Evaluation

For this project I had to plan and design a interactive web banner representing my course for my college.
I started this by researching into existing web banners and experimenting with flash techniques for future development for my banner. Our class looked alot into various types of banners and games, and how you can interact with them in different ways. I had to record several different types of banners and give good and bad points about them.
Experimenting with flash techniques helped me with idea generation and development for my banner. Allowing me to understand my capabilities with what I had learned.

I began idea generations for what possible banners I could create that could be interesting while staying interactive. Idea generation was a crucial part for this project. If I was to design one banner first, and it didn't work out the way I wanted, it would set me back alot of time and effort. So by idea generation I could plan ahead for my banner's development.

My final idea was to create a somewhat simple banner, but working to the college's logo in a simple black and white background and text. The banner simply had "Plymouth College of Art Interactive Media and Game Arts" on it in the logo's font. The interactive part of my banner was to have three icons of the common software used throughout the course, these being flash, photoshop and Illustrator. These icons would be moving around the banner in their own unique way. Clicking on the icons would then show personal work made using that chosen software. Also, clicking the logo would send you straight to the course page on the college website.
Unfortunately during the banner development, there was a technical problem and my work was lost. This set me back alot of time and effort and caused me to make the banner again. With alot of work lost this caused alot of problems trying to work with little recovered work.

Mind map

http://www.swfcabin.com/open/1308752118

Design Process

Using this code, it would allow me to make something in my animation clickable which would then open a link to whatever I linked into the code. Using this I made my font clickable which then took you straight to the PCA site and relevant course page.

box.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,fl_ClickToGoToWebPage);

function fl_ClickToGoToWebPage(event:MouseEvent):void

{

navigateToURL(new URLRequest("http://www.adobe.com"), "_blank");

}

Ideas Generation

Idea 1

For my first idea I was planning on doing a rather simple, but hopefully attractive design, something that is similar to the college's current logo. using the black logo on white background. I plan to have to the text 'Plymouth College of Art Interactive Media and Game Arts.' With a black outline shape of a controller underneath that.
While this may be simplistic, I'm hoping my idea of this being "less is more" will work.
While the controller is to symbolise the course as an Interactive media and Game Arts course, and will hopefully attract attention of people interested in education for Game design. I do however worry this will not resemble the course enough. Perhaps I could add more symbols representing what sort of things will be used for this course.

Idea 2

For my second idea I was imaging an interactive game, which involves picking the a certain symbol resembling, perhaps the software used in the course. So for example, there would be an icon of Adobe Flash , Photoshop, 3D max e.g And when the button is interacted with, it will continue to a description of what to expect from the course and how these software's are used throughout the course.
One idea of game to use behind this idea would be something similar to 'Space Invaders'. It could be under that style, having to shoot the icons as they descend down the banner.

Banner 4

This advertisement was based on YouTube site. Because of how popular YouTube has become with so many people around the world using it everyday. It is a great place to use for advertisements. When clicking on videos now, a lot of the time you will be greeted with them instantly. And YouTube now uses their own YouTube site to advertise a YouTube video advertisement like the one show above. This is advertising the tv programme Primeval, showing what channels it is shown on. This is a good way to promote new programmes and other new things.

Unfortunately many people dislike the new advertisements on youtube as they are often forced to watch them and can feel like a waste of time to people. 

Banner 3

This is some sort of exclusive banner for the site IGN, where the banner is used to link with the background image of the site. Although after scrolling down the two become separate. This is a very good way to advertise a game on a game website. It's attractive, unique and interesting.

A bad point about this might be when you scroll down, the advertisement and the background are now longer align, while this is may ruin the idea of those two working together, it shows how the two are actually separate and work together to create the illusion it's all the same one image.