Toys & Games- Dance Mixer

This is a picture of the toy/game I picked:

This toy is from Hawkins Bazaar in Bath.

I chose this because if I was younger, this is the type of toy I would be interested in, as I liked dancing and listening to music. (And still do!) The packaging of this product is very colourful and a bright colour scheme is used. This is because the target audience of this toy is aimed at younger children aged 5+, and so they would be drawn to this straight away.

The font is large and is in capitals, again this is to stand out and to attract the target audience. It has an image of the product on the front of the box and not a clear window like a lot of other toys. I think this is because with this certain product it looks better when set up, whereas if there was a window, the mat would have to be folded and therefore wouldn't look as appealing to the child.

Website Wireframes

I researched some website wireframes to gain more of an understanding of how to create a simple layout design with no colour or actual text. Here is an example of a website wireframe, including a before and after image:

I then went onto Adobe Illustrator to create my own wireframe layout on my perfume product. This is what I came up with:

This is the desktop view of the website.

In this layout design I have chose a very simple theme, because I think this works best and is very clear for the audience to navigate around the site. I have also included a lot of image spaces, as this makes the overall look of the website more interesting, instead of rows and rows of text which comes across as boring.

Next I designed a mobile version of this website design. This is what I created:

Here is my second desktop view of a different wireframe I have come up with:

Here is the mobile version of the one above:

This is my third and final wireframe option that I have created on Adobe Illustrator:

Finally, this is the mobile version on my final website wireframe:

My favourite desktop and mobile wireframe is the first one, as I think it looks professional, yet simple and clean. However I think that my second wireframe would suit my product the best, as I am only selling one product on the whole site, so needs to be chic and simple.

This is good because the user would be able to clearly navigate around the site easily, both on the desktop and mobile versions. It also looks very uniform and classy which I think connotes an elegant, high end product that is being sold on the website, and therefore attracts the audience.

Research on Perfume Website Design

Here I have got 3 screenshots of fragrance websites for inspiration, as my product is going to be a perfume.

This first screenshot is of Fragrance Direct. This is the on of the simplest out of the three and only uses a very limited colour scheme, which comes across  professional and more high end in my opinion. I think the white, red and black works well. Also the layout is chic and again fairly minimal, so is clear and easy to read.

Here is the second screenshot, this is of the Perfume Point website. This is much more colourful and packed with lots of information. In my opinion, at a first glance this looks quite cluttered and therefore suggests a discounted range of perfumes, rather than the very expensive high end fragrances.

Here is the final screenshot, this is of Juicy Couture's website, on the fragrance tab. I think this is very minimalistic, however the swirly, feminine font makes the website look more interesting and unique. The colour scheme is very bare and is mostly white excluding the actual products, which is very simple and therefore is considered classy and elegant. 

Menu and Popcorn Buttons

This is how far I have got on the popcorn project. I have nearly finished my menu, however I still need to add two working buttons to the last two options.

I have also completed my first sequence on how popcorn pops. I just need to add text on the stage to help demonstrate the question.

Here is a screenshot of my second sequence on how popcorn is made, again I still need to add the text.

I have started my third sequence on how a steam engine works, however this is taking a bit longer as I am attempting to make the steam train run across the page. Here is what it looks like so far:

Overall I have made a lot of progress, there is only a few more things I need to add to make this project complete.

Communication Theories

Hypodermic Needle Theory

The hypodermic needle theory is an idea at which a certain advert or TV programme is injecting the audience with information. The audience could take this in one of two ways, these different types of audiences are either passive or active. Passive is when the audience does not question what is being presented to them and tend to not get involved. Active audience members get more involved and would often question what they are being told. For example, this type of audience might ring up on quiz shows to vote.

Here is a screenshot of a photoshop test that I did, which includes a brief summary of this theory and on active and passive audience members.

I think this theory is quite outdated now, because with todays modern technologies it is much easier for the audience to get involved, as there are various apps and commenting sites for people to connect with the producers. For example reviewing sites and audiences can write to the makers for tips or complaints. Also people are inclined to have more of an opinion, because everyones opinion is accepted and heard in today's society.

On the other hand, audiences can tend to get a little bit lazy and could be considered more as a passive audience member.

Maslows Hierarchy

Malsows theory is a pyramid which demonstrates what people's basic needs are, developing into more optional/wanted needs that makes people happy and human. The topic include; physiological, safety, love\belonging, esteem and self actualisation. 

Here is an image to explain this further:

Nearer the top of the pyramid, are more desirable traits/needs and at the bottom are the necessities or basic needs.

Uses and Gratifications Theory

This theory suggests that there are different reasons that people would want\need the media. Here is a screenshot of a table that I filled in, on the four different reasons that the uses and gratifications theory include.

Different people have different needs and respond individually to media texts. This would be unique to a certain individual. Audiences can use media to feel a certain way, for example if someone is sad, they could listen to uplifting, joyful music to make them feel better. Also each of us gain something from the media and consume gratification from this.

Production- Moving Image

Over the next few weeks in our moving image lessons, I am going to be filming my short film. I will start by choosing the appropriate equipment and set up in the starting location. I would then test out a few starter camera angles to find the best one for that specific scene. I also want the transitions and change overs from each clip to run smoothly and match up when the film is eventually edited. This would make the film look very professional and this is something I want to aim for.

By the end of the 5 weeks, I would like to have filmed a successful short film, that fits in with my narrative and with the mood that I am trying to get across to my audience in that scene.

For example, when one of the characters is suspected as dead, the camera angles and movements should reflect the intensity and build up for this scene, to overall make the film more effective. I would also like to have appropriate sounds and music background throughout my film, that again fits in with my narrative and scene itself.  

Colour Schemes

The difference between CMYK and RGB is that the first is a subtractive mix and RGB is an additive mix. This means that the additive is when you add colours it creates white, and subtractive is when you add colours, it blocks the white.

There are three ways you can create your own colour from a pure hue. For example a tint, would be adding white to a hue, shade would be to add black to a hue and finally tone would be adding grey to a pure hue. Here is a picture to demonstrate this:

Here are my four colour schemes:

 Monochromic 

 Analogous

 Complimentary

Triad