{"id":1719,"date":"2020-04-01T23:55:37","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T23:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/endlesshybrids.com\/?p=1719"},"modified":"2020-04-01T23:55:37","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T23:55:37","slug":"prototyping-a-website-on-zoonotic-diseases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/endlesshybrids.com\/coding\/prototyping-a-website-on-zoonotic-diseases\/","title":{"rendered":"Prototyping a website on zoonotic diseases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
(#3 in a series)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
One aspect that I personally value in web development is creativity. A site that takes an uncommon approach stands out. Of course, a lot depends upon what your client wants and what your users expect. For this type of site, though, we can be a bit experimental. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider the limitations of your design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You must consider the limitations of your design. Often those limitations are set by the needs of a client. Or, the limitations might simply be the limits of your skills considering the amount of time you have to complete the project. (Recognizing, of course, that you have the aptitude to learn any skills if you just had the time.) Another limitation, particularly with design, are the limits of available graphic assets, such as images and video. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this project, I don’t have any original video or imagery of horseshoe bats in Asia and other imagery related to biology. I could, and will, use some stock footage but I don’t want to depend upon that. Also, I’m very interested in animation with SVG graphics, so that’s something I want to try to incorporate in the layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The thought process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In many ways, this site is a demonstration or a proof-of-concept work. I have a topic that I’m working on for no one other than myself and my daughter. But I’m also writing up the process behind creating this site as a learning process for others. In this regards, I’m willing to push the envelope and try out things that I don’t even know how to do yet. You’ll learn with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sketching a layout<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pen and paper time again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of brainstorming happens at this stage. A key question: what type of imagery and symbolism do I associate with the core concept?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zoonotic diseases are a world-wide phenomenon. The globe: an oval, a circle. Those are shapes I definitely want to use. Also, viruses are often represented as a circular form. On my notepad, I draw a big circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’m intentionally avoiding a top menu. Remember, this type of site allows me to aim for something a bit different. But every site must keep navigational structure in mind. Going back to my mind map, three main sections stand out for this topic: impact, challenges, future.<\/strong> Those are the three paths I want to highlight for navigating the site’s contents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Continuing with the globe motif, those three paths can be represented as cardinal directions (west, south, east). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I like having a full screen site where one direction slides off to the right, another direction slides off to left, and the other direction slides down as the user scrolls the page. Here’s a rough visual reprsentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n