Design Team Member Reflection

I very much enjoyed the opportunity to have an alternative assignment for my final. Being offered this assignment made me feel like my hard work during this course had been noticed and that I was being rewarded for it. The most challenging part was finding good material for my topic of business destinations. Not many articles seemed to fit that were well done, so I had to do a lot of editing. I normally, I do not like working in a group because I end up having to do all of the work; however, being with the top-point earners, that was not the case. My team members were very helpful, and eager to get the project done promptly. Particularly, Alex was very helpful. He had some great ideas, and he was willing to help me when I asked for it. I definitely learned more about building websites during this project and this course. That is an important and helpful skill in the technologically advanced world that we live in. Overall, this was a great experience, and I think it is a good idea to be used in the course in the future. However, I like that it was for the top-point earners. I do not think it would have been enjoyable if I was working with different people.

Looking back: Individual Project

When searching the English 1102 archive, I have found it to be difficult to find resources that match the type of material that I am searching for. It is important to tag an article appropriately so that searchers may more easily find my work and avoid finding work that is off topic. The titles of the articles on the archive tend to be ambiguous and do not have thought put into them. The following article has a confusing title with no explaniation in the body of the work (see artifact here). My blog posts, like this one, do have the overall name of what it is about, but I could go into a little more detail by telling what aspect of the Sweet Auburn Market that I will discuss. Creating a more informative and thoughtful title will smooth out the research process.

An important lesson I have learned during this course is to pay close attention to my organization when I write. I found it frustrating to have to constantly think about and criticize my organization, but that battle has strengthened my skills. Mrs. A talked about making an outline before I jump in to writing an essay, which I do not prefer doing since the process seems to take longer; however, spending this extra time on my writing will pay off in the end. I believe that I have improved with my transitions between paragraphs which is something I have always struggled with. I tend to jump from topic to topic, but I think I have gotten better (see artifact here).

Although it took a while, I learned how to make my work more multimodal by incorporating hyperlinks and photos (see here). I have learned that online writing is different than writing an essay on paper because there are different expectations. Incorporating links, pictures, and videos create an interactive space for the reader and can provide more evidence for my argument. Having never worked on a website or made a blog post previously, I have enjoyed these new experiences.

Digital Built Environment: Georgia Tech

https://twitter.com/georgiatech

https://twitter.com/georgiatech

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a premier research institution and one of the top public schools in the country. Its variety of academic programs, teaching staff, and internship opportunities make it a leader among universities. Students from around the globe compete for admission. Gatech.edu effectively communicates the world class standing of this historic institution. The website provides comprehensive information about the school in an easy-to-navigate format.

Upon arriving at the homepage (see artifact here), there lies a compelling slide show which links to interesting stories that give the user a feel for what life is like at Tech. The tabs provide categories that most users would fall under so that the information presented beyond that point is best fit for that specific user, whether it be “parents,” “alumni,” or “prospective students.” The addition of a search bar to the homepage makes it easier for the user to find relevant content. Under the menu tab, it gives more information about who Georgia Tech is.

The site’s hundreds of pages are clean, modern, and consistently framed with black and gold. The design is intuitive, and the tabs are clearly marked and in a precise order that is most helpful to the user. In addition, the site provides stimulating and engaging photos and videos to help its user better understand the work Tech is apart of.

A unique feature I discovered on the site is a page where the user can provide feedback. Interactive fields are provided for the user to express their questions and concerns. The public has no access to directly comment on or change any information on the site, but this feedback option gives the user the feeling of freedom to express their opinion.

The many pictures on each page give me the impression that Tech is an enjoyable place with many opportunities during a student’s time at the school and after they have graduated. Although it took some concentrated searching, I found an “accessibility” link at the footer of one page. The accessibility page gives ample information on how students with disabilities are accommodated on campus. There are many links on the page to other organizations like projects at Georgia Tech whose purpose is to better the lives of those with disabilities. There is an email address for those who may have questions about Tech’s accessibility.

The website provides ample information on the research done at Tech, dining options, events around campus, sports and the music program, and much more. Tech’s website is successful in its purpose to recruit prospective students and to give details about what life could be like for the website user.

Digital Record 6 Georgia Tech

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Upon more research, I did find the web page on disabilities on the Georgia Tech website. This web page is called “accessibility” and has ample information on how Tech accommodates those or are in a wheelchair or have other disabilities, and there is a contact email and phone number that the user can contact if they have any questions.

Photo taken by me

Photo taken by me