One of the most important aspects of creating a Digital Humanities project is to draw in the reader with fascinating and enticing visuals. In this way the opening to a website is very similar to a strong topic sentence, which has the ability to draw in the audience and make them want to learn more. With a weak opening or topic sentence, an audience will most likely be less inclined or hesitant to continue exploring the page. When each of us were assigned to do an analysis of a Digital Humanities project, we were able to point out the strengths of the website, as well as the weaknesses. The aspects that we looked at were as specific as analyzing the font, font color, stylistic set-up of the page, and presentation of the content. Through these forms of analysis our group has been able to critique our own site, in order to make the overall content and presentation better. One of the areas that we ran into an issue was during the decision to figure out whether or not to use Caps Lock with a smaller font, or to use the same size font, but with a different font. Ultimately we decided on using Caps Lock and a smaller font, because a site that keeps font consistent allows for a more fluid reading and comprehension of the project material.
The overall influence of visuals pretty much makes, or breaks the potential of a site, because if it is overcrowded with pictures and videos it will be hard to read, and if there is not enough, than it will look like a dictionary, which is not very welcoming. One of the other things that is important when talking about the presentation of visuals is that while they are important to have, if there are too many the site will appear as congested and will become obvious that the contextual evidence is weak and therefore space needs to be filled with pictures. Fortunately for our group, we have been able to create a balance between contextual material and the usage visual imagery. Another important thing to do is to not make the website look like a dictionary in the sense that it would be taken over with words.
One of the projects that I was able to analyze was the Greenfield Foundation and Bryn Mawr College project, which focused on the improvement of women’s rights and liberties as they have progressed throughout time. It lacked some very serious components that our project would like to have in there, such as video interviews rather than audio interviews and it lacked a timeline. Our project will heavily focus on the aspect of having a timeline, for ours will primarily be an interactive map, which can be organized depending on the viewer’s discretion. Our project also differed in overall content, because ours emphasizes time and space, whereas the Greenfield/ Bryn Mawr project focused on the content and analytical aspect. Ours will serve as more of a database and collection of dime novels and when they took place, which will allow for more of a spatial and temporal organization.
Blog Post 11/17
The idea of collaboration is essential to a project like this, because it allows for the input of others along with the criticism of others. Each of these two elements is essential to the idea creating the best ideas, because we can see what other people have to say. Luckily for me, Jack and Matt are both very smart people so there ideas are often well received. When discussing collaboration, it is important to discuss the notion of team chemistry. Jack, Massey, and I are all pretty good friends out of class as well as in class, but this means that each of us are able to tell one another if we are doing something correctly or incorrectly. If criticism is presented to any of us, it is not taken personally, it is merely taken as trying to find the best answer for the betterment of the group, which would not have any impact on our out of class friendship.
Due to our outside of class friendship, we do not take criticism, as anything other than merely criticism, so our friendship remains intact. Collaboration is important for our project, because of the diversity of our backgrounds, so we each bring a different perspective to the table. Our group is able to function well, because no one person’s opinion means more than anyone else, unless it is our team leader keeping Jack and I on track. Typically I would say that working with peers could be difficult, especially because sometimes it is hard to hold one another accountable if people from the group do not feel inclined to do equal work, because they know that it will get done either way.
Personality conflicts can arise throughout most groups, but once again the chemistry that our group has enables us to maintain a positive relationship both in and out of the classroom. Knowing that the 3 of us will be friends after this class is great, because it creates the perfect combination of criticism and positive energy that lets us make the best product. Some other groups may encounter personality conflicts, but Jack is very easy going and will find something interesting in small things, which brings a unique dynamic to our group. Massey is the perfect team leader for us, because his idea was the most thought-out and well presented, he brings the aspect of organization to our group, which may have been difficult for Jack and I to do without Massey.
The thing that is exciting about a collaborative project is that different areas will be stronger than other areas, because people who work harder will be noticeably more knowledgeable in the subject. Whereas those who sit back and let the others do the work will be noticeably ill-prepared and therefore would receive a lower grade. Collaboration allows for each of us to contribute in our own unique way, but collaborating gives insight into what the other members are thinking in the aim to creating the best possible idea for the project.
mwoods22 