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

Digital Record 5 Georgia Tech

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After clicking on “Life at Tech”, there are links to research opportunities and amenities sush as the large gym and diverse dining options. The picture shown is of active students that are walking and riding bicycles. However, no matter where I look on the website, I cannot find any information that might enlighten me on the handicap access on campus or how those with disabilities might be accommodated. This lack of access to information would automatically make me think that if I were in a wheelchair, I may not chose to go to Tech in fear that getting from class to class would be too difficult.

Photo taken by me

Photo taken by me

Digital Record 4 Georgia Tech

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A-513cYhZ2U

On the “about” page on Georgia Tech’s website, this video, “This is Georgia Tech”, gives an idea to the public about what Georgia Tech is looking for in their students. It also gives a few examples of the kind of missions and research that Tech is involved in. The new technology that Tech is working on shows that Tech has a multitude of resources readily available in order to impact the globe in a positive way.

Digital Record 3 Georgia Tech

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The Georgia Tech website is open to the public, and it is not necessary to have an account in order to view the information. There is no option for the public to add information to the website which prevents irrelevant text from accumulating such as doxing, cyber bullying, or the posting of inaccurate information. The site is attractive as it is straight edged, well organized, and sticks to the theme of black and gold colors.

Photo was taken by me

Photo was taken by me

Digital Record 2 Georgia Tech

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On the desktop version of the website, there is a link on the aforementioned banner that says, “look at why more international students are competing to come to Georgia Tech, and what their lives are like once they’re here” (Georgia Tech). After clicking on the link, I get a page about how 10% of all the applications Tech receives are from international students. It also talks about the financial standpoint of Tech mentioning that for its comparatively average tuition and above average academic experience, you will get more bang for your buck at Tech most other schools.

Photo taken by me

Photo taken by me

Digital Record 1 Georgia Tech

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The first thing you see when coming to the Georgia Institute of Technology’s website is a banner along the screen with four people from a diverse cultural background. The message is portrayed that people from all cultures are welcome at this university, and that they currently have a very diverse student body. This can encourage international students to seriously consider Tech as an option for their education.

Photo taken by me

Photo taken by me

 

Annotated Bib 11 Digital Environment Arup

“Living in a Digital Built Environment.” Digital_Built_Environment. Arup, 2015. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. <http://www.arup.com/digital_built_environment>.

"Living in a Digital Built Environment." Digital_Built_Environment. Arup, 2015. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. .

“Living in a Digital Built Environment.” Digital_Built_Environment. Arup, 2015. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. <http://www.arup.com/digital_built_environment>.

This website presents information about Arup’s view of what technology can do for the world’s future. Arup is a company in the UK that provides engineering, design, project management, and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. This video posted on the Arup website, http://www.arup.com/digital_built_environment, discusses how technology will change how people interact with each other and the architecture in which they live. This digital, technological world is giving people more choices on how they get to work everyday, whether it be a new public transportation system or a self-driving car. They also talk about the Singapore Sports Hub which is a large stadium of 55,000 seats that has a moveable ceiling and movable seating. Technology is allowing people to do things now that no one would have imagined could be possible less than ten years ago. The digital environment creates an opportunity to be more efficient, and to better understand the architecture of a building before the foundation is laid.

 

Annotated Bib 10 ALFI Food System

“Atlanta Local Food Initiative.” Atlanta Local Food. Atlanta Local Food Initiative, 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. <http://www.atlantalocalfood.org>.

This website, created by the Atlanta Local Food Initiative, gives information about what they do to impact their community. ALFI is a “diverse coalition of stakeholders working to build a more sustainable food system for metro Atlanta” (Atlanta Local Food Initiative). Coalition meetings are held every other month, and those involved in the ALFI like communities within Atlanta, nonprofits, universities, government agencies, individuals and corporations participate in these meetings. They have organized public speaking events to raise awareness for the challenges of food systems in Atlanta and all over the world. This particular event was the Food System Summit in 2012 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The following image is one that they used during the event.

"Atlanta Local Food Initiative." Atlanta Local Food. Atlanta Local Food Initiative, 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. .

“Atlanta Local Food Initiative.” Atlanta Local Food. Atlanta Local Food Initiative, 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. <http://www.atlantalocalfood.org>.

The website can be a tool for me to explore how ALFI’s methods of getting involved are making an impact on the communities that they touch. I will analyze the methods of public speaking, the competitions they are involved in with the amount of local food grown, and their other methods of spreading this local food movement.

Annotated Bib 9 ACFB Statistics

“Hunger in America Study 2014.” ACFB RSS. Atlanta Community Food Bank, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2016. <http://acfb.org/facts-stats>.

 
This article by the Atlanta Community Food Bank has many statistics from 2014 about families that rely on the food bank temporarily or for many years. According to the article, every year 1 in 7.5 people around Atlanta and north Georgia rely on food pantries and meal service programs to feed themselves and their families. Additionally, more than half of the households relying on this food bank make less than $1000 dollars a month.

Prasertong, Anjali. "The Dark Side of Summer: Children & Summer Hunger." The Kitchn, 26 July 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. .

Prasertong, Anjali. “The Dark Side of Summer: Children & Summer Hunger.” The Kitchn, 26 July 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2016. <http://www.thekitchn.com/the-dark-side-of-summer-children-hunger-192701>.

Additionally, they mention that those surveyed confess that they have had to chose to eat inexpensive, unhealthy foods because that is the only thing that they can afford. Many people do not support government programs like this because they think that the people relying on them use it as a crutch. They say that now they are getting free or discounted food, they can stop looking for a job and can rely on the government for sustenance. However this article addresses this thinking by including the statistic that 59% of the families served by the ACFB have been employed in the past year.
This article can be an important point in my analyzation by having the facts at my fingertips.