Designers_CCCA

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Focus:
Design/Designers section of the CCCA database. Exploring issues of navigation and organization of design.

Stage 2
Designer Prototypes

Stage 3
Designer User Testing

Stage 4
Refined Prototyped

design community || * Search for designers
 * Users || Activities || Context ||
 * designers and
 * Examine specific Movements
 * Use for portfolio space
 * Keep up with peers
 * Browse through works
 * Search for specific Works || * Learn about design at an educational/recreational level
 * See the progression of design through movements
 * Look at different designers
 * Educational
 * Promotional
 * Professional

Consider the Following

 * //who is using the current system?//
 * //For the purpose of our project. We chose to focus on designers as well as the general public. This information we feel is very benefical and education and that it should be easy access and navigate through.//
 * what other systems currently exist?


 * what are the current interactions are available? How are they beneficial?
 * The current interactions involve searching through lists for find specific designers. Then examing each designer and their work in multply views.
 * These are beneficial in learning about specific designers. However these interactions can be accessed in better ways.
 * Looking at works over time from artists. Comparing their past work and current work
 * in what new ways can the vast amount of content be accessed/presented?
 * By categorizing artists as well as having more general information about design.
 * Grouping artists together based on the same _,
 * what can be added/deleted to enhance the user experience?
 * The global and navigation can be simplified.
 * Better ways to view artwork. XML slide shows?
 * how can the design be improved visually?
 * Reflect or mimic the simpleness of museums
 * A key issues was not making the design over take the artwork. It should be simple and not conflict with the artwork in the database
 * how can the overall user experience be more enjoyable, informative and efficient? Consider from visual and interactive design perspective?
 * A cleaner more efficient way of accessing information.
 * Re-think the global and local navigation
 * Better ways to view designers work
 * Categorizing artists, design, movements
 * Adding new things to design
 * Having the ability to upload or suggest new design work
 * User feedback > Rating system?

CCCA Designers Current System



When entering the CCCA website. To get to the design/designers section. The User would go up to the navigation menu located on the top in blue type and roll over it to get a drop down menu of the possible options for design. The options include an long alphabetical list of all designers. A background page which acts as front page/breif info back to Canadian Graphic Design. Designers Preview which is a thumbnail view of different designers and Designers Video Portraits.

[|designsiteindex.jpg]

The site index is located on the home/front page and acts as another source of navigation. This can be a problem and does act as too much information to have on one page especially the home page. Also there is already an option for a site index in the global navigation.

[|designpage1.jpg]

Background Page. Gives a brief description of Canadian Graphic Design and is seperate from the designers. Also does not give links to designers, only option is to go through the global navigation.

[|designlists.jpg]

Alphabetical Lists Contains all the designers in this section. Can be hard trying to find new designers or new things about design. Appeals to people who know specifically what they are looking for.

[|designartistbio.jpg]

[|designgallerytimelines.jpg]

[|designimageview.jpg]

Artist Bio/Timeline View/Image View Main page for designer/artist. Usually there is a bio/brief description of themselves in this section. There are links to a timeline view of their work. Which gives a visual chronological timeline. Also as stated for educational purposes it there is a slideshow option to view 2 peice side by side to each other. The image view gives a list chronologically of the artists work over time. These pages are linked to each other. However there is no way to get back to the list of designers without going back through the global navigation.

Scope

 * Re-think of the design section of the database
 * Focusing on re-organizing data and categorizing
 * Target Audience is the designers/but also regular people interested in art and design. (students, art enthusiast)
 * Re-think the navigation both local and global when accessing the Design section.
 * Presenting data is different ways/views > simple gallery style
 * organizing data into different options > chronological. movements etc.
 * Make this section more fluid
 * Trying to make the Bio/artist page more interesting.

Initial System Maps
[|group1systemmap1.jpg]

[|group1systemmap3.jpg]

[|group1systemmapbig.jpg]



[|flowgrop1.jpg]

Flow Chart Digital

Draft 1 [|flow5group1.jpg//__Wireframes: Some things considered__//]

Flow Chart Finals
[|group1_JSK_flowchart1.png]



[|group1_JSK_flowchart2.png]

**Wireframes: Some things considered**

 * Easy to nagivate**
 * "History Bar/Menu" - Shows a searchable preview of your process throughout the website, allowing you to go back or forward any number of steps you took in order to get where you are in your research.
 * Organized categories and subcategories in order for the user's search to be more accurate.
 * "Collections" - A place to store clickable 'thumbnails' of images they have come across on the site. Used as a 'bookmarking' tool, the user is able to visit their 'collection' anytime to view collected art (which conveniently, when clicked, directs you to either [optional] the page you had collected it from, or the artist's gallery page for the work, containing all the specifications of the piece.)
 * Always keep a search engine option - Imagination strikes at the least expected of times! Keep a search engine available at all times for quick keyword searches, without re-navigating through your history.
 * Possible colour coordination for different categories (Art = Blue, Design = Yellow, Photograhy = Red, etc..)
 * Clarity! - Information must be understandable/clear/easy to navigate.
 * Main Page**
 * Maintain easy navigation, right off the bat.
 * Thumbnails will maintain interest - (Thinking Amazon.ca here... //Debating if this is too 'interactive' now -- steering away from a database... hmmm// ) Perhaps having different features for showing your thumbnails (possibly customizable). This can include stuff like "You've previously viewed...", "Most recently updated artist's galleries/profiles....", and "What others are currently viewing...

[|IMG_0220.jpg] [|IMG_0222.jpg]

[|IMG_0225.jpg] [|IMG_0226.jpg] [|IMG_0229.jpg] [|System_Map_Group1.png] [|wireframe_group1.png] [|wireframe_group2.png]