OUGD502: STUDIO BRIEF 3 - Life's a Pitch // Web Hosting Research

As part of my area of research, I've been asked to look into web hosting, how it works, what it costs and all the ins and outs of hosting, but, more importantly how it can be applied to our team/company. 

What is Web Hosting?

"A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organisations to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server owned or leased for use by clients, as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data centre. Web hosts can also provide data centre space and connectivity to the Internet for other servers located in their data centre, called colocation, also known as Housing in Latin America or France."

The basic job of web hosting is to provide the accessibility to a website by making it readily available to the public, by hosting the files which contain the website's date. Basically. 

"The scope of web hosting services varies greatly. The most basic is web page and small-scale file hosting, where files can be uploaded-via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Web interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web "as is" or with minimal processing. ManyInternet service providers (ISPs) offer this service free to subscribers. Individuals and organisations may also obtain Web page hosting from alternative service providers. Personal web site hosting is typically free, advertisement-sponsored, or inexpensive. Business web site hosting often has a higher expense depending upon the size and type of the site.

Single page hosting is generally sufficient for personal web pages. A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides-database support and application development platforms (e.g. PHP, Java, Ruby on Rails, ColdFusion, or ASP.NET). These facilities allow customers to write or install scripts for applications like forums and content management. Also, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is typically used for e-commerce.

The host may also provide an interface or control panel for managing the Web server and installing scripts, as well as other modules and service applications like e-mail. Some hosts specialise in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce), which are commonly used by larger companies that outsource network infrastructure."

Web hosting requires a hosting computer, if you're able to host your own website, however, you need to assure you're connected to the network at all times, which means having a reliable ISP. Otherwise, the site will appear down, and the users will be unable to access it. 

Examples of Web Hosting

As website I've used in the past to host some of websites i've created is wordpress. Wordpress host blogs and websites, and offer a series of templates and default layouts for those who wish to use the site. 

When you're creating your website, you can download wordpress and install it to your website, then you upload the files for the site, and wordpress hosts it for you. Alternatively, you could choose an existing template on wordpress and customise the HTML and CSS to suit your needs. 

Wordpress offers an interface where you're able to easily manage your website, this is known as a content management system. 

Wordpress also offers plug ins, such as e-commerce, which I've used to create a web store in the past.

Domains

Domains can be purchased from third party sites, then applied to websites. An example of a domian supplier is TSO Host, who I also use to obtain my domains, they offer one click wordpress installs, which allow you to transfer the domain address to your website, easily and quickly. 

You're able to search the domain you wish to purchase, and see alternatives if it's already take

OUGD502: Personal and Professional Practice 2 // Study Task 2 - Contacting Agencies

Investigate a list of methods you can employ to contact other Creatives, studios or agencies.

• Studio visits, by e-mailing a studio and asking for a visit, recently I visited Numiko, the web design agency, based in Leeds. We simply asked for a studio visit, following a recent talk they did in University a few weeks prior. When we visited the studio, we had the creatives right there with us, so we were able to ask them questions about their creative process and also ask them about work placements - to which they told us how to apply and that they do in fact pay their interns (...yay).
• Attending Events, it's important to attend events which exhibit the areas of creativity which interest you. It's likely that there will be professionals there, which are the leading creatives within your interest, gateways to highly renown professionals. By meeting them and befriending them, you're more likely to collaborate with them. An example of this is Leeds Print Festival. I managed to meet loads of professionals who use the methods which interest me, and obtain their contact details. 

OUGD502: Personal and Professional Practice 2 // Task 1 - PPP Fundamentals

1. Reflecting on your Summer what is your most memorable event and why?

• The most memorable part of my summer was being able to design for my first 'real' client. I was able to design the business collateral for a small brand, located in Malton, North Yorkshire. Seeing my work being used a real environment, rather than within a hypothetical sense, as done with typical educational briefs. 

 2. Have you made any contacts over the Summer that you feel could be helpful over the coming year or so and what outcomes did you feel you achieved?

• I haven't really made any new contacts over the summer unfortunately. As much as I would have liked to improve my creative scope and meet new contacts, I was engaged with commitments and festivals/stuff. 

 3. How did you meet/contact these contacts (methods used or how it happened)

• None applicable. 

 4. If you didn’t make any contacts, why? too busy working? holiday? commitments?

• I spend a large portion of the holiday engaged in commitments, I managed to work on a small project, but there were no creative contacts gained. I spend a large amount of the summer training for a series of obstacle races, know as the Spartan Race, and spending time with family and friends.

 5. What methods of contacting creatives can you think of and what would you ask?

• To contact creatives, you're able to use LinkedIn, which is a less personal approach, but it's an effective way to present your skills and contact circles and communities of designers through suggestions and common ground. You can also contact creatives by e-mailing them directly, perhaps asking them about what they do, or ask for a studio visit. 

OUGD502: Personal and Professional Practice 2 // Why is Networking Good?

Why is networking good for ME personally? 

• Networking is good for me personally, as I'm able to explore the creative industry around me, as someone who's quite split between the physical and digital elements of Graphic Design, I find it's useful to see creatives around me and see what they've done, what they're doing and where it's taken them. Doing this helps me plan out what I would enjoy doing, and if the road to which it leads is suitable for me. It also helps me find new people, friends of friends, colleagues and family members that offer unique skills which I can utilise to enhance my practice, or work with to produce something fantastic. 

For what I may get out of it is it worth it? YES/NO 

• Yes, yes it is. 

WHAT can I get out of this? 

• I can get a great deal out of networking! I'm able to expand my creative links by meeting new people, using the common ground we might have. Using this, I may be able to get work placements, employment, attend events, and boost my creative knowledge, to a level far superior to what I might obtain left to my own devices. I could also get the chance to collaborate with other creative individuals, or companies, from which I can learn new skills. 

Am I doing this simply because I am being asked to? 

• To begin with, I was doing this because I was asked to. However, once the ball started rolling, I began to quite enjoy networking, attending events, where I was able to meet and learn about creatives within our community. Whilst also building my LinkedIn profile, which represents me as a professional. 

WHAT do I think that I am NOT doing as far as networking? 

• I feel I could be attending more events, I've only been a limited number, thus limiting my networking abilities. If I were to increase the number of events I attend I will be able to meet more creatives, and expand my scope of social links, to which I can draw upon in the future. 

Do YOU think that in this kind communication, language is a major barrier?

• To an extent, I do feel that there is a language barrier in this kind of communication. However, in this industry, I feel the quality and production of an individual's work and say more about them than a strip of text, or a speech. Of course I won't be able to understand their justification of their work, but there's always software available to translate texts, roughly. 

OUGD502: Leeds Print Festival 2014 // Print Talks

Following the, extremely sudden, recent realisation that this course affects the rest of my life, I've decided to get more involved in Graphic Design and it's culture. Yesterday, I attended Leeds Print Festival 2014's Print Fair, Today, LPF were hosting talks in Leeds College of Music, which is why the lecture theatre/performance hall looks extremely classy. 

The talks consisted of Mr. Bingo, talking about his love of illustration, and his hate mail scheme - he was a fantastic illustrator, and a very funny guy, I really enjoyed his talk. He talked us through his career, his previous works and what he's doing now. It was a fantastic insight to see how he works. After a brief interval, we then heard from NOMAD Letterpress. He showcased his works and showed us what he's currently doing, how he works with his father a few days a week in a traditional print studio, using a dying breed of print methods. He also showed us a project he did, whilst at Glastonbury, how he and a small team, one of the members being The Print Project, attempted to create a daily newspaper, however due to equipment issues they were unsuccessful for the first few days. 

Si Scott was unable to give his talk, so instead, as a last minute stand in, we heard from The Print Project and Print for Good, who did a sort of 'Adhoc Q&A', where they spoke about the collateral for the festival - which was amazing, created using GF Smith's wonderful stock. Finally, we heard from Creative Review. Who showed plenty of underground forgotten Printers, who all use traditional printing methods, and creating fantastic prints. Plenty of short films were shown to give us an insight into the print studios. 

Now onto the loot...

Copper-plated press, from Print for Good, the stock has a lovely deboss from the printing press, on a thick GF Smith stock. It looks wonderful. 

On the left, you can see the ticket, produced by The Print Project on GF Smith's glitter-highlighted paper. It looks and feels fantastic, something I'm certainly looking after. 

GF Smith Loot, a sample book and other stuff!

OUGD502: Leeds Print Festival // Print Fair

As a developing professional, I thought it's about time I should start going to events, experiencing some of the culture associated within our industry. So, myself and a couple of course-mates who I live with decided to go to Leeds Print Festival - the third annual Leeds Print exhibition. 

I managed to snag some freebies, a programme which contains all the dates and information about Leeds Print Festival, a NOMAD Letterpress card, and Ditto Press swatch booklet. They all feel fantastic, I really love the feel of the slight debossing on letterpressed prints.

I found this really amazing bound book, using book rum and paper to create a hard case bind. It looks and feels fantastic, something I really want to try!

A small collection of fantastic little note books. All of which using different methods of binding and different process to create them. 

A range of great screen prints. Such high quality inks used, and some very interesting artworks. 

A pencil case with a debossed look. Covered in print technical info. 

Leeds Print Festival info sheet. 

OUGD502: Personal and Professional Practice 2 // Numiko Visit

Yesterday, Grace, Adam and I were lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit Numiko, a web design agency based in the heart of Leeds. I thought I might benefit from visiting a web design studio, to see how it operates and what the staff are like - mainly because after seeing their work, I'm very interested in applying for an internship there. 

http://www.wahoo.wateraid.org/uk/

http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/

Above are two the sites they have worked on, both the sites are due to go live soon. They showed us previews of them, and how they worked and the design process involved; the scamps and wireframes, the designer's work and the developers and their work. It was really exciting to see the process from how some wireframes, simple drawings, are transformed into wonderful functional websites.