Open Hands

Thanks for that last comment. I think the homepage of hands in need is a really good idea. Images like this provides a good directing tool as the mouse cursoe would most probably be drawn to the hands and fingertips. From that the image could scroll to other parts of the body, hands being the main element. Hands reach out in need.

In class assessment

Last week we did an in class assessment making a site from the range of images and screen shots provided in the "week 8 folder". I found the task simple, other than the fact I forgot how to create a disjointed roll over. My attempt was to wash over the original homepage screen shot with a noir like theme. The masking tool used to cut the flow out and then using an overlay to darken it to a cold blue. This was accompanied by several other elements such as adding sinistic rollovers such as a street light rolling over into a intense red light and an original word crossed out in red to spell the word "dark". I added the phantom image to act as the disjointed rollover as you scrolled over the word dark, however my skills failed to assist me.

Need in focus.

A child in need? or a child that wants?

This image of a child reaching out for help steers my thoughts away from what I want. Instead this image makes me think, what does he need? Does she actually need or does he just want?
Reflecting on this image creates a contemplation on what kind of person I am through the profiling of this child in "need".

Draft web art layout

This is a draft layout I've been thinking about. It's mainly focusing on the content I want in the site. I havn't gone too deep into how I will animate my site.

People do not choose to be homeless.

This is a powerful image showing how war tears apart families

and destroys homes. I wanted to explore alternatives to the

homeless in cities.
The image is raw and very confronting and brings up strong

feelings of grief, confusion and hate.

Post discussion feedback.

I discussed my site as a educational/reflective destination. However after discussing it with other people I found it rather uninteractive. Comments were that I should make a more engaging site, possibly a space to post comments, or boxes that could be ticked. The boxes could indicate how much the visitor of the site have (in a material sense) and therefore give a rating or a score to how successful they are. Just like people judge on how little homeless people have.

As a student of architecture, I am quite a visual communicator. I want to use a lot of imagery and interaction (although i don't have a solid idea of how yet). The theme and sense of the site is to be dark, grimy and dirty. I want to develop a character of a homeless person. Either made up or an actual interview. The site visitor could may be drag items from the homeless persons "trolley" and into their "pocket" and see what the homeless person is left with...

Subjects that concern my website on identity and the homeless:

• What makes people homeless?
• What is their story?
  
• How does society define a homeless (other than without a home)?
• What kind of identities are formed through the juxtaposition of a homeless person and you?

My concept of 'homlessness' emphasises on the fact that the comfortable lifestyles of the middle and upper class (may be even the lower class) are juxtaposed against the subject of a homeless person. I think the more fortunate reflect on the idea of someone having nothing, thus them having much more.
This forms an identity in which we find closure.
My subject, Donald Trump. A soaring businessman, and definately a wealthy man. In relation to my concept he could be the pinnacle opposite of the homeless. He sees himself as much more successful than others less fortunate than him, as if there is a clear hierarchy in society. It is a very material world.
My point is, money makes the man (or woman).