Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Communication: Improving the usability of my blog

An obvious (now I’ve read it) idea suggested by one of the tutors in the OCA student site is to use categories to make it easier to keep track of postings. Not sure it would have made much difference to my DPP blog, but this one is different as so many of the exercises cannot be easily completed in a single session.
So now I have a key themes box in the side bar. I’m trying to avoid too many categories so am restricting myself to a few broad categories. Obviously there’s one for every Exercise and Assignment, then there are book and exhibition reviews and a few less obvious categories:
  • analysis – for reflective or analytical posts;
  • archive – posts that make major references to photos from my archive – something I do when I haven’t been able to get out shooting, or just feel like adding some more material for discussion;
  • blog contribution – posts which link to my contributions elsewhere;
  • events – particular events I’ve photographed – usually with some reflection tying them to what I’ve learned;
  • inspiration – posts which link to sites or contain inspirational images, interesting techniques, or thought-provoking comments;
  • photographers – short reviews of photographers I find interesting;
  • place – posts that are about ‘place’ rather than ‘people and place’ and don’t really relate directly to an exercise;
  • self-portrait – self explanatory. Still considering a portrait category – but so much of the blog to date is about portrait that it hardly seems helpful;
  • street photography – for my attempts at the same. Thought I’d give it a separate category as it wont all be directly in response to the exercises;
  • Support material – general info that doesn't fit with the exercises but I found useful or interesting anyhow; and,
  • Technique – posts where the primary interest is largely technical.

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