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This week I looked at design principles in the context of different websites. For example how websites that offer different information or services from one another have different layouts and navigation (sometimes removing aspects completely).
To help me put websites in some kind of context I looked around at "help" websites that offer pointers to make a good website.
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html
This website has a list of the "Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design". Where it lists common errors designers make in their designs, such as bad search functions or not answering user questions. These negative points are a good set of pointers to make sure designers make a usable site.
I also did some research into Internet on TV, and discovered that this technology is somewhat obsolete.
However, the technology now carrying on from what the TV brought is now using "Media Center" PCs as TVs.
These Media Center PCs connect to TV sets and allow the user to seamlessly navigate between their PC and TV. This allows users to view full desktop standard web pages with the click of a button. This is not very popular at the moment, but it is going to be the next step in Internet on TV. However with all that being said, the old TV Internet should not be ignored when developing a relevant web site.
I also did some further research into the mobile web in the form of hands on experimentation (to get an idea of the restrictions mobiles have). I used a modern phone to navigate to web pages that weren't even developed for the mobile browser successfully, and could perform most functions (even view flash videos from YouTube and see PHP forms)
I looked into old technologies that were used to make TV interactive (such as TeleText, Ceefax etc.). I also saw how these are obsolete today and aren't really used anymore, (because of how slow and basic the navigation is, and the unattractive typeface and low-res pictures).
I also conducted some research into why mobile technologies have been specially adapted.
“The Mobile Web Initiative's goal is to make browsing the Web from mobile devices a reality”, explains Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the Web. “W3C and mobile industry leaders are working together to improve Web content production and access for mobile users and the greater Web.”
http://www.w3.org/Mobile/
As this quote says, the mobile market has certain restrictions that require the standards of the "desktop" to be revised (because of the small screen and slower network etc.). Such refined elements include reduced versions of Mark-Up languages (for example XHTML, aka Extensible HyperText Markup Language). This language allows simple web pages (often just lists with few images) to easily be displayed over the mobile network.
However, the mobile browsing market is becoming more adaptable to the common web standards, with some phones able to have Java Applets and Flash plugins, to offer a more immersive mobile web surfing experience.
I mentally theorized about what people might use mobile and TV Internet for. (news, sports highlights, games etc.). And will conduct research into the kind of websites that have been converted for mobile and TV use.
