Enquiry

A Comparative Analysis of Jamieoliver.com and Nigella.com

Jessica Marsden — 2014-09-03

The form, structure and aesthetics of a website, can impact whether it is perceived as successful or not. This report comparatively analyses jamieoliver.com and nigella.com, with regards to the utilisation of typography, imagery, colour and layout. Research was gathered through a multi-method approach, which involved studying theorists’ concepts about these particular design elements and also an exploration of rhetorical and technical design. Furthermore, both websites were evaluated using an existing framework, in order to draw conclusions from a personal perspective. The findings first analyse how typography has been used for titles, page tabs and bulk text. Secondly, it discusses the effectiveness of imagery in relation to photography, advertisements and logos. Additionally, a rhetorical analysis of colour scheme is discussed, along with the application of colour for interactive and navigational features. Finally, in terms of layout, how the websites use ‘white space’, scale and position are also considered. The conclusions confirm that both websites have positive and negative aspects, nevertheless on the whole, they are relatively successful. Parallels are drawn with regards to layout and typography, however imagery is visually more appealing on jamieoliver.com and colour is more considered on nigella.com.

Does the style of management affect the way staff members carry out their work?

Dominique Brennan — 2014-09-03

The aim of the dissertation was to find out whether a certain style of management affects the way in which staff behave and carry out their work. Primary research has been based on two companies in order to gain a wider range of data from differing backgrounds. The companies which have been used are; Sheffield Hallam University and BHP Accountants, with the interviews and questionnaires being completed during October and November 2013.

The questions asked were based around whether a certain management style or method of communication affects how staff members work. The managers and staff answered different questions, however most showing strong links enabling results to be compared.

Analysis of the primary research results suggested that both managers and staff prefer the team managerial style, along with an adaptable manager and communication being based on an individual level. Many conclusions drawn from the points discussed within the literature review link with the primary research analysis, suggesting managers should be adaptable and engage with their staff. The hypothesis of this dissertation suggests the theory, ‘a management style does affect the way employees work’. This is supported by the analysis of both the primary and secondary research.

Dominique Brennan is currently completing the final year of a Business and ICT BSc (Hons) degree. Her interests in management has been building after having many different jobs, all with different management styles. To contact Dominique Brennan, please email: Dominique_mary@Hotmail.com or visit her LinkedIn profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dominiquebrennan.

How can the analytics on Big Data affect the buying trends of customers in the retail industry?

Peter Smith — 2014-09-03

Big Data has emerged as of one of the biggest business and technological buzzwords of recent years. “The term Big Data applies to information that cannot be processed or analysed using traditional tools or processes” (Eaton et al. 2012). A number of IT companies including International Business Machines (IBM), Hewlett Packard (HP) and Oracle are leading the development of Big Data analytics programs and are creating unique packages for retailers, which suggests that it is going to have a big impact on the retail industry.

The primary research has been carried out in the form of interviews, which has been conducted anonymously with representatives from COMPANY A and COMPANY B, to help meet the aims and objectives. Extensive secondary research has also been undertaken to provide more information to help answer the overall question: How can the analytics on Big Data affect the buying trends of customers in the retail industry?

There is a high probability that the main benefit of Big Data for retailers and their customers is being able to better understand customers, allowing for more personalised offers leading to higher sales and customer loyalty. One of the prominent factors that may affect the buying trends of retail customers is the channel by which purchases are made. The analytics of Big Data will undoubtedly have an impact on the buying trends of retail customers but ultimately when, where and how customers make purchases will be down to personal preference.

There is a distinct possibility that a collective view from a minimum of five retailers could prove more reliable, allowing for more representative conclusions to be made. As more and more data becomes available every second, and with the use of analytics tools becoming more commonplace in the retail industry, there could a huge impact for many years to come.

Peter Smith is currently completing the final year of a Business and ICT BSc (Hons) degree as well as being a course representative. His interests in Big Data and Analytics were discovered leading up to and during his year in industry.

To contact Peter Smith, please email: peter.smith24@live.co.uk or visit his LinkedIn profile: uk.linkedin.com/in/petersmith24.

Investigating the ‘uncanny valley’ effect in robotic, human and CGI movement

Jordan Bannister — 2014-09-03

The “uncanny valley” is often viewed as a negative aspect that film-makers must try to avoid. However, it can be implemented purposefully, to create a desired emotional impact on the audience. This small-scale exploratory study aims to examine what makes a character uncanny. Several short video clips including CGI, masked figures and robotics were first analysed by the author to create an inventory of potential triggers. The clips were shown to eight participants, whose initial reactions were observed, documented and explored in interviews. Jordan Bannister is currently studying on BA Animation, and his interests include 3D modelling, animation and motion graphics.

Exploring the factors influencing the adoption of Cloud computing and the challenges faced by the business

Stanislav Nedev — 2014-09-03

The popularity of Cloud computing keeps growing and everyday more businesses are starting to use Cloud services for their applications, software or infrastructure. However, a successful adoption requires a good understanding of the benefits and challenges presented by the Cloud. This study aims to explore the factors that influence the adoption of Cloud computing and the challenges a business is likely to face.

A case study of a large multinational company is constructed using information gathered from interviews with four IT managers. Because of the qualitative method and the convenience sampling technique used, the findings can only be generalized to the population studied.

The TOE framework model is used to explore the technological, organisational and environmental factors that could influence the Cloud adoption. Relative advantage, redundancy and performance are identified as the key technological factors and complexity, compatibility and security are found to be the key technological challenges faced by the business. Top management support, firm size and technological readiness are recognised as important organisational factors while competitive and trading partner pressure are identified as key environmental factors.

The factors and challenges identified in the study could be valuable for the planning stage of the adoption process. They could provide guidance for organisations that are potential Cloud adopters.

Stanislav Nedev is currently completing his BSc in Business and ICT at Sheffield Hallam University. His research interests include Cloud computing, Internet Security and Mobile Platforms Development. Nedev can be contacted at nedev@hotmail.co.uk or uk.linkedin.com/in/snedev/

Investigation into the Usability of “Enquiry”

Charlie Tapster — 2014-09-03

This report evaluates the usability of the Undergraduate Research Journal: Enquiry, as part of a project to redesign the journal. The report starts by revisiting the main principles of usability and its importance, followed by an outline of methods for usability evaluation. With this established, we then assess the case study using the heuristic evaluation method proposed by Nielsen (1995). The report concludes with a summary of problems established in the evaluation, and a set of recommendations for improvements. Charlie Tapster studies Digital Media Production, specializing in web and print design..