My project consisted on creating a website, which I named Plays&Players with three types of collections:
- Plays (from Greek theatre to now)
- Songs (different genre mp3 audios and they corresponding lyrics)
- Dancing styles (ballet, traditional Japanese dancing, hip hop, rock, and so on).
The aim, was to use SameDiff and WordCounter to search the similarities and differences between the items of the different collections. For example:
Jane has a song she would love to sing in a concert or musical play, but she does not know if there is a play or script that would fit the lyrics of the song. Therefore, she goes to the script collection and browses through the different genres. Once she finds the style she likes, selects the script and compares it with her song lyrics in SameDiff; where she finds out instantly if the script and the song are compatible.
Furthermore, the website is intended to provide Actors and directors (amateurs and experienced) with:
- a quick browsing trough acting styles
- a fast way to find a play to perform
- an inspirational site to start creating your own plays.
- a site to relate to other people that share your interests and, maybe, want to pair with you to create a project together.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
One of the main things that I learned through this project was to be realistic towards what I can achieve with my skills and the time I have to develop a project. Although is a prototype of what it should rely be, I was expecting to be able to incorporate much more content and tools.
I thought that time was something I should look after when choosing a restoration or conservation treatment for an object. But now, I realize that this terms also apply when you decide to create a digital collection.
While building the website, lots of building actions where repetitive. Due to it, I was able to comprehend, and use embedded codes and tools (that where in the website and the ones provided in class), that I could not understand entirely before. Moreover, I was able to understand my own work better.
Accomplishments:
- the design of the website worked better than expected. I was afraid to create a project out of omeka (which is the only site where I built a collection). But, taking that chance made it fun and I gave me the possibility to develop the appealing visual design that I was looking for.
- I was able to embed webs and codes, music and videos; despite the time it took me to have this done.
- The way in which I structured the collections was exactly as it was in my mind.
- I wanted to have a ‘visit counter’ only for the manager to see, which I succeeded on using an application that I found within the website’s tools.
- Adding Testimonies and News to the site was an idea that came while I was already building the project. As I was not going to be able to develop a blog or chat room for people to interact with one another, I decided this where good additions, which where: (1) easier to create or add, (2) a way to keep people connected to other people and let them know what is going on in their field of interests.
complications
- I wanted to use SameDiff and Wordcounter as tools that one could use in the website; yet I had to create a direct link to them, due that those tools have their own web to function.
- Because of the complications with the tools mentioned in the previous point, I had to think of another tool to use in my website. Therefore, I decided to go with Voyant. I was not going to be able to compare texts within my site, but at least people would be able to see in a word diagram, the words that were used the most within the text; giving them a clue of the main theme of the item.
- It was quite hard to build the site. I never imagine that It was going to take me so long. Moreover, I had to learn how the website builder worked and spend hours trying to choose a theme for my page. At first I was overwhelm by the amount of tools I had to build the site, but the more I worked in it, help me get the hand of it.
- I also wanted to add an extra language to the site, so people from different countries could participate. But, I did not make it on time.
original aim success
I would say that only have of the original aim of the project succeeded.
I would like to keep an eye on it during a couple of months. Just to see peoples reaction to it. Hans, the fact that I achieved only half of the project, does not mean that people do not find it useful the way it is now. Yet, there is always place for improvement.
I believe, that if I had three to four more weeks I could have achieved much more. I’m satisfy with some aspects of my project and discontent about the goals I was not able to achieve. But is always good to stick to the learning outcomes of it.
‘One learns more from mistakes than from doing things the right way’.
extension of project
The project could defensively be extended by:
- Incorporating more items to each collection
- incorporating more information about the items in each collection
- creating a blog where the people that are subscribe to the website can chat and expose their ideas, relate to one another and create group projects.
- It can even be a web with extensions all over the world to help theatrical institutions and self-tough individuals to develop their skills.