The majority of my creativity skills have emerged through learning and exploring new computer based technologies. Improving my technology knowledge from the AS foundation production has developed my creative skills, approaching creative editing websites, for example 'Photoshop' and 'Picnik'. These specific websites have expanded my skills and ability towards editing pictures. After acknowledging the use of these websites I have again used 'Picnik' in my recent A level photo shoot of the band, GoldBloom. After having used the website before I was able to freely use my creative skills, also exploring new, more challenging edits after revisiting the site.
Creativity also plays a main role in transferring sketch images to CAD (computer aided design) This was done when sketching out planning for the website, but also occurred when storyboarding for the promotional video. What can be freely made up on paper, is extremely difficult to draw through technology. This is where I have come to the conclusion that Creativity is found through the nature of the hand, the ability to freely draw whatever creation that is made up in your mind transferred to the paper, the only restrictions that occur is when you try to transfer your creative idea's off the paper.
This current project is allowing me to discover new computer skills, for example: making a personalised website for the band, GoldBloom. Creating a website for the band allows them to expand their presence when music fans find them on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedln and any number of other social networking sites. After discovering 'Wix' a free website design page, allowing you to choose from themes, layouts, page guidelines and allows user to create own design.
Creativity skills play a large role in website design, in fact this is where my skills have developed from. I have learnt that you specifically have to acknowledge that the home page is the 'welcome mat' of any website. After researching website books, 'Guerrilla Music Marketing Online' it supplied me with useful facts and information about what, and what not to do on websites. The book taught me that you have to be careful that you don't confuse people and scare them away before they even take their first step inside the band's personal demain.
Having the freedom to be however creative as you want can sometimes overrule the 'simplicity' of a website. I have considered this aspect, and have created a sophisticated, symmetrically pleasing to the eye layout that is not too graphic heavy, this is why I changed from my first idea of creating a 'cluttered' image dominating website, as I wanted to go for the 'Less is more' effect. I have included an animated slideshow of a few images of the band on the homepage to add animation and interactivity to the site.
A music website can look attractive without overwhelming a visitor's eye and their web browsers ability to render pages. Creativity ability plays to the fact that you have to be aware of not over crowding a page on the site. Too much information too soon may chase people/fans away, or could easily bore them, loosing fans and the ability to sell your music. I have acknowledged this, by creating small rectangular boxes which include 'News updates of the band', 'Recent Album releases' in small detail to draw fans in on the homepage to want to carry on looking through the site to find out more. The secret is to suede people in with the creative design, layout, images, and persuasive text on the homepage.
Naturally the eye prefers a centred image and bold title, as the title and logo are what people remember mostly and it is the band's signature image and name. From developed experience using 'Photoshop' in my AS project, I was able to freely use my editing knowledge to create a logo for GoldBloom. The band have used a 'Golden Sun' to symbolise their 'Band logo', I wanted to stick with this logo and place the sun in the top centre of all the pages on the website. However the image I had chosen on 'Google' had a white background behind the image, which I wanted to erase so that the Golden Sun contrasted with the sophisticated plain black background of the website.
Using my Creativity skills developed from 'PhotoShop', I was able to achieve the look I wanted. Creative ideas can be inspired from other sources. My website design consists of a black background with a contrasting 'Gold' logo, this idea had been inspired from the popular, current music band, 'Mumford & Sons' website. As well as using Creative skills in the design and colour choice, you have to also consider the design of your 'Navigation' access. If you want fans and the music business to truly dig into your site, you must make it easy for them to move from page to page. After researching current websites, I have acknowledged that the 'Navigation Bar' usually sits along the top of every page listing the main sections of your site. I wanted to keep creative by making the chosen link light up 'yellow' to to match the Golden Sun, when the mouse hovers over it, this is also including interactivity. Keeping a good colour coordination is pleasing to the eye, and also makes a website look professional. Keeping the list of internal links short and snappy, 'Home, News, Live, Band, Blog, Video' this makes it easier for people to access what they want to know about the band quicker. When creating a website you have to consider all ages and gender of people who are likely to access the site. One way to get people involved with the band's music is to give them something to do while they are on your site. By creating an interactive element, for example on my 'Blog' page, I have written a blog from the band to their supporters a 'Post Poll' allowing them to feel involved and participate in contacting the band.
Creativity has definitely played a large role in my development of 'Viral Marketing' design, and creativity shown through persuasive text.
As part of the A level project is to produce a 'Promotional Video' for the band I am promoting, I have been discovering and using 'iMovie' to produce the clip and using my knowledge of 'Youtube' and 'Facebook' to promote it. Earlier on in the year we were accompanied by an Apple imac specialist to help pass on imovie creative skills for us to use when we come to creating our videos. After note taking and remembering specific techniques I was able to expand my video with creative skills that I would not have known existed. This enabled me to be even more creative with my new ability of experimenting with the imovie software.
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