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Portuguese Malacca

2011-06-16T10:04:00.001-07:00

- Portuguese Malacca was the territory of Malacca that, for 130 years ( 1511 - 1641 ), was a Portuguese colony.

- malacca remarkable trading center for the trade and shunting of spices

- at that time, Malacca was ruled by a Muslim Sultanate

- Its port was frequented by a multitude of ships and merchants from all the Asian nations of the time: Arabia, Persia, China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Ceylon, and Bengal. In it were gathered and sold all the Asian spices: pepper, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.

- After their arrival in India, the Portuguese soon became aware of the importance of the city

- An expedition sailed to Malacca in 1509 but failed, and many of the Portuguese were captured and imprisoned by the Sultan.

- In 1511, the ViceRoy of India, Afonso de Albuquerque, decided to organize an expedition destined to conquer Malacca.

- Afonso de Albuquerque arrived in view of Malacca in June of 1511 and immediately demanded the rescue of the Portuguese that were taken prisoners in the 1509 expedition.

- At down of 25 July 1511 the Portuguese attacked the town concentrating the assault on the bridge on the river dividing the town.

- After the conquest, Albuquerque immediately ordered the building of a fortress on the south side of the river. This fortress was called "A Famosa" and it was finished in November 1511.

- Shortly thereafter, Albuquerque prepared the ships for the return with the Malacca’s booty

- However, during the return voyage to Goa his ship "Flor do Mar" sank during a storm and all the treasures fetched in Malacca’s were lost

- From his base at Johore, the old Sultan of Malacca repeatedly attacked Malacca in 1517, 1520, 1521 and in 1525

Source:

http://www.colonialvoyage.com/eng/asia/malaysia/malacca/portuguese.html
http://malaysiahistory.kakmah.com/?p=53
http://www.malacca.us/history.htm

Project...... brief ?

2011-01-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

Project Definition

To redesign Stabilo's website.
To give a better look to the website, and a simpler web structure for user.

Current Site’s Analysis Goals

Mainly is to let consumers browse through Stabilo's product
Let consumers understand what each Stabilo's product can help consumer, who need it the most, and what are the features and advantages of using the product
Provide news and promote items that are on sale
Provide information about what the company is up to and how they participate in certain activities to produce products that help the environment
To let user play some games related to their products

Client’s Analysis

Selling stationery product
Wide variety of pen, highlighter and colour pencil for different needs

Short & Long-term Site Goals

Update new products if available
Update news and happenings
Informative site about their products, while still user-friendly

Target Audience

People at work, people at school, pre-school childrens
Large range of target audience, basically people who use pen, pencil or highlighter

Competitor Analysis

Neater interface

Idea & Concept Implementation

Content-heavy site, with a lot of information about their product, even specified target audience for easy reference. They even have a page explaining the concept on their product, why they design it that way, all with scientific research and reasoning. The site looks complex at first, but after viewing every page and detail analysis, the site structure is simple, but with many confusing navigations. It has very good text information, some decent photos for products, just lacking some interface design and some polishing to make the whole site look attractive.

Moodboard

Wireframe

WD2

2011-01-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Client's Website

Stabilo

News page

Analysis:

- Typography wise can be better

- Layout of pictures and text are too "basic"

- Font and background contrast can slightly be better

Ideas and Suggestions

Analysis:

- Not user friendly, user will get confuse by the way the contents are presented.
- Typography wise, the title can be improved, and the spacing between sentences can be adjusted.

Info and Feedback

Analysis:

- "contact" link not needed since "info & feedback" lead to the same link

Analysis:

- No picture to give an idea to user what is the search result about
- Some typography error

Product

Analysis:

- Image too big

Overall analysis:
- Not professional looking (eg, typo error on search page)

- Grid system too basic (doesn't look like a modern website, sharp squarish edge)
- No button treatment (default underline text)
- Too many text with all CAPITAL LETTER.
- Footer text not contrast enough to be read
- Hierarchy not obvious, important links are very small
- Confusing navigation (user not clear which page they are currently viewing)

- Nice flash with a little user interactivity on the home page though

Competitor's Website

Faber-Castell

Home page

Analysis:
- Clear navigation on the top
- Simple but neat layout
- Fonts are very readable
- Annoying video that plays automatically

History and Information

Analysis:
- Clear introduction with a photo on the right
- Clean and simple
- Not really have typography problem, comfortable reading

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STAEDTLER

STAEDTLER today

Analysis:
- Interesting layout, attracts user
- Good navigation guide to help user at the top

Product

Analysis:
- Image size is just right
- Interesting way of arranging the products
- User-friendly "back to top" button available

HTML code library and tutorials:

- http://www.bobasyourguide.com/html_code_tutorial/
- http://htmldog.com/guides/htmlbeginner/
- http://www.2createawebsite.com/build/html.html
- http://www.codesupplier.com/
- http://www.echoecho.com/css.htm (CSS)

Photoshop Tutorials

PSD Vault

Andrei Bilan

Illustrator Tutorials

Instant Shift

Learn Ai

URL of any brand or beautiful websites

Mercedes-Benz

Analysis:
- Clear navigation at the top
- Interesting flash
- Quick links for user to jump to pages easily

SumAgency

Analysis:

- Interesting layout

- Usability is very good, links are clear

Samsung

Analysis:

- A lot of information and products

- But yet manage to maintain the simplicity

- Nice "about" page, but body text is not real text

- Navigation bar on the left is good

Sony Ericsson

Analysis:

- Nice product information

- Home page manage to attract user's attention

- Better search page, though lack of images

- Nice rollover effect for buttons

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Gantt Chart

Sitemap

(Pending)

Sitemap for WD1

2010-10-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Moodboard for WD1

2010-09-23T17:51:00.001-07:00

How to....

2010-09-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

How to Make Your Blog Popular

1. WHO AM I - Author
2. WHAT IS IT - Tips on improving a blog
3. WHAT FOR - Improve the quality of blogs
4. 1st task - Brush up the basics, avoid grammar mistakes, write complete sentences
5. 2nd task - Customize your blog design
6. 3rd task - Add multimedia (videos, photos, musics)
7. 4th task - Update frequently
8. OUTCOME - Interesting and colourful blogs
9. SHOWCASE - Some links and examples of successful blogs

How to Sleep Better

1. WHO AM I - Author
2. WHAT IS IT - Sleeping better
3. WHAT FOR - Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
4. 1st task - Take a shooting shower
5. 2nd task - Have a cup of hot milk
6. 3rd task - Imagine a story in your mind
7. OUTCOME - Sweet dream and undisturbed sleep
8. SHOWCASE -Gallery

How to Make a Chocolate Mug Cake

1. WHO AM I - Author
2. WHAT IS IT - Making a chocolate cake in 3 minutes
3. WHAT FOR - Hobbies and chocolate lovers
4. 1st task - Prepare ingredients
5. 2nd task - Add dry ingredients, add eggs, add oil and milk, then lastly add chocolate chips and vanilla
6. 3rd task - Place in microwave for 3 minutes. Let it cool a little and serve.
7. OUTCOME - Cute chocolate mug cake
8. SHOWCASE - Gallery

Interesting Website

2010-09-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

Interesting Website

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1. Slaughtered Lamb

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2. Beaver Lab

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3. Itsmeasgar

Before and After

2010-02-14T02:18:00.000-08:00

It's Valentine and the first day of Lunar New Year (CNY). Woohoo!

Some photo editing done in this few days, enhancing colours and exposure for a better overall mood/feeling for the image.

Kwee Shen, Dorcas and Me

Before

After

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Penang

Before

After

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Penang also

Before

After

Even more (ok, the effect a little extreme)

Different mood

Flowchart

2010-01-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

Why do you want to use flowchart in your mobile interface design and screen interface design?

To have a better understanding of the process and how the interface interact with user. Also we can find bugs/error easily with the use of flowchart. We can have an overall idea of how the process goes. It also will help us to think where the process/design can be improved.

How will it help your users to meet the interactive goals?

They can help the users by giving a step-by-step guide, telling the user where they reached, what is next and how they've come to reach this step.

Feedbackkkkkk

2010-01-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

Hi, all. Thanks for taking your time for this “survey” aka “user-testing” that is a part of my class assignment. The purpose of this is not only that I wanted to know how you all think about my icons, I also wanted to know how can I improve them (I know they are ugly).

Please spend some time on it; there are only a few questions to answer. Thanks again.

Oh, u need to right-click, "open in a new tab" on the images. I did it in MS word and its hard to copy everything here. Sorry for the inconvenience.

__________________________________________________

_____________________________

You can copy/paste this answer format for you to answer quickly. Fill in the blanks.

1) i)

ii)

iii)

6) iv)

vi)

7)

8)

P/s: Number 6) e) should be vi)

New header

2010-01-27T02:01:00.000-08:00

New header design. I just like purple.
Oh, the fishes there are random. Because I like fish too. Not very suitable though.
Something inspired me to do this but I forgot where it came from. It's just in my mind now.

Btw, the current background picture came with the layout. Not by me.

Class assignments

2010-01-25T05:12:00.000-08:00

Wei Jia - ok, legs are swollen

3D Clock Icon

10 things

2010-01-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

I'm like the....

1. Shadow

I don't really show my emotions, and I'm different in front of different people.

2. Sky

Sometimes I can shine and sometimes I can be dark and down.

3. Locked Wardrobe
Look so normal on the outside, but filled with secrets inside.

4. Umbrella

People leave me aside sometimes, but I am always available when they need someone.

5. Pearl Oysters

You cannot judge me from the outside, what I have inside you will never know.

6. Glass

Look elegance and tough, but can break easily.

7. Stage

People around me come, play their role, and go. Nobody stays.

8. Big Bad Wolf

I pretend to be good sometimes, but I actually do have an evil thinking.

9. Falling leaves

I go away silently, it might be a type of freedom for me but sometimes, it might be that I'm too tired holding onto it.

10. Snail

I'm slow and don't rush, that could simply mean I can notice the details and be more caring to the people around me.

And YOU are like the winter, so cold and freezing but yet, you can melt my heart. =)