PCIT was a quick run through of the history of computing and the basic principles of the technology, with discussion of the implications of technological developments. The course focused on considering the possibilities and limitations of using technology in information work, particularly the way in which technology should be designed around the needs of the user.
Part of the course involved converting an essay into a website using only HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). This was a real challenge as it is pretty easy to convert text into HTML and create different pages, but really hard to make that look good using CSS. I did not want my website to feature on www.webpagesthatsuck.com (I particularly like this one from 2011 list).
I designed my website around navigation, which I wanted to be easy and versatile for the user: the essay can be read from start to finish using the ‘next page’ button at the bottom of the page, or quickly navigated using the menu bar at the top. I think the main problem with the website is the colour scheme as some contrasts aren’t great for people with colours blindness, despite my best efforts. With the hindsight gained from my feedback, I should have kept the colour scheme simple, maybe with black, grey, white and one other colour. This would probably have made the website look more professional. If I had had a little more time I would have also included more images within the text, although the positioning is tricky.
Overall, I am pleased with the website, and I definitely learnt a lot about creating websites in a short amount of time. The course itself was a useful insight into the world of computing which will come in handy when working in a profession permanently linked with technological progress.
Do any other UCL LIS students want to give a link to or discuss their website in the comments?
