Sound can be helpful to describe what is being demonstrated in a video, to communicate proper pronunciation, and is particularly important to the visually impaired. In looking for a site that effectively uses audio I tried to stay away from the obvious. I looked for sites that used audio in a helpful way as opposed to using it as an enhancement or sales tool.
I found a very interesting Text-To-Speech site. This site claims it can read whatever is typed in its speech box in several different languages. Sites like this would be helpful for anyone needing to know how to pronounce a particular word in a foreign language or communicate an entire phrase. It would also be useful for someone who needs temporary help communicating. Someone who's jaw was wired shut for instance. The site is simple and easy to use and can quickly serve a very practical purpose.
There are 2 steps to the site: translating the text and speaking the translation. Try it yourself.
Copy the text below and follow the link.
Paste the text in the 'original text' box.
Choose a language from the drop down between the 2 boxes and click translate.
If a speaker appears next to the text box, the text can be spoken. (not every language has speech available for it)
Click on the speaker than click on 'say it'.
http://text-to-speech.imtranslator.net/
Live as though you were to die tomorrow. Learn as though you would live forever
Monday, February 22, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Delaware County Humane Society, A Good Use of Images
When searching for a site to review for images I tried to think of a place whose purpose was not a focus on images or a retail site that would naturally require professional images to sell their products. Instead, I looked for a site whose images had impact and importance but weren't afforded the advantage of slick professional photography. I decided on the Humane Society of Delaware County. I'm sure any APL or Humane Society site employs a similar use of photos.
The hsdcohio.org site uses images in several ways: to advertise events, solicit donations, and tell stories. But the purpose with the most impact is to help in the adoption of their animals. The images are accompanied by descriptive text letting visitors know the breed, age, sex etc. of the animal. The photos are not professionally done. They don't have consistent background, positions, or themes. But they provide a clear visual of each animal. A visitor can see the color, approximate size, length of hair and other visual features important to people interested in adopting a pet. But the most powerful effect the images have is the ability to create an emotion response in the visitor. Without photos, it would be nearly impossible to make an adoption decision without a visit to the shelter. The argument could be made that many more adoptions are made as a direct result of animals being viewed online first.
The hsdcohio.org site uses images in several ways: to advertise events, solicit donations, and tell stories. But the purpose with the most impact is to help in the adoption of their animals. The images are accompanied by descriptive text letting visitors know the breed, age, sex etc. of the animal. The photos are not professionally done. They don't have consistent background, positions, or themes. But they provide a clear visual of each animal. A visitor can see the color, approximate size, length of hair and other visual features important to people interested in adopting a pet. But the most powerful effect the images have is the ability to create an emotion response in the visitor. Without photos, it would be nearly impossible to make an adoption decision without a visit to the shelter. The argument could be made that many more adoptions are made as a direct result of animals being viewed online first.
Friday, February 5, 2010
thegatesnotes.com - A few comments about typography
I recently visited thegatesnotes.com. This is a brand new site developed for Bill Gates. In his opening message he explains that since people are often asking him what he's working on, he thought it would be interesting to share his thoughts and ideas in the hopes that it gets more people thinking and talking about what he thinks is interesting and important. The pomposity of that statement aside, I immediately noticed a few things that were different than most websites I visit.
The first thing that struck me was an abundance of white space or, for this exercise, an absence of typeography. There was nothing that grabbed my attention or invited me in. The home page has no perceivable personality. It contains a left side nav bar with small type that is easily overlooked initially. The home page contains headline links to several opinion articles presumably penned by Gate as well as an overview of topics he's been talking to experts about. There is a summary of the linked topic under each headline. The headline font is much too light in color and structure and gives no immediate impression that the text is a link at all. The synopsis font is is way too small almost to the point of illegible. And, its a serif font making it even more difficult to read.
Further exploration of the site reveals the same use of color and fonts throughout. Since the purpose of this site is to disseminate information and requires a lot of reading, the choice of font should have been a critical element of the design. Instead, it looks like it wasn't given any consideration at all.
In his defense, I don't know what kind of input or influence Mr. Gates had on the final look of his site. But he would certainly have an opinion on the finished product if he indeed makes his own entries as he claims. So, one can only surmise that Mr. Gates doesn't understand the benefit of design and typography as tools to create an interest in the content of his site. Perhaps, like his corporate attitude that putting the name Microsoft on a product should be enough to ensure success, he feels simply attaching his name to his website should be enough to make it interesting.
The first thing that struck me was an abundance of white space or, for this exercise, an absence of typeography. There was nothing that grabbed my attention or invited me in. The home page has no perceivable personality. It contains a left side nav bar with small type that is easily overlooked initially. The home page contains headline links to several opinion articles presumably penned by Gate as well as an overview of topics he's been talking to experts about. There is a summary of the linked topic under each headline. The headline font is much too light in color and structure and gives no immediate impression that the text is a link at all. The synopsis font is is way too small almost to the point of illegible. And, its a serif font making it even more difficult to read.
Further exploration of the site reveals the same use of color and fonts throughout. Since the purpose of this site is to disseminate information and requires a lot of reading, the choice of font should have been a critical element of the design. Instead, it looks like it wasn't given any consideration at all.
In his defense, I don't know what kind of input or influence Mr. Gates had on the final look of his site. But he would certainly have an opinion on the finished product if he indeed makes his own entries as he claims. So, one can only surmise that Mr. Gates doesn't understand the benefit of design and typography as tools to create an interest in the content of his site. Perhaps, like his corporate attitude that putting the name Microsoft on a product should be enough to ensure success, he feels simply attaching his name to his website should be enough to make it interesting.
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