Metaphor of the day: A search is tedious, but it comes with amplest.
The thing is learn in EIR is to become more patient as sometimes I just could not find the ‘right’ information and resources. However, when I just keep looking and searching for it, I will be rewarded magnificently.
There are some examples that I posted on EIR wetpaint website for my research, like the energy saving light and using software for designing purpose. From this research, it helps me to find out how much impact does a design of a product or object does to the users, other than the use of technology. By doing this topic, it helps me to have deeper thoughts and understand the use of technology in our design. I believe, through the research, it will also aid to widen the information that I needed.
The topic that I am working on is "What are the benefits of combining Design and Technology?” Through Google search, I came across this website http://designmind.frogdesign.com/ and the title of this Internet resource is design mind business/ technology/ design.
The Purpose
The purpose of this website ‘designmind’ is to create a media platform that includes a print magazine, a website, videos and events to be shared around the world. It also allows users to send information to the site to share. However, it has to be verified by the site owner.
The purpose of this website is to be found at the 'About design mind' column, where it is shownin a focused and straightforward manner. Therefore its purpose is clearly stated.The following are the screenshots of the website.Coverage
This website provides a variety of information from different sources like articles and videos.
This is one of the video that was posted by a professional Senior Designer Michael McDaniel. This article shown above is written by a principal designer at frog design company. She specializes in health care research and design.
It is comprehensive as most of the information are posted by professionals with deep thoughts and revelation, from different kind of sources, not only visually but also from the videos. Comments could be posted by the public who registered.
Moreover, design mind articles provide the design and innovation community with perspectives on industry trends, emerging technologies, and global consumer culture. design mind also features interviews with high-profile thought leaders, along with contributions from external writers, designers, and photographers.
There is another platform is share information in the website is through blogs. All the bloggers are the professionals in this arena that I am researching on, which their views are important and relevant for my research.
It does not show much external links as this website is run by the professional from Frog Design, where most of the information and materials posted were from them. The only external website is Frog Design, which shown about their company and information, their products and portfolio. Magazines are produce by this company and it could be bought online. Overall, it is a comprehensive website that provides most of the information I need.
Authority
The website is run by global innovation firm frog design, design mind is a media platform that includes a print magazine, a website, videos, and events.
It is written by frog designers, technologists, and strategists. The print issue of design mind is published three times per year; the following is the sample of the magazines that it produces.
This are the news archieve that the firm was reported on.
Links and sourced are given for more information like the following. It is reported in a online journal. Other than these, the company has won several prestigious awards in the industry.
Furthermore, the author could be get in touched with by the contact posted online.
However, there is no counter on the site that reflects the popularity of a source. Still, most of the criteria are met to prove that this website is reliable.
Therefore, I conclude that this website is trustworthy and credible for my research.
Accuracy
Information given from this website are accurate from my cross reference from other sources about the content given. The article provides a balanced information as it stated the positive and negative perspectives of the content, therefore it is not bias.
The references are cited and there are links that directly leads the user to the websites that the writer has posted up, to support what they say.
However, we have to be careful to retrieve some of the information from the website, where it contains a few blog links from the designers. Blog is a platform that allows bloggers to speak their views. Therefore, when reading the designer blogs, we have to filter, judge and verify the content that the designers posted.
There are no grammatical, spelling and typographical errors.
Generally, the information and content are accurate.
Currency
This web provide up-to-date information.
The website is updated every two days regularly. The last update was on January 16, 2010. The rate of the updates of information is fast.
Accessibility
The speed of access is fast; all the pictures posted could be displayed; different text version are shown without problem. It is easy to access which require no other software or hardware in order to view the full version. language of the sources are same. No restriction to access through registration and logging in. It has cookies to store usernames and passwords which we do not have to type them over and over again.
All the information are freely available. The blogs posted up by the professionals did research about what they wanted to write. Links are found and could be directly bring us to another source of information.
Presentation & Arrangement
A lots of pictures, videos and graphics are available, which are matches with the content written.
Usability
This website is easy to use, user-friendly and intuitive that are easy to navigate around the source to locate information. The search facilities are easy to use and with the existence of “search” information and training documentation. In addition, there are user support facilities.
Evaluation
In conclusion, the website is attractive and neat. The content given are substantial and useful for my research. Furthermore, it is a reliable website through the evaluation that was made as of above.
Dream Holiday
Sunday, January 17, 2010
My Dream Holiday will be Burano!
Burano is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, part of Venice. This island really attracts me by it's colourful facade!
--->
Especially when I have never travel in boats before, in this island, one of the most important transportation is boat!
------->
The famous tourist attraction in the island will be this Leaning Tower of the Sam Martino Church.
--------->
The most important matter is, this island seems to be sinking and it might be vanished! There are some problems that makes the water to rise exceptionally high, that one day it might be swallow by the water!
This source is reliable to a great extent as it shown its purpose of showing and promoting the island. The coverage of this website is intensive and the content is sufficient with pictures, videos and other links about Burano. It is also authorize as this website is an official website for Burano. However, it does not show the date of updates or copyright of the website. It is highly accessible by the public, all the photos are able to be seen and there are no special hardware or software to view the videos. The presentation is simple. It is quite wordy. It provides links at the sides for the categories of interest and relevant advertisements at the right for tourists' convenience. The overall quality of the website is not very attractive as compared to other countries' official website.
The most important criteria to evaluate the website it's by the content given.
Evaluation of Internet Resources 1
Introduction to Internet Resources: Internet Search Facilities 2 (prac6)
Saturday, January 16, 2010
I'm learning to use the digital library portal. I used the Academic Search Premier for my research topic. It shows results from other sources likejournal and magazine articles on subjects on subjects like computer science, engineering, physics, chemistry, language, arts and many more!However, the results of 4596 articles shown are generally not relevant. Furthermore, it is to technical and boring as from a view from design students. All are texts and pdf files that are full of texts.
The good point is, it has different languages for different users, but it is useless! I clicked on 'Chinese' but the words are not translated.
It also provide a time line bar to sort out the information for us, to choose the time range of information that we needed.
After all, this search engine does not show relevant information that I wanted.
Then, I tried another database, 'Art Abstract'.It produces only 61 results for the search. However, there are more relevant information provided. For example, from this link http://ezproxy.tp.edu.sg:2065/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ach&AN=BART06112153&site=ehost-live , it shows about how green/ energy saving technology and design could come together and show the benefits of it. This is what I'm looking for!
a) To certain extent, invisible web databases is more effective than using search engines, meta-search and subject directories. It has some information that are not as accessible as other search engine by the public which are confidential and are available to certain group of users. Because of that, the number of results from invisible web database are lesser than those general search engines. However, even though the results are fewer, some information are more relevant from the invisible web database compared to other search engines.
b) I will not use the invisible web database as most of the documents given are in text form, where design require a lot of visual presentation, which can explain better. I'm majoring in Retail & Hospitality Design which I think I need more design books and general search engines with images for inspirations instead of document that are full of text. Unless for some special purpose, or requirement, I do not think that I will use invisible web database for research for my work.
c) From this wiki practical, I realize that there are many people are willing to put in effort and share their information with the public. I think this need courage. As a responsible student, I feel a sense of responsibility to provide accurate information, which build up some pressure in me. I'm afraid that the information that I posted up is not correct. However, wiki could allow people to edit the information, which both eases and worries me. I will feel glad if anyone, who spotted my mistake could sincerely edit them for me. On the other hand, I'm scared that some irresponsible people will make the mistake worse (if there is any).
The greatest thing that I learn from this wiki practical is to put trust on 'strangers' and boldly post up what I have researched online.
Introducing to internet resources: Internet Search Facilities 1 (Prac 4 & 5)
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wiki Collaborative Work
This is the first time that I've did researches and update a wiki website. I had a hard time finding relevant information. However, the information really taught me a lot and widen my knowledge through the findings.
Lots of hard work and time are put in, and I have to be generous to share what I've done to the public through online. I definitely want to be credited for the information that I've posted up online. This exercise let me understand about those people's feelings when they post up their hard work. Listing the bibliography is a waste of time for me in the past. With this personal experience, it helps me to know the importance of appreciation of others works and to acknowledge them for their effort.
Search Strategy (Prac 3)
Monday, January 4, 2010
Google Google and Google.
a) Am I impressed by Google's search functions?
Of course! Most of the time, I'll use Google search engine for my projects and for leisure. However, today I've used more functions in Google that i usually did not use. Other that 'images' which i use frequently, I've tried to do some research from 'news' and 'books', which helped to categorize the search and provide a more specific results for me.
It also provides different sources like blogs and functions such as translate that could serve different users' needs.
Google generates a great number of information from different forms too. Such as the pdf files, documents and etc.
I also learn about Boolean could help me source out more specific and detailed information. By using some techniques I've learn for the search query, it further stream down and focuses even more, for the convenient for me.
Forums are pretty cool as i could seek others' opinions, which sometimes widen my thoughts and see things in different perspective because of their perspectives and experiences that i never had. It is definitely a good platform for others to voice their opinion. Some people could only have the confidence to speak behind the screen. Therefore, discussion forum is a good place for people who could not voice their views in a face to face manner, releasing their way of thinking through posting comments online might be a comfortable method for some people.
As for me, sometimes I'll get emotional when i read some comments made in the forum. i got to see people 'arguing' via Internet, and some could express their feelings and opinion so well through words. That's, impressive.
I feel more relax rather than nervous as what ever comment I made, I could stay anonymous and will feel relax with any restrictions to voice out my opinion about certain things compared to saying things to people face to face. However, I have to be a responsible person still, beware of what I am posting up so that no one is hurt or get into trouble.
c) Why must we do citation and bibliography? One way to not get into trouble is to include citation in our work. Firstly, we have to give credit for the person who contributed the information that we searched. If not, we'll be playing plagiarism! There are so many different kind of citing for the sources for different type of information. This might be troublesome, but we have to be to those people who contributed their time & effort for sharing their information. Therefore we have to acknowledge them.
Citing bibliography is showing a huge list of sources that I had reviewed during me research. It is like process documentation. Through this, it helps to show how much work and preparation we have done for our work. It also gives those who are reading our work some other sources to further understand what we are presenting by looking through our process documents but citing the bibliography. In conclusion, even if we are using Internet as anonymous to look for our information that we need for researches, it is our responsibility to put in citation of others, to credit and respect them for sharing the information., and not claiming their works as ours.
Write anything here.
bold italic underline.
Coverage
This is one of the video that was posted by a professional Senior Designer Michael McDaniel. 
This article shown above is written by a principal designer at frog design company. She specializes in health care research and design.
This are the news archieve that the firm was reported on. 
Links and sourced are given for more information like the following. It is reported in a online journal. 
Other than these, the company has won several prestigious awards in the industry. 
All the information are freely available. The blogs posted up by the professionals did research about what they wanted to write. Links are found and could be directly bring us to another source of information. 
The most important matter is, this island seems to be sinking and it might be vanished! There are some problems that makes the water to rise exceptionally high, that one day it might be swallow by the water!
The good point is, it has different languages for different users, but it is useless! I clicked on 'Chinese' but the words are not translated.
It produces only 61 results for the search. 
However, there are more relevant information provided. For example, from this link 
