapchat was invented by Stanford University students Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy and Reggie Brown. Spiegel is now 24 and with a net worth of $1.5billion is the CEO of Snapchat. Bobby Murphy is the official co-creator and co-owner of snapchat with his net worth matching Spiegel's. Spiegel and Murphy were a part of the same fraternity 'Kappa Sigma' which is how they met. Snapchat was originally introduced as an idea for a class project in Spiegel's design class. The sites name was originally 'Picaboo'. Later on into the project Murphy was brought in to code the application. 

When was Snapchat created?

Snapchat was first launched under the name 'Picaboo' in July of 2011 as an iOS application only and it's name later changed to Snapchat. The app really took off in October of 2011 as more people started to realise what the app was created for.

What was the purpose of creating Snapchat?

There has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding the purpose of snapchat as many people believe that it was created as an easy way for teenagers to send nude pictures without it hanging around on the internet. Spiegel denies these claims and says that he came up with the idea after thinking about how kids do not often get to be themselves on the internet for fear of their history being traced by future employers and that it is a fun way for friends to send funny pictures to each other (x). This was proven to be the reason that most teenagers were using Snapchat because in October 2011, Murphy and Spiegel noticed that there was a spike of usage between 9am and 3pm which meant that people were using this app as a tool to send notes and messages to their friends during school hours. Despite, in the beginning stages of the app, people thinking that it was all about sexting a lot of adults and young adults are changing their mind of this fact - According to Huffington Post only 1.6 percent of snapchat users have said that they use it to send sexts regularly and the second most popular type of snap to be sent is a selfie with the first being funny content (x).

How Does It Work?

Snapchat works by having a user take a picture or a video with the limit of 10 seconds. After this is taken they can then doodle over the image or add a caption to explain what is going on. Here are some examples:

Once this is done, the user can choose who, out of their contacts, they can send the 'snap' to or they can add it to their story which is available for all of their contacts to see for up to 24 hours and then it is wiped. If the user doesn't add the snap to their story then the person who they send it to can view it for up to 10 seconds. A 'replay' option is allowed once every 24 hours so if the snap is set to a quick timer then the user can view it again.

Companies can promote their businesses using Snapchat with make-up company Nars showing previews of their new collection using the stories feature. Snapchat also uses stories to showcase popular events that occur worldwide such as London Fashion Week, The Oscars and other award shows and Festivals such as Coachella. This helps users of Snapchat to interact with the app if they are at the event that is being shown or if they are people who aren't there and just want to see what is going on. The application has recently started using geofilters so that users can show where they are at that moment with Snapchat having stories solely for people in London, Paris, Dubai and New York in the past.

Advertisment:

Snapchat has a YouTube Channel which is the main vessel of videos that promote and advertise Snapchat and it's new features for example: The Geofilters. 

          

 These clips showcase the new updates and explain how to properly use them and to show what can usually be seen as a boring list of updates (e.g. ios) in a fun and interesting way that engages their users and sticks to what it is that Snapchat stands for - creativity and having fun.

This is another advert that is promoting Snapchat via the form of a print ad. The advert clearly shows what the application is and where you can download it from but more than that, the advert shows two girls having a good time, taking a funny picture and wanting to share that moment with their friends which is what Snapchat is about. The advert is funny, light-hearted and simple which are three qualities Snapchat carries throughout their branding.

Task 2a - Plan: Emma

Google Hangouts:

Snapchat:

My idea for snapchat is that I will host interviews about opinions on the election and who is happy with the result etc.

Facebook:

The Facebook event that I'll be creating will be asking people to come to take part in the interviews that I'm hosting.

Instagram:

My idea for instagram is that I will document what is happening during the interviews and then uploading it to instagram so that people can see what is happening.

Twitter:

On Twitter I will, again, ask for peoples opinions on the general election and what they think about the result. 

YouTube:

For YouTube, I will either upload a silly video which are popular on the site or I will upload the snap chats onto youtube so that they are easily accessible for people who don't have smartphones.

WhatsApp:

For the Media Messaging segment I'll discuss the election/the work that I'm doing with friends and get their opinions on it. I'll also share pictures to showcase the different features of WhatsApp.

Skype:

UNIT 56 - Digital Communication: Emma

Task 1a -

Worldwide Web Consortium:
The Worldwide Web was invented by Tim Burners-Lee in 1989. Viewing a webpage on the WWW works by either typing a URL into the web browser or following a hyperlink to that page. The web has become a means of spreading malware and crime on the Web can include identity theft and fraud. Any websites that a user of the Web visits has the ability to collect information about the user and create a profile for the user so a disadvantage of the web is that it is not private. Despite the lack of privacy on the Web there is the advantage that the Web is accessible for people with disabilities including visual, physical, auditory and neurological disabilities. Google is an example of a search engine that people use to explore the Worldwide Web - it is one of the most popular search engines along with Yahoo and Bing.

Wireless Access Protocol:
The Wireless Access Protocol is a specification that allows users to access information via handheld wireless devices such as mobile phones, pagers and two-way radios. This works by the user selects something (content, a document) on their device that they want to receive which then sends a message to the IP address of the WAP server. An example of a device that supports WAP is any smartphone or in particular the iPhone.

Global System for Mobile:
GSM is a digital mobile system that is used widely in Europe and other parts of the world. GSM digitalises and compresses data and afterwards sends it down a channel alongside two other streams of data that came from mobile users. Services based on GSM technology were launched in Finland in 1991 and now in 2015 more than 650 mobile companies offer GSM services to their consumers. GSM also allows most users to continue to use their phone while abroad. An example of GSM would be phone companies such as T-Mobile or AT&T.

3rd Generation Protocols:
3G refers to the third generation of mobile telephony technology, this refers to the speed of internet and download (mostly) on mobile devices. 3G supports more diverse applications, facilitate growth and increase bandwidth more than previous (1G, 2G) generation protocols did. 3G works by using cellular based technology with the signals passed from phone tower to phone tower and then the tower nearest to the 3G device passes a signal to it. The vast amount of towers means that there is mostly always a strong and reliable signal. Smartphones usually support 3G such as iPhones and Samsung, phone companies also support 3rd Generation Protocols.

Multimedia Message Service:
The Multimedia Messaging Service is the standard mobile messaging service, as opposed to SMS, MMS allows you to send not only text messages but sound, images and videos. Although MMS can be used by people texting their friends, a huge percentage of MMS users are companies sending messages to their consumers.

General Packet Radio Service:
GPRS is a wireless communication service that promises continuous connection to the internet for mobile phone and computer users. The higher data rates allow users to partake in video conferences using mobile handheld devices. One example of GPRS is Google Maps which, if you turn on your location, finds where you are and can help you to navigate your way around places.

Bluetooth:
Bluetooth is a wireless technology which allows mobile devices and computers to talk to each other and share things over a short distance. Bluetooth is designed to be a reliable and inexpensive way of exchanging information between phones without wires. You can use Bluetooth to send photos from your mobile, exchange business cards and real-time satellite navigation. In some modern cars, you can use bluetooth to connect your phone so that you can take calls while driving, this also means that you can play music from your phone through the radio. There are also some speakers that allow for music to be played by using Bluetooth. Unfortunately, a disadvantage of bluetooth is that it quickly drains your battery so your device may need to be charged throughout the day if you are continually using bluetooth.

Broadband ADSL:
ADSL stands for 'Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line' and is a technology used for connecting to the internet. Broadband ADSL also stands as what we call the 'house phone' and so allows information to be sent through telephone lines. In order to use ADSL it needs to connect to a modem and people who use it must be in close range to this modem such as: in your house or a restaurant. ADSL is also what people call 'WiFi' which allows people to use the internet in their houses and other places such as hotels and shops may have it so that users can use the internet on the go without using their 3G as long as the place has a modem and the user is within close distance. An example of companies that do this is Virgin and BT.

Voiceover Internet Protocol:
Voiceover Internet Protocol or VoIP is something that allows the user to make calls using a broadband connection instead of the classic analog connection. There are some limits using this because sometimes the services may only allow you to call people who are using the same service which restricts the amount of people that users can call however there are other services that allow you to call everyone you want including overseas, mobiles, landlines and long distance however some calls (international and mobile) may have additional costs. The way these services work is by converting the users voice into a digital signal however if you're calling a regular number then the service will convert to a regular call before the signal reaches the destination. Some people may be able to access VoIP on their laptop and places such as airports, cafes and some parks have wireless hotspots which allows for access to VoIP services.

Task 3.3: Evaluation

The product was fit for purpose because the idea of the product was to advertise an energy drink that does not intimidate people into buying the product but instead subtly hints that it will give you a lot of extra energy and will wake you up for anything that you need to do that day.

The technical qualities of the advert is that I created the design of the product and background by myself and I put animation onto the text. I created the design of the can by myself by layering images and colours over a stock image of a can that I got from the internet. I made the can myself by getting rid of the existing design and changing the colour to blue and putting my logo on the front of the can. I also created the background myself by, again, getting a stock image of a sunrise from the internet and then erasing the qualities of it that I didn't need, resizing and changing the colours. I put the animation on the text using existing motion presets on Flash and I adjusted the direction of the presets to fit the idea that I had in my mind.

The aesthetic qualities of the advert is that the colours are bright and will attract people's attention on websites such as YouTube or in places such as the train or bus stops. This means that the drink will catch the attention of a variety of people which was one of the aims of the advert despite the target being Females of 16+. Although the colours are quite bright, the advert as a whole is quite simple using only a few colours and not being too overwhelming in design or animation which I think will be more aesthetically pleasing than if the ad used 5+ colours and an array of different fonts in different sizes - it looks a lot cleaner and therefore will be more appealing to the people who will have the ad on their site.

My production skills during this unit were adequate, there were times that I found it hard to generate ideas and I found myself stuck for what to do with the ad but I think, in the end, I ended up with a solid idea that worked well. My workflow and time management could have been better but I finished most of the work on time and I think I did it well. To improve my time management next time I will focus more on getting everything down on time instead of leaving myself a day to tidy everything up and finish last minute details because doing this is what caused me to get behind a little bit. I think my skills in Photoshop and Flash have improved during this unit but there is still some development to be had so that I can do more complication animations and actions but overall I think it has been a decent unit without any cause for complaint.

Task 3.1/2 Production Log - Emma

Using Basic Tools:

Drawing -

I used the pen tool to re-draw the outside of the can that were erased by mistake when erasing the other lines.

Free Transform -

Here I used the Free Transform tool to rescale the soda can and make it bigger so that it filled up more space on the stage.

Using the Free Transform tool I rotated the lightning bolt to ensure that it would fit on the can.

Editing - 

I zoomed in on the can and then used the erase tool to get rid of the black lines from the original image that I didn't want to use.

Using Objects: Symbols

I had to convert the text to a symbol (movie clip) so that I could later use animation to make it move.

Using Colour Tools: 

Here I used the colour properties tool to choose the colour of the can and I later used the paint bucket to fill in the rest of the can.

I used the eye dropper tool to select the same colour as the lighting bolt so that I could change the colour of the sun.

After not liking the way that using the exact same colours on the can looked I used the colour properties tool to change the colours to a more muted version of light blue and yellow for the rising sun.

Using Text Tools: Text

I used the text tool in Flash to write the slogan of the advert using the font Impact because I wanted the text to be bold and a large feature on the advert.

Manipulating Objects:

I grouped together all of the images that made up the can so that I can move it freely around the ad without having to put all of the images together separately again.

Animation: 

The animation I used was a simple one that zooms the text in from nothing to be at the centre of the stage. 

Assets: 

Here I had to convert this image to a raster image so that I could erase the background.

Saving and Exporting for the Web: