What I Learned (IW8)

A Reflection

1. Images have a lot of power. They are able to convey an argument in a very visual, emotional way. Images are the epitome of "show, don't tell." Carefully thought out and edited pictures have the ability to say something that would require many words. They allow the viewer to immediately connect with the argument, but they discover depth to it if they continue to look. A good image can tell a whole story, as evidenced by some of the most iconic photos ever.

In my very first blog post, I discussed the merits of an abstract image.
Here's another. There is nothing realistic about this image. It is no
photo. Yet, the colors and shapes convey so much energy. That's the
power behind an image.

2. Hypertext has the ability to take piece of writing and allow the reader to discover a whole lot more about the subject. If anything, it adds credibility to the argument by providing external sources to back it up. Web pages can open up a whole world where ink and paper cannot. However, hypertext can be tricky to work with. It is not enough to rely on the reader to click the text. There must be a full explanation or a compelling reason for them to look further into the argument. This webpage goes further into the benefits of using hypertext. See what I did there? Hypertext. More information for you.

Wikipedia, if anything, is known for its use of hypertext. There are entire games
dedicated to the art of clicking on links on Wikipedia pages.

3. In the Unit 3 project, not being allowed to use words meant I had to think creatively. The hardest part for me was showing the defining variable between my two contrasting pictures: the bee. It would have been easier to write "With Bees" and "Without Bees" on the bottom of the images, but I couldn't do that. As a result, I think I came up with a method that has a lot more impact than text. It shows loss, barriers, and ill-fated creatures. See an example of this below. For more, look at my final product here.

A living bee on one side of the bold, dividing line.
The mirrored shape of the bee on the other,
representing a world where the bees are dead.
 Two sides of the same coin.

4. At the beginning of the semester, I had no idea how to use any Adobe products and boy has that changed! I believe my skills in Photoshop have improved tremendously, and, although I am not expert, I have a much better understanding of Dreamweaver as well. I certainly hope to get even better with these tools because they can be so helpful to me as a writing major. Skills in design and technology are important. They can help me get a job later in life. Not to mention, the Adobe products are really fun to use!

One of my first Photoshop projects, created for an assignment in
a course called Digital Creative Writing, which complemented
Multimedia Authoring quite a bit. I hate to say it, but this project
isn't very good. I like to think I've come a long way since
these humble beginnings.