The classroom for visual journalism
SND Vegas Student Session Blog (Morning Edition)
Right now I'm sitting in the student session (feeling like a bit of a freeloader since I technically graduated in May, but Kim Elam's and Josh Williams? Yes, please!). Kim, a teacher at Ringling in Sarasota, went first and her students' work was amazing. Makes me want to move down to Sarasota to take her classes.
Now, Josh Williams from the Las Vegas Sun is talking about his super-powered Web site/ multimedia team. So fabulous. When they started operating jointly with the Review-Journal, they got to tear down their CMS and make it do what they wanted it to do. Josh says the role of their designers is to "Make it usable. Make it dynamic." They "design the experience and translate it into XHTML and CSS."
As he describes it, their designers know that:
Semantic XHTML describes the content.
CSS defines how the content looks.
And basic web development and (Ellington) Django templates define the variables, conditionals and loops that dynamically change the content. For example, it might change out the artist who is playing at Ceasar's Palace.
And, multimedia, of course: Huge, huge videos that I know would make my multimedia colleagues at the St. Pete Times drool: over 900 pixels wide. And photo slide shows can go as big as 1600 pixels, full screen. They design templates for these to be reused over and over, so a producer's role is just plugging in new content. Most of the interactive maps are driven with XML, including a cool flight delay tracker, one of their many uber-useful city guides.
The history of Las Vegas, a project that Josh says took nine months to build, is navigable geographically, through timelines or video themes. Each element is context aware of where it in time or space- so there's history of the Frontier casino, then a video of its implosion The role of the designers was, again, making it visual and dynamic. Making infographics visible in multiple layers- adding different types of data and storytelling tools. Josh says it requires nothing more than basic Flash skills. Other projects, like a focus on Nevada's drought and water shortage which launches next week (we got a sneak peek!) were built mostly in After Effects.
Josh says it's all combination of technical and creative skill sets in a partnership between production, editorial and programming staff. More to come from the afternoon sessions!
Now, Josh Williams from the Las Vegas Sun is talking about his super-powered Web site/ multimedia team. So fabulous. When they started operating jointly with the Review-Journal, they got to tear down their CMS and make it do what they wanted it to do. Josh says the role of their designers is to "Make it usable. Make it dynamic." They "design the experience and translate it into XHTML and CSS."
As he describes it, their designers know that:
Semantic XHTML describes the content.
CSS defines how the content looks.
And basic web development and (Ellington) Django templates define the variables, conditionals and loops that dynamically change the content. For example, it might change out the artist who is playing at Ceasar's Palace.
And, multimedia, of course: Huge, huge videos that I know would make my multimedia colleagues at the St. Pete Times drool: over 900 pixels wide. And photo slide shows can go as big as 1600 pixels, full screen. They design templates for these to be reused over and over, so a producer's role is just plugging in new content. Most of the interactive maps are driven with XML, including a cool flight delay tracker, one of their many uber-useful city guides.
The history of Las Vegas, a project that Josh says took nine months to build, is navigable geographically, through timelines or video themes. Each element is context aware of where it in time or space- so there's history of the Frontier casino, then a video of its implosion The role of the designers was, again, making it visual and dynamic. Making infographics visible in multiple layers- adding different types of data and storytelling tools. Josh says it requires nothing more than basic Flash skills. Other projects, like a focus on Nevada's drought and water shortage which launches next week (we got a sneak peek!) were built mostly in After Effects.
Josh says it's all combination of technical and creative skill sets in a partnership between production, editorial and programming staff. More to come from the afternoon sessions!
Tags: coding, joshwilliams, lasvegassun, sndvegas, typography, webdesign
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