Corne van Dooren - (Multimedia) Designer

June 29, 2006

Well, lets turn this blog into a professional one as well as a personal one. My messages have been far too personal so its time to write about the kind of stuff why people visit this website.

I have done a fresh study on User Interfacing on my own for the past year. Obviously it was thought to me during my education a long time ago, but the fresh study was useful for many reasons...

With the introduction of Flash and other interactive tools has the web become a better place or just the opposite?

My studies show that the majority of websites build in Flash have not yet set the high standard of HTML websites. Because Flash offers more options, designers tend to try and make their website as technically crafted as possible, ignoring the importance of a good User Interface design. Creative and original: yes. Effective: no.

The most important thing coming out of that is that a lot of designers who forget User Interfacing do not reach their audience. If you're making a site for a client that's kinda a very big deal!

It bugs me to find out that more and more designers seem to forget the importance of User Interfacing. Most of them tend to forget they are not designing the site for themselves, but for a target audience.

Because just about anyone is able to make a website these days with the aid of software there's also more badly designed sites online.

Well, obviously my research shows much more (how people look at a screen, how people read a screen, how elderly approach a screen, what colors best to use, and much more) but the text above kinda sums it up. The web has become more creative, but not exactly better in terms of user friendly design.

I actually expected the web to become more professional and designed better. But as it seems, most people tend to forget the most important points: User Interface Design and the target audience...

The information gathered in my research has been used by myself to write study material for a Dutch institution called the LOI. They will shortly start using my material in their current courses.

I would have liked to write more, but the way this blog is set up my research shows you're not even reading a big block of text like this one... ; )

All the best.

June 22, 2006

I was a big fan of The Fast & The Furious numero uno. Vin Diesel & Paul Walker were a great team (both playing their best roles ever) and Jordana Brewster was a perfect beauty matching the beautiful cars...

When a movie does well at the box office you kinda know what that means: sequels!

Already not really digging 2 Fast 2 Furious I kinda hoped that stuff was over. Movie number 2 already degraded the name of the Fast & Furious movies. Somehow it must have still done well, because this summer brings us movie number 3: Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift.

I do not want to go and see this movie at all. Most likely the effects are better than ever and that kind of stuff - but I think this series must be stopped just for the sake of not degrading the first movie any more. Why is it that when Hollywood smells money they don't give a shit about the story anymore...

Anyway, just had to mention this. I was really pissed off when I read about a third movie. Luckily for me I can always go and enjoy Pixar's latest (no doubt) masterpiece: CARS!

All the best!

June 16, 2006

Yeeha, the weekend is here and it has started really well for me. This morning I have been over at a new client for Project 79 to define a project I'll be working on soon.

Its a great client and the project means I'll be working with an old colleague and friend of mine, Marc Hensen.

In the afternoon I have finished material I had written for a Dutch Institution which offers great studies for even better prices. I have written some material for them on User Interfacing and Multimedia Production. Cool stuff and obviously I feel proud to have worked on study material for such a big and respected client.

In about an hour time the Dutch football team will play at the World Cup. This is also amazing for me, because around that time I'll be on the road to Amersfoort. I'm expecting lots of people to watch the match - so no traffic jams for a change (at least, I'm hoping it is so).

Anyway, feel like I've been productive today - it has been a joy to clinch a new project and finish another one positively.

Have a good weekend & all the best.

June 13, 2006

Finally summer is here. Over the past few days the weather in The Netherlands (the south in particular) has been extremely well!

If you are a viewer of the FIFA World Cup you could have seen people mentioning it is hot over there too. Its a little less hot over here I think, but still...

So if you feel the posts in the blog are becoming rare - I am out there enjoying the sun! It's only sunny over here for a couple of days a year so I better make the most of it!

Take care and enjoy the World Cup if you're into it.

June 6, 2006

Yeeha! It was amazing! Yesterday I've been to Pinkpop, a festival in the south of the Netherlands. As I mentioned earlier I went to see Keane, Franz Ferdinand and definately the Red Hot Chili Peppers!

The event was simply great! Excellent, superb, dynamic are some other words to describe it. The best live performance was (to me) by Keane. They sounded the best live! So they get the top notch for their performance. Franz Ferdinand and Nickelback also sounded really great by the way.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers were the closing act at Pinkpop this year. Like many others it was this band that really made me want to go to Pinkpop. And it was all worth it. Though Anthony Kiedis sounded a bit odd at the beginning his sound got better through the show.

But hearing some of my favourite Pepper-tracks live and seeing them perform was most definately my highlight. I've got all their albums and it was just great that they performed tracks like Californication, By The Way, Under The Bridge, Other Side and many more. I especially appreciated John Frusciante's version of "How Deep Is Your Love" - originally by the BeeGees.

Let's just say it was quite an experience. A great one that is! I've placed some photo's in the photos section of the site...

All the best.

June 2, 2006

Welcome to a new version of my website! I have updated it so it fits better with the bigger resolutions people use these days.

I have also put the photos back in the menu because I want to do more with photography in the future. I have updated the site because since last week it has been online for exactly 5 years! Hooray! Never thought I'd run it for so long. Never expected there would actually be visitors apart from friends and family. Thanks to everyone all over the world for the support. I hope this new version shows how much I appreciate your support! Love ya'll!

Exciting weeks have passed and there's more exciting stuff coming right at me. Next week I'll be visiting the PinkPop festival where I will see bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Keane perform (hopefully close to the podium).

Next month its time for a holiday to spain. Accidently "Holiday in Spain" is a song from the Counting Crows which they also performed with Dutch band Blöf - the Dutch band will also be present at PinkPop. I kinda don't like that - hate 'em, sorry. Its the only band I would really like to miss at PinkPop. But hey, 1 bad band and loads of great bands are good enough for me! Also be interesting to see Franz Ferdinand perform by the way.

Anyway, lots of cool stuff to come. Its gonna be another summer to remember! Looking forward to it!

Corne van Dooren, Multimedia Designer