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ibmextremeblue · 7 years ago

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Meet Team Sift

*Insert long, dramatic drumroll here* Hey everyone! We are the User Attributes Explorer Project-- also known as "Team Sift." We work in conjunction with the Toolbox Team (formerly Whitewater Analytics), and we make an [almost] unacceptable amount of meme references. Here's a bit more information about us:

Jamie Boudreaux Jamie is our OM, and spends most of his time making sure we’re not embarrassing him. Even with the sheer number of resources available at IBM, that isn’t possible-- so he spends his time polishing everything from our business proposals to directing our goals and objectives instead. He is receiving his MBA from Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, and he is incredibly excited about working with technology.

Haneya Khan Haneya is our resident Dev Ops Queen, a master of sitting on floors, and a french fry connoisseur. She is a Computer Science Major at UT Dallas, minoring in Finance. If you see her, for everyone’s benefit— including your own, ask her about the “Whoosh.”

Dania Luc Dania is our UI/UX expert—who is not really an expert, but occasionally manages to make things that not only look pretty sweet, but also function (StackOverflow, amirite?). Aside from reminding everyone that her and Haneya have oddly similar names, interests, and outfits, her hobbies include never closing any of the tabs in her browser. She is a Computer Science Major with a minor in Statistics and Data Analytics at Kennesaw State University.

Roop Pal Roop is our Data Scientist, but we prefer the term “Data Viking”— as any screen left unattended is subject to siege. He is incredibly passionate about proper indentation, neoclassical artwork, and never committing access tokens. Roop is currently attending Columbia University, and is pursuing a degree in Computer Science. All of these things combined make us an awesome team. Our project this summer is centered around data visualization More specifically, we are mapping collaboration networks to show IBMers how it is that they really work. Who is collaborating with who, and why-- and more importantly, what can we do with that information to help IBMers continue to thrive? How do we do this?

Left to right: Jamie Boudreaux, Roop Pal, Firetruck, Dania Luc & Haneya Khan It’s quite simple really. We started several small fires on the RTP Campus, and created a detailed mapping of who worked with who in order to keep the flames from spreading. Thanks to the Durham Fire Department, we were able to keep most of the grass in the surrounding area, as well as our jobs. Haneya's hair is a bit shorter now, but they do say that software engineering is a tricky thing. Kidding, of course. What we actually do is ingest a ton of data and meta-data from sources like Slack, GitHub and BluePages-- and with a little bit of magic (more accurately known as React, Python, and prayer), we are able to create a really cool, easily-traversable visual that gives people more insights as to exactly how collaboration happens at IBM. Thanks to Sift, people are now able to see everything from who is collaborating on repositories, to who is fixing bugs together, to who on their team shares the same Slack channels-- all in one place! I know what you're thinking: Our project is incredible. We must be very talented. Why are we damp? All of which will make more sense to you shortly. So, what's it like to be us for a week? Excellent question, and we are glad you asked. So our past week consisted of a few key things: user testing/feedback, preparing for our pitch, feature planning, and an insane (valid unit of measurement per the metric system) amount of development. A huge portion of our project is giving users features they actually want. So we ask them (politely) to give us feedback on our ideas, take a look at our current UI, and ask them if our tool will improve their day, or save them time. We do all of this using IBM’s Design Thinking principles of course -- and we're not just saying that just in case our manager reads this article. Our whole idea is to make the experience seamless, but also make sure we are adding value every time someone opens our application. We have to make it sound cool. Every week we dedicate an insane amount of time to a four minute presentation. In order to adequately articulate the problem it is that we're solving, explain the work we've done, and position ourselves as leaders in our particular space, we spend a lot of time perfecting our pitch. In summation: we make it sound cool, innovative, exciting-- and we get breakfast.

Left to right: calories. Plan it first, build it second. We spend a lot of time, expo markers, and whiteboards that do not belong to us, listing features and discussing feedback we get from the aforementioned interviews to ensure we are prioritizing our development time accordingly. A lot of these meetings are informal, but they are an important part of our process, and ensure that we are all on the same page. Why are we damp? We are working so incredibly hard that we managed to work up a sweat despite the fact that it is below freezing in the Extreme Blue Lab-- and if that doesn't tell you how absolutely amazing our summer has and the work we have done has been, quite frankly I don't know what will. We wanted to give a special thank you to our mentors: Ke Zhu, Emma Dickson, Blair Lanier, Justin Eyster, Matt Neal, and Sidney Wijngaarde for all of their help and support. Icons made by Freepik from flaticon.com

#ExtremeBlue #extreme blue #rtp #internship #dataviz

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excelr-solutions · 4 years ago

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kdeven57-blog · 6 years ago

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This Python tutorial will help you learn Python and build a career in this top programming language. Through this tutorial, you will learn Python basics, its salient features, basic syntax, variable types, operators, functions, modules, and more. You will also understand what exception handling is, how to access database, Python classes and loops, and ultimately how to write Python codes. Learn Python from Intellipaat Python Certification course and excel in your career!

Introduction to Python Programming

What is Python used for? Let’s begin with this Python tutorial in order to make you understand what Python programming is. We will start from Python basics.

As per Stack Overflow, Python language is one among the fastest growing programming languages in the world. Forbes says that Python language has seen the 7th largest increase in demand in the past few years. Due to this, there is an acute shortage of skilled and certified Python professionals. Hence, job opportunities for Python programming have increased, tremendously. According to Indeed, the average annual salary of a Python Developer in the US is $123,000.

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Watch this Python Tutorial Video for Beginners for more insight.

Python language is one of the most popular programming languages of the 21st century. It is a general-purpose language and has been here around for over 20 years. Python Syntax is also extremely simple and elegant. With its gentle and gradual learning curve, Python is considered as the best introductory programming language. I hope the introduction to python is clear to you by now.

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So, let’s jump onto the other topics in this python tutorial and learn python for beginners.

Here is the list of topics covered in this Python Tutorial, just in case you want to jump right into a specific one:

Why Python?

What Can Python Do?

Python 2 Vs. Python 3

Beginners’ Tips for Learning Python Programming Online

Why Python?

When it comes to automating the predictive model, Python language is the first choice for Data Scientists

Python language provides some of the awesome and robust libraries for Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning.

For deploying Machine Learning models in production, Data Scientist prefers Python programming over R.

It is easy to integrate Python with Big Data frameworks such as Spark and Hadoop.

Python language has huge online community support.

What Can Python Do?

Python is a general-purpose language, which means that it can be used to write software applications in a variety of domains without being restricted to a particular domain. This feature sets Python apart from the domain-specific languages. Being a general-purpose language, Python can do a number of interesting things. Some of them are listed here in this python tutorial below:

Python programming can be used to write an application using Tkinterwhich use graphics rather than text to interact with the users.

Python language can be used to create games, using its modules such as Pygameor Kivy.

Python can also automate boring stuff such as sending emails, uploading status on a Facebook account, and more

Python can also be used to experiment with computer vision using its openCV library. It is particularly used in robotics to enable the robots to see and avoid obstacles while moving.

Drawing complex graphs and visualizing the data can be by Python, using its matplotliband similar libraries.

Being one of the top choices for data analysis, Python can also mine Twitter Data. How convenient is that! Especially, if you consider the fact that in today’s world there are literally hordes of data created every second.

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Watch this Python for Data Science Video.

Difference Between Python 2 and Python 3

Since the release of the new version of Python, i.e., Python 3, which is explained the most in this Python tutorial, there has been a bit of debate in the coding community over deciding which Python version is better. Whether Python 3 is better than Python 2 is a rather subjective question, and the selection between the two eventually comes down to personal preference. But, one must know how Python 2 and Python 3 are different. Python 3 is a fundamentally different version from Python 2.

Check out all the key differences between Python 2 and 3:

Basis of the Difference

Beginners’ Tips for Learning Python Programming Online

While learning as a beginner through this Python tutorial, you should follow these tips which will help you deal with some new concepts:

Tip #1: Practice Python every day

It is important to have consistency while learning any new programming language. It is important that you should make a commitment to write code every day, as it will play with your muscle memory which is a very important part in programming. Increase your level of coding gradually but never stop playing around with the Python basics coding part. You may end up learning something new every time you practice Python coding even about the python basics.

This python tutorial will also help you keep a good grasp of Python basics. Here are some examples for you to exercise:

Print the type of an element:

>> a = “this is a string”

>>> type(a)

>>> <class ‘str’> #output

Use docstring to add multi-line descriptive descriptions in your code:

>>def printOutput(str):

>>>“’This function will print the passed string’”

>>>print (str)

>>>return;

Watch this Python Tutorial Video for Beginners.

Import libraries:

>>> import sklearn

>>> import pandas as pd

>>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

Perform operations and play around with them:

>> a = ‘Intellipaat’

>>> a.upper()

>>> ‘INTELLIPAAT’

The list does not end here, there are plenty other basic things that you can practice.

Tip #2: Use Interactive Python shell

Whether you are new to Python data structures (dictionaries, lists, strings, etc.) or you are debugging an application, the best learning tool is the Interactive Python Shell.

To use the Interactive Python Shell, first, you should install Python on your computer. This Python tutorial on the step-by-step Installation procedure of Python will help you learn how to install Python in your system. To activate and use the Interactive Python Shell, simply open the terminal on your system and run Python 2 or Python 3 depending on your version of installation. Once the shell is open, you can start writing the code.

Tip #3: Debug your code

Hitting a bug is normal when you start writing a complex program. Don’t get frustrated here; it happens with everyone! Instead, take these moments as pride and think of yourself as a bug bounty hunter. Debugging your own code will help you learn even more.

It is important to have a methodological approach while debugging the code, which will help you find where your code has broken down. Going through your code step by step in its executable order and making sure that each part of your code works fine is the way you should go about it.

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Tip #4: Try to build some small projects

Always try to make up a small project for each concept. This python tutorial will help you build confidence for writing Python programs, as well as this will help you develop the muscle memory. Once you have a solid foundation on the basic data structures (Python Dictionaries, Python Strings, Python sets, Python Lists, etc.), object-oriented programming, and writing classes, you will be ready to deploy these programming concepts in real life. Keep writing small codes to keep your concepts clear while learning through this Python Tutorial.

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grassroutes · 5 years ago

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Why I’m Never Buying an Arduino Again: The Wio Terminal

Our verdict of the SeeedStudio Wio Terminal: Packed full of sensors, buttons, a color LCD screen, and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Wio Terminal from SeeedStudio is fantastic value and well documented. That makes it easy to get on with what's really important: making cool stuff. 910

Electronics programming can be quite frustrating at times. Sourcing components, finding the right libraries to make use of them, figuring out the right parameters to pass in, then hoping there’s some example code to get started with. It all adds up to a massive time suck that detracts from the fun stuff. That’s largely why I’ve fallen out of love with the Arduino ecosystem. SeeedStudio thinks the Wio Terminal might rekindle my relationship with electronics though, and I think they’re right.

The Wio Terminal is an Arduino-compatible development board, crammed full of features and well documented, available for an entirely reasonable $30. Read on to find out why it’s the coolest thing since an Arduino Uno.

Wio Terminal Features and Specifications

The Wio Terminal is built around an ARM Cortex M4F system-on-a-chip, which is a 32-bit ARM processor running at 120Mhz (200Mhz burst). It features 4MB storage, 192k RAM, and there’s a Realtek RTL8720DN wireless chip providing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity (though the Bluetooth stack wasn’t implemented at the time of writing).

In terms of built-in features, there’s a lot to shout about:

2.4″ color LCD screen

3 pushbuttons

5-way joystick

Buzzer

Micro SD card slot

Light sensor

IR emitter

Accelerometer

Wi-Fi

Bluetooth

USB-C, for client or host mode

Two Grove system connectors

Having an easy-to-use LCD screen is a useful addition to nearly any type of project.

The USB-C connector is how you’ll power the device for now, though a battery kit is expected to be available at a later date. The Wio Terminal can act as both a USB client, to emulate a keyboard, mouse or MIDI device to the host PC; or a host, so it can, for instance, read signals from a wired game controller (though it’s not yet clear how to power it in this mode).

For more complex projects, or those who just prefer Python, the Wio Terminal is able to combine the best of both worlds with ArduPy. You’ll be able to program in Python using the MS Visual Code editor, yet still import your favorite Arduino libraries (or make use of existing ArduPy ones). Personally, I can’t stand Python, but you can learn more about using the Wio Terminal in this way on the SeeedStudio blog.

Getting Started with Wio Terminal

Power on the device with the switch to the left of the screen–and you’ll be immediately greeted by a small Flappy-bird stype retro game (the code for which is available here in case you ever want it back).

You’ll need the Arduino IDE installed to begin programming the Wio Terminal, and to install support for the Wio boards. Enter the URL provided in your preferences, then use the Boards Manager screen and search for Wio.

You’ll find countless code examples for all the various onboard components on the Wio wiki. Many require you to install an additional library into your Arduino Libraries folder, but that’s a simple process (Sketch -> Include Library -> Add Zip).

My first foray involved the sample code for reading accelerometer values and plotting the results on the screen. Very cool, and it really shows off the device’s capability for data logging projects. You’ll also find code for writing values to an SD card.

From there, it was trivial to modify that to read values from the included light sensor instead.

Another ten minutes later, I’d combined the joystick code sample with the LCD fonts demo, to make a simple joystick test program with visual output.

At that point, I wanted to connect another sensor from my bits box, and it was then that I realized there’s a small trade-off to be made in such a polished device. Compared to the barebones board and pin access of the Arduino Uno, it’s a little more difficult to get to the pins on the Wio Terminal. The pinouts for the 40-pin connector can be found in the online documentation, but they aren’t labeled on the device itself and there’s always a risk of plugging in the wrong things.

Which brings us neatly on to the topic of: what options are there for adding components and sensors?

Grove Connectors

On the front of the device are two Grove connectors. Grove is a mature hardware ecosystem that covers every kind of sensor you could possibly want, and more besides.

This is by far the easiest way to add something to the Wio Terminal, and of course, all the Grove components are also well documented with libraries provided. For beginners, it’s a fantastic place to expand from. There’s a small premium on sensors and components within the Grove system, but not a huge amount–and the time you’ll save not having to mess around means it’s absolutely worth it.

For pro users, you can still make use of existing components either through direct pin access on the underside or through the use of Grove system breakout cables. You won’t have as many digital or analog pins as an Arduino, simply because many of them are already in use by on-board components.

Realistically though, how many times have you needed all those IO pins?

Connectivity Options

The model we were sent for review is an engineering prototype, so getting Wi-Fi to work requires a firmware upgrade. It’s a fiddly process and only needs to be done once, but I expect later models to have this ready to go out of the box.

Unfortunately, the Bluetooth hardware is not yet functional. It’s all there on the board, but the libraries needed to use it are not developed yet. Again, this is an early prototype, so I expect a couple of things to unpolished. The Wio Terminal is the latest in a long line of Wio branded devices, and SeeedStudio is an established company, so I’m confident this will be added in time. Still, if you were hoping to use the Bluetooth features straight away in your project, hold off on purchasing for now.

On the underside of the Wio Terminal, you’ll find a 40-pin Raspberry Pi compatible connector, which enables you to use the Wio Terminal as a Raspberry Pi Hat. This functions via a serial device, so you could send messages from Python running on the Pi to display on the Wio Terminal, for instance. You could feasibly offload some processing work to the Wio Terminal (it can run Tensorflow Lite), use it for the buttons etc, but this seems a waste. Unless you really, really want to program in Python, you’d probably be better off doing everything natively on the Wio Terminal itself. Still, it’s nice to have options.

Is the Wio Terminal Right for You?

Given the choice between the Wio Terminal, which is stuffed to the brim with hardware features like a color screen and joystick–for an entirely reasonable $30–or a $20 official Arduino Uno which has literally nothing else… I know which one I’d choose.

Re-live 1999 with this movie reference, and you too can feel old.

Of course, you could opt for unofficial clones and then source only the additional features and components you needed for a somewhat cheaper price. But you should also factor in your time. Part of what’s so attractive about the Wio Terminal package is that everything is so well documented, and I don’t need to track down compatible libraries or code snippets. That means you can concentrate on the things that matter: building awesome stuff.

That’s why I’m calling it now. The Wio Terminal is the new standard for IoT and data logging development boards. And for beginners looking to get started with electronics programming, the Grove sensor system will save you time and frustration in those crucial early learning stages. At $30, the Wio Terminal is a bargain.

Enter the Competition!

Wio Terminal Giveaway

Read the full article: Why I’m Never Buying an Arduino Again: The Wio Terminal

Why I’m Never Buying an Arduino Again: The Wio Terminal posted first on grassroutespage.blogspot.com

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droneseco · 5 years ago

Text

Why I’m Never Buying an Arduino Again: The Wio Terminal

Wio Terminal Features and Specifications

In terms of built-in features, there’s a lot to shout about:

2.4″ color LCD screen

3 pushbuttons

5-way joystick

Buzzer

Micro SD card slot

Light sensor

IR emitter

Accelerometer

Wi-Fi

Bluetooth

USB-C, for client or host mode

Two Grove system connectors

Having an easy-to-use LCD screen is a useful addition to nearly any type of project.

Getting Started with Wio Terminal

From there, it was trivial to modify that to read values from the included light sensor instead.

Another ten minutes later, I’d combined the joystick code sample with the LCD fonts demo, to make a simple joystick test program with visual output.

Which brings us neatly on to the topic of: what options are there for adding components and sensors?

Grove Connectors

On the front of the device are two Grove connectors. Grove is a mature hardware ecosystem that covers every kind of sensor you could possibly want, and more besides.

Realistically though, how many times have you needed all those IO pins?

Connectivity Options

Is the Wio Terminal Right for You?

Re-live 1999 with this movie reference, and you too can feel old.

Enter the Competition!

Wio Terminal Giveaway

Read the full article: Why I’m Never Buying an Arduino Again: The Wio Terminal

Why I’m Never Buying an Arduino Again: The Wio Terminal published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

0 notes

maritzaerwin · 5 years ago

Text

4 Steps to Learn Coding and Master A Programming Language

These days, even just understanding the basics of programming can get you quite far. That’s because just about everything now uses some form of digital software which, in turn, is nothing more than proprietary code behind the scenes.

Smart home devices, IoT, machine learning, voice assistant technologies, online communication tools, driverless vehicles, advanced farming equipment, the list goes on and on. All of these things require some form of software to control or operate them, and that means there are developers building the necessary applications before the products are released to the market.

Programming is so instrumental to today’s world that schools are now adding coding classes to their curriculums, allowing children to learn the basics at young ages. It also shows that anyone can learn to code, at any age, and should be encouraged to do so.

Whether you’re looking to build software or applications, learn a new language, or just dip your toes in the waters of programming as a hobby, there’s a wide variety of resources at your disposal. Teaching yourself how to code is more accessible than ever, if only because there are so many ways to do it. That said, the task itself can be quite daunting, and if you don’t know where to start, it’s easy to get lost.

Before you go any further, the first thing you’ll want to do is decide why you want to learn how to code. What is it you wish to achieve?

Why Learn to Code?

Understanding why you want to learn programming will help you make a few initial decisions.

For instance, there are several different programming languages to learn and use, and just as many Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). Choosing how to invest your time is best done by considering what you’re going to be coding and, ultimately, what you wish to achieve.

A programming language like C++ is generally used for data structure, algorithms, memory allocation and sometimes game development. Other game development languages include C#, Unity, Java, and HTML5.

If you’re working with websites or web applications, then HTML, CSS, JavaScript or Python might be more your style. If you want to make iOS applications for iPhones, on the other hand, then Apple’s Swift is the best place to go.

The rise of artificial intelligence, big data, and machine learning is a huge driver for new coders. Languages like Scala, Python, R, Haskell, and Lisp dominate the field and certainly require proficient programmers to understand and use.

Notice how each task has a different language associated with it? Furthermore, each of those languages or platforms has its development environment.

Practically or Professionally?

The scope of your project can also help determine how much training you’ll need. If you’re a hobbyist who’s going to spend a few minutes per day learning to code, you can stick with some of the free online courses and interactive tutorials. But if you want to launch a career in a STEM or programming field, you might be better off going with a more substantial course or form of training.

There are different tasks involved in each focus group, too. A hobbyist might code a personal robot, arcade machine or even a smart home device. The wildly popular IFTTT (If This Then That) service uses an incredibly basic form of programming to set up device triggers for smart home systems. Coding experience might also help a hobbyist fix or repair certain devices.

Professionally, coders work on any number of digital, computer-operated systems, from manufacturing and industrial machinery to driverless vehicles. You could end up working on the next Photoshop, too. It just depends on what you want to achieve as a developer.

How to Choose a Programming Language?

Once you’ve chosen a goal, you can more accurately determine the language you will be using. Of course, there are always a few options, even within a single discipline. Using mobile application development as an example, you could go with Swift, Java, Python or even something like BuildFire.js, which includes development framework support.

The point is, there are many languages at your disposal, which means there are many to select. There are many different types and classifications, and some languages even fall under multiple categories, so it’s better to choose a language based on how you plan to use it.

Some languages are more user-friendly than others, so they’re much easier to pick up as a novice. The tradeoff is that, often, the languages most natural to learn are only useful for basic development or simple functions. They’re an excellent place to start, especially when you’re teaching yourself how to code, but you’ll eventually want to aim your sights higher.

Photo Credit – Pexels.com

That evolution of your talent is another aspect to consider when choosing a language. You’ll want something that provides ample opportunity to grow. While most programming languages are similar in primary use and design, they have enough differences that you’ll want to stick within the same family.

Apple’s Swift, for example, is built upon Objective-C, which means experience with the C-family of programming languages can undoubtedly help, and it’s an excellent place to move to if you’ve had enough of the former.

Just to give you a frame of reference, here are some of the most popular programming languages for IT careers:

C and C++.

Java.

PHP.

AJAX.

JavaScript.

Python.

What Is the Best Programming Language?

Strictly speaking, there is no “best” language or definitive answer to which one you should learn and use. Some developers might argue for or against different languages depending on personal preference. Coding is very much an art, similar to writing, drawing or even music production. It takes a lot of skill, know-how, and experience, but it also takes creativity. That means each language has a certain amount of subjectivity to it. You might find that you enjoy working with one language over another, and that’s okay.

That’s precisely why you should choose a language or path based on what you wish to achieve.

Teaching Yourself a Programming Language: Where to Start?

Once you’ve chosen a language to focus on — don’t worry, you can always move on to another later — the real fun begins. Just as there are many languages and development environments out there, there are many different ways to learn and teach yourself how to code.

You can always use the traditional method and dive right in, which is admittedly more complicated. Or, you can turn to interactive tutorials, online courses, and other educational materials.

Step 1 — Choose Your Learning Source

If you want to teach yourself conventionally, that’s fine. You can always use books, reference materials, and quick tutorials. Many of the languages have these kinds of support materials in their official documentation.

It’s much more convenient, however, to follow visual aids like YouTube videos, interactive guides, and online courses. A majority of the more substantial online courses will provide you with all the necessary materials and files you’ll need to get working. For instance, they might include sample code snippets that you can copy or reference. The beauty of choice is that you can work at your own pace and choose what works best for you. It might also cause you a little confusion if you don’t know which would be the best place to start.

It’s always recommended that you go with an online course — particularly a free one to kick-start things. You can find courses on YouTube and other media sites. You can also find them on educational portals.

You can choose the learning source based on your level of interaction. If you want to have a little fun while you’re learning, you might choose something like CodeCombat over an online video course. That’s also a great place to start for kids and younger coders. They might also benefit from the same learning materials as adults, however. Many younger children are learning to code in school, starting with Python for middle schoolers and then Java for high schoolers and beyond.

People of all ages can learn to code over time with enough dedication, and the best part is that you can do it precisely how you want and at your own pace. Here are some of the best places to learn code online for free:

Codeacademy

FreeCodeCamp

Udemy

Codewars

Khan Academy

Udacity

SoloLearn

Step 2 — Install and Setup Your Development Environment

The IDE, or integrated development environment, is an application that enables you to consolidate different activities in coding into one interface. It’s where you’ll be spending most of your time when coding. The exception, of course, is when you’re working with languages that can be written in simpler applications like notepad. HTML and CSS, for instance, are usually written in a text editor, although there are development environments for them, as well.

For the most part, the learning avenue you choose will walk you through the onboarding and setup process. Each language will require the installation and setup of a development environment, and all are relatively different. You have so many IDEs to choose from, including:

Visual Studio Code

Android Studio

IntelliJ

Anjuta DevStudio

Notepad++

Eclipse

Aptana

Amethyst

And dozens more

If you’re not sure where to start, a resource list of streamlined IDEs can help you select the best tool for your individual needs.

Step 3 — Create a Simple Project

For virtually every course you take or participate in, you’ll be starting with the infamous “hello world” coding project. It teaches you to output the words “hello world” within a small application that prints the content after runtime. It’s a quick introduction to coding and helps beginners feel a small amount of success that will undoubtedly be needed.

Once you’re more comfortable with the language you’re learning, try to create a small project of your own. Keep in mind that you should be setting the bar a little lower than you might as a full-blown developer. In other words, don’t go into the project thinking you’re going to build the next big application immediately. Start small and experiment by working with the same concepts and commands you’re learning in your training.

For example, you might change the “hello world” project to output different text and information, and you might even include a problem or equation that the application solves.

Need help finding beginner coding project ideas? Here are some quick starting tips for inspiration:

Stick to text-based programs at first, as that’s the most achievable software.

Try making something that would be useful to you at work or school.

Try your hand at making a game.

Step 4 — Grow

Finally, it’s important to remember that, over time, you’ll make mistakes, you’ll fail at certain things and you’re going to run into frustrating moments and aspects of coding. It’s all part of growing your skillset and learning the ins and outs of programming, coding, and development.

Realize, above all, that you should allow yourself to experience these things without becoming discouraged or giving up. Even the best coders in the world still make mistakes, sometimes put together messy code snippets, or also run into development problems long after a program or application has been “finished.”

Just look at how often the Windows operating system receives updates. Sure, many of them are designed to fix security issues and patch emerging vulnerabilities. Still, the updates you see labeled as “stability”-focused are meant to fix bugs, problems, and mistakes in the code.

To advance from a beginner to an intermediate and eventually an advanced program developer, try your hand at more challenging projects like:

Adding features to apps and project-based tutorials

Collaborating on a project with a fellow coding friend

Building out Google Chrome extensions of your own

Engaging in constant learning and taking advantage of learning resources

Is It Okay to Swap Languages?

Of course, it’s okay to change programming languages and development environments. If you’re working with C# but feel that you might benefit more from swapping to Unity, go for it! In a lot of cases, you can seamlessly swap between languages, especially when they’re from the same family.

That said, there will be certain limitations that you should consider before changing. It’s not always as easy as transitioning directly from one language to another and realizing equal proficiency with the new language immediately. In other words, you might take a step back or two when swapping languages, meaning you could even have to start your training again.

It’s crucial, however, that you don’t see this as a negative. It’s an opportunity to further your talent, experience, and training, which is a positive thing in the world of development. Don’t be afraid to make a change or try something new — that’s precisely how we grow as individuals!

You should now be feeling good and ready to start your training, whether you’re going to teach yourself how to code using a more traditional method — like books and official documentation — or you’re looking to start an online or interactive course.

Good luck, future coders!

The post 4 Steps to Learn Coding and Master A Programming Language appeared first on CareerMetis.com.

4 Steps to Learn Coding and Master A Programming Language published first on https://skillsireweb.tumblr.com/

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raveenarenu-blog · 6 years ago

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Emerging Big Data Trends

Huge information market will be worth us$46.34 billion by end of 2018. this plainly demonstrates enormous information is in a steady period of development and advancement. idc gauges that the worldwide income from huge information will reach us$203 billion by 2020 and there will be near 440,000 major information related occupation jobs in the only us with just 300,000 talented experts to fill them. saying farewell to 2017 and just in the third month of 2018, we take a gander at the stamped contrasts in the enormous information space what energizing might be seemingly within easy reach for huge information in 2018. following huge information patterns is only like observing the customary moves in the breeze the minute you sense its bearing, it changes. however, the accompanying enormous information patterns are probably going to get down to business in 2018, Learn Big Data training in Chennai at Greens Technologys.

1) Major information and open source

Forester conjecture write about huge information tech advertise uncovers that hadoop use is expanding 32.9% year on year. open source huge information systems like hadoop, start and others are overwhelming the enormous information space, and that incline is probably going to proceed in 2018. as indicated by the tdwi best practices report, hadoop for the venture by philip russom, 60% of the organizations intend to have hadoop bunches running underway by end of 2018. specialists say that in 2018, numerous associations will grow the utilization of huge information structures like hadoop, start and nosql innovations to quicken enormous information handling. organizations will enlist talented information specialists versed in instruments like hadoop and start with the goal that experts can access and react to information continuously through profitable business experiences.

2) Major information examination will incorporate perception models

A review of 2800 experienced bi experts in 2017 anticipated information disclosure and information perception would turn into a noteworthy pattern. information revelation currently isn't just about understanding the investigation and connections yet in addition speaks to methods for introducing the examination to uncover further business bits of knowledge. people have more noteworthy capacity to process visual examples adequately. convincing and charming perception models will turn into the decision for preparing huge informational collections making it a standout amongst the most huge enormous information drifts in 2018.

3) 2018 will be the time of gushing achievement

2018 will be the year when the objective of each association receiving huge information technique is accomplish genuine spilling investigation: the capacity to process and break down an informational collection while still it is currently creation. this implies gathering bits of knowledge which are actually up-to-the-second without repeating datasets. starting at now, this implies making a trade off with the measure of the dataset or enduring a deferral however by end of 2018 associations will be near evacuating these breaking points.

4) Meeting the "dull information" challenge in 2018

Notwithstanding all the promotion about the expanding information volume that we produce each day, it can't be denied that databases over the globe stay in simple shape, un-digitized, and consequently unexploited for any sort of business investigation. 2018 will see expanded digitization of the dull (information that isn't yet given something to do) put away as paper documents, authentic records, or some other non-computerized information recording positions. this new rush of dull information will enter the cloud. associations will grow enormous information arrangements that will enable them to move information effectively into hadoop from conditions which are generally exceptionally dull, for example, centralized servers.

5) AI and machine figuring out how to be quicker, more brilliant and more proficient in 2018

AI and machine learning innovation are developing at a lightning pace helping organizations change through different utilize cases, for example, ongoing advertisements, extortion location, design acknowledgment, voice acknowledgment, and so forth machine learning was among the best 10 key innovation slants in 2017 yet 2018 will observer it past guideline based convention calculations. machine learning calculations will turn out to be quicker and more precise helping endeavors make more suitable expectations.

These are only a portion of the best huge information slants that industry specialists anticipate, the constantly advancing nature of this area implies that we are probably going to expect a few amazements. enormous information is driving the innovative space towards a more splendid and upgraded future. with expanding number of associations bouncing on the enormous information fleeting trend, 2018 will be a significant year. here's to another incredible year of information driven creations, developments, and disclosures.

Most ideal approach to learn enormous information and hadoop

In spite of the fact that books and online instructional exercises are imperative channels to confer essential information of enormous information and hadoop, it is helpful to take up teacher drove huge information investigation courses to pick up a thorough comprehension of the innovation.

In a period of extreme rivalries and developing advances, the most ideal approach to sparkle over others is to have a strong base of the expertise in which you wish to manufacture your profession. teacher drove huge information hadoop web based preparing gives hands-on understanding to the members to have a superior hold on the innovation.

There are a few preparing and improvement foundations that give on the web, live, virtual and classroom preparing for experts. you can likewise decide on huge information accreditation, which will enable you to separate yourself among the crowd.

Many preparing associations orchestrate small scale session preparing modules that are structured particularly to suit the preparation needs of the members.

Our specialists propose picking educator drove web based preparing for enormous information investigation courses to get the essentials cleared up and afterward you can pick among different online instructional exercises and books to fortify your base and upgrade your insight into huge information and hadoop. different ivy group instructive foundations like harvard and stanford have likewise made their seminars on enormous information and information sciences accessible for nothing, on the web.

who ought to learn huge information?

There are no pre-characterized parameters to assign who can learn enormous information examination and who can't. in any case, you should realize that employments identified with huge information are a blend of arithmetic (measurements) and software engineering. in this way, a man with quantitative fitness and an essential comprehension of PC programming would be appropriately reasonable to learn huge information.

To choose whether you should prepare yourself in huge information and hadoop or not, you should comprehend what comprises a major information work.

To be exact, there is no significant set of working responsibilities for this. it is fundamentally a different exhibit of positions here and there and over an association that needs information wise experts who can oversee, process and draw significant bits of knowledge from the flood of information being amassed in the association.

Numerous huge information and hadoop courses expect students to have involvement in java or essential learning of c++, python, and linux. be that as it may, it's anything but a standard set in stone.

Try not to have any thought of java or linux? no stresses, you can even now burrow your hands on enormous information and hadoop.

As a rule, huge information examination courses are intended for framework engineers, programming designers, modelers, information stockpiling directors, venture chiefs, bi experts and testing experts.

Requirements for learning hadoop

Hadoop is composed in java and it keeps running on linux. thusly, it is very basic that a man who needs to learn hadoop must have the information of java and ought to be comfortable with the directions in linux.

Having said that, given me a chance to stick to what I have said before; there are no strict essentials to learn hadoop. hadoop is only one of the structures utilized in huge information. what's more, obviously, it is being utilized a ton. also, indeed, it very well may be securely named as one of the fundamental parts of enormous information. yet, there are a few unique instruments and innovations other than hadoop that are utilized to oversee and investigate enormous information.

Devices, for example, hive and pig that are based over Hadoop, don't require nature with java and offer their own abnormal state dialects for working with information which are then naturally changed over into map reduce programs in java.

Be that as it may, it is constantly favourable to know the fundamental ideas of java and Linux as it helps in acing the aptitudes better. information ofsql is useful for learning Hadoop in light of the fact that hive, pig, hbase, these rely upon question dialect which is propelled by sql.

Distinctive preparing suppliers state diverse requirements relying upon the course module, its extension, and the structure.

To spell it in strict terms, the requirements to learn enormous information and Hadoop are:

Numerical inclination

All-encompassing comprehension of PC design, systems, document framework, circulated PC association, information incorporation procedures

Capacity to measurably break down data

Comprehension of the field and the market for which the enormous information and hadoop benefit is required

It will be out of line to announce who can and who can't work with enormous information and hadoop, or all things considered with any huge information innovation. it is an occurrence field which is rising each day and the greater part of us can lay our hands and contribute towards its development and improvement.

Big Data @ Greens Technologys

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We are named as the best training institute in Chennai for providing the IT related training. Greens Technologys is already having an eminent name in Chennai for providing the best software courses training.

We have more than 115 courses for you. We offer both online and physical training along with the flexible timings so as to ease the things for you.

#Bigdata training Chennai institute

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teju1512-blog · 7 years ago

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I.T. To Data Domain

Having worked for some time in I.T. Field in Java Development & now having some knowledge in Data Domain, let's explore how the journey would look if you were to make a switch. How would be the life if You decide to change your career & switch from I.T. To Data Domain? What are all the domains one may get to work in? How would be the life? What are the skills that you would easily learn? What would be a little difficult to master?

I am going to keep things simple and give you a clear picture of the domain.

But why should anyone make a switch to such a trending career?

[caption id="attachment_339" align="aligncenter" width="650"]

You do have options to Improve Life[/caption]

It's because it's worth all the efforts and the returns would be outstanding if you are willing to persist and work hard to reach some level. How would you feel to be amongst a few in the world to have an in-depth understanding of Data Domain & finding multiple companies to recruit you in? How would it feel to enjoy monetary benefits at a newer dimension? You would be an exceptional case having command over multiple skills. And if you are bored of traditional jobs, Nothing can challenge you better than the complex data problems that each big company is facing.

Basic Terminologies

Before delving further, I would like to mention a Few terms with their basic definitions so that rest of things make sense to you. Below are a Few of these terms.

Big Data

Data Mining

Machine Learning

Data Analyst

Data Scientist

Big Data: Whatever online transactions we do, we leave a digital footprint. There is data being generated from our smartphones, bank transactions, every time we book a ticket or we go to a shop. The amount of data being generated in 2 days today is equivalent to all the data we had until 2000. That's a huge amount of data being generated.The term “Big Data” refers to the collection of all this data and our ability to use it to our advantage across a wide range of areas, including business.

Data Mining: Data mining, also known as Knowledge Discovery in Data (KDD) is about searching large stores of data to uncover patterns and trends that go beyond simple analysis.

Machine learning: Machine learning is an application of artificial intelligence (AI) that provides systems with the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning focuses on the development of computer programs that can access data and use it learn for themselves.

Data Analysis: Data Analytics is a bunch of tool and techniques to perform analysis of data (big and small).

Data Scientist: Data scientists, on the other hand, design and construct new processes for data modelling and production. In addition to performing and interpreting data studies and product experiments, these professionals are tasked with developing prototypes, algorithms, predictive models, and custom analysis.

Also Read: Data Analytics Vs Data Science

Basic Overview

Let's Suppose that you are working at Amazon, Google, Accenture etc. and wish to make the transition from I.T. To data domain. What would You be doing?

You would have to deal with big data, you would have to write computer programs in SQL, Python, R, C++, Java, Scala, Ruby…and so on, to only maintain big-data databases. You would be called a database manager.

As an engineer working on process control, or someone wanting to streamline operations of the company, you would perform Data Mining and Data Analysis; You may use simple software to do this where you would only run a lot of codes written by others, or you may be writing your elaborate codes in SQL, Python, R and you would be doing data mining, data cleaning, data analysis, modelling, predictive modelling and so on.

All this will be called Analytics. Many software exists to do this. One popular one is Tableau. Some others are JMP and SAS. A lot of people do everything online where an SAP-based business intelligence setup can be used. Here, simple reporting can be done easily.

Further, you would then be able to use machine learning to derive conclusions, and come up with predictions, wherever analytical answers are not possible. Think of analytical answers as [If/then] type of computer programs, where all the input conditions are already known, and only a few parameters change.

Machine learning uses statistical analysis to partition data. An example would be this: Read the comments written by various people on Yelp, and predict from the comments whether the person would have marked a restaurant 4 star or 5 stars.

If that is not enough, you would be able to use deep learning as well. Deep learning is used to process data such as musical files, images, even text data such as natural languages, where data are enormous, but their type is very diverse.

You would use everything to your advantage ~ analytical solutions, partitioning data, hacking mindset, automation by programming, reporting, deriving conclusions, making decisions, taking actions, and telling stories about your data.

[caption id="attachment_351" align="aligncenter" width="300"]

Programming & math is key to Data Science[/caption]

Last but not the least, a part of this will be happening on cruise control, where you may not be there physically, but the programs you may have created would do most of the things themselves. Probably if you take it to the level of AI, one day it may get smarter than you, needless to say, it would already be faster than you. One day it can go to the level that it can surprise you with the solutions that you may not even have imagined.

Now you are a data scientist, and what you would do is called Data-science. Whatever you would do may or may not be seen by people outside your company such as people asking Alexa various questions if you work for Amazon, or people asking questions to "Ok Google" if you work for Google. Or they may not be getting to see anything you do. Your functions would be helping the companies engineer things better.

To do all this, you may need lots of expertise in handling data and knowledge of a few programming languages.

Content Source: Rohit Malshe Quora

Is Your Journey Tough?

Why should I be lying about this? Yes, it's not easy to master the multiple skills that you require as a Data Scientist. Let's look at all the skills required for a Data Domain & how difficult it would be to acquire them with the perspective of an I.T. Person.

[caption id="attachment_335" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Understand Data Science Skills[/caption]

Programming: If you already have some strong foundation in Programming ( any language like C, C++ or Java ), it won't be so difficult to learn languages like R, Python & Database Management Softwares like SQL. This is the field where Programmers do have an easy scope to expand.

Statistics: This is where things get a little difficult for I.T. Persons. It's a must and necessary to start loving numbers, data and statistics. Do you like Maths? Do you like playing with numbers? Is statistics your field of interest? I do understand that a lot of you may not be having a great interest in numbers but it's just a matter of learning. Spend some time reviving your interest, put in work, have some real time projects to try and you may soon discover your love for maths and numbers.

Business Knowledge: Isn't it crucial to understand the complete business of the company before you can start playing with Data? It's very crucial. A Data Domain expert always makes it a rule to have crystal clear Business clarity so that he/she is able to understand her roles. How can you develop an automated machine learning tool without understanding the business Operations? By reading Business & personality development content, by being more open and doubtful, anyone should be able to understand the business working.

Communication: When you are dealing with data and extracting patterns or visuals from it, it becomes mandatory to be able to convey these data points to normal beings. It would be only You who would be able to gather insights and deploy models from Data and so it's a must to be able to convey them in a sane language. And if you have worked for some time in I.T. Field, the communication won't be a big issue.

Looking to Learn: We Understand You

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Do share the post if you found it useful. We would be highly grateful to you for this. Keep Growing and be hungry each day.

#Data science #Data scientist

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zipgrowth · 7 years ago

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A Case For Flipping Learning—Without Videos

When professor Lorena Barba talks to other educators about flipping their classrooms, the approach she hears is often similar. Faculty assign homework to expose students to a new concept before they arrive to class, and use class time to ask questions and do more-active learning.

In most cases, what professors ask students to do outside the classrooms is watch video lectures, and Barba thinks that part of the flipped approach needs to go, and that professors are relying too much on such videos as a crutch.

“Some people think that moving instruction to the individual space means you give students just videos to consume,” says Barba, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at George Washington University. “But the problems with this video-first approach, it puts students in a mode where they are primed to memorize and it gives an illusion of confidence [in subject-matter understanding].”

Barba’s approach to flipping is different—nearly excluding video entirely (with the exception of one or two videos across the semester). Most of the students in her Masters-level course, Practical Numerical Methods with Python, have no prior coding experience, but nevertheless dive directly into programming exercises as homework using Jupyter Notebooks, an open-source web tool where users can create and share live code, data visualizations and and notes about what they are working on. Instead of watching videos, students individually follow instructions and experiment with Python in the Jupyter platform first, then arrive to class with questions and work through problems together.

“They come primed to discuss those things and learn in classroom,” says Barba. “We are moving direct instruction to the individual space and doing active learning to the group space, and that active learning is more difficult.”

In Barba’s class, in-person active learning involves students working through examples and coding problems with peers in Jupyter. The professor also projects her own screen in the front of the class and works out a solution line-by-line so students can follow along.

“I make mistakes, and they make mistakes, and it’s a risky process,” says Barba. “But a lot of learning happens because of the fact that we all make mistakes.”

If students struggle through the Jupyter assignments in the individual space, Barba isn’t there to help them. That’s one of the reasons why the professor also hosts the course for free online via Open edX, the massive open online course provider’s free and open-source platform. There, students enrolled in the online or in-person course can access a discussion board about the course to ask questions or see how others got through a certain challenge.

“The MOOC is an extension of the on-campus course—it was really just making our on-campus experience public and open for anyone to follow,” says Barba. It was also “made to benefit my on-campus students as much as to provide this community to my student to be a part of.”

Flipped Research

The flipped learning model may seem commonplace to faculty and instructors in the humanities, where courses often ask students to read materials and come to class ready to discuss. But Barba believes it is still uncharted territory for many science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines and instructors. “STEM has always been lecture heavy,” she says, “and that's the big difference.”

A group of biology researchers from the University of Washington have tested Barba’s theory that active learning improves outcomes for STEM students in particular. Their study found that exam scores for undergraduate students in STEM courses were 6 percent higher in active-learning sections. It also found that students in traditional lecture courses were 1.5 times more likely to fail compared to their peers in active-learning classes.

Recently there has been an uptick in the amount of research on flipped learning as well. Robert Talbert, a mathematics professor at Grand Valley State University and author of the book Flipped Learning: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty, tallies that the number of studies on flipped learning has gone up exponentially over the last six years, increasing nearly 61 percent per year.

Many of those papers report that students perform better in flipped settings compared to traditional lectures, or that there is little difference. Talbert’s own takeaway from the literature? “Flipped learning tends to do no harm.”

While not the groundbreaking review that flipped-learning advocates may want to hear, Talbert considers it a “small win.” He also points out that despite growing research, more is needed. Many of the existing studies are done by faculty members themselves who have used flipped learning in their own teaching, and some, he says are “pretty bad.”

Of the flipped learning examples Talbert has seen, Barba's class stands out: “Her approach puts active learning in literally every corner of the course. She doesn't fall back to passive lecture methods.” He adds that “there aren't many who use similar methods, but I think that may be changing.”

Barba is adamant that leaving video out of the curriculum has been a major part of her success with flipped learning. And she’s not shy to criticize those who assert that active learning can take place from simply watching a video.

“Unfortunately what has happened with edX and Coursera, they are pretty much convinced that video is the center of everything,” she says. “The edX CEO last year said interweaving videos with quizzes is active learning, and that's ridiculous.”

These days the professor considers herself an advocate of “the non-video school of MOOCs.” But for faculty who want to try flipped learning, videos are often an accessible entryway into trying out the inverted pedagogy, whether online or in-person.

Transitioning to a flipped classroom doesn't have to include using Python workbooks or creating a complimentary MOOC course. Instead, Barba’s advice for those looking to try out a flipped classroom is to implement the model one lesson at a time. Moving to flipped learning, “is often overwhelming or seems like a huge job, but it's not hard to think about changing one class, one week, one module,” she says. “Then experience how it works, and maybe next semester do it for two weeks.”

A Case For Flipping Learning—Without Videos published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

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anniebakerj · 7 years ago

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30 Tips to Learn Web Design in 30 Days

Is learning the basics of web design still on your “someday” list? Why haven’t you got started yet? We’ve put together 30 tips and resources to help you start learning web design this month (and maybe even find yourself a new career path!)

Graphic designers, print designers, and creatives looking to learn something new or break into website need to quit procrastinating. Every day that you don’t take that first step leaves you one day further behind everyone else!

Follow these steps to begin learning how to create your first website, industry best practices, and much more—all in 30 days!

1. Start a Website

The best way to start learning web design is to start doing it. That’s the advice from David Kadavy, author of Design <for> Hackers.

I recommend you start a blog. I started a blog just to have a web design playground, and 7 years later, I launched a best-selling book on the subject. Having a personal project, such as a blog, gives you a place where you can try new things, and your boss won’t fire you if you mess up.

You don’t have to start with a massive website or crazy design; start small. Play with the website, figure out what makes things work. (And make sure to inspect the code, so you can start getting familiar with what’s making your website work.)

2. Read Everything You Can

Start reading. Because you are on this blog, you’re probably used to keeping track of what’s happening in the world of design. Keep reading.

Read everything you can about website design, and trends, and techniques, and best practices. Follow designers you admire on social media.

Cast a wide net for your website design reading as well. Read about the basics to learn some code, read about design theory and read tutorials and current articles.

3. Be An Effective Communicator

If you aren’t the most articulate person, brush up on those skills. A big part of website design is communication.

Website designers have to communicate with clients regularly to figure out what problem the design needs to solve; they have to communicate those solutions and implement them as well.

4. Subscribe to Tuts+ & Envato Elements

Consider a subscription to Envato Elements, which also gets you access to the excellent Tuts+ learning resource.

Tuts+ publish regular courses on graphic and web design, from basic techniques, through to the latest advanced approaches and developments. It’s completely self-paced, taught by expert instructors. You’ll also get access to Envato Elements, which is a great resource for finding graphics, templates, and more to plug into your web design work.

5. Think in HTML

HTML, or hypertext markup language, is a cornerstone of website design. HTML is the skeleton that helps create the structure of a website and once you can read the language, the world of website design will make a lot more sense.

W3Schools has a great HTML starter tutorial with hundreds of HTML examples that you can play with on the screen to see what happens and exactly how it works. (You might find it more intuitive than you imagined.)

6. Play with Code at Codeacademy

While HTML is a good start, you can learn almost any programming language from Codeacademy. The free set of tools teaches you to code using interactive activities and games.

You can pick up a Codeacademy course where and when you need it and start and stop as needed. Pick a subject to learn – web development, programming, data science – or language to focus on – HTML & CSS (a great place to start), Python, Java, SQL, Ruby, and more.

7. Learn to Understand CSS

CSS, or cascading style sheets, define the presentation of a document written in HTML, or XML and SVG.

As defined by Mozilla

CSS describes how elements should be rendered on screen, on paper, in speech, or on other media.

Mozilla also has a great collection of CSS resources to get started, with a solid introduction of how CSS works, including selectors and properties, writing CSS rules, applying CSS to HTML, how to specify length, color, and other units in CSS, cascade and inheritance, box model basics, and debugging CSS. Then modules move on to explain styling text and boxes.

8. Apply Your Design Skills to the Web

If you are already working in a creative or graphic design field, think about the things you already know that you can apply to website design as well. The principles that make something visually appealing don’t change based on medium and all that design theory will come in handy in the digital space as well.

While elements such as learning code might not feel natural, having a design background is a huge bonus. What good is a beautifully coded website if not one wants to interact with it?

9. Pay Attention to Websites You Love

Take note of websites that you love. What about them is appealing to you? (And how can you learn to replicate those elements?) Pay attention to:

Typography

Navigation

Use of images and space

Design of forms

Animation and scroll effects

Color

10. Draw a Wireframe

Wireframing is a web designer’s brainstorming.

In its purest form, a wireframe is a sketch of what the website will be. It’s not an outline of aesthetic elements, rather a blueprint of the website. Drawing a wireframe isn’t really about the look of this design, it’s about the information structure therein.

Not sure how to create a wireframe? Digital Telepathy has a guide of best practices to help you learn.

11. Take Some Time to Learn Sketch

Sketch is a vector-drawing tool for Mac that makes it easy to create design elements. A lot of designers are turning to Sketch to create UI elements and repeating design blocks.

It’s packed with plugins and allows you to export code for easy use and access. It’s one of the most powerful, and popular, tools to come around since Adobe’s Creative Suite and totally worth your time.

12. Stay Up to Date with Technology

AI, VR, AR, 360-degree video, bots.

There are so many new technologies and trends that it can be hard to keep up. But you need to make a point to stay on top of these changes.

Tackle them one at a time and start with technologies that are the most directly related to the work you do. If you have a website with online chat, start by learning about bots. Or if you use a lot of video content, play around with 360-degree video.

Elements such as artificial intelligence and virtual or augmented reality are even more complex but are likely to become integrated parts of the website design landscape down the road. At a minimum, you should know what they are and what the potential uses might be.

13. Get Comfortable with SEO

While many web designers think an SEO specialist can handle getting a website ready for search engines to read, there’s a lot of design work that’s connected to SEO.

From the way images are uploaded to creating clean code that’s fast to including meta descriptions on pages and elements, the designer should incorporate search thinking into their workflow.

Freelancers, this is vitally important for you as well. Most clients are savvy enough to ask for an SEO-optimized website. If you work alone, you need to know enough to create a solid framework that Google can read (and be able to refer the client to an SEO specialist if more work needs to be done).

14. Play with a Website Builder

A website builder can be a great way to get comfortable with best practices and how to start building and designing websites.

Most of these tools have plenty of templates and allow you to customize elements and even add code snippets. For simple sites, many website builders also have a free plan where you can create a personal portfolio page or basic website that serves as a playground for you.

Then pick apart the pieces within the website builder. Look at how they are designed and coded to get a feel for how it all comes together. You’ll be amazed what you can figure out just by picking another design apart.

15. Find a Mentor

Is there someone you work with that you admire as a web designer? Take them to lunch and pick their brain about the industry.

Finding a mentor that is willing to work with you and help you think about the field and how to learn web design on your own can be invaluable. And while you can probably find a mentor in an online community, nothing is better than a live person that you can meet face-to-face periodically. (Maybe it is worth having online and in-person mentors.)

16. Join the CodePen Community

Once you start getting comfortable with some code and programming, you want to join the CodePen community. The open-source community allows you to share and edit code snippets in a social network of sorts.

Here’s a little more from the site’s founders: “CodePen is a social development environment. At its heart, it allows you to write code in the browser, and see the results of it as you build. A useful and liberating tool for developers of any skill, and particularly empowering for people learning to code. We focus primarily on front-end languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript and preprocessing syntaxes that turn into those things.”

17. Take a Class

For some learners, a more formal classroom setting is best.

There are a ton of classes available – in-person and online – for you to learn web design basics. Start with a local college or online learning hub such as Udemy or Coursera. Pick up a class at your current ability level and just keep moving forward.

18. Want to Do Something? Google It

For the not-so-traditional-learner, find the answer to the web design problem on Google. There are so many tutorials and videos available that can walk you through almost any problem – and solution.

The key is to search exactly what you need to know and look to a reputable source for the answer. Here’s another tip when it comes to tutorials and videos – more recent content is probably going to give you a better, more complete and more relevant answer. (Remember, some of this stuff is changing fast.)

19. Pay Attention to the User Experience

Nothing can make or break a website like user experience design. You need to plan for it and understand it.

Here’s how the Interaction Design Foundation describes UX design:

User experience (UX) design is the process of creating products that provide meaningful and personally relevant experiences. This involves the careful design of both a product’s usability and the pleasure consumers will derive from using it. It is also concerned with the entire process of acquiring and integrating the product, including aspects of branding, design, usability, and function.

UX designers, or designers who are aware of the process of experience formation, seek to create and shape the factors influencing the process deliberately. To do this, a UX designer will consider the Why, What, and How of product use.

20. Pay Attention to Design Trends

What does modern website design look like? It’s not a trick question. To design modern websites and user experiences, you need to know what users want and how they are interacting with it. If the last time you downloaded an app or looked at a website on your phone was 2016, you’ve got a lot of ground to make up.

Creating website designs that have modern touches and trends integrated into the design will help your projects stand out. How do you know what’s trending? Keep reading sites like this and pay attention to what other designers are doing. Take note of colors and styles and features that are included in websites you visit frequently.

21. Create Without Color

Start every design without color. A great designer once told me that if your design works in black and white, it will be flawless in color.

That might not always hold true, but it is a great starting point.

By creating designs in black and white, you can see where elements contrast and how they play together. You’ve stripped out any emotional associations with color or eye movement that happens because of it. This simplest form of design will give you an idea if something works as a concept before you move on to finalizing it.

22. Learn to Love Google Fonts

Google Fonts is your friend.

Regardless of how you feel about Google, the ability to browse, sort and select typefaces that you know will work in website designs is important. You don’t have to think about licensing or if typefaces are compatible with specific browsers or not.

The limitation is that you only have what’s in the Google Fonts library to work with. But if you try you can find something that will fit almost every project. It’ll save you a lot of time in the long run.

23. Pick Apart a UI Kit

Download a user interface or icon kit and pick it apart.

Just as you can inspect the code of a website, look at how design elements are constructed for the web. Take note of the scale and grid, look at the color mixes and how files are organized within Photoshop or Illustrator.

Look for a kit to download that includes elements in multiple formats for high-resolution displays. (Downloading a bunch of JPEGs isn’t going to serve you all that well.)

Then try to build or customize an element or two of your own.

24. Become a Typographer

Modern website design has a strong focus on typography … good typography. From hero headers with giant words to layers of text that draw a user into the design, understanding the principles of how to pair type elements and construct engaging text blocks is vital.

Start with Ellen Lupton’s Thinking with Type. (There’s also a book of the same name.) Lupton is the authority on typography and her information will have you thinking like a typographer in no time.

25. Jump into JavaScript

When you are starting to feel pretty good about dabbling with web design, challenge yourself again to learn JavaScript. After HTML and CSS, it is the most important language of the web.

JavaScript is the tool that allows designers to implement complex things and interaction on web pages. It’s what makes a slider slide or that parallax animation animate.

Learn JS has an interactive tutorial to help you get started.

26. Update Your Portfolio

Once you start designing for the web, make sure to update your portfolio with web design projects. This simple action will help you show yourself … and others … that web design is part of your repertoire.

An updated portfolio can help potential clients see what your “style” looks like. Make sure to showcase layouts, colors, typography and different techniques that show what you can do.

27. Challenge Yourself

With so many shortcuts and code snippets to help you fix almost any website issue you are having, don’t get lazy. Remember to challenge yourself continually to learn new skills, new technologies and keep improving your web design game.

The one thing about this field is that it is constantly changing; there’s always something new to learn or try.

28. Maximise Your Experience

Get out there and design. You have to start designing websites to be a web designer.

Start small, but take on projects with others. Ask to join in on a project with a team at work. Tackle a small website for a friend. The more experience you have building websites, the better and faster you will get.

What are you waiting for? Stop procrastinating.

29. Ask for Feedback

Use your network to collect feedback on your website design projects, no matter how small you think they are. Listen to this feedback – even if you don’t like it and see what you can learn.

Aside from visual preference, did the person providing feedback offer suggestions for making the website function better? Could they easily understand the goal of the design? Did they connect with the messaging?

30. Keep Learning New Things

To be a great website designer, you just need to keep playing, trying and learning new things. Make a point to network and communicate with others in the field so that you can stay on top of techniques and visual changes that are in-demand.

If you are looking to learn website design, then this is probably already something you regularly do. But this is an evolving field, and it keeps changing almost every day. Just ask anyone who is doing it.

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rastagong-tearoom · 7 years ago

Text

Serving of Tea #3: What’s an epistolary VN anyway?

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the tearoom again! Please enjoy today’s serving, I hope it will warm you up in this cold time!

This serving should have been offered several weeks ago already, but current real-life circumstances haven’t left me with much time to do VN related work. (Well, in truth, I could have found the time somehow, but… Sometimes it’s wiser to actually relax during free time, instead of spending it on more side work.)

Anyway, here are the latest developments, even though they’re almost a month old now!

I’ve done a small share of scripting on Sylvan Disappearance. The end is not any near yet, but I would say it is in sight? And that’s very uplifting to me.

Though scripting is becoming easier and easier, I’m still trying to pace myself, and not to rush through the process. I'm paying more and more attention to the general atmosphere and coherence of the story, since I’ve got to a point where it all starts to come together. This mostly means that I constantly worry that no scene is any good in the end. It’s not the final editing pass yet, but I feel like the moment to start polishing the edges has come!

It is not on scripting that I spent most of my time, though, but rather on the UI and on the epistolary phase of the story!

I had put off working on both for a long, long while.

The user interface

The UI is usually held to be to be a key part of the presentation of a VN. It can easily set the mood from the very title screen. There’s only one problem: I’m not convinced by the utility of polishing the user interface.

I obviously appreciate beautiful and expressive interfaces as much as anyone, and certain key screens like the textbox, the game menu and the title screen do need to be expressive. However, I worry about the fact that highly polished UIs are becoming a minimum requirement for all visual novels, even free ones. More broadly, I think the increasingly high production values of indie VNs and the drive to “polish” can restrict the range of creative expression in the medium. (You may have seen me ranting about this on another social network. I think I’ll just write another blog post focused on this topic next time.)

But anyway, as of now, customising the UI of a VN matters a great deal, so I finally took some time to improve the UI, and I’m reasonably satisfied with the end result!

I particularly spent time on reworking the splashscreen (not pictured here), and I think you’ll like it!

The title screen and the game menu were already pretty much done, but I'm finally satisfied with them.

The epistolary component

The epistolary component of the story is, well, very much at the core of Sylvan Disappearance. “This is going to be an epistolary visual novel” was among the first things I thought of for this project. When I started to draft the story, I had probably conceived more details about the way the epistolary component would work than specific storyline developments.

As the synopsis explains, Sylvan Disappearance is in part an epistolary novel, because Mirabelle receives letters, and replies to them. A good half of the narrative is contained within those letters, though there are also segments external to them.

Usually, epistolary novels frame the narration as a succession of letters or documents presented linearly. You read the letters from a character to another (Goethe’s Werther), the entire correspondence between a few characters (Les liaisons dangereuses), or even a succession of loosely-related documents (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Call of Cthulhu to a certain extent). When writers reuse this framing in interactive fiction and games, it becomes much more dynamic. Indeed, through interactivity, the player can virtually embody the narrator who explores a set of documents or letters within the setting.

There’s a loosely-defined subgenre of interactive fiction which relies on this framing, because it offers very interesting possibilities to present a narrative, especially mysteries. In the visual novel format, Christine Love's Hateful Days series relies on a virtual databases of letters, diary entries and logs from a futuristic society that the player explores to understand the reasons of its demise. Her work has been hugely influential on a number of other works, like A Normal Lost Phone, where the player navigates around the virtual interface of a lost mobile phone to find its owner, or Her Story, where the players watches hours of recorded interrogation by the police to solve a crime. (Other iterations of a slightly different kind, like Mystic Messenger or Bury Me my Love, put the framing of narrative documents in the present tense through instant messaging, making the player respond to messages in real time.)

All these stories present their set of documents, logs and letters with the same device, a virtual interactive screen, itself contained within the game. This device can be compared to the framing layer of epistolary novels, where the letters are themselves read by characters within the storyline. In the same way, these interactive works have the player explore documents through databases, computers and interfaces which are contained within the setting of the game.

Sylvan Disappearance uses a virtual screen too, but more artificially: the screen is a mere substitute for a more manual process, that of reading and replying to hand-written letters. The goal of this epistolary screen, as I call it, is to embody the process as seamlessly as possible, for the narrative to proceed smoothly.

I had already programmed a functional mockup before starting scripting, but it was not graphically polished yet, and offered no kind of explanation for the player.

I have taken some time to polish it, and it is finally complete! Without waiting any further, here are a few previews:

As you can see, letters are represented by coloured sheets of paper. The colour indicates the status: red letters are still unread, orange letters await a reply, blue letters have been read and replied to. In the end, it looks like a basic webmail interface…

As for the way it works: The story follows Mirabelle through snippets of her life in a seaside city, at work, with her friends, and so on. At the end of any such day, Mirabelle comes home, picks her mail and finds one or several new letters on her desk. This is the epistolary phase. She must then read the letters, and reply (replying being automatically done). It is possible to re-read any previous letter at any time, which will probably come useful at certain points.

I’m honestly very satisfied of the epistolary screen from a technical standpoint! It took…… a lot of time to get it right. Not so much for the screen itself, but rather to organise the way it works within the script in a clean, coherent and readable manner.

Here are a few of the challenges I encountered, if you do not mind technical discussion:

Organising letter data. Each letter has both immutable metadata, which never change, like “who sent it” and “when”, but also a number of status flags like “unread” or “awaiting a reply” which do change in the course of the story. They had to be cleanly separated so that the status flags would be saved by Ren’Py, while the metadata would just be available as constants at any given time. In the end, letters have their own custom class with attributes for the status flags, while metadata are represented by Python namedtuples generated at initialisation, and added as attributes as well.

Compartmenting the narration of each letter into independent Ren’Py labels so that any letter could be re-read. Replies also required independent labels. Smoothly transitioning from the epistolary screen to the narration of a letter and back, handling the status flags, the music… it all required a surprising amount of code.

I had to write a number of short tutorials to introduce certain features of the screen, and to script a hook which could trigger them at the right moment. Also, a help menu to replay the tutorials.

Dealing with rollback and saving during the epistolary phase was hell and I do not believe I could summarise the matter at all in less than 500 words. But now it works as smoothly as intended, phew.

It was not as bad as it sounds! I really enjoyed working on this whole system.

I won’t be writing more in-depth descriptions of it, but I do hope it can be useful to other VN devs. The code of the game will probably be open sourced at release, and I’ve tried to put comments everywhere in the code to make everything readable. I could also make a standalone tutorial detailing everything about the entire screen? Feel free to ask if you would be interested in such a thing!

Thanks for reading this long and technical update. I’m not sure of when I’ll be able to get back to VN dev properly… but the end is getting closer and closer. See you next time!

#Sylvan Disappearance #vn development #vn dev #visual novels

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