Image Analysis (essay and answer sheet)

This image is found centre top of a web page. This is not a well known image, nor an image that anyone has studied before bar those looking perhaps for a simple example of commercial image design. It is merely an animated image aimed at drawing the attention of the reader to the aspects the website beyond it promotes.

This image is not an entirely unique image as far as what it's trying to promote and as far as what it is aims to achieve, but the image is not an exact replica of any other that I have seen. The style's used and the context they are used in have been used many times before. This image (with small animation aspects) was produced in the Summer of 2006. The historical aspects include it's use of the new media. The animation and indeed it's location (the web) are very modern mediums. The design is obviously aimed at new consumers with flashy and clean graphics. The main focus of this design is the simple shopper figure image at it's centre. The content contains firstly, a new media type, associating itself with the modern. The person in the picture is female and thus we can assume a feminine orientation within the site.

The media is digital stills imagery and flash animation. Both very modern media's. They have been selected as they are easily and cheaply created and are also easily implemented into a web based environment. The medium's imply that the website is current and fashionable. As far as I can tell this image has been purpose made for this exact use and is in an unaltered state.

There is only one person in this image, a young female holding shopping. The girl is fictional and represents a shopping of the facility that the website promotes.

The girl is wearing clothing that looks fashionable, she is also wearing a reasonably short skirt and has long hair (if not a little scarce) that moves as if being blown by the breeze. In addition she also holds a shopping bag in each hand.

The girl is standing in a very stereotypically feminine pose. Relaxed and with arms low, outwards and bent slightly at the elbows (as if to imply she's lifting something of mild weight, the shopping). One foot is somewhat out turned and forward from the other. The facial expression is in my opinion poor choice. The girl looks a little sad and the slow waving hair adds to this. The gaze is sombre and the eye's look down turned.

Judging by the clothes she is in the middle to upper class and looks like she might have some money, she is white and reasonably young in appearance.

The image was produced to catch the website users eye and thus promote the shopping facility. I know this because every aspect of every commercial website is designed with one key aim, to promote and boost company sales and reputation.

The image is location upper centre of the page, it's situated here because it will be the first thing the user will look at when loading the page. The image captures the users gaze.

The 2 shopping bags are the most telling prop used in this website. Immediately any viewer can tell they will be dealing with a retail website. The other images used around the girl are clean and “fun” shapes that promote the joy that visiting this facility with incur. The shapes are also in the form of flowers, perhaps to promote the freshness of the website?

Situated either side of the girl (on the shopping bags) there is 2 groups of text. The first text (located on the girls right side) tells us that on this website we can find out “What's On” and on the other side of the girl “The Shops” shows us we can browse through the various retailers within the facility.

The image has been produced for this retail group to promote and to boost company productivity, the image as best I can tell is not political but does serve to guide the user about what they find within. What sort of website this is and what sort of function it plays. The image tries to be as aesthetically pleasing as it can be to try and grab the attention of the user.

The more convert operations of this image try to portray the website as a very feminine affair and that it holds a classier sort of deal. The girl is as I have said I think in the middle to upper class range of citizen.

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Questions and Answer Sheet (without the questions)

1. Yes
2. Contained within a website. Center page.
3. The image has not been written about. It is merely a animated image to draw attention to text.
4. This image is unique but not original. Many others have used this style and in this context.
5. This image (animation) was produced in Summer 2006. The historical aspects include it's use of new media. The animation and indeed it's location (the web) are very modern aspects of design. The design is obviously aimed at new consumers with flashy and clean graphics.
6. The image portrays that of a shopper. The content contains firstly a new media type, associating itself with the modern. The person in the picture is female and thus we can assume a feminine orientation within the site.
7. The media is digital stills imagery and flash animation. Both very modern media's. They have been selected as they are easily and cheaply created and they are easily implemented into a web based context. The medium's imply that the website is current and fashionable.
8. As far as I can tell the images are as they were originally intended.
9. There is one person in this image.
a) She is young, female and is holding shopping.
b) The girl is fictional and represents a shopper of the facility that the website promotes.
c) The girl is wearing clothing that looks fashionable. She is also wearing a reasonably short skirt and has long hair that moves as if being blown by the breeze. In addition she also holds a shopping bag in each hand.
d) The girl is standing in a very stereotypically feminine pose. Relaxed and with arms low, outwards and bent slightly at the elbows. One foot is somewhat out turned and forward from the other. The facial expression is in my opinion a poor choice. The girl looks a little sad and the slowly waving hair adds to this. The gaze is sombre and the eyes looked down turned.
e) She is a female. Judging by clothes she is in the middle to upper class and looks like she might have some money, She is white and reasonably young in appearance.
10. The image was produced to catch the website users eye and thus promote the shopping facility. I know this because every aspect of every commercial website is designed with one key aim, to promote and boost company sales and reputation.
11. The image is located upper center of the page. It is situation here because it will be the first thing the user will look at when loading this page. The image captures the users gaze.
12. The 2 shopping bags are the most telling prop used in this website. Immediately any viewer can tell they will be dealing with a retail website. The other images used around the girl are clean and "fun" shapes that promote the joy that visiting this facility will incur. The shapes are also in the form of flowers, perhaps to promote the freshness of the website?
13. Situated either side of the girl (on the shopping bags) there is 2 groups of text. The first text (located on the girls right side) tells us that on this website we can find out "What's On" and on the other side of the girl "The Shops" shows us we can brows through the various retailers within the facility.
14. The image has been produced for this retail group to promote and to boost company productivity.
15. The image as best I can tell is not political but it does serve to guide the user about what they may find within. What sort of website this is and what sort of function it plays. The image tries to be as aesthetically pleasing as it can be to try and grab the attention of the user.
16. The more covert operations of this image try to portray the website as a very feminine affair and that it holds a classier sort of deal. The girl is as I have said I think in the middle to upper class range of person.