Floral Design Concepts
Ladan Moshiri
ladan_sd@yahoo.com
02-23-2010
EDTEC 541, Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Section

Problem, Need, or Opportunity

Due to the high cost of ready-made flower arrangements, many people would like to learn how to make beautiful arrangements at home, but most of them do not have sufficient time or money to attend floral design classes. As a result, a web-based multimedia will allow these individuals to learn the basic techniques necessary to make flower arrangements in the comfort of their homes and at a much lower cost.

Audience

The audience would include any individual who is interested in learning about the art of floral design. These people could be beginners trying to make simple arrangements for themselves. They could also be people who already know a little about the flower arranging process, but would like to enhance their skills. Finally, even the more experienced, self-taught florists would benefit from the floral design tips offered by this web site. The visitors should be able to navigate through the internet comfortably.

Users Needs

I spoke with three individuals who mentioned several things they would like to see on a floral design Web site.

1. All of these individuals were interested in learning about properly incorporating color into their designs. The reason for this request was that they had all noticed that choosing the wrong color scheme can actually ruin the design, regardless of how other elements in the floral arrangement match. 
2. They also inquired about the basic tools necessary to construct most of the flower arrangements, before investing money in tools and accessories that may not be very useful.
3. They also wanted step-by-step instructions about making simple arrangements. They suggested that seeing pictures of the completed designs may help them visualize the finish product much better.

These needs will be met by devoting a page explaining the color concept, and how choosing the right colors can enhance the total design. Another page will list the basic tools necessary to complete most flower arrangements. Finally, a separate page will be devoted to instructions on how to create several basic flower arrangements, including pictures of the finished products.

Based on the user needs identified above, the navigation will be very straightforward with a menu, and clearly defined hierarchy. The Home page will provide visitors with a short welcome and a brief overview of the web site. From there, they can navigate to sections devoted to Theory and Design, Basic Techniques and Styles, Care for Cut Flowers, and Resources and Links.

Environment

The users will most likely be accessing the site through their home or business computers. This web site will include links to videos which will have sound; therefore, a high speed internet connection is recommended, not required, to ensure that all of the potential users have a satisfying experience.

Resources and Limitations

Most of the information for this web site will be written by me. This information will come from my notes from a Floral Design class that I took several years ago. The pictures for demonstrating the finished products will be snapshots of my own design creations. The only potential limitation would be that the rest of the pictures and information will come from various free sources on the web that could possibly be copyrighted, in which case I will include a list of all of these sites in the Bibliography section and I will cite them correctly. The entire web site will be completed at the first attempt.

General Solution

This web site will teach the interested individuals basic floral design techniques and will help them become familiar with the Art of Floral Design. This easy-to-navigate site will be divided into five sections so that visitors can easily find the information that is most relevant to their needs.  Each section in the main menu will also point to a drop-down submenu which in turn points to individual pages explaining the topic defined in that particular section. Therefore, the navigation hierarchy will look something like this: