Last week at Flip

So this is my last week at Flip =( on thursday it'll be Two months since i've been here and i'm sad to go.

There's still so much more that i wanted to learn!

I've learnt i lot of useful tips and tricks on photoshop (like shortcut keys, and actually USING layers and then keeping them organized in their respective group folders)

I've learnt ALOT about websites are Designed,built and created.

I really really don't wanna leave, but hopefully they'll hire me again once i graduate.

And even though i much prefer print over web i still enjoy it and the fact that i still have TONS to learn makes me wanna continue working here.

Well anyways... =(

Principles of Web Design

Here are the principles of web design based on these three articles:

1. http://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/
2. http://www.sitepoint.com/article/principles-beautiful-web-design
3. http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/31/10-
   principles-of-effective-web-design/
4. http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/09/27/
   10-usability-nightmares-you-should-be-aware-of/

The general principles of design apply:

1 Balance

• Symmetrical
• Asymmetrical

2 Rhythm & Repetition

• Regular
• Flowing
• Progressive

3 Proportion

4 Dominance

• Dominant
• Sub-dominant
• Sub-ordinate

5 Unity

• Closure
• Continuance
• Similarity, Proximity and Alignment

Related Concepts:

• Contrast or Opposition
• Positive and Negative Space
• Rule of Thirds
• Visual Center
• Color and Typography

The basic rules of usability and common sense:

• a clear, self-explanatory navigation,
• precise text-presentation,
• search functionality and
• visible and thought-out site structure.

Principles Of Effective Web Design:
1. Don’t make users think
2. Don’t squander users’ patience
3. Manage to focus users’ attention
4. Strive for feature exposure
5. Make use of effective writing
6. Strive for simplicity
7. Don’t be afraid of the white space
8. Communicate effectively with a “visible language”
9. Conventions are our friends
10. Test early, test often

WebPage Anatomy:

1. Containing Block (1)
2. Logo (2)
3. Navigation (Small green boxes)
4. Content (4)
5. Footer(5)
6. Whitespace (6)
7. Grid Theory
8. Rule of Thirds
9. Column Navigation (Left (3), Right, or Three Column)

Fresh Trends:

• Expansive footer navigation
  
  
• Three-Columns with content first
  
  
• Resizing: Fixed width VS. liquid width
  
  
• Variable Fixed width layout
  
  
• Screen Resolution

Things to Avoid!

• Hidden log-in link.
• Pop-ups for content presentation.
• Dragging instead of vertical navigation.
• Invisible links.Visual noise.
• Dead end.
• Content blocks layering upon each other.
• Dynamic navigation.
• Drop-Down Menus.
• Blinking images.
• Don't use pop-ups.
• Don't change users window size.
• Don’t use too small font sizes.
• Don’t have unclear link text.
• Don’t have dead links.
• Have at most one animation per page.
• Make it easy to contact you.
• Links should open in the same window.

My Fifth Week @ Flip

This picture only shows about a fifth of the people working here (There are about 50 people working at flip)

As you can see from the title,it's been five weeks since i've been at Flip Media.

I actually really like it here, you don't have to be uptight and proper like in most advertising/interactive agencies, you don't have to immerse yourself purely in your own "tasks" , you don't have to worry (too much) about the way to talk to or address people. You can wear whatever you want, ask for help or to give help to/from others, and you can speak to everyone as peers.

And, unlike many other companies in the U.A.E. they have a proper naming/ filing / work system to follow. Which, in my opinion, is on of the main base reasons behind their success.

They also follow MBWA (Management by walking around) in which the CEO allows us to speak to him freely and even sits with the employees to do his work instead of doing it in his glass enclosed office.

They also give people good chances at working here, they train you and give you minor jobs until you understand the system enough to do a major task.

I like it here, i like the people and the way everyone works together. They have also been extremely understanding when my car broke down twice (which made me late for work) and when i overslept (late again) and when i took a day off to sort out my car.
I don't know if i'm going to be punished but so far they seem fine about it.

I really like the atmosphere and work ethic they have here, and i hope to work here once i graduate.

Internship Cont.

So it's my third week at flip I really really like the people here but everyone's so busy with all their deadlines that they barely have time for me.
But they're really really really nice and very helpful when i ask them questions.
So... i've been going around asking random people if they've needed any help no matter how small (as long as bringing coffee wasnt involved)

- I've ended up editing this website's design on photoshop
- Doing QA (Quality Assurance) for this other website which was in Arabic so i had a great advantage helping them out there.
-I've done lots of screen shots and picture searching for them too lol which ,apparently, was a great help.

So yea, im still currently working on my own personal project in which i have to design my own site.


- It starts with a brief and creating my logo( upper right)

- Then the site map

- Then WIREFRAMES -the basic layout of the pages -Which as you all now know i hate. to do that I've been having to use this program called omnigraffle pro (which is good because now i at least have basic knowledge of it)

- After that - the fun part - the design =D

Yaaaay

The cycle goes like this :

Initiate
Research
Design
Build
Deploy
Issues
Evolve

Basically. A website doesnt just stop at making it "live" (putting it out on the internet) you still have to fix the bugs and keep maintaining it.

Wireframes

I Hate them

They are the most annoying thing i've ever had to do

and redo

and redo

and redo

and redo

and redo

....

A week's Internship @ Flip

Hiyaz,

Well i've done a week's worth of internship @ FlipMedia.
I've been given my own laptop to work own, An Email Address and A fingerprint to enter the workplace =P
Slowly but surely i'm learning more about website development and design.
I've learnt alot of new terminology like wireframes (basically the website layout)
And im trying to teach myself how to use Omni graffle Pro (as i was only given a tiny crash course on it)
To tell you the truth i was hoping to do alot more alot faster.
But anyways the people are nice and the workplace is as well.
Currently, i've been given a "project" in which i have to make my own website portfolio
So ive done a brief, a sitemap , and now im working on the wireframes.
I wish i had had to chance to have taken an advanced course in this stuff though!

Anyways, i am enjoying myself. 5 weeks left including this one.
I really really really wanna be able to learn news things. Fast. AND be given the chance to be helpful and productive. well i was able to once.

Yalla we'll see what happens!

More later =)