Recently, almost twenty million USA residents faced the problem of their inability to use the Affordable Care Act’s website established by President Obama. Many people complain that their login information cannot be entered sometimes. Therefore, they are not able to access some necessary files. The following paper is intended to discuss the question and identify particular issues that led to the Affordable Care Act website’s inappropriate work.
The Biggest Mistakes in the ACA Website Code
It is a well-known fact that the Affordable Care Act website does not work correctly sometimes. Such a situation happens because of the tremendous number of people using it simultaneously (Bleiberg & West, 2016). Some patients need to receive financial support for their prescription drugs and medical treatment. Many other individuals are obliged to use the website according to their law (medical personnel and insurance companies). Unfortunately, sometimes people cannot use the services established by President Obama because of particular problems of the source’s technical part. The most significant mistakes that were made when designing and implementing a necessary code for the Affordable Care Act website will be specified below.
The first major mistake of the ACA website code is its overwhelming amount of “cookie” files used on one page. Such an issue does not let users of the site access their personal accounts for particular needs or information (Ornstein, 2013). Professional IT developers claim that this problem is caused by the fact that the website was not precisely tested before it was launched.
It would be proper to mention that the former President of the United States of America always said that all the ACA website breakdowns happen due to the source’s popularity. However, IT specialists noted that the design of the site was not elaborated properly. Therefore, this factor might also cause various failures. Moreover, the architecture of the website does not meet the primary safety requirements of any development team. The given problem might be caused only by the fact that the system was invented in a rush and some of its pages were not tested.
Another problem was caused by certain errors not eliminated by programmers at the first level of the project development. This issue delivers false or incomprehensible data to some health insurance companies involved in the program mentioned above (Merkow & Raghavan, 2010). Therefore, employees of these firms cannot be aware of the righteousness of the information they receive. Due to this issue, they do not have any right to use the corrupted data in the future for other purposes required by patients.
It would be essential to mention that the website has been facing regular breakdowns for three weeks in a row. This fact made President Obama admit that the source’s system had multiple mistakes that remained unaddressed for an extended period. However, the site was working properly and did not present any technical issues when it was just launched, as many people had a chance to use it and its services (Whitman, 2015). Nevertheless, as the number of users has increased recently, the code turned out to be unsafe and unfinished. All these factors prove that the development team had a limited time to finish its work. The governmental projects had to be released quickly due to the terms set by the former President. Unfortunately, the lack of testing and elaborating on the issue was impossible at that development stage, which causes a plethora of problems nowadays.
Discussion
By analyzing all the information mentioned above and facing particular errors that recently emerged on the Affordable Care Act website, it is possible to see that the password complexity of it is not enforced. In contrast, user credentials expire after a certain period (Alsmadi & Shanab, 2016). Also, professionals stated that such standards for authentication and identity management as LDAP and SAML were not used in the code of the site mentioned above (Franklin, Gelles, Ostrovsky, & Schulman, 2013). The main issues emerge when undergoing the process of authorization. Also, the data validation and its delivery to back-end users are not always competent and accurate. It would be proper to mention that residents of particular states can see the white screen when they try to access the ACA website (Goldstein, 2016). Perhaps, this issue is caused by various session management mistakes in the code or particular restrictions imposed on users because of their locations (Merkow & Raghavan, 2010). The website’s error handling was poor because the errors described above were not eliminated immediately. “An error message from the site relayed personal information over the internet without encryption, while the email verification system could be bypassed without access to the email account” (Scherer, 2013, para. 5). Moreover, users might receive some messages that inform them about particular breakdowns in the system.
Conclusion
The Affordable Care Act website had multiple breakdowns due to the lack of its system’s testing and time limits imposed on the development team during the procedure of the source’s creation. Professional programmers claim that errors also emerge because the ACA site’s security is weak and has to be improved to avoid similar mistakes in the future. The majority of the governmental source’s users faced the problem of logging in and receiving the exact information sent by other individuals previously.
References
Alsmadi, I., & Shanab, E. A. (2016). E-government website security concerns and citizens adoption. Electronic Government, an International Journal, 12(3), 243. Web.
Franklin, M., Gelles, R., Ostrovsky, R., & Schulman, L. J. (2013). Optimal coding for streaming authentication and interactive communication. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 61(1), 258-276. Web.
The evolving web-based technology holds many promises for modern enterprises. In the ever competitive and turbulent business market, harnessing the web for business opportunities and growth seems the only way to go for most enterprises. Firms must equip themselves with more flexible and responsive IT Architecture to respond to the vibrant external environment (Zo 2006). Today, businesses that have adapted web-based solutions in their transactions have an unassailable competitive advantage over their counterparts who continue to rely on traditional methods of conducting business. The reason is simple: modern-web based business solutions are capable of increasing profitability by exposing the enterprise to a world-wide market, and by transforming the nature of the enterprise relationships with its key stakeholders – the clients (Bwired 2006). However, to exploit these new horizons presented by web-based technologies, careful planning and analysis needs to be undertaken to determine which technology can be able to generate maximum value and returns on the business enterprise and technology investment. This is the purpose of this project plan.
Antiques 2000 is a company that is in its set-up stage. Its major shareholders are John Alger, Sue Wong, Andy Patel, and Kerry Mason. The enterprise intends to employ the use of web-based technologies to purchase bargain items from local antique shops and auctions and sell them on the internet at a profit. Unique and sound planning is needed in order to tap into vast opportunities that such a business can derive from the internet. Having undertaken all the necessary groundwork, what remains is to design, develop, and implement a web-based business system which must be up and running within a period of three weeks due to financial constraints. This system is supposed to facilitate intra-firm, inter-firm, and firm-customer business processes as well as integrate the enterprise with numerous other enterprise information systems (Zo 2006). Below, the critical stages in the development of the web-based system are discussed.
Project Aims and Objectives
The role of networking to integrate business processes and link business partners, suppliers, or clients have been re-emphasized by the introduction of e-business (Zo 2006). The harsh business realities witnessed today demands for tougher measures to be taken to guarantee the success of Antiques 2000. Without any doubt, embarking on a mission to identify the critical stages in the development of the appropriate web-based system for the company requires as much thinking about the aims and objectives of the system as it does about the business strategy held by the directors.
The aim for the proposed web-based system is to convey the desired business functionalities and processes using the internet and a standard IT architecture. Available data points to the fact that business processes can effectively be transacted within and across enterprises using “web services based on the service-oriented architecture framework” (Leyman, Roller, & Schimdt 2002, p1). To meet the expectations of this aim, decisions must be made on how the company intends to represent its business processes of selling online antiques as a web service. Specific objectives of the web-based system include:
Transforming the business processes to make them more efficient
Research by generating relevant information about the company’s online customers
Image development by marketing the company’s brands, details, advantages, and its positioning
Boosting sales through employing web-based tools such as online newsletters and integrated customer relationship manager systems
Several software and hardware utilities need to be availed for this project to be a success. It is therefore necessary to make budgetary provisions for computers, servers, server software, website software, and website hoisting charges. Due to monetary constraints, the company may choose to enter into web design franchise where it could get the needed software and hardware at wholesale prices instead of retail (WebDesign Franchise 2009). In addition of providing excellent marketing services, a franchise reduces the risk of failure on new businesses by providing them with temporary financial help, consultancy, and market forecasting. This will be a plus for Antiques 2000.
It should be noted that the most important challenge for any project management exercise is to realize the project targets and objectives while at the same time honoring its constraints (Knutson, J., & Bitz 1991). Though there are many constraints that may come on the way, the most foreseeable ones in this project are constraints of time and costs. The project has been given a maximum duration of three weeks and therefore a work schedule needs to be drawn bearing that in mind. The constraint of cost in the information system’s requirements is bound to be affected by external factors such as the cost of hoisting the website; cost of hardware and software needed including computers, servers, website software, and server software; and general labor charges. It should be noted that the cost of these technical equipments will be dependent on how much the hired consultant will charge for services rendered (Kelly 2009). Due to constraints in budgetary allocation, suggestions can be made to shop for branded computers and routers instead of new ones. This will save some few dollars.
Importance of Resource Allocation
Business is all about making profit and processes that are seen as extraneous to the enterprise must be done away with. The concept of resource allocation derives its roots from this philosophy. Basically put, resource allocation in project management involves allocating human, technical, and material capital to projects in a way that will ensure their optimal use (BNET 2009). In undertaking resource allocation, every activity must be prioritized to ascertain its needs. There are various ways used to prioritize project activities, including the heuristic analysis method and other network analysis techniques such as the critical path method (Mejdaleno, Lively, & Miller 2007). Resources to be allocated for the completion of a project task may be inform of equipment, individuals, money, or anything else capable of definition.
Resource allocation is very important in project management as each phase in the life cycle of a project demands particular management techniques. Resources that are needed in the cycle of project conception may be totally different from the ones required in project definition (Schwndt 2005). Other project life cycles include project planning, execution, and termination. It is in this light the resources must be allocated to specific categories in a project’s life cycle in such a way that optimum usage of those resources is achieved. Through resource allocation, the level of funding allocated to each project life cycle is determined (Mejdaleno, Lively, & Miller 2007). However, this is subject to external and internal vagrancies. Resource allocation is also important as it prioritize the resources in relation to their importance in the project. As such, the project manager is able to save the enterprise a lot of waste in excess resources which may not be necessary in the first place. In projects surviving on lean budgets, resource allocation ensures that only the most vital resources are included in the plan. Lack of proper resource allocation will therefore impede or present a constraint to successful completion of project tasks. Successful project management lies in effective resource scheduling, accessibility, and optimization (BNET 2009).
The resources needed for the designing, developing, and implementing a web-based business system for Antiques 2000 are three-fold. There is need for monetary resources needed to finance the whole budget. There is need for human resources in the form website developers, networking experts, and the staff that will run the facility upon its commissioning. Lastly, there are the technological resources that will be used in the process of developing the web-based system. These come in the form of computers, servers or routers, and necessary software like the server and website software. It is worthwhile to note that the resources are interrelated to one another (WebDesign Franchise 2009). The monetary resources available will determine the path of the technological and manpower resources. If the monetary resources are not adequate, this can have a devastating effect on the information system’s requirements and to a large extent on the usability and profitability of such a venture in the long run.
Importance of Time Scales in Project Management
Like in every other aspect of life that time is employed by individuals to keep track of daily occurrences and events, time-scales are used in project management to effectively monitor the progress of each activity in the project. For effective monitoring, time-scales need to be applied to each objective of the project and its associated tasks (NHS 2004). It is imperative to create a relationship between the time-scales you put in the project plan and the availability of resources used in different phases of the project life-cycle. In other words, there is no point of coming up with timescales if resources are not available. To develop a comprehensive time-scale, it is always important to have the task commencement dates as well as task termination dates. But with the availability of the requisite resources for completion of project tasks, time-scales need to be prepared in advance so that the project manager can identify possible or future loopholes (Knutson & Bitz 1991).
Apart from the above, time-scales serves an important function of passing on information about key project activities to the management and staff of a company (NHS 2004). They are put in light that certain activities will be carried on particular dates and will take certain durations of time to complete. For instance, if the project involves refurbishing the offices, the management will know upfront the time they are supposed to relocate their staff for the project tasks to continue. Indeed, the importance of time-scales can never be underestimated since the delivery of the project depends entirely on time estimation. Failure to deliver the project within the stipulated time frame may spell doom for the enterprise in terms of lost revenues that were supposed to be generated by the project. Time-scales are also important as they reflect the order in which project activities must be undertaken, and the relative significance of each project task (Knutson & Bitz 1991). It should be remembered that one of the most important success factors for any project manager is his or her ability to meet set deadlines. The table below is a summarized form of how time scales will be allocated in development of the web-based business system.
Task
Duration
1stWk
2ndWk
3rdWk
1.Meeting with partners
1day, 1stWk
2. Development of Website
3days,2ndWk
3.Meeting the Web hoister
1day, 1stwk.
4. Meeting with accountant for budgetary allocation.
1day, 2ndWk
5. Buying computer hardware and software
2Days, 2ndWk
6. Networking/computer preparation
4 days, 2nd& 3rdWk
7. Briefing meeting
1stday second wk, 3rdday, 3rdwk
8. Consult software expert to carry data match
1day, first wk
9. Link web pages to back office system
2 Days, 3rdwk
10.Undertake testing and pilot exercise in live environment
1 day, 3rdwk
11. Web-service go live
Last day. 3rdwk
Leadership Styles
The leadership styles employed by company leaders are very crucial to their success. It is therefore true to say that the designing, development, and implementation of the web-based business system at Antiques 2000 is far likely to be hindered by the two different leadership styles exhibited by the key stakeholders. In the company’s leadership structure, John Aljer and Sue Wong are democratic leaders whereas Andy Patel and Kerry Mason are autocratic leaders. It is standard practice in project management that relationships must be built across the board to ensure that all the stakeholders understand the processes involved, their roles and responsibilities, and the key objectives of the processes (NHS 2004. The project manager, the executives, and all other interested parties need to meet regularly to share experiences regarding the progress of the project, and discuss any other unforeseen circumstances. This should be an open forum where each is free to express his or her own ideas regarding the project.
Autocratic leadership will always clip the project manager’s independence to progress the project in the best way possible due to interference. Leaders who exercise this form of leadership style are known to wield high levels of authority over their employees and other team associates (Mind Tools 2009). In case of a project management team, autocratic leaders are bound to give them very few opportunities or little independence of going about their own project activities or even making useful suggestions. Such an environment is not conducive for project management. Available research reveals that autocratic leadership directly leads to monumental levels of staff turnover (Mind tools). Many of the benefits arising from the expertise and creativity of a project management team will go down the drain if it encounters an autocratic leader. However, this leadership style is effective for some unskilled menial jobs where the benefit of control far outweigh its disadvantages- but not certainly for project management.
The democratic leadership style exhibited by John Alger and Sue Wong will serve to help the project’s activities. As already mentioned elsewhere, the independence of the project management’s team must be guaranteed if the team is acting in the best interests of the company. A democratic leader will always invite other member to make their contributions in the decision-making process even if the final decision rests with him or her (Mind tools 2009). In addition of increasing job satisfaction among the project management’s team, such a leadership style always encourages the members to experiment with their latent potentials that may prove to be helpful to the organization. The project management’s team will always derive their motivation from the fact that they are in control of whatever they intend to do, and the leaders may only avail their helpful insights. This style of leadership is good for project management, but the only weak link is that project tasks may derail as participation takes more time.
Effective leadership basically entails knowing oneself, building trust among workmates and other team members, bearing a vision that is effectively communicated to those under the leader, and taking efficient actions that will make the leader realize own leadership capabilities (Saladis, 2006). Therefore, one of the ways that effective leadership can be effective in eliminating some of the problems mentioned above is its ability to influence people, and the ability to have a clear vision. The capacities to persuade, encourage, or influence other individuals in ways that will offer them motivation to support your agenda, ambitions, dreams, and objectives is a real plus in project management. This attributes are key cornerstones for effective leadership.
Effective leadership can also overcome problems, especially those posed by autocratic leadership, through offering credibility to the position of power. In team building, leaders should not only concentrate on their skills or the trust they derive from others, but should also concentrate on how other people thinks about their own expertise, and if the people should trust them (Saladis, 2006). To avoid a situation whereby a leader is seen as imposing his powers over his subjects like it is the case with autocratic leaders, effective leadership demands that individuals in positions of power must constantly check, verify, uphold, and enhance their credibility on their subordinates (Mind Tools, 2009). This is the spirit that must be entrenched in project management, especially for project managers.
Also, Effective leadership could have overcome such problems as represented by both leadership styles in its demonstration of empathy, or the ability to understand other individuals. Leaders must have the ability to listen actively, properly understand the unspoken thoughts, body language, fears, and expressions, and demonstrate trust and trustworthiness (Saladis 2006). The situation shouldn’t be like one exhibited by autocratic leadership where the leader has little time to listen to the subordinates. Effective leadership that can solve leadership problems discussed above demands that the leader must be sincere enough, and should always address his feelings before the facts.
Effective leadership also demands that a leader should be able to actively engage his or her team members. Engaging team members will effectively solve the leadership problems discussed above in that the leader will always identify a common ground with his subordinates whereby goals and objectives of the project at hand will be discussed. He or she will always ask for input from the team members in the form of feedback on the mission and objectives of the project, possible alternatives, improvements, or other opportunities that can prove to be less costly and more effective. An effective leader would also try to solve the problems above by demonstrating commitment and listening actively.
Effective Communication
One of the most basic tenets of achieving success in any field in life is the ability to effectively communicate. Lack of effective communication across all the stakeholders that are directly or indirectly linked to any project undertaking will often derail the whole process. This can turn to be a costly affair especially for business enterprises whose primary role is to gain profit. The management and the project management team of Antiques 2000 are rushing against time to design, develop, and implement a web-based business system due to financial constraints. Any delay arising from lack of effective communication can therefore prove to be too costly for the company.
However, there are loopholes within the company’s structure that can lead to a break down in communication. First is the portfolio problem. All the four partners want to be regarded as managing directors of the company therefore occasioning an inadequacy in effective communication structure. Problems may arise during the implementation phase because, I, as the project manager may have difficulties communicating the progress of the project. A decision issued by one director may be overturned by the other due to lack of a command structure. Even if the four partners are equal, they need to develop a leadership structure that will address the needs for effective communication.
Another area that may bring conflicts of interests thereby dampening effective communication is in their leadership styles. They are directly polarized, with two members falling for democratic leadership style and the other two for autocratic leadership. This is bound to bring communication problems as the two styles advocate for opposing leadership orientations as discussed elsewhere. Perhaps the final area that is bound to elicit passions thereby bringing problems of communication is in budgetary allocation. The company is running on limited finances and therefore, there may be inadequacy of communication as key partners tries to prioritize the needs of the company versus available financial resources.
But what is effective communication? Principally put, it involves choosing the best communication medium for a particular purpose, the ability to use that medium suitably, the arrangement of information to the target audience in an appropriate manner, and the capacity to understand the responses and messages derived from others (BNET 2008). Just like effective leadership, effective communication is a requisite component of any project management activity that aims to achieve success. Perhaps the most basic purpose of effective communication in project management is to effectively coordinate action (Hal 2006; Kliem 2007). People must commit themselves on who to perform this action and when the action is to be performed. In project management circles, this is known as commitment conversation, and could effectively be used to put to end the portfolio wrangles seen among the partners of who will be the managing director of the company and who will not. Through effective communication, all must commit themselves to share responsibilities regarding the project.
Effective communication can also help patch up the problems of conflict of interest and different leadership orientations in that it is always predictable, thereby helping in the maintenance of trust and momentum among members (Levin & Rad 2004). Miscommunication, especially in leadership wrangles can often undermine the success of the team. Direct communication should be encouraged in all set-ups, and every member of the team must be free to contribute to the debates or discussions without fear of reprisal. In this light, the Autocratic leaders in Antique 2000 must allow for active participatory communication to take its due course. This way, many problems would have been solved.
To avoid a collapse of communication in the critical area of budgetary allocation for project activities, regular feedback from the Accounting consultant should be given to the project management team. It has been observed that many Accountants prefer to keep mum when issues of budgetary allocation arises (Enbysk 2006). This does not help the process of communication as silence can aggravate the interests of either party. If no money has been budgeted for the project, feedback should be passed on to the affected in the most humane manner possible. Indeed, all these problems can be wiped out through effective communication.
Mentoring and Coaching
The main purpose of the web-based business system for which the project plan was intended for is to enable Antique 2000 to sell bargain items via the internet using appropriate web-based technologies. The employees, having only basic IT skills need therefore to be mentored on using the web-based technologies effectively to achieve maximum benefits while lowering the risk of misusage or bad handling, which may in turn cost the company much more money to repair. Since the business basically involves selling online, the employees also need to be mentored about the software requirements that will be used in the business processes and transactions. Selling items online also requires customer care skills, which the employees may never have. In that regard, the employees also need to be coached on customer handling, care and satisfaction. They have to been mentored also on client feedback.
Although many individuals use the words interchangeably, a difference exists between coaching and mentoring. Coaching derives its authority from the relationship that exists between the coach and the trainee (Friendrich 2007). In coaching, both the trainee and the trainer are on the same level. However, the trainer must apply certain tools to make the trainee apprehend the nature of the training. Applied in the Antique 2000 business setting, the coach, through the process of coaching the new employees, will make them realize their individual objectives and values of fulfillment to be able to live a more satisfied life while working in the project area. The employees will also be coached on making conscious choices through being exposed to different perspectives of a given situation. This is especially important when it comes to dealing with online customers. The employees will also be coached to discover the processes that are taking place within a given situation. This will effectively help them manage the project even in the absence of the managers. On their part, the managers gain from the coaching process by closely interacting with the employees and getting to know their key strengths and weaknesses. This is important as it will form the basis for job placement within the project area. In most instances, a coach is someone who comes from outside the company, and therefore confidentiality must be observed at all times (Connor & Pokora 2007).
Although mentoring is closely related to coaching, differences exist in the relationship between the mentor and the employee. Usually, the mentor is a senior individual within the company but not directly responsible for the day-to-day running of the company (Friendrich 2007). Employees are mentored in the hope of transferring vital knowledge and expertise which are informal and inherent to the organization (Connor & Pokora 2007). Every business organization has its own trade secrets which cannot be passed on to new employees through formal education. It is therefore the duty of the company or project’s mentor to pass on the trading secrets to the new employees.
It is also the duty of the mentor to introduce new employees into the organization’s networks. This should especially be done to speed the process of integration into the new system and environment (Friendrich 2007). This is beneficial to the managers basically because faster integration means that employees have settled down well to push the company’s agenda of profit making. This goes hand in hand with passing practical trade tips onto the employees to make them attain their professional objectives much faster (Connor & Pokora 2007). This again is very beneficial for managers in that a settled employee is an asset to the company. It is also the function of the mentor to make the employee achieve a close attachment to the company, and support his or her organizational-wide internal career paths. This is most satisfactory on the part of the employee as it ensures growth and continuity. It also motivates the employee to be more responsive to the needs of his or her work, not mentioning the fact that employees nurtured this way are more productive at their places of work.
Strong convictions exist that this project plan will come in handy to assist the partners set up the web-based system for their business and in the project management process. It has exhaustively touched on the aims and objectives of the IT project, resource allocation, Time-scales, leadership styles, effective communication, and mentoring and coaching, in relation to project management. Practical problems and solutions have been identified that are bound to affect the project. It is my believe that this project plan will be read by all the partners and proper action taken on all the arising issues.
References
Bwired 2006. 14 Ways in which Web Based Technology will Change your Franchise. Web.
BNET 2009. Business Definition for Resource Allocation. Web.
BNET 2008. Business Definition for communication Skills. Web.
Connor, M.P., & Pokora, J.B 2007. Coaching and Mentoring at Work: Developing Effective Practice. McGraw. ISBN: 0335221777
Enbysk, M 2006. More effective Communication = Better Project Management: 7 Basic Communication Tips. Web.
Friendrich, R 2007. Project Mentoring and Coaching: Will they Produce Leaders? Web.
The rapid growth of information technologies has enabled many businesses to boost their development, improve public image and attract new customers. This paper aims to discuss the use of multimedia elements in the website of such a company as the Maya Hotel that has recently faced a necessity to go online. In particular, it is necessary to explain how the textual, audio, and graphical messages should look like and how they should communicate the main idea to the audience. We also need to illustrate the very process of design and justify the choice of software and file format. Overall, we can argue that in recent years, more and more enterprises give preference to multimedia when they tailor their marketing messages. The thing is that this approach intensifies the effect of the message on the potential client by reaching him/her through several sensory channels at a time (Millard Brown, 2008). Thus, we need to demonstrate how this goal can be attained. In addition, we need to discuss those technical aspects that should be taken into consideration before the creation of multimedia communications.
The use of multimedia elements
Text
The text element usually constitutes the most informative part of a multimedia message. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that this element can be easily found, understood, and memorized. One of the examples, which we can draw, is the hotels logo. The text, itself is placed against a brown and slightly dark background, which helps to make the message more distinctive. Furthermore, the title of the institution is made a bit larger than the other parts of the text; moreover, it is italicized. Overall, the title is sufficiently conspicuous and memorable. Please refer to picture 1 to see to get a better idea of this multimedia element:
Picture 1
The combination of yellow and pink colors helps to draw the viewers attention to the name of the hotel. Different shades of brown are supposed to produce a relaxing effect on the would-be customer. The use of the italic font is also intended to bring out the title of the institution. These techniques make the picture memorable and unobtrusive at the same time.
At this point, we need to discuss the intended impact of the text element. It emphasizes the idea that the Maya Hotel is the place, where people can find comfort, calm, and relaxation, especially the phrase “feels like home”. It aims to appeal to such sentiment as an aspiration for privacy, serenity, and peace. Nonetheless, the text is not the only means of attracting potential clients.
This logo was created in Adobe Flash and stored in SWF format. This software solution has been chosen as the major tool because it enables to combine the text, graphics, and animation. As regards SWF (Shockwave Flash) format, we can say that it occupies very little space on the hard disk, and is compliant with many other programs, used by web designers. All the more, it can function on various platforms like Microsoft or Apple and does not require a high-performance computer. This is one of the reasons why preference has been given to this application.
Sound
The background music that accompanies the video is essential as it makes graphical images more vivid. The key objective was to align it with the text so that they had a similar theme. On the whole, this musical piece produces a very soothing effect and prompts the listener to forget at least for a second about his/her daily troubles. Although sound does not render any command, it enhances the impact of the text. Hypothetically, the audio signal will affect the visitor at a subconscious level. The file, itself has been stored in mp3 format that gives the best ratio of quality and size. Naturally, one may also speak about such format as WAV which offers a better quality of the sound, but under the circumstances, it will hardly be of any avail because this improvement will not be perceptible to a human ear.
Images
The main function, performed by graphical images was to demonstrate the benefits of the Maya Hotel. Again, they have to be put in league with the text or multimedia message. In this particular case, the picture speaks much louder than words as it fully illustrates all the facilities, available in this hotel, but most importantly; this picture shows a beautiful view from the window From a marketing standpoint, it can be the most powerful stimuli for the audience as it contains an aesthetic element. It should be noted that the picture is black and white because monochromic images let the viewer see the precision of lines and shapes. It has to be admitted that this picture is somewhat anachronistic or even old-fashioned but at the same time, it is catchier (Please refer to Picture 2).
Picture 2
The major advantage of this picture is that it encompasses practically the entire room. Moreover, each piece of furniture can be seen. This image also contains a part of the hotels logo. In this way, we have attempted to create an association between the company and the image. The most peculiar thing is that the pink-and-yellow logo is brought out against the monochromic picture. This method forces the user of the website to remember the name of the organization.
The image was modified in Photoshop and saved as a jpeg file. We have employed Photoshop because it offers almost unlimited opportunities for editing graphical images, whereas jpeg format is now very widespread and consistent with numerous web applications. The major benefit of Photoshop is that it provides a wide range of tools for retouching, noise removal, resizing, and so forth. Although this image could have been created in another raster graphics editor, Photoshop seems to be more appropriate because it alternates increased functionality with relative user-friendliness.
Animation
Animation is an inseparable component of this multimedia message. To some extent, it acts as a guide for the would-be client. It gives the viewer a clear idea about the interior design of the Maya Hotel1. They are supposed to appeal to a persons self-respect and self-esteem. Apart from that, these series of pictures tell the viewer that the Maya Hotel brilliantly combines modernity, utility, and luxury. Consequently, this animation can appeal to various customers, who may belong to different social layers. This animation can be presented as the serious of pictures.
Picture 3Picture 4Picture 5
These pictures merge into one another, thus, producing a lasting impression on the viewer. They show the foyers of the Maya hotel as well some of its apartments. Bright colors occupy a dominant position because this brightness creates a contrast that brings out every detail in the picture. They demonstrate that the interior design of this Maya Hotel incorporates old-fashioned splendor with minimalistic modernity. These pictures replace one another at an interval of ten-second, and this time is sufficient for the onlooker to get a full view of the rooms.
This animation was created in Adobe Flash and saved as an SWF file. This particular software and file format were preferred over others because with their help one can easily incorporate the animation into the structure of the website. At this point, we should dwell more minutely on the advantages of shockwave flash. First of all, they are based on the use of streaming technologies, in other words, they can be played while being downloaded. So, potential customers will not have to wait for a long time. Moreover, they are scalable, so their size can be modified at no expense to the quality. So, the image will not be blurred. Finally, this format is equally suitable for the users of Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. These are the reason why shockwave flash appears to be the most optimal choice.
Discussion
This analysis illustrates the interplay of multimedia elements. Theoretically, they must inform the recipient and appeal to his or her emotions. Provided that they are combined skillfully, the management of this organization would be able to attract new visitors and make it easier for them to book into the hotel. It should be taken into account that the text, audio signal, and animation must have the same theme, style, and idea. The role of multimedia elements is mostly aesthetic, and they must not prevent the visitor from accessing important data, for instance, prices, services, contact information. They must be unobtrusive; otherwise, they will only irritate the potential client and this will in no way contribute to the popularity of the Maya Hotel. Thus, one has to keep a balance between utility and aesthetics and the design must not prevail over utility. In the previous section, we have also described the technical side of this assignment. It has to be acknowledged that Adobe Flash or Photoshop are not the only tools, applicable for website development. Yet, they possess such properties as time efficiency, user-friendliness, and wide functionality. Yet, other designers can easily choose other tools, which suit them best. Much will depend upon the type of project they work on.
Conclusion
Multimedia technologies have become an inseparable part of website development. The chief elements of multimedia, like text, sound, and graphics have to be aligned with one another to make a desirable impression on the user, who enters the webpage. The model, presented in this paper, is designed to tell the customer about the benefits of the Maya hotel. It is a source of information and an advertising tool at the same time. The indispensable condition for success is that the elements of multimedia communicate the same idea without contradicting one another. Finally, the use of multimedia must not adversely influence the functionality of the website, namely, its download speed.
Reference
Adobe Corporation. (2008). SWF File Format Specifications. Web.
Johntech Website does not wish to publish this Acceptable Usage Policy with the intention of curtailing the Johntech visitors’ freedom or undermine the culture of freedom of expression, openness, and trust. Johntech website intends to protect the website’s visitors from damaging or illegal actions by individuals with malicious intentions.
Purpose
The purpose of this AUP is to specify the acceptable behaviors for visitors of the interactive Johntech website hosted by John a technical computer expert with extensive experience in the field of computer technology. Misuse of the interactive website might lead to some users posting illegal links, using abusive language, and posting links that contain viruses. Actions like these ones might lead to complicated legal issues for both Johntech and the website users.
Scope
This policy applies to the website users who may wish to comment on any issues, inquire about various technological issues, reply to any of the posted queries, and provide any new information. The AUP also applies to vendors who might use the website for advertising purposes either directly or indirectly.
Policy
Johntech wishes to make it clear to all website users that no special privileges are accorded to any particular visitor. The website’s administrator does not communicate directly with any visitors except on an official capacity. Any communication with the administrator should be initiated through the website’s “contact” section.
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Unacceptable Behavior
All these behaviors are prohibited; use of abusive language, posting of materials without registering with the website first, posting unauthorized download links, direct advertising, and posting more than five comments concerning a single post.
Consequences
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Security Audit
The following information relates to the audit conducted on a personal computer on April 10, 2013. A scan of the computer’s operating system revealed that only two updates were missing. The first one concerned a music organizing software program, Musicmatch, and the other one concerned Mozilla Firefox the web browser.
The computer has a functional and up to date antivirus program. The license of the Karspesky antivirus program installed in the computer is due for renewal in four months time. An evaluation of this antivirus program revealed it was functional. A full system scan revealed that there were no viruses in the computer.
There are two user accounts in this computer. The first one belongs to the administrator and the other one belongs to the computer’s guest users. The administrator’s account is password protected while the one for visitors is not. The computer’s firewall is enabled and no other security notifications pop up in the computer’s screen.
The administrator has configured a screen saver that is effective after five minutes of idle time. To clear this screen saver, the administrator needs a password. The passwords used in this computer have been in operation for the last two years and they cannot therefore be considered “strong”. The audit revealed no major security threats.
For one to succeed in any area of life, one needs to have the self-assurance that you can perform the intended goals and be persuaded that no matter the limitations that may come forth you are going to pursue the goal.Quite a number of people miss it when it comes to believing in themselves as they tend to think that there is nothing they can do on their own unless they rid on the shoulders of their colleagues and this is a bad habit which can hinder the progress of an individual (Wolak et al, 2006). For instance a student may not feel confident in his work and think that his friend is the one doing it best simply because the colleague has the confidence and believes that what he is doing is the right thing, they both end up doing a mistake simply because the person has a strong believe and determination so the one who has the right answer ends up messing up only because one cannot believe in himself.
Limitations and building of confidence
Here are a few of the most common emotions that burrow into the subconscious and impede our confidence as individuals Hurtful memories can stifle any development and growth.; Anger and sadness drains you from the start, sapping your will to move on. Resentment is another deadly killer and as I said earlier life is not always fair. It is unrealistic to feel any other way and holding on to resentment is no way to fight backdrop it and get back into the battle (Sundén, 2003). Guilt is another emotion that stands between you and your confidence. All of us have done things we feel bad about and regret. Things we would do differently and many of us carry this guilt around and it keeps us from achieving a specific goal. Do not let people put you on a guilt trip and say to your self when someone is putting you on the defensive; no matter what they say or do I am still a worthwhile person. Self-confidence is an essential principle that should be put in place in day to day living as it remains to be the back borne of success. For example, a businessman may have the money he requires to start a business but he lacks the courage and assurance that he can really venture in that area and as a result what he will do is that he will start a business that is grounded on a shaky foundation which will eventually collapse (Stutzman, 2006).
When it comes to buying stock the man cannot purchase enough commodities since deep within himself there is some kind of fear that is bothering him of not making it. Fear is a bad enemy of confidence and indeed there is absolutely nothing much one can do when he is afraid of something. To be sincere there is always the fear of not making it in life but one cannot dwell there, you got to rise up and put fear behind your back and move on, the fear of past failure always comes into our minds each and every time that we think of taking up something new(Stutzman, 2006). It takes someone with courage to try to venture into another dimension since one understands that its not always that we achieve the intentions of our hearts but we need to move on this cannot act as a hindrance to our success. Having confidence simply means putting off limitations. The limitation you have and the negative things that you internalize are given to you by the world but the things that empower you- the possibilities come from within. So give yourself a chance and open to the possibilities of life. Whatever your dream of getting, know that it is possible to change your life and go after it. Please note that the universe is change and what you acquire is what your thoughts make it.
All you need to ask yourself is; what can I do to achieve what I want? And the answer is, Work harder towards it just the act of working hard focuses your mind and your actions making you an active life-force again. Be creative and change your approach to life. Get those wheels turning, Feel the energy flowing look for new ways and ideas to do what you really need. Modify your goal. Goals galore exist out there (Goldberg, 2007). Find one and get on top of it and climb to the next highest. Ask for help. What most people lack is support from either friends or families, Most of the people are so negative to a point that there is nothing to them that can work and so increasing your motivation would be the last thing they can ever think of. To gain confidence in your self is as simple as socializing with a lot of people and that is while doing so you will get to know of someone who had ventured earlier into the direction that you want to take and they will tell you how they succeeded and to your advantage you also get the advantage of getting advice (Ewers, 2006). The good thing about support work groups is that they assure you that you are not alone, and they are run by people who often understand exactly where you are coming from and where you need to go.
Accepting yourself is another great aspect that builds confidence. Some people have temporally given up. They are damaged and disoriented, their confidence badly eroded. They tend to drift through life numbly their unconscious tells them to balance between direction and life and because of what they have risked and lost already they are afraid of being knocked back farther( Adamic, L. A. et al, 2003). Everybody has a capacity to perceive consciousness as more than just awareness, it is a potential energy forcer comprised of my thought and feeling and impressions. Consciousness is an active dimension of the human mind not merely a passive vault where thoughts are stored. Once activated, this consciousness becomes a driving life-force to be used for your betterment and the betterment of those around you (Gajjala, 2007). After all if one highly motivated mind can make a difference, consider how much more a collective force can accomplish. The essence of courage calls for courage when it counts.
Courage is the willingness to do what you want and carrying the persuasion with you that nothing will stop you no matter what. Many of us hold believes that we say are conviction and yet we lack the courage to act upon those beliefs. Courage is a very vital thing that makes confidence visible. You are the only one held responsible of your character, choices, and your acts of courage or cowardice. Some people do not know or believe in themselves and as a result they base their goals upon others, fear makes our confidence be riddled with moral compromise and lack of vision. Another key aspect of building confidence is defining your principles. Just convince yourself that you can achieve far beyond horizons and in avenues that you have never explored. Take full responsibility of your confidence and the attainment of your maximum potential. Seek self-awareness, self-approval and self-commitment in order to attain self-fulfillment. Commit yourself to building and maintaining relationships that are critical to the social development with high rate of integrity. Planning, executing and measuring progress is all it takes.
Online and offline confidence
Online web-based applications like electronic commerce, electronic government, social sites and education sites are not just a way of doing business but to revolutionize the way people used to do things prior the discovery of the internet. Most people find it quite easier to do transactions online as opposed to doing the normal transaction. The latter is the one that was used before the discovery of internet and up to this far, the computer illiterate prefer it more than the former. This document will compare and contrast the level of reliance in use of web-based applications such E-learning, social sites, E-government and E- commerce and doing the same tasks offline. That is without using information technology infrastructure.
Discussion
Electronic commerce
The process of buying and selling goods and services through the internet is what normally referred to as electronic commerce. This does not only involve exchanging products and services but also entails information as well. Unless in the older days where one had to visit the market to purchase what one wanted, technology has come up with an easier and faster way of doing business. Not forgetting that products that are advertised online tend to attract quite a number of people since most people spend their time in the internet on their day to day work thus making the product selling margin high and cannot be compared with commodities sold offline(Gajjala, 2007). This does not mean that these products that are sold offline are not visible to consumers but as you are passing around in the market place, you are likely to see a commodity but since your mind is not in it you will just pass by until when the time comes and may be you require that item. Online advertised items are very tempting since there is always a burning curiosity of this advert always popping in my computer.
Advantages
This one saves a lot of time since the buyer is in a position to view all the preferred goods and services within a minute only by a click of a mouse in your house. The tiring thought of walking or driving to the market as it is done offline is now done away with completely and this means that you can use such time doing other constructive work. When you are purchasing a product online, you are at a position to compare different products and their prices while still in the same venue unlike in the traditional commerce where you have to move around seeing what the buyers are offering but in this case you have an opportunity to compare prices and different commodities online. What rewards a supplier more is the clear understanding that what is good for the business is good to the people of this amazing continent. Suppliers need to identify a system which can deliver the required capacity for todays market place, while also permitting a growth strategy into the near future, with clearly identified milestones for technology upgrades. E-commerce also involves servicing customers online and there is nothing more important than prompt service to customers.
All they need to do is report their faults and they are dealt with instantly regardless of distance. Where tradition commerce is involved, a customer has to make calls to the seller not forgetting the issue of network failure where you might not reach the supplier at the desired time. At times it is very depressing for a customer when he needs a prompt service, for instance in an organization where one of the machines has broken down and you cannot reach the technicians and this calls for extra expenditure where you are required to take the work in question to be done at a fee and still you will be required to pay for the services of the machine. Worse still is when the technicians appear to the site having forgotten some tools or in most cases they tend to forget the right tool for the work due to the rush of not getting late and ending up offending the customer. Other cases has been reported in servicing offline where technical staffs take days to arrive at the clients place since they want to handle different customers who may be in the same route so that they can save on the expenses of going back and in the process services end up being delayed or done in hurry leading to poor services. Some organizations believe in specific suppliers and it can be very disappointing when a client wants to purchase something only to discover that the commodity is out of stock and this means that they have to wait for certain days or hours so that the product can be stocked again leading to a delay in work production.
For example incase of a machines spare part wears out or breaks down and the preferred supplier does not have it in the shop, this means that the machine will not be in a working condition for quite some time but while buying it online you can always choose another suppler and may be even a better one as there is always an opportunity to view different suppliers and products. In tradition commerce, most of the time customers are not optimistic to venture into new and different products as they believe in what they first saw and admired in the first purchase and no one can convince them that there is room for a better one. In case of some clients being addicted to one supplier they can choose a temporary one online when an emergency comes. Joining forces with business partners is as well made available through the internet. You get to know quite a number of business people that are venturing in the same area with you or even in different areas and there is an opportunity of teaming up and working together or assisting one another of even giving a piece of advice to those who might be in need. The most important aspect of collaborating with business partners is that one gets to know the market trends what the other partners are using that you are not familiar with or also the different types of commodities they are offering and in general how they are operating their businesses.
In a shop where services and goods are offered it is always a pressure for a business man to know how the other partner is doing to attract his customers and basically the means of advertisement that they use. Online advertising is growing at high rate due to cost and richness of format, personalization, and timeliness and location basis. On the other hand, collaborating with business partners offline has a wide range of limitations because in the first place there is always the fear of approaching a stranger and especially if you happen to know that that the person who is approaching you is doing the same business as you, most likely you will turn a cold shoulder to him since there is that mentality of stiff competition and thinking that he is coming to steal ideas from your business. Electronic commerce is also used for conducting electronic transactions within an organization. In today’s world most of the transactions are done through the internet as its advantages weigh those of the offline. It is very difficult to make errors through this method and it is very fast and convenient unlike the tradition method of using accountants and auditors where most cases of fraud and lack of accountability are reported. For instance making payments through online systems is far much convenient and safe than when it is done offline. Businessmen that operate online are more advantaged as they are exposed to a lot of people and different commodities and so they stand a chance of identifying quickly and with ease a consumer or business need in the market place all over the world unlike the person who is centralized in a one location who will only know the needs of those people who surrounds him. The enviable electronic commerce has acted as an economic catalyst and as an income generating opportunity for many.
Disadvantages of E-commerce
However, the drawbacks of electronic commerce cannot go unmentioned although its benefits make it remain a more outstanding way of doing business compared to the physical selling. The most highlighted bottleneck is that this method is only favorable to citizens who live in the urban areas as this is mainly where the online facilities can be found. Their business always remain down as there is nothing new to bring to the market and as a result they end up having the same product and the same way of doing things. They lack current information in the market. For instance the same advert that was used for a certain commodity remains in the market for a decade and it is not that they would not want a change but to them they are either comfortable with it due to ignorance and illiteracy and to those few who are privileged to have a sense of change do not have the capacity to do so thus limiting them to venture in new areas in the market. On the other hand there is a percentage that would wish to move their business to a higher level but lack the knowledge and finances to fund the project but I also wish that a time will come when technology will penetrate even deeper into these interior parts of the world.
Another disadvantage of buying products online is that it can be very difficult to select some products and the essence of touch here comes in, and many people argue that it is not wise to buy something that you can not see or touch and in fact many people have a taste of touch and do not forget how customers like comparing things ; the mind tells you this is good while the eyes will see otherwise and definitely the hand will pick something else and in the middle of this confusion the customer takes time to decide what to take home. Imagine a woman purchasing perfumes online, once she places an order she cannot discard it but on the other hand see her in a supermarket and wonder how many times she will pick and put it down or while at the counter she decide she does not like it. What about children in the shop, online way of selling limits children the freedom of picking unnecessary products like if a child wants a chocolate, that’s it and the order is placed, but in a physical supermarket a kid can pick a packet of biscuit, a tropical, an orbit, ice cream and a packet of juice on his way to the counter and the list if endless.
Benefits
What are the benefits of electronic commerce? Cost reduction is the most discussed benefit of this method of selling and by this I mean there is reduction of employees as all the work is done online so there is no need for man power. The space of the office will also be reduced since there will be no need for a spacious space as the number of employees will have dropped at a tremendous rate and all the expenses that are incurred by a physical running office. Shrinking of completion gap is another advantage of selling products online as this means that small and big companies can compete since every one is working online and here the smarter you do your business the smarter you become. There is also elimination of middle men and electronic selling involves direct sales to the customers. Speed is a major factor that promotes business because mails move instant and just by a click of a button a transaction is made. This method gives room to specialization unlike in the tradition way of selling where one stocks different kinds of products in one roof, this allows suppliers to concentrate on what they feel they can do better or in areas of their choice. In this way business partners have got access to global market due to the availability of internet and exposure to a lot people and ideals.
The idea of global research also comes in here especially when business people collaborate they are likely to share new ideas in the market research worldwide not to forget the issue of efficient procurement. It reduces the contract negotiation time and efforts and also provides for a practical compliance management and enables enterprise wide consistency of contracts. This calls for high standard of selling and nothing to do with the tradition ways like treating clients as if they never mean anything to them. In this case customers are handled with a lot of care and diligence with a high level of integrity and excellence as there is an improved customer relations. This is as a result of well trained personnel where customer service is concerned and another advantage is that they are exposed to a variety of materials and information online that can help them increase their knowledge. Now that the suppliers are online most of the time there is also extended hours of business and one can decide to either work the whole day or night or can either develop a schedule that well suites him. Exposure to information and other business partners automatically leads to an up to date materials that are currently being used in the market. Online cuts the costs that are used while communicating to customers as all you need is to drop an email and it takes seconds to receive it. There are no fees and permits that are usually required while one is operating a business offline. Electronic commerce has some impacts on business processes and organizations like; market operations, ordering systems, advertising, customization, new sales channel.
Are there benefits that are entitled to customers or is it only the suppliers that benefit. Consumers are exposed to a wide range of products and services thus giving them an opportunity to choose what they want and if it is a service how they want it done. There is nothing satisfying to a customer than having different items to choose among since he feels respected cared for and his needs met and this makes them feel satisfied. Due to wide range of varieties the price of products and services tend to drop and customers enjoy buying cheaper commodities. Customers also enjoy instant delivery since there is a faster and reliable means of communication. Using this means there is always availability of information. The suppliers are well equipped to offer solid information that the customers need. The customers has also an opportunity to participate in auctions a privilege that most offline customers does not have and to sum up all there are no extremely sales tax unlike in the physical way where levies and taxes has to be made. Apart from customers enjoying these benefits, the society also has something to digest. Higher standard of living makes any society look organized and even attracts more people to be residents of that society. Electronic commerce makes it available public services and this provision raises the standards of any society. In such society there is always hope for the poor. The development of any area also presents hope to the residents as they hope to move forward as the society grows.
Tourism sector has also been left out where electronic commerce is concerned. Software agents imitate the behavior and work of human agents in carrying out organizational practices like planning, travel authorization or even decision making. Each agent is capable of doing his work separately, collectively or cooperatively to attain the stated goal. Services that are basically provided include; general information, travel tips, fare comparisons, electronic travel magazines, purchasing tickets and reservation, accommodations and entertainment. There are benefits of online travel services to consumer and these are; a wide bulky amount of information which is available all day and night. Due to the variety of providers of these services, the consumer can find substantial discounts. Providers also enjoy the benefit of not paying commissions and its processing. However there are some limitations of using this service online as many people do not use internet. Complex trips that require stopping along the way are not normally found online because they normally require special knowledge and proper arrangement.
Electronic learning
Computers in education started to become popular early in 1980, when relatively cheap micro-computers became available. In the late 1980s the term computer was replaced by information technology, signifying a step forward from computing technology to the capacity to store and retrieve information. Eventually the term ICT (Information Communication Technology) was introduced around 1992 when electronic mail started to become available to the public. The early introductions of microcomputers in education lead to high expectations that education will be more effective and motivational. However computers were generally used mainly as a supplement to existing curriculum and much less as tools that were fully integrated in the learning of traditional subjects’ manner. When World Wide Web became available, the interest in ICT was quickly boosted a second time. This interest was accompanied and commonly accepted that education system would lead to prepare citizens for life long learning and information society.
Citizens in the information societies will need new competencies that have not yet been targeted and attained in the traditional educational systems. Education therefore needs to become more focused on creating opportunities for students to acquire valuable skills. The environment in which leaning takes place have traditionally been thought of being an option between the classroom, library and the laboratory, the home and the work place. The arrival of electronic learning has expanded the learners’ capacity to bridge the gap between time and space. Online enables learning to take place in a variety of wide places both physical and virtual and learners now have a choice of combing the options, choosing when and where they study and earn. Online therefore presents a better and convenient way of learning environment and facilitates certain basic elements of long learning ideal such as the recognition that learning takes place in many places and homes both formal and non-formal.
However, we cannot forget to commend our teachers for the good work that they did to us way back when we did not have online learning. They played a very crucial role in the adoption and implementation of online services in education since they are the key to making learning a reality. It is important to recognize that the introduction of computers into schools is a very complex process that also posses various challenges to teachers all over the world (Satyanarayana, 2004). They are required to adopt new roles as more responsibilities for learning are given directly to students. This change requires that teachers be proficient with advising and guiding students through self directed learning while at the same time monitoring the curriculum standards achieved by students. They should also have the opportunity to update their online knowledge and skills as well as to exchange their views on changing the curriculum and pedagogical practices with integration of technology into education. It should be noted that teachers are not the only stakeholders that require development in order to cope with the introduction of online learning into schools. This is because large quantities and variety of online equipment in schools has created the need for dedicated technology coordinators, technical support staff and education leadership
However, Electronic learning has nowadays been the most widely used site for the delivery of information online for the purpose of training, education and management of knowledge. Electronic learning ensures that the citizens are educated and this results to better and qualified work forces, technicians and managers. This ensures that there is greater access to education and learning opportunities for all especially for a girl child. E-learning also ensures that there is a greater access for cutting edge technologies and management processes, and more graduates are able to meet internationally accepted educational levels and skills, availability of higher education and specialized training. Fewer requirements to travel to foreign locations schooling that is distant learning but in this case you do it in any location. It creates more awareness of international trends and therefore greater investment in international events, business opportunities and network of all types there is no need for one to go back to class if the training that you require can be available online and you have the facilities that are necessary. Employed people and those in business have an advantage of studying at their leisure after finishing their work or during the weekends through online avoiding the overall commitments of going to school the whole day. In todays world, technology has simplified the way things used to be done and this method of learning comes along way with various kinds of benefits as discussed below.
Benefits
Time reduction
In the traditional mode of training you spend most of your time in classes day after day to a point that you can take quite amount of time to tackle certain courses unlike in the E-learning where the amount of time is drastically cut down. Courses that take long duration to be completed can be done within a short time since the student is the one organizing how he wants to handle his subjects unlike in the physical way of attending classes where there is a curriculum and rules to be followed.
Cost reduction
In this case there is no fees structure set to be paid each semester of even yearly and all the other expenses that goes hand in hand with the physical learning not to mention the purchase of learning materials and journals which are so expense and uses large volumes of money (Cohen, 2003). In learning online, there is an advantage of available materials that one can get and also one has a change of comparing different writers something that is not possible in the other method because one may not be able to purchase different types of books since they are expensive. The issue of fare used to travel to the learning institutions also cannot go unmentioned. Students spend a lot of money travelling through buses but for the e-learning you can do it your home or office.
Flexibility is another benefit that makes learning possible. It is very convenient and for those people who are working, businessmen and managers who normally keep on travelling from one country to the other need not to worry since you can continue with your learning from wherever you are regardless of distance and the geographical area. There is simply no need to cut off your journey for some time because you are afraid of missing classes or even stopping classes for a while so that you can attend to certain issues. Electronic learning has always carried along with it the benefit of variety of updated and consistent material. The large volume of materials that are found online gives the student an opportunity to compare different writers and incase there is a point that you do not understand you can always look for it in different sites and there is no limitation of how many materials you get access to since there is no expenses incurred. The offline institutions of learning lack the high content retention and the large volume of materials and variety that is normally found in the electronic method. There is a high rate of gratification as the student has a fear-free environment for learning regardless of race, tribe and even the geographical area that you are coming from. You can study comfortably wherever you are.
However, the e-learning does not go unchallenged because the issue of an instructor comes forth where learning institutions are concerned. Lack of face to face interaction and campus life which is always a pleasure to most students is also a highlighted disadvantage (Acquisti and Gross, 2006). Offline institutions of learning have most of the equipments and services that are used in experiments in the science subjects. Online method lacks assessment and maintenance of training records that are normally kept in most of the physical learning institutions. This method is only suitable for computer literate people and so can only be used by people in the urban areas, but all the same the embracing of computer technology in this era and age calls for a revolution and this makes the e-learning still stand out to be the best way of learning as these drawbacks has few or no impact at all.
Social sites
Social sites like face book, Twitter and others have emerged as tools to enhance communication and socialization in the world as a whole. People can now communicate through these sites at any time and also schedule things like meeting. Where as this was not possible prior to the invention of the network, many people especially in the rural areas have not yet embraced the use of technology as a communication tool (Wellman, 1998). The urban areas especially in developed or the first world countries are the ones with the highest number of people who use internet even in their homes leave alone offices. However the case is different in the third world countries where a large population resides in rural area and therefore most of them are illiterate and hence don’t prefer or rely on such services. As the time goes by most of the people living in sub Saharan Africa will have embraced this technology and therefore most of the people will be relying on them for communication and also for socializing purposes. People can communicate with their friends and relatives regardless of the geographical area (Roy, 2002).
This method of communication is quite reliable and time saving compared to the offline communication since there is no need for you to plan how to reach the other person. There are mobiles phones that have the internet capabilities and as you are travelling you can communicate with a person online and this relieves the burden of commuting from one place to another to deliver information. In learning institutions the board of directors do not have to call or write memos to each and every member of the board informing them or reminding them the date of the meeting (Walther, J. B.et al 2009).
This can be done instantly and within few seconds the deal is completed. Friends and relatives can also communication online to invite one another for a event or a party and the person can respond immediately confirming attendance but where offline communication is concerned you are not even sure whether the intended person got the letter or whether they will attend or not ( Haythornthwaite, 2005). This method is so compatible in that you are at a position to locate friends all over the world whom you have not communicated for quite some time or even those who live in other countries or those that their contacts were misplaced, there is a very wonderful chance of uniting again and distance is no longer a barrier. The social sites gives one an opportunity to meet with new people and one has even the privilege of meeting different people with different and vibrant ideas which one can use in one way or another or even someone who can help you in one way or another or even sponsor your education but while you are socializing offline you are likely to meet and mingle with only people who surrounds you and end up having the same lifestyle all through.
E-government
E-government is an acronym for electronic government which means that government services have taken a new dimension in the sense that they can be accessed online (Kaylor, 2001). This has become cost effective and time saving compared to the way people used to access the same services offline. That is you had to travel long distances to look for these services and also spend a lot of time. Many government services can be available online for example you can renew or apply for a passport, book a driving test, claim benefits, fill in your tax return or even report suspect activities to police just to mention but a few. Local authorities provide information services online this allows anyone who visits the website to communicate with the citizens online and in a very sophisticated manner. One has an opportunity of getting information of a certain country and their way doing things. Electronic governance is an effective method as it saves a lot of time for instance in an immigration office where people queue for days leave a lone hours applying for passports and after that one will keep on visiting the offices checking whether documents have been processed, but applying such a document online takes very little time and saves the applicants energy within seconds.
Electronic government provides a reliable and accountable transparent and cheap communication between citizens and the government. The availability of these government services is a great benefit to business partners, citizens and employees and this has brought a lot of transformation in the government sector and citizens are enjoying good governance (Zinman and Donath, 2007). Offline governance has always been centralizing its activities within the government but electronic governance gives the citizens an opportunity to participate in government issues as well as airing their views, worries and concerns’ e-government has four different models namely; government to government, government to citizens, government to employees and finally government to business and within all of them four kind of activities are done and these are; online campaigning, voting and polling, transactions like applying for services online or even lodging tax returns, communication between governments or business people and also agencies and citizens and informing people over the internet like the general public holidays, notification and regulatory services.
Risks
There is however some risks one being that there will be lack privacy to the citizens as the government communicates very often and freely with the civilians thus tending to get more information from them. There is also a high rate in which the government monitors it citizens either through the security cameras, the electronic mails are also monitored or the citizens may tend to feel some form of insecurity. People who live in the rural areas do not have this privilege and it is also expensive to implement such kind of governance in third world countries.
Benefits
The benefits that are accrued by this type of governance are countless and since we live in the era of technology it is well embraced despite the few disadvantages that it faces. It is cost effective and convenient to the public at large and business people and there is availability of current information and no cost, time and energy that is incurred. It has also made it easier the process of communicating to the citizens and business people easier. High level of accountability and transparency is observed unlike in the offline governance where citizens remain in the darkness where government matters are concerned (Koh, 2003). Citizens are given the opportunity to interact with civil servants, elected officials and politicians and can participate in any of the government events and air their grievance to them. Efficiency, accessibility and improved services are among the benefits of e-government.
Leave a lone the citizens the environment will also benefit by the reduced paper work since everything will be done online thus leaving the environment untouched where rubbish is concerned. Transactions in government time now takes a shorter time to process and improved recording keeping due to the use of computers which help in the retrieval of files and information stored in the databases unlike the hardcopies that are misplaces now and then due to movement and change of storage and location (Brown,2003). For once, the disabled and the handicapped do not need to keep on moving so that they can work in government offices but they can work comfortably at their own comfort in their homes. There is high level of approval from the public and for a long time it has been noted with keen interest that the youth never bothered about what happened in the government where offline governance is concerned but nowadays they display a high rate of interest where government affairs are concerned. The government can also follow citizens and monitor whether they are satisfied with the services that they are receiving.
Conclusion
This document has discussed both online and offline ways of doing various things like trade, learning, governance and socializing. It is now evident that technology is saving people a lot of time when executing their tasks and hence people have developed confidence in doing things online. Technology has already made a huge impact on the viability of doing business in the whole world but it is nothing compared to what they will be delivering in future (Schrier, 2008). It has really made live easier and almost everybody in the world responded overwhelmingly to the introduction of this new life changing technology. The Information and Technology infrastructure, in its effort to keep customers satisfied, has since been coming up with products and services that have been positively embraced and have ultimately changed lives of many people by the services that continue to grow each and every day (Chiger, 2002).
Just to mention the mobile phone has become a business and a personal tool, and many businesses has grown tremendously due to the availability of mobile communication. Mobile computing permits real-time access to information, tools and applications that were only accessible only from a desktop computer. You can now communicate with friends and families all over the world with a touch of a button. It is even taken a step further by introducing WAP services to enable customers surf the web and access their electronic mails via their mobile phones. What needs to be done is to try and take the technology to rural areas so that our sisters and brothers who live in the rural areas can be given an opportunity of these luxurious facilities and only hope that time will tell how far these people can go (Heer and Boyd, 2005). Most people therefore have put their confidence in using electronic means such as communication, socializing and doing business among others as opposed to offline way of doing things.
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A luxury yacht charter in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) offers a good example of a promising web-based business. This report provides a feasible business idea within the holiday industry: a company that will target individuals and families who are planning to go on holiday in Dubai, one of the top tourist destinations in the world. The report is based on extensive market research about using websites and other digital media in the business arena. It includes an analysis of the external environment and industry, customer segmentation and value proposition, business strategy, digital marketing, revenue streams, and website interface design among other topics in an exploration of the possibility of creating a successful yacht charter business in Dubai with the aid of the internet.
External Environment and Industry Analysis (PESTEL and 5 Forces Analysis)
The UAE holds a strong position among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Especially attractive to visitors in Dubai, the country’s largest and most populous city (Abu-Rahma & Jaleel 2019). While its baroque architecture helps to give Dubai the ambiance of a sophisticated and luxurious city, most of the tourist attractions in Dubai, like in other parts of the UAE, are artificial. Examples include Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world at 828 meters), Burj Al Arab (the fifth tallest hotel in the world), the Dubai Mall (the second-largest mall in the world by land area), the Dubai Museum (the oldest existing building in Dubai) and numerous artificial islands known for posh apartment towers, glitzy hotels and upmarket global restaurants (Zaidan 2016). These artificial islands include The World Islands, the Palm Deira, the Palm Jumeirah, and Palm Jebel Ali. Visitors to Dubai enjoy a wide variety of activities, including shopping, hiking, water cruising, and driving in the desert (Khan et al. 2017). Thus, the prospects for a yacht business in that location are promising as tourists will be able to use yachts to travel from the coast of Dubai to the various artificial islands such as the aforementioned World Islands (also referred to as ‘The World’) located about four kilometers off the Dubai coast.
While Dubai appears to present a dream destination for setting up a holiday business, the success of such a company will depend on various factors including the external environment and the holiday industry in general. Therefore, it will be necessary to assess the viability of the opportunity by analyzing external business factors in addition to the industry. In this case, using the PESTEL framework and Porter’s 5 Forces model will aid the process of analysis. The acronym PESTEL stands for the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors that affect business. The PESTEL analysis is provided in Appendix 1. A summary of this information reveals the potential for setting up a holiday business in Dubai that focuses on yacht charters. The industry analysis using Porter’s 5 Forces model shown in Appendix 2 indicates that the holiday industry is booming in Dubai and that success is possible provided the business is resilient and can cope with industry changes and stiff competition. With sufficient creativity and capacity for innovation, it will be possible to establish a successful luxury yacht charter in Dubai.
The key takeaways from the PESTEL and Porter’s 5 Forces analysis include the following factors. First, no specific trend is currently affecting the structure of the holiday industry in Dubai. Instead, a variety of influences, including government regulation, competition, technology, and customer needs, are defining the direction the industry is taking. Second, the industry is currently highly profitable and competitive (Allen et al. 2016). High profits can attract a variety of players to the industry, leading to increased competition. Third, although the government controls much of the activity within this industry, independent players have their own space and are not consolidating (Allen et al. 2016). In other words, independent players are carrying out their business activities without necessarily collaborating with others. Fourth, the industry’s services are becoming commoditized, and fifth, several players are currently participating in the market. Examples of yacht charters in Dubai include Easy Yacht and Xclusive Yachts. In addition, many hotels have their yacht charters. Sixth, existing players are offering customers, depending on their budgets, a wide range of services. The greatest strengths of these operations are flexibility and adaptability, while low capacity is their main weakness. Lastly, new players are always seeking to enter the market, facing competition and a high cost of entry as the main barriers.
Customer Segmentation and Value Proposition (Value Proposition Canvas)
Customer segmentation is important, and various tools can be used to achieve this task. One such tool is the value proposition canvas, which facilitates understanding the needs of customers and designing services to satisfy these needs (Hjalager & Madsen 2018). As Appendix 3 shows, the gains for customers when this proposed yacht charter becomes operational include offering clients a good time, high-quality customer service, and value for their money. The pains involved are going to the internet and booking services, making payments, and signing contracts. Customer jobs include managing yachts whenever the watercraft is in their possession. Notably, the proposed yacht charter business will focus on the wealthy customer segment because it appears to be underserved. As Appendix 3 shows, the management and employees will serve as gain creators and pain relievers. Thus, the management and employees will come up with products and services to create value for the customer while simultaneously addressing the latter’s concerns. For example, the website (see Appendix 6) is designed to be easy to maneuver so that customers can book the desired services. Customers will also have the option of calling the company and asking for assistance at any time.
The proposed company will serve people on holiday in Dubai. As the targeted customers vary in their spending frequencies and preference in-service approach, pricing will be used to segment customers, requiring adjustments to be made to accommodate all of them. The company will ensure that enough charter yachts are always available, which is currently not the case in Dubai. Yachts become scarce in the peak season, leaving many customers stranded. Thus, the company will help customers by giving them a reliable option. The proposed solution meets the needs of each customer segment in that it offers customized services on time, making yachts available through online booking. Since only one customer segment is being targeted, the service bundle revolves around the charter of luxury yachts. The company will maintain a website that contains all the information that its customers need, reflecting digital technology designed with practicality and simplicity in mind so that users will find it convenient and fun to use (Cyr et al. 2018). The website will also facilitate the acquisition of more customers because holidaymakers will be able to book their luxury yachts in advance from any part of the world before traveling to Dubai.
Business Strategy (Bowman’s Strategic Clock)
To achieve success, a company must remain focused on its objectives. This includes the necessity to collect data about the market and understand the performance and position of competitors (Linton & Kask 2017). Bowman’s strategic clock offers a useful tool for analyzing a company’s competitive position and determining necessary actions. Comprising an elaboration of Porter’s generic strategies, Bowman’s model is reliable. As shown in Appendix 4, the clock has eight positions, each representing a different strategy. For instance, position one denotes a ‘low price and low added value’ approach, while position eight characterizes ‘the loss of market share’ (see Appendix 4 for more detail). For the proposed business, the chosen strategy is position 5: ‘focused differentiation’, which presents the highest potential for profitability in a highly competitive market. A company seeking success in a competitive market must differentiate itself from the other players, enjoying some degree of monopoly because no product or service in the market matches it exactly. As a strategy, focused differentiation will position the services that the proposed company will offer at the highest price levels because the perceived value will be the primary driver of demand.
Luxury brands operating in other industries (such as the fashion industry) have also adopted this strategy. Therefore, the approach has been tested and approved for use in the luxury industry, including luxury yacht charter operations. Highly targeted segmentation will work well with this strategy and will also ensure that the firm achieves premium prices by way of valid promotion and distribution (Thompson, Strickland & Gamble 2015). Another factor that makes this strategy attractive is that it has the potential to lead to high-profit margins. Notably, the main aim of doing business is to maximize profits, meaning that firms should not hesitate to embrace any promising opportunity to increase profitability. Thus, this approach will be used for the business under consideration. The founder is aware that the strategy works best for a firm whose products or services can maintain a focus for an extended period. In other words, the procedure is not appropriate for products that enter a luxury market for only a brief period. Done successfully, focused differentiation will ensure that the proposed company will be profitable and will continue to maintain a leadership position in the market for a long time.
Digital Marketing
Because the proposed business will rely on the internet, marketing will be done online. The owners will use social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to market the company and communicate value to potential customers through regular status updates, video clips, and marketing audios. These messages will enable potential customers to learn about the company, leading them to express an interest in procuring the services (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick 2019). The value will also be communicated to potential customers at events, trade shows, and conferences. Since hotels across Dubai have numerous conference facilities, the management of the company will approach hotel management with a request to become a partner in conference events held in the hotels. At such events, attendees will receive brochures that contain information about the company, including its location, website, email address, and phone number. Sponsoring events comprise one method for getting new customers; the subsequent relationship with the customers will be managed digitally for improved efficiency.
Every new customer will have an account that contains the individual’s details. The company will send subtle marketing messages to the client in the form of emails from time to time as a way of maintaining the relationship (Kingsnorth 2019). Traditional marketing will be integrated with digital marketing using these online platforms. Media and digital communication will also be used to differentiate the services that the company offers by employing unique advertising and marketing campaigns. The business will be advertised through social media, events, radio, television, newspaper, and magazines (Marullo et al. 2018). The brand image being developed is that of a luxury product, which explains why extensive marketing is needed. Customers will be acquired through advertising and the provision of focused and differentiated products. In addition, the company website will also use cookies to obtain information about new customers based on their browsing history. Hopefully, existing customers will also refer relatives, friends, and acquaintances to the company, and customers acquired through word of mouth will recommend the company to their friends and relatives as well. Moreover, the company will encourage repeat business by giving special offers and packages to all customers.
Revenue Streams
Unmet and underserved needs include an insufficient supply of yachts. While families on holiday may fail to obtain yachts at times, the proposed business will ensure that this does not happen. The planned value propositions meet the needs of the identified segment by offering timely services.
Revenue will be generated through a service sale, that is, the leasing of yachts on a short-, medium- or long-term basis. The lease terms will depend on the size of the yacht. In particular, since buying and maintaining a yacht is expensive, the proposed company will serve as a middleman between yacht owners and those who want to use the watercraft. Over time, if the business becomes profitable, the company will purchase and maintain its fleet of yachts. The company will also approach yacht owners with a view to convincing them to let the company manage their yachts and ensure that each owner will receive some reasonable monthly income. Acting as a middleman, the company will take 30 percent of the money that a client pays to use the yacht. The yacht owner will receive the remaining 70 percent of the amount paid. If the yacht owner agrees to allow the business to manage his or her assets, the owner will receive a fixed amount of income monthly. The new business will then look for clients and pocket all the money made from leases. While the latter appears to be a more profitable option, the risks involved are high.
Although most of the yachts will be acquired from third parties, none of this information will be disclosed to customers to ensure that no collision occurs between the yacht owner and the customer aiming to eliminate the middleman. Company executives will also agree with the yacht owner regarding the use of the vessel and the disclosing of information. A yacht owner who has surrendered the vessel to the company will receive necessary payments to prevent interference with business operations. Therefore, in the case, an issue arises with the vessel when in the company’s hands, the management reserves the right to inform the owner. Also, it is important to note that the company’s website will be mostly informational in function. Some pages will contain pictures of all available vessels along with pricing so that visitors to the site can understand requirements, ensuring that they can properly plan for their vacations. Given the proposed model, the cost of the business is low. Implementing the idea will require a sum of approximately 10,000 pounds.
Website Interface Design
The website will play an important role in ensuring that potential customers have access to sufficient information (Garett et al. 2016). The website will use warm colors to motivate visitors to go on a vacation. For the wealthy, the stimulation of excitement can trigger the decision to go on a vacation. Therefore, the site must be designed to maximize this aspect of development. Because the website is informational, the interface is simple, as shown in Appendix 5. The website contains four pages, including the home page, the yacht charter page, the destination page, and the contact page. The home page contains a welcoming statement and a business phone number that potential clients can use to get in touch with the company instantly. The website also offers an option that allows visitors to chat directly with company representatives. These instant communication channels ensure that a potential customer gets all the help that he or she needs with an eye to preventing a client from changing his or her mind.
The design of the website interface is influenced by the five quality components of Nielsen’s ‘Usability Goals’, which are learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and satisfaction. As attributes of usability, the five components ensure that a website is functional and effective. Krug’s seven factors – useable, useful, desirable, valuable, findable, accessible, and credible – were also taken into consideration while designing the website to ensure it meets these conditions so that potential customers will have an easy time interacting with it. Rayport and Jaworski’s 7C framework was also considered while developing the site. The 7 C’s include context, content, community, customization, communication, connection, and commerce. The consideration of these various issues has increased the effectiveness of the design process because they outline the job that needs to be done and promise to competently guide the design process. A website intended to serve wealthy customers should look extravagant and should be well-designed to appeal to them. If the website does not look expensive, some potential customers will not be interested in checking its content. Once the aesthetics of the site have been considered, the content should also be addressed. Content should be relevant, updated, and simple to understand.
Other Considerations
Other considerations include key partners, resources, and activities. Key partners include luxury hotels in Dubai, the UAE government, and yacht owners. Key resources are yachts, luxury vehicles, and experienced employees while key activities incorporate talking to the tourists and entertaining them for money. The structure of the organization and potential issues in the company are also important in the business. The organization has a simple structure that allows all the founders to have equal rights and access to the company. No hierarchies exist within the firm, which comprises only the management and employees. Some of these additional issues are covered in Appendix 6. It is difficult or impossible to conduct business without looking critically at these fundamental business issues. Key resources will ensure that business operations continue without interruption, while key partners provide the needed support to keep the company afloat. Partners also make doing business easy because they take part in company advertising, reducing the cost of doing business. For example, the company may not have to do extensive marketing if it has many key partners because the partners will market the company indirectly. The planned structure also enhances the company’s chances of getting and keeping new customers.
Conclusion
The use of the internet will make it possible to lease yachts to holiday goers in Dubai. The profit will be shared in a ratio of 70 to 30, where the owner takes 70 percent and the company receives 30 percent. The business will be in the UAE’s Dubai, which is among the most popular tourist destinations worldwide. Doing business in Dubai is easy because, while cut-throat competition exists, customers are dynamic and numerous. In addition, the government actively supports innovative ideas. The company will offer a website that allows customers to book services. Advertising for the company will be done using all available media and platforms, especially those that rely on the internet. Revenues will come from the lease of yachts as the business will target wealthy people vacationing in Dubai.
Media is considered to be one of the most crucial issues of current culture. There are a number of people from different parts of the world, who cannot imagine this life without exciting media projects. As a rule, media production aims at entertaining, informing, exchanging of services, etc.
People benefit a lot from media development: they find the required portion of inspiration, stimulation, encouragement, and support. Sometimes, it is hard to realize how people could properly organize their work without different media products lately. Nowadays, researchers state that “people regularly collaborate in information seeking activities, both in their personal and professional lives” (Paul & Morris, 2011, p.72).
Meaning of the project
The project chosen for the analysis in this paper is a cocktail website Cocktail Recipes 101. This online media product is the attempt of two people to create a new world, where they can develop their skills, share interesting information with the consumers, and realize how they can find practical application to their theoretical knowledge in two different spheres, web design and cocktail making.
In the exegesis, certain attention will be paid to the form, content and materials used in OMP, the evaluation of functions and purposes of the work, understanding of the context from the legal, social, and cultural contexts, and, finally, the analysis of the process in terms of practice and theory.
Worth of OMP to audience
In fact, the worth of the web product under consideration is evident. On the one hand, this site is a unique opportunity for people to demonstrate their skills, attract people to the chosen sphere of interest, and prove that such narrow concept as cocktail making may gather many people from different parts of the world.
This site is not only simple exchange of information. It is a chance to be involved into cocktail production and share personal experience.
A cocktail website is regarded as a successful project within the frames of which producers are able to rely on their cultural understanding of the matter, use media skills and technologies, and present their preferred meanings and points of view to achieve the goals set, use their knowledge on practice, and impress the audience as “the initiator of the production-consumption chain” (Cohen, Salazar, & Barkat, 2009, p. 78) that is usually people under the age of 20, who are interested in drinking and making cocktails in everyday life.
Conceptual Exegesis of a Cocktail Website
Borrowing some concepts from the work developed by Wubishet (2009) on the importance of mixing characters and attention to a variety of problems, the online media project may be viewed as a possibility to unite certain users’ needs within the frames of one particular project.
Audience plays a very important role in the development of a new project, and sometimes, it defines as the body that performs more difficult functions than producers (Green & Jenkins, 2011). This is why, to understand a true role of producers of the project, it is necessary to analyse the form, content, materials, ideas, and considerations that are inherent to the chosen cocktail website.
Project understanding: form, content, and material
The form of the website corresponds to the content and the materials used by the producers. There is no need to apply some types of too complicated techniques in order to impress the audience. The main goal of the project is to present interesting material about cocktail production and engage people into making cocktails on their own. It is not enough to prove that cocktail making is something the producers are good at.
One of the tasks set by the developers is to explain the audience that it is possible for any person to contribute the cocktail industry (Dusy & Redies, 2006). This is why the main material used in the creation of the website is basically producers’ personal experience, ideas, and knowledge.
There is no need to use too complicated terms to explain people their possible connection to cocktail making activity. Informal style, extracts from real life, and the desire to share information are the three basics of the site under consideration.
Purposes and functions of the work
Nowadays, people are under the influence of mass broadcasting and online publishing (Nightingale, 2011).
Information that is got through the Internet or some other media sources may define the quality of human life, human actions, and thoughts, this is why when a single person makes a decision to create a website or contribute media in some other way, he/she has to weigh all pros and cons of the chosen activity, elaborate thoroughly the functions and purposes of the project, and consider personal ability to meet the goals set.
The main purposes set by the developers of Cocktail Recipes 101 are all about the support of personal interests and contribution human passion to the cocktails (Liu & Long, 2001a). In real life, there are many customers, who find the cocktails made by the developers of the site amazing.
Understanding of the fact that something done in life makes someone happier and satisfied at least for a moment turned out to be that portion of inspiration under which the site was created. Some people cannot even imagine their lives without properly prepared cocktails, this is why they find it interesting to share their experience, emotions, and desires online.
This is the second purpose of the site’s creation. Taking into consideration the purposes used by the site producers, it is possible to identify the main functions of the projects which are to inspire people with making and drinking good cocktails, to guide people on how to create a cocktail at home, and to promote exchange of information about cocktails and their ingredients.
Relations between ideas and considerations
The relationship between producers’ ideas and practical consideration is evident. The point is that it is unnecessary to make too many links to inform a person on how to prepare a cocktail. This is why there are three simple links used on the site: information about the developers, list of cocktails and their recipes, and a link by means of which ordinary people are free to share their own recipes of cocktails.
The main idea is not about the complexity but about the access to people with different interests and preferences. It does not matter whether you are a profound user of the Internet or only a beginner, information of the site will be easily available to you.
10-year period for the site
When the site was created, it was important to consider the emotional cues of the audience (Keim, 201) and personal needs that make people address some sites and neglect the information from other sites.
Such sources of information like Google, Wikipedia, and Yahoo are regarded as the best examples of properly organized collective work (Malone, Laubacher, & Dellarocas, 2010; Niederer & van Dijck, 2010). Of course, Cocktail Recipes 101 producers did not set the goals to be similar to the above-mentioned web products. Still, such sites help to understand what should be expected from the site in 10 years, for example.
In 10-year time, the chosen project should become a solid source of information for the web, where people with similar interests and demands are eager to share information gathered worldwide and available to people of different age. Worldwide communication should not be limited, and this site is one of the possibilities to encourage people to share their experience with the others.
Context of OMP
Social context
Social context is closely connected to the reasons why the site was created. Its developers enjoy making cocktails and understand that this industry is one of the immeasurable sources of incomes nowadays (Rothbaum, 2007). Many groups of people like drinking cocktails and organize numerous cocktail parties.
It is a real pleasure to communicate with different people drinking cocktails to refresh the environment, feel more comfortable, and find more interesting themes for conversations. Some people are not aware of how to create tasty cocktails, this is why our site may become a good credible source of information.
Cultural perspectives
Exchange of cultural knowledge and experience is another important issue considered by the developers of the site. According to Faiole, Davis, and Edwards (2010), cultural context should be placed on retrospective reflection by means of which the developers are able to explain their choices of design, ideas, and approaches. In the project under consideration, the cultural context is not clearly identified, still, it is present.
The developers try to add some pieces of information about each cocktail from the historical point of view. Though there is not much information, it is still interesting to read it. With time, this section has to be considerably improved.
Legal issues
The concept of software licensing is crucial indeed as it deals with the property rights and owner’s possibility to dispose the information offered in the source (Classen, 2007). The project under analysis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License (Liu & Long, 2011b). In accordance with the license, the creative is protected by copyright law meeting all the important measurements (Creative Commons, n.d).
Description of the creative process
Cocktail Recipes 101 is not characterized by some too high-technological concepts. It is simple in use but rather informative. Within a short period of time, a visitor is able to get some information about its developers and observe several interesting recipes for cocktails.
The context of the project is not complicated to understand as well. In fact, the chosen Web does not encourage too wider use of graphics, still, a variety of colours is impressive indeed and make OMP attractive to the visitor (Liu &Long, 2011b). From the very first minutes of visiting the site, it is easy to understand its main theme, still, some opportunities offered are not expected still interesting.
For example, the fact that ordinary visitors may add their own recipes captivates a lot. Involvement is one of the most important concepts in audience research as it defines the level of connection between people, who use media, and media content itself (Luers, 2008; Yale & Carothers, 2001).
The developers of the site took this issue into consideration, they did involve people into the development of the site as well as promoted human skills as one of the main factors of media development.
Analysis of the process in terms of practice and theory
It is usually expected to see a lot of new web applications each year (Ankolekar, Krotzsch, Tran, & Vrandečić, 2008). These applications may be of different types, and “every platform change to date has also created opportunities for a leadership change in the dominant applications of the previous platform” (O’Reilly, 2007, p. 35). It is necessary to admit that there is a person behind each web production process.
People are engaged into the works they present and try to contribute the chosen sphere the best possible way. This is why nowadays it seems to be necessary to attract people’s attention to different web projects in order to analyse their thoughts, intentions, and demands and find successful practical application to the gained theoretical knowledge.
For example, the developers of Cocktail Recipes 101 offer their visitors to submit their own recipes (Liu & Long, 2011c). The world of Internet technologies undergoes a number of changes on a regular basis.
People are not always able to evaluate all information and opportunities available to them, this is why they are in need of additional help (Milech & Schilo, 2004; Godwin, 2004). Tips offered on the page for the visitors are clear and simple. You should not do much work just put the required information in a logical order.
Trends in web production and the role of the chosen media project
Whittaker (2002) admits that “one of the most exciting aspects of the Internet is the ease with which users can publish content in contrast to other media” (p. 74). It proves that usually people, who are involved into media through the Internet, face fewer problems in comparison to the attempts, which are made by the representatives of other spheres.
Trends in web production are hard to follow all the time. Still, if a person is interested in one particular activity and sets certain goals, he/she has all chances to achieve the required success.
This is why the chosen project Cocktail Recipe 101 should be regarded as a successful attempt to use student knowledge and passion to cocktail making process that can be easily improved and developed with time in case the technologies are used properly.
Conclusion
In general, Cocktail Recipes 101 is a properly organized online media product that attracts the attention of many people. It does not matter what country a person is from, the desire to drink a tasty cocktail may be inherent to him/her.
There are many different ways of how people can find information about the required subject, and if someone is interested in making cocktails independently, it is possible to use the website offered. A simple form of the site, clear social and cultural context, and developers’ personal involvement are the issues that make this project successful.
A number of online sources may present credible information, still, dry facts and definite structure may be not that appealing for the ordinary visitor. This is why the winning side of the project under consideration is the desire to unite as many people as possible and share one and the same interest that is making cocktails.
The site may be improved each day, and it is always interesting to follow how people are ready to contribute the chosen sphere.
Reference List
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Rothbaum, N. (2007). The business of spirits: How savvy marketers, innovative distillers, and entrepreneurs changed how we drink. New York: Kaplan Publishing.
Whittaker, J. (2002). The Internet: The basics. New York, NY: Routledge.
Wubishet, Z. S. (2009). Understanding the nature and production model of hybrid free and open source systems: The case of Varnish. HICSS. Web.
Yale, D. R. & Carothers, A.J. (2001). The publicity handbook: The inside scoop from more than 100 journalists and PR pros on how to get great publicity coverage – in print, on-line, and on the air. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
The targeted idea is to design a website and an app that can support the needs of graduates from different parts of the world. The proposed website will be linked with the app to ensure the services are available to more people. The online-based platform with make it possible for students to select their respective careers. The process of enrolling and registering for courses in different universities will be simplified. This discussion gives a detailed overview of the unique attributes of the web and app development industry.
Targeted Industry and Attractiveness
The proposed project falls within the technology sector. This is an emerging division driven by modern technological changes and the use of the Internet. The project will compete directly in the website and app development industry. This sector is presenting an attractive market due to a number of factors. To begin with, more people are using the Internet than ever before. The number of smartphones produced and marketed annually is on the rise. This means that more individuals can access different websites and apps than much faster. Additionally, around 47 percent of smartphone owners search for information via mobile websites or apps. This market, therefore, presents a new opportunity for the project.
Segment
The outlined market is characterized by individuals who use the Internet and mobile devices to search for information. The specific segment of the overall market is composed of graduates and their respective parents. These individuals require timely information in order to make desirable career decisions and plans. Effective strategies will be needed to attract more people in this segment.
Market Research
The most appropriate market research for the above market is known as needs based segmentation. This kind of research usually focuses on the unique or changing needs of the customers. The gathered information is analyzed to develop superior products capable of supporting such demands. Appropriate marketing and promotional methods will then be implemented to increase the website’s popularity.
Industry Sales and Projected Growth
Past studies have indicated that young people aged between 18 and 27 are embracing the use of online-based applications and websites. Developers of websites and apps are focusing on the changing expectations of these individuals. Sales in 2016 amounted to over 58 billion US dollars. The sales volumes are projected to increase to over 80 billion US dollars by the 2018. Such revenues are calculated using the number of mobile downloads within a given period. In 2016, the sales generated from websites (also known as e-retail sales) amounted to over 1.8 trillion US dollars. These statistics indicate that the website and app development industry is becoming profitable.
Analysts indicate clearly that the industry has the potential to grow in the future. For instance, the level of sales will increase by a rate of 7 percent annually. This is possible because more people are purchasing smartphones and using them to pursue their personal and professional goals. More individuals have access to the Internet today. These factors will support the growth of this industry.
Experts have revealed that the market size for the website and mobile app industry is around 90 billion US dollars. The size is expected to grow to over 190 billion US dollars by the year 2023. This means that the proposed project will succeed. Positive indicators such as the industry’s market size, increasing number of Internet users, and proliferation of mobile apps present new opportunities for the proposed project.
This is a report that seeks to make recommendation relating to a website. The report will consider Purdue University. In this light, Purdue University Student Association has designed a website. The website has been designed to meet the demands of student organization.
However, the present website is unsatisfactory. Therefore, the student body has approached the InterMedia Company for a recommendation report. I will analyze the current website like a research analyst. Also, I will provide the recommendations based on this analysis.
Deficiencies
The analysis shows that the website meets the basic requirements. It provides the necessary information about the association. However, the information is insufficient when delivering the messages. The website is, therefore, simple according to this analysis. It suggests that the website lacks essential component. First, the navigation structure is poor.
It does not have graphics portraying the essential activities of the student’s organization. In fact, a visitor cannot understand the primary concerns of the website at a glance. This implies that users have to read through all available information. As a result, users are discouraged to leave the website.
For example, the website could have included a picture of graduating students. As a result, the user will relate the website with a learning institution. This eliminates the need of reading other descriptions.
Secondly, the analysis show that the website is time consuming. In this website, a user is needed to log in before using the site. As a result, the designer has on provided a link for log in the site. In this case, the user must sign up to the site in order to obtain the log in details.
However, the site does not provide a link for signing up in the account. Instead, they have provided a registration email. This implies that the user must register using the email before using the site. As a result, the process becomes tiresome and time consuming.
In addition, the site does not capture the attention of users. This is because of the cold and unattractive colors used. They have combined the yellow and black colors that are not catchy In fact, they cannot deviate the interest of a user. On the contrary, a combined deep purple and red colors would be better than this combination. For example, the Multimedia University of Kenya has used the purple and red colors.
This makes the website capture the interest of users. Therefore, visitors are motivated to enjoy browsing through this website. It encourages them to visit the website severally. This analysis concludes that the main challenge for the website is not the content. Instead, design is the most challenging aspect that requires attention.
Importance of Redesign
This analysis shows that the organization should consider redesigning their website. The rationale is based on the deficiencies and inconveniences on the current website. First, redesigning will ensure that the website is self-descriptive. It will ensure that the user can understand the concern of the website at a glance. Also, this will capture the interest of the users and encourage them to learn.
It will improve the navigation structure of the website (Richter 453). Also, it will ensure that the user does not struggle while reading the written descriptions. As a result, the users can gather a lot of information comfortably. Designation of the website will ensure that the users save time. Consequently, the new design will ensure that the website does not rely on other processes.
For example, the new design will include the link for signing up into the site. This ensures that the user does not have to sign up using the email address. As a result, it makes the website friendlier than the current site. The new design will aim at revising the combination of colors.
The new website will include colors that attract the users and maintain their interest. As a result, the website will be attractive and presentable to the visitor. In addition, the users will be visiting the website periodically. This will ensure that the website advertises the university in a satisfactorily manner.
Benefits of a Good Website
A website should be designed with diligence and creativity. This is because it plays essential roles in the company. First, a website is referred to as a virtual noticeboard. This implies that a website provides necessary information for the users. Therefore, a well-designed website provides all information to the users. Therefore, a website enables the company to run smoothly and efficiently (Brock 576).
The users are updated on the current issues revolving around the institution. This depicts their work in accordance to the company’s requirements. For example, learning institutions announce their exam timetables and policies through website. They update their students about the fee policy through the websites. Therefore, the students comply in time and reduce inconveniences.
Secondly, a well-designed website advertise the institution in the market. It attracts the attention of the users and develops their curiosity. Consequently, they understand the institution (Boot 236). This increases popularity of the institution in the market. For example, Purdue University Student Organization needs a website to encourage students in joining their university.
Lastly, a website is a figure of accountability. It enables the management to announce their procurement procedures and jobs. This ensures that the management is not condemned of corruption. In fact, a modern website allows applicant to apply for jobs online. This makes the process efficient and accountable owing to transparency.
Alternatives
New Website Outlook
The outlook of the current website will change in various ways. In this case, the name of the university will be written at the top. It will be written in purple color. The logo will be attached on the left side of the name. The school motto should be located below the name. The mission and vision of the university will be appearing in form of slideshow. On the top right corner, the designer will include the links for logging into the account.
A link for registration will be included to the links section. The entire right side will be filled with photos. These photos will include the students’ governing council. One of the pictures will show students graduating for degree courses. This photo will enable the users to understand the primary concern of the website. The third photo will include clubs and sports. This will show the activities of the students in the organization.
On the top side of the pictures, the designer will provide a description of each picture. This description will include the main features of the picture. For example, the first description will describe the titles of various student leaders. The second description might include the courses offered in the university.
Lastly, the interface of the website will have slideshows. These slides will contain photos of various activities that took place previously. In addition, they will include various facilities that are found in the university. This will ensure that the users understand much about the organization without clicking on the links.
Web Utilization
The website should be utilized to the maximum. In this light, the new website will have a section of news. This section will include the current events of the student. The updates will be removed after their deadlines pass. This ensures that all information in this section is not outdated. Therefore, the users will not scroll over big columns of irrelevant information.
Secondly, the website will be used for advertisement. In this case, the website will have a section explaining about the university. This section will contain the history, contact information and academic services. Therefore, the users can get all information about the services that are offered by the organization. In addition, it will contain the description of finances involved in the organization.
This includes fees, contributions and scholarship awards. The website will allow incorporation of comments and feedback. In this case, the students will be allowed to comments on the news and policies of the organization. In addition, they will be allowed to give their contributions.
In this case, the website will be interactive. It will be used to allow sharing of ideas and encourage improvement of the organization. Therefore, the site will not serve as a mere flyer instead of a crucial facility.
Integration of Social Media
Social media has been used widely. The sites of social media include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google Plus among others. The company can choose to integrate their current website with the social media. However, there are various steps involved in the integration. First, the university will choose the sites to consider for integration. In this case, the analysis suggests that they should not consider a single site.
Instead, they should integrate Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google Plus. This will ensure that they capture a large number of users to their websites (Qualman 113). Otherwise, considering a single site will capture a few people. Secondly, they should open accounts with the social media to sponsor their websites. This sponsorship allows developers to advertise the accounts on the social media.
As a result, the users will have access to the website. For example, they can open a page on Facebook and sponsor its advertisement. This will ensure that the developers allow a page to appear on the users’ accounts. When a person likes the page, it will appear on his friends account.
This process continues and attracts a lot of Facebook users into the website (Dunay and Krueger 143). As a result, there is a high possibility of advertising the organization. In this light, people interact and share on that page conveniently.
Benefit of Social Media
The social media are very efficient in the modern world. In this case, the young people have been addicted to the social media. Consequently, they preserve time to visit social sites severally. In fact, some students keep their accounts online for a whole day.
As a result, the organization can capture a large number of users. In addition, the social media is interactive. In this case, they allow users to share ideas. This allows users to raise complains and complements. In addition, they can give relevant contributions to the involved parties. As a result, the organization will have efficient and effective system owing to the social media.
Cost Breakdown
Social Media
This report has recommended that the university should integrate Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Google Plus. As a result, it will meet the costs of the four social media sites. This will include the initial cost involving the setup. Also, they will incur the advertisement setup. The setup will ensure that the developers advertise their accounts and pages. Lastly, they have to pay the caretakers and developers as shown in the following list.
Website Redesign Cost
There is a cost that covers the owners of the website. In this case, the owner must pay for web design and webhosting. Therefore, the webhosts will replace the account managers. The webhosts charge little funds to cater for their participation. In fact, some webhosts do no charge anything. However, the charged host is more credible than the free webhosting.
Conclusion
Advertisement should be cost effective. Institutions and companies should adopt the systems that are pointed out in this report. However, they should ensure that the costs of the advertisements are not high. In this light, a costly system will prevent profit making. It will bring loss to the company (Molich 456). As a result, it will become a liability rather than an asset.
In this light, it will not fulfill its collective role. Therefore, this report seeks to focus on the cost of the two choices. The analysis shows that the cost of implementing the social media is high when compared to redesigning the website.
Therefore, it recommends Purdue University student organization to consider redesigning their website. This will facilitate saving of the resources. In addition, it will have the same impact as the social media.
Works Cited
Boot, Joke van. Webdesign. Soest: Sybex, 2000. Print.
Nowadays, air traveling is an integral part of life for a vast majority of people, and numerous airline companies compete with each other to provide the best offers and services to travelers. They utilize online platforms as important instruments for potential customer attraction. It means that the factor of user experience (UX) becomes an essential factor in business success. For this reason, the present paper focuses on the assessment of Lufthansa’s website.
It is a Germany-based aviation company that operates worldwide and offers flights within distinct pricing categories for people with diverse needs and interests (Lufthansa Group, n.d.). Lufthansa.com serves a double purpose: it helps the company’s existing customers to manage their flights and is also intended to influence potential consumers to make purchases. The website design and content are core to pleasurable UX that helps fulfill these objectives. To verify this assumption, the analysis of design elements and UX will be conducted in the following paragraphs.
Site Design
Lufthansa’s website design is simple, clean, and appealing. It has a strong color palette with blue and white as the primary colors. The secondary colors include the hints of yellow, orange, and beige, yet their use is very limited. For instance, yellow, peach, and similar tones are utilized in thumbnail photos on the Recommendations panel. Notably, blue and yellow/orange are complementary colors and produce the sharpest contrast. Therefore, different visual elements are well-balanced and discernible. At the same time, the minimal color combination and open white space make it easier for users to focus because the distraction factor is reduced.
The Lufthansa navigation order facilitates the website use as well. First, the website is equipped with a drop-down menu that includes links categorized into four distinct groups (Book & manage, Discover Lufthansa, and others). Additionally, the homepage provides sequentially and vertically organized information blocks.
Each block comprises three to four descriptive navigation items. Their ordering is slightly different for different devices; for instance, while the visitor can still scroll down the list of information categories on a mobile device, the top-level menu panel is accented there to foster a more straightforward content search. Either way, the navigation elements are placed in an expected way on the website. In combination with the conciseness and relevance of navigation items, the standard style allows users to find the required content faster.
UX
For better UX, website content must be both informative and engaging. To achieve this, Hubert and Lichaw (2014) suggest applying a story mapping strategy that enables organizations to create content that would have a strong narrative arc consisting of such components as exposition, inciting incident, rising action, and others. It is possible to say that the content on Lufthansa’s website meets most of these criteria, and its exploration is supported through simple navigation.
On the homepage, I focused on flight recommendations that included a list of destinations with minimal prices. I clicked the Paris thumbnail, and it took me to a list of available airfares, including the best 2018-2019 flight deals. It is possible to say that this content is consistent with the rising action concept because it helps to build anticipation and engage users in further search. After, I clicked “More options,” and the extended search page opened.
I filled in the fields with information (date, destination, and so forth) and then pressed the “Search flights” button. The list of all flights for the chosen date became available, and I picked the one with the most suitable fare and conditions. I scrolled the page down and found the “Continue” button. It is possible to say that the selection of the flight was a climax of UX in this case because it led to a resolution in the search process. After that, the action commenced a decline: I was directed to the page with flight configuration options, asked to enter passenger details, and taken to the payment page.
UX Analysis
Lufthansa’s website is user-centered because the experiences that one may get by navigating it are pleasurable. According to Norman (2013), the main aspects of good design are discoverability and understanding. In other words, the user should be able to see what is possible to do on the website and to read the meaning associated with every available option. Overall, it was fairly easy to comprehend how to use the Lufthansa website due to user-friendly navigation. There were no confusing areas because links were arranged logically, and each of a newly opened page included merely the necessary information.
Additionally, I focused on the content that was meant to influence purchasing. By using the storymapping approach discussed by Hubert and Lichaw (2014) for UX analysis, I found that the Lufthansa content takes a form of a gradually unfolding story. The key plot is revolving around the company’s services and flight offers, yet users can select a scenario based on their interests and needs (destination, fare, extra services, and others). Overall, content personalization and design efficiency fostered a positive UX.
Conclusion
The provision of pleasurable UX is important because it motivates consumers to purchase products/services and induces greater profitability. Thus, online businesses should strive to build excellent websites combining efficient design and relevant content. The evaluation of Lufthansa.com reveals that users may easily navigate it due to the right design solutions. The website is also visually attractive due to a strong color scheme that is consistent with the brand image.
Additionally, while the website content is centered on flight offers and services, it also incorporates consumer preferences and interests into the narrative. It means all major aspects of human-centered design are considered by the company. The Lufthansa website affords the right balance between aesthetics and usability. As a result, the search for flights becomes an enjoyable experience for its visitors.
