A video blog, or vlog, is a platform that uses videos rather than text or images to share content. Vlogs allow bloggers to freely share their opinions and reactions through facial expressions and body language visible in videos. While podcasts are audio-only files distributed via RSS, vlogs involve uploading video files to blogs. When designing a video blogging website, considerations include providing a richer experience through short videos versus long posts, attracting a bigger audience through engaging video content, and using video for effective marketing and promotion of products or services.

1. Video Blog

2. What is a Video Blog?
• It is also known as ‘Vlog’.
• It is a platform that uses videos as their basic mode of
content to deliver their messages, rather than using text
or images.
• Basic idea:
– Uses videos as a platform to share the bloggers’ thoughts
and their views or to raise some kind of awareness about a
topic, product or service.
• Typical bloggers’ voice who wants to express his or her
thoughts.

3. Purpose of Video Blogging.
• Able to reveal thoughts, opinions, feelings etc truly.
• It is normally uncensored, thus, it gives the video
blogger a chance to share his or her opinions freely.
• Video blogging allows readers or viewers to hear
your voices clearly, be it in a jokingly or angrily
manner.
• It also allows the readers or viewers to see video
blogger’s facial expressions and their body
movements.

4. What is the difference between
Podcasting and Video Blogging?
• Video Blogging is placing a video on the traditional
blog platform (Written text). Alternative to having a
blog post that contains all text, you can have a blog
post that is just a video itself, but with little text.
• Video Blogging is created from the videos in which
the blogger has shoot using digital video camera. It
is being recorded, upload it to the computer,
followed by uploading it to the video blog, type a
short description of the video on the blog, and use
coding to make the video display on the blog post.

5. What is the difference between
Podcasting and Video Blogging?
• File formats and coding is needed in order to make
the video appear on the blog (Video Blogging).
• Podcasting is just an audio file that is only
available via RSS

6. Things to consider / add
in a Video Blogging
website

7. Consideration: [Richer Web experience]
• Instead of having a long blog post, combine what is
written in the blog post into a short video.
• Able to save time for the readers.
• Not many people will read word by word.
• Most readers prefer to read introductory messages
and tend to skip the rest of the content.

8. Consideration: [Bigger audience]
• Videos tend to attract more audience.
• Not all readers like to read from line to line. However, with videos,
they are able to estimate / gauge the feelings even if the readers
do not understand the language.
• Videos are one of the best ways to reach the audience as readers
are able to hear and see you in person at the same time.
• Readers will have a better understanding about the personal side
of yours, readers are able to visualize your (You as the blogger)
life just by watching the video.
• Thus, it will definitely be able to make you as the blogger to stand
out and will leave the audience / readers a deep impression.

9. Consideration: [Marketing & Promotion]
• Alternative to just having a textual blog post to promote the item you
are offering it for sale, videos can be one of the best methods to
promote it by expanding your reach.
• An introduction about the product / service using video is able to gain
more trust easily and in a quicker way compared to a textual blog
post. At the same time, able to persuade a random visitor to become
a customer of yours.
• It is known that with the use of keywords to search for something in
any of the search engines, we might see some video results being
plastered between the search results pages.
• Above mentioned, it is one of the good ways to gain some additional
traffic through the results to allow more viewers to visit your blog and
watch the videos

10. Consideration: [Time]
• Not all viewers have the time to read line by
line.
• If whatever the person wants to say can
combine into a video, the readers will be
happy to re-visit the blog again.

11. Problems that I faced when visiting the
original video blogging websites.
• Long videos are being posted on the blog.
• Not search-engine friendly.
• Certain players needed to be installed then can play
the video.
• Giving the user privacy to blog about their own
stuffs

12. Examples of problems I had
encountered.
1) Long videos are being posted on
the blog
Website Link:
http://video.gearlive.com/

13. This is the so main page, with the video
about Jawbone Jambox review.

14. Playing the video…
•Long video
posted in the
website (Squared
it with RED)
•Followed by a
short description
of the product that
the person is
going to
introduce.

15. Another example of long video posted
on the website.
•Long video
posted in the
website (Squared
it with RED)
•Followed by a
short description
of the product that
the person is
going to
introduce.

16. Examples of problems I had
encountered.
2) Not search-engine friendly.
Website Link:
http://chasingmills.blogspot.com/

17. Part of the main page of the second
website.

18. No ‘tags’ or ‘relevant keyword’ in the
post title.
When searching for ‘Blue A few of the videos of the
Sunday’ video in GOOGLE, same name popped up.

19. Examples of problems I had
encountered.
3) Only certain players needed to be
installed then can play the video.
Website Link:
http://chasingmills.blogspot.com/

20. Certain players needed to be installed
then can play the video.

21. Problems that I am going to tackle on.
• The timing of the video that is going to be posted on
the blog. (Time)
• The ‘relevant keyword’ in the post title. (Easier for
the user to locate the video)
• Players that can be used by almost everyone
(Saves time for users who are needed to
download a new player just to view the video)

22. Design Considerations

23. Video Blog
• Requirements of the website. • Research.
– Short description of the – Websites / Tutorials.
video blog site.
– Site visits – original Video
– Contact (email, facebook, Blog websites.
twitter?)
– Logo / name of the website
(able to link it back to the
home page)
– Videos and information to be
nicely arranged.
– Color used for the website.
– Fonts used in the website.

24. Video Blog
• Target Audience. • Website Editing.
– 16 + year old and above – Simple layout.
(As there would be fans of • Requirements for the users.
modern pop music and also
• Videos must not be too
attracted to other videos
long as different users
like Entertainment etc)
have different bandwidth.
– 40 + year old and above
• Website must be clear
(Fans of vintage music)
enough for the user to be
able to navigate well.
• Must be updated so that it
will keep the regular
viewers to revisit the
website again and again.

25. Initial Sketches.

26. First initial sketch

27. Second initial sketch

28. 1st layout of the Video Blog website.

29. 1 video blog layout
st

30. 2nd layout of the Video Blog website.

32. Pros and Cons found in the 1st layout.

33. Pros: Neat layout with clear categories

34. Cons: Eyes will feel uncomfortable
because of the light colors.
Light wordings
Light background

35. Pros: Search function is good.
Search bar at the
top left hand
corner.

36. Pros: Good focus point for the users.
Video at the main
page to absorb user’s
focus or attention

37. Pros: Arrangement of components is good.

38. Pros: Allows user interaction

39. Pros: Gives a feeling that it is more than just a video
public sharing website

40. Pros and Cons found in the 2nd layout.

41. Pros: Nice color management and
Darker background
combination
Dark with light
background
and also with
some darker
wordings
Lighter background

42. Pros: User interaction with the “Stay
connected” options.
User will interact
with the “Stay
connected”
options. (Twitter,
RSS and Email)

43. Pros: More privacy
Allows more user
privacy with
account options
before uploading
videos.

44. Pros: Good express links with video
categories.
Good express
links with video
categories and
submissions of
videos at the
homepage.

45. Cons: The Page 1 of 10 options
The above ‘Page
1 of 10’ options
can be removed
as it can be
replaced by
inserting 1 special
video of the day
or week to attract
users.

46. Pros: Good arrangement and focus
points

47. Pros: Main logo for user to remember
the title of the video blog
User is able to
remember the
name of the
website better as
the main logo is
big and its placed
at the top left
corner.

48. Pros: Good flow of components for
navigation

49. Pros: Gives a feel of half video blogging
and video sharing (Something like
Youtube)

50. ‘Final Layout’
• I would pick the 2nd layout because:
– Color management and combination is good.
– There is an user interaction which is the ‘Stay connected
options’ at the top right hand corner.
– It allows more user privacy with account before
uploading.
– Gives a feel something like Youtube (Half video blogging
and video sharing)

51. Improvement of the 2nd layout

52. Improvements made.
Before After
Removed the ‘Page 1 of 10’
options. One special video of the
day or week to attract users.

53. Improvements made.
Removed the word ‘Latest’. Latest
videos should be as a category.
Thus, naming the navigation as
‘Videos’ would be better

54. Prototype

55. Homepage

56. When you clicked “Videos”

57. Video Page
When the user
clicked, the tab
will turn blue.
List of videos
will be shown at
this page, with a
scroll bar for
users to scroll
through the
page.

58. When you clicked “Articles”

59. Article Page
Title of the name
of the articles
URLs to be
clicked on in
order to lead the
user to the
website of the
article.

60. When you clicked “Contact”

61. Contact Page
A HTML contact
form will be at
this page for the
users to send in
their enquires
with regard to
the video blog
site.

62. From the initial prototype
• There are ‘Pages of 1 of N’ options earlier on at
the bottom of the website.
• ‘Latest videos’ was written as navigation.
• There are video categories as express links for the
users.
• Overall, it is something like Youtube whereby you
are able to sign up and upload the videos you want.
Or, you can just view the videos that are on the
website.

63. Improved Prototype.
• ‘Pages 1 of N’ options was removed because
another alternative can be adding some special
videos of the day or week to attract the users.
• ‘Latest Videos’ has changed it to ‘Videos’ instead
as ‘Latest Videos’ should be as a category instead
of a navigation. Thus, it has been changed it to
‘Videos’
• The rest of the components on the website
remained.

64. A Walk Through.

65. Home page

66. Latest videos page.

67. Articles page.
When user clicked on one of the
links, it will lead to the website as
shown below.

68. Contact page.