Test Site - aesthetic level

Here is a revised jpeg for what a final site might look like. It was layed out in flash with some experimental interaction, but will most likely be converted to html/php.

Here is the link for viewing. testSite

questionaire

Here is a basic questionaire that I hooked up to a database to store your responses. Hopefully I can get some good feedback that will help in my deciphering online communities :)

questionaire

Midterm Progress - Self Evaluation

As per my schedule, the majority of my thesis in the early stages revolves around research. I have been indulging myself in some of the web's more popular gaming communities in order to grasp core concepts in design strategy. My efforts so far have forced me to think critically about sites and now whenever I see a site centered around a certain group of people, I look for the draw that brings them there. My quicklink bar in my browser is now littered with links to sites and sources.

So as far as my own evaluation for midterm, I think I've learned a lot, but there's still plenty more to learn. I've had some setbacks the first couple of weeks since my concept was not yet refined and I was a little lost as to what I needed to focus on. It wasnt until the late part of week 2 and early part of week 3 that I really started getting a feel for what I wanted to devote myself to. I've posted weekly blogs on things that are inspiring me, or that I find interesting, or even concepts I'm investigating in order to help my classmates (or anyone else viewing) to better understand where I'm coming from and where I'm going with this project.

My next step going into the 2nd half of this quarter will be to do my user poll/opinions. Finding people to participate will take a little work, so hopefully I can count on my trusty classmates :P I'm excited about this thesis and am enjoying taking some time to grasp ideas and soak in all the visual elements, which I feel is very important, since building a strong foundation takes some time and patience.

Psychology

The past week I have been immersing myself with reading articles on psychology. I wanted to explore the human thought process as it pertains to interactivity (online or otherwise).

I began by reading papers written by scholars, looking up how other professors and their courses deal with interactivity, and finding some interesting stories on how role playing games affect individuals. These readings are meant to reinforce my understanding of the thought that goes into design and what makes interactivity important, if not vital, to modern day design. Below are some good links that I've come across that you may find interesting to read yourselves. I'll be compiling my findings in a condensed synopsis once I gather more research.

Favorite and most relavent links thus far:

example 1
example 2
example 3

thoughts on sites visited

Kirupa
Initial impression: clean, nice fonts, able to scan for what I need easily.

Lasting impression: Excellent reference site geared towards the art programming community.

Pros: Lots of content to choose from. Good sources available. Updated constantly. Minor animation and movement.

Cons: None I can see at the moment.

Cnet
Initial impression: intense use of color, text heavy, lot of images.

Lasting impression: Great resource tool to look up information on multiple items of interest. The clutter of images in text is broken up reasonably and gives you the impression that there is a lot going on in the tech world.

Pros: Great for feedback on today's technology. Well organized considering the amount of content. Fun topics to look into like "how-to" and "wish-list", etc. which keeps you reading.

Cons: Color scheme is a little much for me, but it keeps your eye moving..which I suppose is the point. Some of the reviews are a little out of date or certain items have not been reviewed at all (this is a little much to ask for ALL of todays technology however).

Gamespot
Initial impression: Immediate saturation in to game images and graphics. High Tech interface with multiple techonologies being used. Well organized and access to any and all of todays games.

Lasting impression: Great site to visit, lots to read about. I was satisfied with the content and display of that content.

Pros: Uses several web techonologies like html, css, flash, and some media devices like windows movie player. Broad spectrum of information to view. Many catagories to search that allows users to find what they are looking for with ease.

Cons: Annoying splash page that displays before you get to the site.

Curse Gaming
Initial impression: Futuristic feel. Nice layout with plenty of download options.

Lasting impression: Great resource for downloading game mods for World of Warcraft. Lots of information and fun pictures that show everyone what they are missing out on ;)

Pros: Updated constantly. Reliable information and downloads. Decent forums and information that keep users up to date and in the mix.

Cons: Geared towards only one type of gaming community (MMORPG's). Would love to see the implementation of a site like this with many other types of games.

Allakhazam
Initial impression: Nice header. Immediate access to content. Little clutter. Slightly link heavy with the new items, etc.

Lasting impression: Great site for getting up to date on the current aspects of the World of Warcraft community. Great reference as well.

Pros: Excellent source of information on items, crafts, guilds, etc. Easy interface and good layout. Easily searchable, with good results.

Cons: Very link heavy when listing new items. Perhaps new items should not be listed on the page when you first access the site.

Half-Life Source
Initial impression: Clean, sleek, with a nice layout.

Lasting impression: Fun site, with lots for the HL2 enthusiast community.

Pros: Good information on technologies used and required for the game. Fun discussions, and great links to all the things related to the game.

Cons: Scroll heavy, it takes a while to get down some of the pages.

Basic influence

Whenever I visit an online community, there are usually certain things that run through my mind. The first one is usually aesthetic. Lets face it, graphics are very important and without a working knowledge of color and layouts, most sites fall well below the interest mark. The second is content: how much information can I get out of the site? Is it reliable? Is it searchable? The last thing I tend to look for in a site is how entertaining it is. I mean, sure it looks clean and has plenty of information, but some sites that comprise these elements lack a sense of dynamism.

From the research on my sample sites (located in the link section), I've found that the sites that I like the most have elements like: Rankings (both user rankings and professional rankings), video capabilities (some form of streaming video/audio), games (flash/shockwave, or anything else that can be either promotional or simply entertaining), and special discussions (for instance: 'Create your own dream PC--our developers will tell you what you should get' or 'Users voice their opinions on ...'). So, based on my impressions from other sites I learn that my favorite sites come from those that are:

--updated
--clean and organized
--have lots of content and information that is searchable
--has 'entertaining' features (listed above)

Now I realize this is just my own opinion, but I'm sure no one would disagree with any of the above. Surprisingly, some of these are still neglected when people design sites and communities... I will be looking forward to getting my poll out so that I can get some feedback from others as well.

Key elements thus far

After visiting many sites I've made some interesting discoveries that would allow me to break down good design principles. By design, I'm not necessarily referring to the cosmetic aesthetics, although that always helps, but rather the psychological impact that comes from logical arrangement of data and functionality. When viewing interactive communities, there are key elements that one should look for:

Ask yourself,

1. Is it organized? Can you find what you're looking for easily and is the contented divided in a manner that removes clutter and confusion.

2. Is it legible? Does the font type and size allow users to actually read the information, or will it drive them away, never to return.

3. Is it searchable? Can users sift through all the superfluous data and find what they need, and if they can't, is there links that can point them in the right direction?

4. Is it updated? If every time you visit a site, it remains the same, eventually the user will tire of visiting and go elsewhere. It is important that sites be updated constantly to give visitors an incentive to come back.

5. Is it fun? There has to be a hook in the site that keeps users coming back for more. Typically the theme has a lot to do with this aspect, since users are drawn towards their respective interests. However, keeping these principles in mind should at least intoxicate them long enough to stick around and possibly return, even if it isnt their particular brand of wine.

Exploring my thesis

Being that I am an interactive designer, I tend to focus on the interactive elements of things. That being said, what can be more interactive than a game? I took this into consideration and realized it was an excellent basis for a thesis covering interactivity. Gaming communities have been established to facilitate successful games that encourage people to work together. These communities thrive off a fan base that seek to enhance their understanding of the game and take their experience of the game to another level. Further research has revealed that communities that offer more than just chat abilities and blogs are more successful. Take for instance www.curse-gaming.com . This site is dedicated towards the hardcore RPG games, such as World of Warcraft. They offer tips and tricks, information, downloadable modifications for the UI and game mechanics, and much more. With all these things available, thousands of users visit this site and use its resources. So, does readily available information, game enhancing mods, user feedback on game play necessarily equal a successful gaming community? This certainly seems to be the case…

Welcome to my thesis blog site!

In this site, I hope to gain valuable feedback and critique on my efforts to explore online communities, in particular, gaming communities. I hope that by learning from each other, we can make this thesis project a successful one :)