Reflecting on My Goals

At the beginning of this semester, I posted my goals for the Visual Communication class in my very first post. Now, at the end of the semester, it is time to reflect upon the goals that I had set out to achieve and what has actually transpired. The first goal I mentioned was learning how to develop a Web site. I can say with surety that this class has taught me how to develop a Web site. From the planning stages to the post-production stages, I have gone through the process of building a Web site. In fact, the shell of the "home" page of the Web site I created in the class is pictured above. Simply put, my first goal has been met.

The second goal I mentioned was learning about the marketing aspect of mass communication. From reading books that covered marketing to actually designing and creating a newsletter for a particular company, this class has definitely met my second goal. I am certain that I know more about marketing and what it entails then I did before I started the Visual Communication class.

My last goal, though it was rather vague, will undoubtedly be met. Because the class was fun, it was easy for me to enjoy the projects and in-class time that I experienced with this Visual Communication class. The skills that I have learned in the programs Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop is just one example of something that I can use in the future that will be of great benefit to me. Overall, my goals and expectations have been met without question, and I have enjoyed my experience in the Visual Communication class.

A Layout Analysis of an Article

I chose to analyze the layout of a story from The Advocate, written by Scott Rabalais and printed Friday, the fourth.

First of all, the story is three columns long, and the headline does meet the requirement for length. In fact, the headline is so long that it actually takes up two lines.

Secondly, the names that appear in the story are bold so that if one wanted to scan the article for the people who are in the story, one could easily find each name. Also, there are mini headlines inside the story that separate the different parts of the story.

Third, there is text in the story, bigger in font size than the other lines of text that is placed in the story as a picture would be. It sticks out from the first column and is underlined twice to give it importance. It reads "LSU NOTES," and it is a neat feature because it provides the reader with the opportunity to see right away that this particular story contains little, quick "notes" about the LSU football team.

Lastly, the picture used in the story spans the second and third columns and runs from the top of the story under the headline to three-fourths of the story. The best thing about the picture is that the football player in the picture faces the story and the center of the newspaper itself. Also, the picture is in color, so the reader is drawn to the story because the purple and gold of the player's jersey catches the eye. One negative about the picture is that it appears to be a little grainy.

Overall, the story is laid out well, from the alignment and other minute details to the names in bold font and the color picture.

The Good and the Bad

As I surf the Web, it is not uncommon for me to stumble upon a Web site that I don't particularly like. At the same time, however, there are many Web sites that I do particularly like and visit quite often. For the purposes of this blog, I will discuss two Web sites that I think are good and two that I think are bad. Since I feel it is best to leave the best for last, I will talk about the bad sites first. As much as I hate to say it, I do not like the NFL's Web site. Any Web site where one has to scroll sideways to find pertinent information is annoying. The second site that I think is bad is a Web site about lyrics. The layout appears very disorganized to me, and a black background is too dark and is overrated. The first site that I think is good happens to be my favorite Web site. Tigerbait.com is good because it not only presents much information, but it also presents the information effectively in a good format and design. A second good Web site is a local news Web site. There are good photographs to catch the attention of the viewer, and the overall layout is a good design because it is very easy to decipher where the information is. What I have listed is just a few examples of good and bad Web sites that I like to view, but there are many more out there waiting to be explored.

Jake Terry 

My Goals for Visual Communication

It is now time for school again, as the summer doldrums have faded into the fall semester at LSU, and the class that I will focus on is Visual Communication. As a student majoring in mass communication, I hold the Visual Communication class in high regard because I want to get the most out of the classes that really count toward my degree, and Visual Communication certainly is one of those classes. Also, I have goals that I want to achieve for the Visual Communication class. One of the goals I have is to learn how to develop and run a Web site because knowing how to create, develop and successfully run a Web site is something that can set me apart from other people who may be applying for the same job that I will be applying for some day. Another goal I have is to learn more about the marketing aspect of mass communication because I want to be as well-rounded of a person as I can be. Finally, the last goal I have for Visual Communication is to use everything that I learn in this course to help me in the future because I am positive that something I learn in this class will benefit me in years to come. In closing, I am excited about the opportunity I have in this class because I know if I work hard enough, I can achieve these goals and possibly much more.