On the Web and Interactive Projects
I have never lived in a world without the internet and the web, so for me it has always been a constant and essential part of my life. Growing up in the early 2000s, I remember when the first iPhone and iPad were introduced and how that changed the way we interacted with the web. I remember the rise of social media like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and most recently TikTok and how that once again changed the type of media that is produced and shared on the internet. I have always been interested in the internet, but I think that stems from my curiosity about other people and the world. Having the ability to communicate and access any type of information instantly, keeps me interested in using the internet. I love learning about how other people live their lives; I think in a way it helps me feel less alone. Since the way we communicate and share information is so critical to our culture and personal lives, the way that web tools are designed is even more important. This great responsibility and influence that design has over the interactions people make on the web has only increased my interest in pursuing a career in UX design.
Interactive screen based projects are unique in that they can be accessible to larger populations than physical projects. For example, an exhibit at a museum can only be experienced by visitors who are physically there, but a website or an online game can be accessed by much larger remote audiences. Additionally, interactive projects can be constantly updated because of the nature of them being online. While it may be difficult to update a physical gameboard with new information, it is a lot easier to change things on a web based project by simply updating the code.
One project that has been meaningful to me was my final project from DES 157A which was an updated version of my Every Picture Project on my favorite boba places in Davis. I love boba and it has been an integral part of my experience as a UC Davis student. This project serves not only as a guide to different boba places in Davis, but also as a time capsule for me and my time in college.