Group Project Update!

So, for our group project we selected E-mails. After discussing with the group briefly, we divided up the assignment into four parts: Intro/Conclusion, Good E-Mails, Bad E-Mails, and Pros/Cons of using E-Mail. I ended up drawing the Intro/Conclusion, so I'm pulling from all of my group mates' material, along with some of my own to create a beginning and end for our presentation. I've already written some rough outlines for what I intend to say in my presentation, and we're going to finish erecting the Powerpoint on Thursday, with any luck.

Project Number Deux

For my second project, I'm going to be writing instructions on how to make a Martini. With so many people making wonderful baking and cooking recipes, it's good that someone make something to drink along with them. The best part is that a Martini is an anytime drink - if you're really in a bad way, you can even consider it a breakfast drink. Though, to be honest if you're drinking martinis at 8 AM you should probably seek professional help.

Website Fail, Document Fail

The goal of the reading for today was to properly understand how to create a successful document or website. While I think we can all appreciate what a good website looks like in terms of ease of use, ability to find information, and designed in a manner that's pleasing to the eye - we can also shudder at some of the awful websites we've all been subjected to in the information age.
I had the unfortunate experience of trying to navigate the Veteran's Administration's homepage on a number of occassions for a litany of reasons. While most would think that such a government website would be easily accessible to help America's veterans, its anything but. Links to nowhere, poor design, improper use of boxes and excessive extra screens create a logistical nightmare for even the most internet savvy person to navigate. Were it not for the fact that I had to interact with them, I never would have.
Just like an advertising campaign or the product itself, a website can either draw in or deter potential users from interacting your company or product. It's important to use the tools we have available to us to create a document that's both pleasing to look at, and useful at the same time.

Selecting a Technical Document!

So we've been tasked with the arduous assignment of finding a technical document for our class. After rooting through some boxes of manuals, tax information, and other exciting pieces of paper that enslave our very lives, I came upon my owner's manual for my bicycle I purchased last year. Ooh, something that doesn't inspire absolute indifference - or worse, abject horror - when I see it! I've gone ahead and flipped through the document, already taking note of some of the things discussed in class, and believe I'm ready to begin our assignment tomorrow!

Here's to not screwing this up!