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[creativecraig]

Sherlock Minimalist Posters

Having looked at many different inspirations, I then decided to create my own film posters for Sherlock Holmes. You can clearly see all the inspiration from Ibraheem Youssef to Josef Müller-Brockmann. I am really happy with the out come of these posters as they highlight key props from the narrative without giving anything away. 

[creativecraig]

The Author - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The real mastermind of the Sherlock Holmes character as well as the numerous of books written is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Originally pushed to follow the profession in the medical sector, Arthur studied at the University of Edinburgh. Having spent a lot of time partaking medical studies, Arthur wrote his first story,  _The Mystery of Sasassa. _This lead to a craze of stories being produced by Doyle, but by far the most famous and notable stories of Arthur was the Sherlock Holmes series. The Sherlock Holmes character was  inspired by many different people and events that had occured throughout Doyle’s life 

Arthur’s father was known for being a chronic alcoholic, which has been linked into the Sherlock Holmes character as when not active on a case, Sherlock was hinted into abusing alcohol due to mainly being bored although the more modern Sherlock series have tried to remove it as it is a sensitive subject.

The main influence of the Sherlock Holmes character was a man called Joseph Bell, a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Bell had a particular interest in forensic science (the scientific study of criminal and civil law), this is one of Sherlock’s main traits and is clearly inspired by Bell’s interest. Doyle worked with Bell as a clerk for a period of time and took the characteristics, activity and way of thinking of Joseph Bell to inspire him to make the great detective that is Sherlock Holmes.

[creativecraig]

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The Diary of John H. Watson - Website

Above is the final version of my Sherlock website. Overall I am very happy with how the website turned out. It shows Sherlock from the POV of Watson in a clear precise way with illustrations and colour theme giving a victorian, industrial feel to the site. I also think the animations give a sense of mystery and erie just how sherlock himself is a person, with the typefaces working together to give the victorian style but also tell the story in a clean way.

[creativecraig]

D3. JS

One of the more interactive and difficult ways in which data can be presented in is real time, interactive data. D3 is a JavaScript library which allows users to input and create infographics using spreadsheet information. I did intend on using D3 as I am wanting to learn more about JavaScript however I felt that now was the right time as my website would not suit this style of data. This will be one I will come back to and explore more of.

[creativecraig]

221b Baker Street

Having created a cityscape illustration, I thought it would be great if I could illustrate the door of the Home of Mr Holmes as it is just as iconic as the man himself. Like the cityscape this would be used as a background image to set the location and tell the story of 221b Baker Street.

[creativecraig]

Sherlock Holmes - Fact File

General Appearance

Smoking pipe

Black hair

Grey eyes

Thin lips

Hawk-like nose

Inverness Cape (added by Sydney Paget)

Deerstalker Hat (added by Sydney Paget)

Traits

Boxer

Swordsman

Violinist

Thinker

Typical Catchphrase

“Elementary, my dear Watson”

Retirement

Retired to Sussex coast to keep bees and write books about bees

Personality

Once motivated, will do everything to achieve his goal, considered an outcast for his way of thinking.

Strong set of morals does everything that is right even if it's against the law

Extremely intelligent due to his craft in forensic science.

Observant, instantly remembers everything to the finest of details and the origins e.g ash from a turkish cigarette.

Distant - Keeps himself from people, does not care for the majority of people.

Arrogant - his no filter, will tell the truth to everyone and anyone mainly by observing and out smarting them.

Substance Abuse (cocaine and alcohol) - mainly down to Doyle's fathers alcohol abuse

When not motivated becomes a recluse and depressed.

Sherlock Holmes complete character is completely different to others, and this is what makes him considered an outcast and a 'freak'. It is also said that Sherlock has Autism, in the form of Asperger's Syndrome for him mainly being so focused.

[creativecraig]

Who is Sherlock Holmes?

Sherlock is the main Character in a series of books created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The books are split into 4 long stories and 56 short stories which originally started in 1887.  The famous fictional detective’s role was to uncover mysteries that proved too difficult for Scotland Yard’s police team. Sherlocks unique mystery solving ability to seek and capture the finest of details and clues made him the greatest detective of England. 

Of course Sherlock did have the assistance of the great Doctor John H. Watson, a former servant of the army. The paired characters would prove a deadly combination for solving cases and keeping the streets of London safe. Having the reputation of the greatest detective in all of England does come with a cost. 

Many villians appeared wanting to challenge Holme’s knowledge and tried to out smart him, but nobody did it better than Professor James Moriarty and Irene Adler.  Moriarty believed that he could out witt Sherlock with his main goal to eliminate him. Sherlock too believed that Moriarty was very intelligent and cunning calling him, “Napoleon of crime". 

However just like Sherlock, Moriarty also had a trusted allie in the name of Irene Adler. Irene Adler was Holmes weakness, she constantly used her wit and mind to trick and manipulate Holmes for Moriarty’s masterplan but Sherlock would also have a soft spot for Irene, which is believed to be that he had feelings for her.

[creativecraig]

Khan Academy

Khan Academy like Skillshare is an online web-based course website in which people can use to learn or expand in different areas of their selected course type. As per usual I will be going through the website looking and commenting on what I find good,bad or room for improvement. 

First reactions of the index page when loaded is that it is very blue as everything is either a shade of blue or white. This does show their colour palette of blue however the shades of blue differ in each section, just look as the shades of blue in the top navigation alone. A couple of shades would have done the same job and shown more consistency. The image in the background does not tell us much about what Khan Academy has to offer us and to be honest, the image looks like it has been taken straight off Dribbble. I also think the website reminds me of a typical bootstrap as everything from the navigation to the centered ‘You can learn anything’ section. 

Having two navigations is also incredibly confusing and overwhelming as users can easily get confused as to what and where they are supposed to use for navigation, weather that be the search bar, the drop down or the horizontal navigation. 

You Can Learn Anything, But Can You Really?

Khan Academy are very proud in the fact that you can learn anything but actually as you look more into it you can look at a wide range of content but there are two problems.

It is unbalanced in content, Maths has two sections filled with courses where as computing has very few content with its section. There is also no languages within the website, this is something that I think is incredibly important as most people tend to look at languages some part in their life.

The course overview section is very basic with an overload of information and very few visuals. Although content is key for a elearning website, visuals should also balance text to prevent it from appearing boring.  

I do however like the navigation to the left as it allows the user to keep track of where they are on the page as well as makes it easier to navigation amongst the content, much better than that of the index page.

When a module is loaded a video appears at the top with a transcript, I believe the transcript is key as learners with disabilities need to always be considered. However I did straight away realise that the video was taken straight from Youtube which makes me ask the question why not just go to Youtube in the first place?

I also like how they have constantly got a test after each module however I do think this could be changed up in terms of test e.g. a quiz or game. People tend to get bored following the same stuff over and over again especially if they're not academically focused. 

One feature I think is nice but at the same time does not work is their avatar system. Students are given an avatar which evolves like Pokemon with more they study. I think this is a nice idea... if you’re targeting children but from the overall feel of the website and the content within Khan Academy are clearly targeting an older audience which makes the avatar system very childish.

Khan Academy also use gamification with the use of badges when you complete different tasks. I again like the idea of the badges but think it is used for the wrong audience and would be better for children. 

Price

Unlike the other places I have looked at Khan Academy actually is advertise and is Free with no add ons. This proves that by having an honest approach allows the user to trust the website and the content more. They do have a donation section in which users can donate to Khan Academy to help grow their business for more resources and content. 

Reviews 

“My child started using Khan Academy 4 months ago for school. She told me that some of the answers for the questions were incorrect. Also, if you don't get every single question right, you cant master it. Even if you do master it, it can easily get taken away. They have mastery challenges (tests on things you already mastered) and if you get 1 question wrong then you get it taken away, meaning you no longer have mastered that skill. This was the worst website for learning that I have ever even heard of. I would defiantly not recommend anyone to use this site. I do not trust that they are keeping my child's info safe. My child did the opposite of learn when using this website. She cried about losing mastered challenges and complained that it was too hard.”

Having read this review I have questioned why can you no repeat? Surely users need to learn from their mistakes as nobody is perfect and is going to get 100% in every single test.

“I think this website provides a great supplement to the education provided in schools, and might even replace it one day. For me as a university-student there are only a few subjects that are actually relevant, but the childish-badge system still works like a charm.”

This review has proved that the content is unbalanced as I previously stated, I think it is key that all subject advertised should be considered in the same about of depth as no subject is better than the other. This person did like the gamification effect but I still question if a 45 year old male had the same opinion.

[creativecraig]

SkillShare

Skillshare is one of the biggest, if not the biggest web-based learned platforms on the current market. So what exactly is a SkillShare? Well Skillshare is like I previously said is a web-based learning platform, which covers a wide range of different courses and industries. Like my previous benchmarking of Code Institute, I will be looking at what I think is good, bad and can be improved on. 

When the website is first launched you greeted with the slogan_ ‘Tomorrow is for the Taking’ ,_This gives the user a feeling that anything is possible making their belief that they can improve or change career on Skillshare. The use of a live stock video in the first section also shows the range of courses offered on Skillshare, however skill share have taken it to the extremes by suggesting that you will be photographing on the slide of as snowy mountain, as it seems more adventurous than the more realistic option of taking wedding photographs.

There are two navigations which I don't entirely agree on, yes they do show some of the content available as well as featured videos but this makes it seem that that the categories shown on the index page is the only courses that they do. It is not until you click on the navigation at the top left do you see more categories. 

How Do You Learn?

All of Skillshare learning content  is available via videos. Course teachers can upload a video which appears like above in a clean tile style layout. This proves to be clean, professional and consistent. It gives a sort of Youtube essence with the way in which courses are displayed. I also like that it tells you key information as to how many students have taken the course before, however Skillshare do not say how many people actually finish the course. SkillShare also show the length of each course ranging between 30 mins - 2 hours, this to me is too short to learn a complete course, however skillshare is for web-learning and not a course. Compared to that of what you are greeted with it gives a sense of false hope and gets the users hopes up. 

When you click on a course it is broken down into different short video sections, with some courses having a video - test - video - test structure. I do like that the course is split into quick videos as you can comeback at anytime and carry on, however some clips are extremely short asking the question what are you going to learn in the space of that time?

I also like the about section as there is a small statistic section allowing the user to see how many people have taken the course, how many projects as well as a scale of difficulty.

Who Will Teach You?

This is one major downfall of Skillshare as anyone can upload and teach a course, from the like of Jessica Hische to Big Dave from the local bar. This is wrong on so many levels as the person taking the course could be more qualified than the person teaching it. Although Skillshare do monitor all courses being posted as long as the person hosting the course meets the guidelines they are all good to go. 

Price 

So how much does Skillshare cost? Well, Skillshare is free to sign up and watch selected classes available online, however there is the chance to go premium for £13 a month. Premium would allow students to gain unlimited access to classes, offline access to classes and no ads with every class which perhaps many users would consider if a frequent learner. This is again a bit of a crafty move as originally it does say get started for free at the index page to the average eye this would imply that it free without any add ons. 

Reviews

“Out of the blue, just saw two monthly payments (Jan and Feb 2019) on my credit card account from Skillshare. This was linked to a card that was cancelled 6 months prior and on an email address that my university closed in January 2017.”

This is one thing that keeps coming up in reviews and thought the content is important to constantly over and miss charge users is a huge thing that will quickly gain a bad reputation, I do not need to go on anymore this should just not happen at all.

“Like many others, I only signed up for the free trial. And then out of nowhere, without a warning, they charged me $99 for an annual membership instead of blocking off contents like most other services out there. To put a cherry on top, there is no option to disable auto payment unless you fully cancel the payed membership that gives you access to the contents you paid for (which I'm guessing they're hoping us to keep and most likely, forget about the next unforeseen backstab). This is literally one of the scummiest business practices I've ever witnessed. Money well spent..”

Again Skillshare’s downfall is their open and honesty. Rather than just telling the user upfront that there is a cost, Skillshare decide to use a more crafty of advertising for free with add ons this is just bad as like the Monzo vs Ulster Bank situation being honest looks better and reflects better on user opinions of the service/product. 

[creativecraig]

A Further Look

Having discovered that there are many different types of courses and measures that have attempted to cut the gap of education, I have decided to go into more depth and look at each type of learning resource as well as the pros and cons to them.

University

I thought we should start with the traditional method of learning, that being university. University has and still is the main place in which students go to specialise in a field of their choice, mainly with the intention of getting their dream job. Mainly set in a classroom style, university is split into tutorials, lectures with some also including self directed study.

Pros

Become a specialist in the subject that you wish to learn

Can prepare your career path

More likely to earn more due to specialising in the field

Can broaden your mind with learning new ways and techniques of thinking

Cons

Expensive (and increasing in cost)

Requires a lot of dedication (Average 3/4 years of commitment)

Not guaranteed a job once you graduate

Most students end up with a lot of debt (student loans)

Bootcamps

Online bootcamps are one of the alternatives to traditional education, they tend to focus on code both back and front end as they try to challenge the traditional methods of computer science and design. They are also trying to capitalise as with design ever growing with IT, the courses available in universities for the jobs being created are not specified such as UX and UI Design. Bootcamps are purely online with a set time of start to finish roughly being around 3-12 months for completion.

Pros

Shorter than traditional education

Normally cheaper than traditional education

Cons

Harder to get a job compared to a traditional educational course

Some employers do not recognise the qualification/accreditation

Can only teach you so much in the time available

Advice from teachers (1 on 1 help) is very poor

Can be tight on the pocket (although university is dear, bootcamps demand upfront payment or constant monthly payments)

Require a lot of concentration (looking at a computer and learning for 10hours per day)

Web-based Courses

Web-based courses are another online learning method, these tend to be quick short courses in which you can learn about a specific thing. Unlike bootcamps, web-based courses tend to be wider in range helping and providing content for all types of jobs. Web-based courses tend to require and depend a lot on videos as their main source of teaching with some (but not all) testing on their knowledge on what they have just learnt.

Pros

Quick to learn new skills

Cheaper (some are free others are a monthly subscription)

Content is wide ranged

Flexible learning times

Cons

No qualification

Some of the content is too vague or just simply poor overall

Most people tend to give up after halfway through the course

There is no help apart from the content provided

Not good for learning an entire subject

Anyone can upload and teach a course

VLE (Virtual Learning Environment)

A VLE also known as a Virtual Learning Environment was created and designed to bridge the gap between class and outside class. The online platform provides content, advice, tip and more, which can be accessed outside of education. VLE's have been heavily backed by the government with school both primary and secondary as well as university and other recognised learning areas having them.

Pros

Can access from anywhere, any place at anytime

Can upload and download course content

Can submit work to be assessed and marked

Notifications of new content, up coming submissions and more

Cons

Tend to be overwhelming in terms of content and information

Navigation on VLE's tend to be extremely poor

Tend to be riddled with needless information (some times advertisements from the education platform)

Tend to be very text heavy

Some VLE platforms are not accessible on other devices

Teachers tend to avoid using VLE's as they are confusing and frustrating to use

Instudio-Intensives

A combination of university meets bootcamp, is the best way to describe an instudio-intensive. They tend to take the in depth content of university along with the environment of a classroom and combine it with the time scale of a bootcamp. The tend to train on professional in a quick period of time preparing them for the world of their chosen career.

Pros

Much quicker than University

Normally cheaper than University

Learn skills, techniques and tips of the industry

Cons

No qualification

Tend to focus on preparing you for the workplace rather than more in depth about certain areas

All in one location

Very intense

Can be very stressful

[creativecraig]

Expanding Ideas

After I created the list I then expanded on the best ideas from the list. I wrote every main detail into each icon idea to get the information require together. Above are just a few of the icon ideas that I picked out

[creativecraig]

Websites: Static vs Dynamic

What is a Static Website?

A static website is a website which is created offline in a text editor, using mainly HTML, CSS and Javascript. This is then uploaded to a web hosting server using an uploading software, such filezilla. With the website being create all offline their is no tailoring for individual users, this means the website appears the exact same for users at all times.

Pros

Very fast to load 

Secure 

Easy to host

Cons

Unchanging (not customisable) 

Updating takes time 

Poor at taking user’s input

What is a Dynamic Website?

A dynamic website is a website which is different to every user, typically created using HTML,CSS, Javascript, PHP and databases. It is not generated until a user requests for a website to be created. Pages are sorted and shown by the web server which is determined by the users input. Dynamic website’s tend to be more interactive with users are they tend to be more relatable with the content that is shown.

Pros

Flexible to user

Interact easier with databases 

Updates easier Interacts with users

Cons

Less Secure than static 

Slow due to being flexible for users 

Harder to set up with servers 

Expensive

Both styles of websites are good in their own aspects, the choice should be determined by what the user really needs and requires.

[creativecraig]

The Brand in Action

Having revisited my brand and looked at the importance of presenting work in different formats, it was only appropriate that I created some mock ups to see how my brand would fair in different formats. Above are the wide range of mock ups in which I tested my brand when in use.

[creativecraig]

Application Research

Above are some of the different apps that I have looked at in different areas on how I can improve my own application.

[creativecraig]

Revisiting the Visual Marque

Above is the improved version of my visual marque.One of the main points in the critique about my visual mark was that there was too much going on. The replacement of the pen tools to traditional compass pins was the way in which I simplified my visual marque, the results is as seen above.

[creativecraig]

Icons

The following icons above are my icons that I intend to use within my app. The colour scheme is set to change depending on the contrast against the app's features the main design of the icons will remain the same.