Site Maps

Today we looked into ways of creating a mock up websites and ways to plan out everything you want to include. there were a few websites that we looked into to create our plan and outlines. the two websites we looked into were:

www.mockflow.com
www.lucidchart.com


LucidChart

The first step was creating a plan on lucidchart which was where i could make my plan of all the stages to create my portfolio. This was a great start to give myself ideas from scratch and make out some order of how my website will start to look. LucidChart is a really great planning website thats helped me to understand my own layout. Using this planning tool helped me to start from scratch and start to see how my portfolio would flow, and can also tell whether or not it works, as in some areas after planning them out needed changing as in to where they would go. Since using it i can start to realise I want a very simple but effective portfolio. three main areas are my projects, about me and my blog. I could then put each sub category in to the right part of my site. Overall the simple drag and drop with connective arrow tools helped me to plan my portfolio and was a great way to start from scratch.

MockFlow

The next website was Mockflow, this website was to help you try to piece together your outline and plan for your website. The website was really simple to use, with drag and drop options and quite a range of outlined pieces you would want to include on your site. it gives you the start you need to try and piece together whats in your head and helps you to see whether what you've chosen is effective or not. I was able to create my simple portfolio and where i want my options or projects to be placed and so on. Since starting my piece on Mockflow i've come to  realise how each part will look and where it will be placed, i want a simple but effective 3 options, and each part will have an effective project in a large proportion with my other projects below it. Overall it was a great stepping stone and good start to picture my site, although it wasn't able to properly show me how it would look and was difficult to decide on colour etc. but was a great tool to start me off.

Overall using both websites has been a massive help to understanding formats and layouts or structures for my planning but as well as educating myself on new pieces of software online. one main factor into using this is to get everything stuck in your head onto paper or a screen. The Lucidchart was a high quality planner that has only helped me decided on all the content and specifically wehat parts they'll all be included in. And then the Mockflow was the best website i could have used to get my head around understanding what goes where and what styles I was trying to think of in my head. As i had listed all parts to include in the website and where, I also had the chance to think of quality of work and which products of my own will be inclued. I need diversity in my products to show the versatility of what i can achieve. overall with all of the above to consider, I feel my Mockflow has helped me understand web layouts and all the factors leading towards a good portfolio.

Portfolio sites

Service 1  Name: Weebly.com	Rating out of 5
Video Support	4
Audio Support	4
Email Forms	3
Social Media Integration	4
Text Editing Tools	3
Blogging Tools	4
Cost	5
Customisation	3
Choice of Themes	4
Ease of Use	4

Service 2  Name: About.me	Rating out of 5
Video Support	2
Audio Support	2
Email Forms	3
Social Media Integration	5
Text Editing Tools	5
Blogging Tools	2
Cost	3
Customisation	4
Choice of Themes	3
Ease of Use	3

Weebly.com

Weebly's well organised interface made it easy to see at a glance what weebly would have to offer as a site builder. It has a series of menus across the top for easy access to its key features. a simple drag & drop is all it takes to add text, images or forms to your weebly website. At a first look, the weebly website seems like nothing special. It's a simple uncluttered and easy to use, and thats exactly what id be looking for, however it does seems slightly simple with little creativity, for someone with limited set of skills to create their own internet presence.

Weebly to mee seemed fairly limited at first use, as I want to focus on design support and weather the website will be able to achieve the look I want. the template variation was alright but more can always be better, and most just seemed to blocked, or not the right look I was going for. Although you can change around a lot of the website the lack of widgets and features to add to your website shows. however weebly balances the ease of use and flexibility effortlessly. For example when i went to sign up and try the features it took less than a minute to start choosing and constucting. the standard drag and drop feature or editor is what stands out, with its easy function the editor has a habit of showing you only relevant options on screen, such as when i went to edit an image it only showed me what i needed to see. As it did show me the right options and was a simple walkthrough of getting to know the program, I just still didn't enjoy the lay outs or maybe the to simplistic options, all though it was fun I didn't see it very challenging.

One bit of information i  did find out was Weebly is the only major website builder to offer a separate iphone app to help manage your website on the go. The app isnt a full website builder, its more of a selection of features thats helpful on the go. The app was a good little feature and can understand why you cant use the full features on a phone as that seems to take away the point of a website builder.

About.me

This is a site that enables you to create a special page that brings together all your social media profiles, blogs and online galleries. You get to be the decider and choose what you share with the people who visit your About.me page, so you can either have a very corporate looking portfolio for work with your google+ account and hide your Facebook or twitter, same goes for more of a personal non corporate one. About.me when i first went through the website I came to realise you have a great deal of control over how the finished result looks. You're able to add your own background photo, change fonts and decide where the main navigation box will appear on your page. I felt you could easily gain a stylish easy-to create web design thats suitable for both professional and personal use, however I'm not sure if it's given me enough to make it my chosen platform.

The most noticeable feature is the ability to upload a large high quality photo to act as your background for the site and enter a small amount of information about yourself. You can drag the main box with your text and links around on the page to it in just the right spot on the photo. You can also add links and feeds from other services like my Facebook and Twitter account. It appears About.me is a great place to create an 'About me' on the internet. the features or lack of features doesn't really make about.me a great portfolio builder. One good factor would be creating one and then leaving it until you wanted to go and change your information. I feel another website where i update information about myself is the last thing I need, except to include all my professional social sites could benefit myself. I could see maybe this website helping similar job hunters create a sort of online resume, as we've know most employers nowadays could look at your online profiles and its better to have a cultivated story of who you are rather than what pops up on google search.

Online Portfolios

Online Portfolios

I Have chosen to evaluate and compare around three videographer portfolios online, the three portfolios are:

- http://www.nutfilms.co.uk/#about

- http://www.michaelholyk.com/

- http://www.aooa.tv/


From the start I have noticed that every videographers portfolio has its own style to represent the personality and way the person works and represents there work. the style or layout of your portfolio seems key to the way you interpretp and get your content across. It seems as if the main reason for a videographer is to have all there work represented as is the highlight or purpose of the protfolio is to get your product across to as big an audience as possible. sharing products amnd contetn is the main outcome to a videographers portfolio however its also to show your creative side or to show how well you show off and treat your work. All three portfolios have a different style and way of sharing however this is one important factor i will consider when creating my own portfolio.

other than just the products another main feature that all of the portfolios include is the 'content' page or link that gives you a brief description of who they are and what the company is about as well as links to all social networking sites and other websites they may advertise on. as videographer portfolios are more visually equipped and tend to represent more with eyes than words, so there bio part can sometimes be short and sweet in some aspects or explain there CV in a more descriptive way as its more of a business portfolio for them as at the end of the day its all about getting your product across.

the structure can seem to change with videographers and the style of portfolio however the content will normally have four main ingredients. contents, about, portfolio and a blog or some sort of tumblr. these will be four main aspects of my portfolio, and from what ive seen its all down to personality and showing what type of person you are in your portfolio. It seems as if your products or vidoe count as your CV as the greater amount of quality work you has wll determine wether a customer will stay and nteract on your portfolio or choose your for there project. it seems simplistic styles and easy to work your way around your portfolio is the right way for a videographer as product and interaction seems key to what ive found.



The first website i looked at was Nutfilms.

Nutfilms was a local based media company that seems like a new addition/small company that have recently created a student based media company that have built upon a few projects and created some really professional videos. there website or portfolio is very simplistic. Once you type in the adderss bar your instantly on there portfolio and the layout is a plain black out background with nothing on it until there showreel starts automatically and you have to sit and watchwhat theyve put together. However the showreel itself is of a proffessional standard and from the size of the video it grabs your attention formt the start. even though the page is very minimal and has little interaction, the main featutre of this portfolio is the video which i thought by the end of it was a very proffessional piece and wuld make a client see the potential they have to create there video.

EVen though the portfolio is basically one large showreel the other part to the website would be there logo for branding purposes, and then they have a brioef contacts page leading you to all there social networking sites aswell as there youtube channel to see the showreels original products. there was also i tiny bio page or about, which is a brief 1st person senttnece to explain there passsion for 'Beautifully produced films'.

Althought the style is very minimal i do like the idea of having the show reel as the main focus, as one of the main reasons for portfolios is to get your work across for more work/clientel. the lack of intercation is still whats missing off of nutfilms portfolio and how the video isnt even able to pause or skip back and forward. this has basically become to minimal and is therefore noit enough for what i want to include in mine, howver the miniml colour scheme and short snapping descriptions are very good.



The next portfolio I looked at was Michael Holyk
























Michael Holyk's portfolio still goes with the minimal feel of Nutfilms one, he has still gone with the white minimal colour scheme and black small font, this seems to go with his Holyk logo for his media brand. As soon as you visit the portfolio its a very different design as the video stills of his best work are on the home page and if you hover your mouse over them it gives you the title and what it is. its a very neat and symmetrical page which I like as the simple but clean look does stand out. from what i can see its his own design on the layout and has probably formed it on a web designer but it could also be like a tweaked tumblr account. The one part about this website is the options on the side three clear ways of moving round the site, either projects, contact or blog. The contact tells you there passion in  more of a third person view which i quite liked as to in the way you can describe your work and yourself. it also included the links to all of Holyk's social networks. The main part to his portfolio that I liked and seemed a big part to his portfolio was the blog option, this sent you to a different web address and to his Tumblr which was also the same colour scheme and minimal look. Overall a well put together portfolio and one id take influence from.



The Last Portfolio was AOOA.TV (An Overdose Of Awesomeness)

The Last Portfolio was a Belgium Filmmaker called Richard Van Der Vierden, The portfolios home page is a really nice design and has two options on the right and the left, one being the 'awesome' page and the other side the 'Corporate' page. He uses the contrast of work and play together and separates them so you can see what type of product your looking for. the colour scheme is grey and white split down the middle so the awesome side is in grey and corporate in white, and then hes used a very effective photoshop method of having a picture of himself split down the middle with one side in a suit for the corporate aspects, and then the awesome side with his hair up and in going out clothes. all with this very professional lay out theres also the option for his blog which takes you to what he seems to enjoy and shows more about the portfolios profile.

The awesome side has all of his Music events/ live nights that have this 'awesome' feel to it with all his videos in a low light bellow the main one you watch, then the list of clients or artist's hes been able to film. I'm not to sure about this lay out as it seems to cluttered and fairly dark how each video goes very dull when its not being hovered over. The corporate side is also like this but with clients they've worked with such as brands etc. it also has a white background, this side seems to look slightly better, so i feel colour scheme should be fairly key in mine. There is also a shop part to this portfolio however i dont think my brand would be at that sort of level at this moment, except i could maybe look into having up and coming clothing brands on my page, some new possibilities from looking at this one.