Sally Williams @ Fab Academy 2015

        

Note: At the outset, I should point out that I hope to be producing content developed and generated on my 2006 Macbook Pro (10.6.8).
I was pleased that out of 4 Fab Lab students, here in Manchester, 2 others were also using Apple Mac systems. However, I was soon to discover that my operating system was too dated and that I would encounter installation and running issues.

Received induction on health and safety at Fab Lab Manchester.
Received Neil Greshenfeld introductory lecture on Principles and practices.


'SLACK'  (VERY USEFUL)

Downloaded Slack as a means of communication for our local mentor and student group. This app makes communications and links to all files very easy and workable. Easy to follow threads of conversation. https://slack.com/is/team-communication
"Imagine all your team communication in one place, instantly searchable, available wherever you go. That’s Slack."


EVERNOTE (VERY USEFUL)

Downloaded 'Evernote' as a means to organise and recall all your project development and references very easily. A very useful digital scropbook. I am using it to record daily activity and research as each week unfolds. https://evernote.com

MERCURIAL




Once I had "hg pulled and pushed", it helped lay to rest the mystery around Mercurial.  MW helped me understand the process that we would be following (on a weekly basis) and why the protocol was so important. However, personally, I would have benefited from receiving the class tutorial on Mercurial sooner than we did.

'Errors'
There was a error occurring around a hidden filename DS_store. With help from MW and use of following link, the file was found and removed from archive (http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac-software/how-show-hidden-files-in-mac-os-x-finder-3520878/riday).

 
BUILDING A WEBSITE USING HTML (to document all weekly and final projects)

Note: CRITICAL POINT  - WEEKLY WEB UPDATE FOR EACH STUDENT NOT TO EXCEED 1-2MB

Started by researching guides to HTML Editors.

'Komodo Edit' will not run on 32 bit, requires 64 bit intel.

Consider Web design process:
http://webdesign.about.com/od/beforeyoustartawebsite/tp/web-design-process.htm

    Consider the following:
        What's the purpose of the site; goals; target audience; design elements.
        Planning the site = information architecture.
        Plan /draw Site map.
        Design layout
        Gather content : articels, record process of learning, images / screen grabs, sound, video (by links)
        Now start building it
        Test the site
        Upload
        Maintain
 
Initially I would build a simple site, which would enable subsequent additions or alterations, whilst being standard html. Therefore for this first phase I would not build too much complexity.  
 
Followed www.w3schools.com/html

SEAMONKEY

On Monday, MW brief tutorial helped me to get started on Seamonkey. Beaware HTML beginners, the tiny "COMPOSER" icon (third from left hand side on bottom of window, looked SO insignificant and tiny that it's easy to miss - I'm sure I'm the only one...).

I used Seamonkey to create this basic website. Once I understood the basic principles, I felt confident it would be easy to repeat the process, update the website as the course would unfold (and the content would grow), leaving me to have more time to concentrate on actual weekly learning and final project development. 

FINAL PROJECT PROPOSAL

To develop a discreet Lightbeam device that could be easily attached and removed onto / from arm of prescription glasses.  This would provide a small flood of light to illuminate reading materials in dark situations where light is not sufficient, ie, restaurants, close work. The device would be touch-sensitive; sustained contact by fingertip would provide the lightbeam until fingertip contact is removed. A double tap would keep the light device on, enabling you to be handsfree.
 


USEFUL NOTE (written at end of week 2 but inserted here for others):

Following important conversation with mentor (at the end of unsettled Week 2), I now understand that a final project to be developed at Fab Lab is different to developing a final product for market!  It's useful for the purpose of learning and application to develop a project that involves as many of modules as possible. For this reason by end of Week 2, my final project has already changed, and now having settled on a clear (ish!) project, the road ahead is also clearer and engaging once again. For now, I am happy with progress, although things could change again as I learn new skills and realise new possibilities. If you have read this far and are curious about my new final project, click here!