Web design has gradually become an important part of graphic design. Graphic design used to deal primarily with written text and photographs. But graphic design has moved beyond the traditional print format. These days, a graphic design artist is just as likely to work solely on a computer then with a pencil and sketchpad. If you are unfamiliar with the fundamentals of web design, here is a brief overview that will give you some insight into the basics of web design.

Many new graphic designers overlook the fact that the best web design focuses primarily on content. When it comes to the best web design, content is king. Although you may find it tempting to fill a Web site with all the latest features, bells and whistles, remember that the website exists to serve content. Your job as a graphic design artist is to build the best website. What makes a good web site? The best websites are naturally intuitive, easy to navigate, aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and allow the user to easily access information. This is not always as easy as it sounds. Building a web site with good usability can be surprisingly difficult to achieve if you don’t understand the fundamentals of good web design.

When building a good web site, your goal is to make it easy for the user to find the information they need. Use many descriptive titles for each page; subtitles are also a good idea. Provide an easy way for users to move between the home page and other pages, and make it easy to return to the home page no matter how far a user has traveled. Connecting all the different pages on the website creates the feeling of unity and order. In general, you should try to keep your page under 100K. Anything higher will make it difficult for some users to navigate the page with ease. If you offer any downloads on your web site, make sure you label them if they are higher than 100k.

Here are some more fundamentals of good web site design. You should always construct your webpages so there is information at the top of the page. This will keep the visitor reading and engaged while the bottom of the page loads. A good load time with a medium high-speed connection should be about ten to fifteen seconds. If your website has more than thirty pages, you should provide a search option so that users can easily find the information they’re looking for. In general, keep the graphics to a minimum. A clean, crisp design is always in style.

Data science can be used for almost anything and everything in today’s world, and why not? Every industry is producing and collecting a huge amount of data every day using faster computers. Though data analytics is not a new idea using sophisticated tools and using it as a regular business process is a new thing.

Domestically last year analytics industry earned $1.27 billion, and this number proves how data science is growing at an exponential rate. Thanks to several programmed and successful tools, day to day activities of a data scientist have become easier and a lot more efficient. And this is the reason why every sector is using analytics for appreciating their business value.

APPLICATIONS OF DATA SCIENCE

Using analytics at the right time for decision making and analytical problem solving can optimize the performance of the business by building brand value, communicating with customers and client, increasing customer retention and satisfaction, identifying market opportunities for new product and by checking the performance of an innovation.

All these benefits are earned by business units through various applications. Some of them are:

Healthcare: This sector is using analytics for the betterment of many medical branches. Medical imaging uses machine learning, content-based medical indexing, wavelet analysis, etc. for accuracy and efficiency in texture imaging. Also, genetics research uses it for advanced personalized medical treatments. Currently, virtual medical support is the new domain of medicine where data science is used profoundly.

Internet search engines: Google, Ask, Bing etc use data science to optimize their efficiency. When anybody searches anything, search engines use algorithms to find the best suitable results in a second from huge amounts of data and present it to the user.

Web site recommendations: This is used by many digital platforms like Amazon, Netflix, Google Play, YouTube etc. for providing better customer experience. It uses past searches and activities to use as requisites and gives suggestions to the users.

Image and speech recognition: End-users use these technologies for a better virtual experience. Image recognition can identify images, photographs, and screenshots and give insights on them. Also, social media platforms use image recognition for tagging and searching people. Speech recognition is used by Siri, Bixby, Cortana etc. to understand and process the vocal orders by their users.

Airline route planning: Data science has helped airlines in improving their occupancy ratios and operating profits. Analytics help airline businesses in predicting flight delays, planning route schedule between destinations, buying aircraft and running customer loyalty programs.

Fraud detection: Financial institutions are using analytics to detect and mitigate frauds and risks of the market. It is helpful in identifying bad loans, risky investments, and time to trade and sell. Analytics use customer credit pattern, expenditure history, market sentiment, etc.

Targeted advertising: In the world of digital marketing, digital advertising is experiencing a lot more success than traditional advertising techniques. Digital billboards to digital banners on websites everything is controlled and executed according to data science insights. This targets the audiences who are suitable and show the potential of being future customers.

Data science is the buzzword that has gripped the entire world. Despite of its ever-growing popularity, there are many questions related to this field. This article aims to remove your doubts related to this course.

What is data science?

Data science can be simply explained as a blend of various algorithms, mathematical concepts and tools to discover some interesting and hidden patterns from raw data. In today’s world, almost all the companies make use of it to find hidden patterns that help companies make informed decisions.

Why the hype around data science?

The main reason for a lot of hype is because of the kind of salary which such a job profile fetches. It can fetch you a really good salary. A junior data scientist can get a salary of INR 4 to 6 lacs and experienced data scientists’ salary can range from INR 6 lacs to 12 lacs and more. It also provides job security, because nowadays every company needs a data scientist. And the applications are also myriad. It is not just restricted to a single domain. It has applications in fields like finance, e-commerce, healthcare, agriculture, social media, entertainment and many more fields. Its applications are truly endless.

How to become a data scientist?

The answer to this question is as simple as the question itself. To become a data scientist, an interested person has to take up a course in data science, Complete the course and obtain a certificate. The course can be taken up easily on online platforms, there are paid as well as unpaid course available or else you can go to coaching classes. Even some premium institutes offer courses. You can even self-tutor yourself. Yes, that is absolutely possible, if you are sincere enough. These days, with internet accessible to everyone, a lot of relevant resources can be found and they can be studied well. An engineering or science background is necessary to become a data scientist. Moreover a solid base in mathematics, coding and data mining will help you to grasp the technicalities well.

Some data science jargons:

Discovery of data science insights:

It deals with finding interesting patterns from the data, by going to the grassroots level of data to mine and understand its behavior and trends. The whole process of discovery of data insights start with data exploration and then understanding the data patterns and then applying some relevant techniques to produce the desired results. Data insights give some clarity and are also helpful in providing good business strategies.

Development of data products:

It primarily involves two steps, one is using data as input and the second is to process that data to produce results. A simple example of this could be an engine that provides recommendation based on the inputs.

Through this article we have tried to cover most of the topics related to data science.

Data science deals with using the information obtained from the data extracted for making wise business decisions. Data Scientists take the structured and unstructured (messy) data and use their knowledgeable skills in statistics, mathematics and programming to manage them by cleaning and organizing. Then applying the analytical skills like contextual understanding, skepticism of existing assumptions, industrial knowledge to uncover hidden data.

Here are the top reasons why you should consider pursuing Data Scientist as a career.

SEXIEST JOB OF THE CENTURY ACCORDING TO HARVARD

The Harvard Business Review state that Data Scientist is “The sexiest job of the 21st century”. It is the most sought after job, according to various reports. Various companies which render business solutions like finance, statistics, operations research etc. are keen on data science. Everyone has realized by now the value of historical data and how they can be used to gain profit for the organization. This allows the business to make clever, data-oriented decisions.

FREEDOM TO WORK ANYWHERE YOU WANT

In data science, they are not bound to work only in a particular field. You are free to work in any industry, from manufacturing to banking, healthcare to finance, you can take up any project and apply the technology that a data scientist works with and help the organization grow. By doing so, you will be changing the lives of the people through your work in data science.

WORKING WITH TECH GIANTS

You will be open to companies like Apple, Amazon, LinkedIn, Uber etc. with a degree in data science. Using data science, Amazon sells many products to its customers by recommendation. Apple uses the data to work on its product’s features.

HIGH PAY

In the United States, they on an average, earn about $120,000. 94% of the 2011 United States graduates have found data science jobs with an average pay of over $114,000. According to a 2016 report, they hold number one position in top 25 best jobs in the world.

GOOD TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS AVAILABLE

Many courses are available for anyone to access online and become a certified data scientist. The courses are taught by professionals. Being a certified data scientist means that you can expect about 58% pay raise which is higher than that of a non-certified professional. By choosing the right course, you can learn all the necessary skills and tools to become a data scientist from experts.

CONVERSATION WITH CUSTOMERS

If the customers feel like they are not being treated right or they could be treated better, they would cut ties with the organization in the blink of an eye. As we all know, it’s very hard to satisfy customers. They want to be treated as unique individuals. Before purchasing a product, they look at their other options, talk to their friends, look at reviews online etc. The data extracted can be refined to understand the customers needs and thoughts. This gives a good job satisfaction for a data scientist as they try to understand the customers and help them get what they desire.

Today, the retail industry is on the boom in this consumerism era. Every year, the sales are increasing exponentially and with increased sales and customers, huge amounts of data are created. This is why retail businesses are taking advantage of data science for making their businesses more profitable and customer oriented.

Retail business can collect their data from varied sources like customer transaction information, log files, social media related data, product sensor data etc. All these collected data are then processed and analyzed in a way that it can help the management and staff to take quick and effective actions which can lead to the development of the business and create a valuable experience for the customers.

Data science helps in understanding various trends and also helps in making decisions regarding promotion and marketing so that the products can reach the customers and eventually increase the revenue of the company. Some of the common ways the retail industry is using data science are discussed below.

Understanding consumer behavior

Consumers are the central pillar of a retail business and thus the need to understand them is of the highest importance. Big data is helping the retail industry in collecting and analyzing data related to customers buying pattern, their preferences, which makes them buy more, what are their reactions towards certain product or offers etc. Accumulating all these data is not a problem anymore because of the advent of the internet; one can make use of social media, e-commerce apps, and even stores. All this data is then churned to find out some important answers which can ultimately lead to higher customer acquisition and retention.

Personalize the buying experience

Data science is now using the consumer data and their buying pattern to understand what they like and what their interests are so that their sales and merchandising can be personalized according to the customer. Today, many retail industries are tracking customer behavior in stores and e-commerce platforms, so that marketing teams can increase promotional effectiveness. And increase cross-selling.

Targeted promotions

Marketing teams always try to create target bunches regarding the certain category of products, this is done to reduce unnecessary costs and loss of resources. Using data, one can do the same by gathering customer data and categorizing them into groups according to location, demographics, social media interactions, their likes, dislikes and preferences. All these data are then analyzed to find a deeper explanation about the customers and their purchase choices. For example, one must have experienced seeing advertisements about certain things that they might have searched online or like on social media. This is exactly how the customer conversion is achieved using the power of data science.

Operational analysis

The retail industry is not just about customers, it is also about products which move in supply chains. Controlling and managing these supply chains are of huge importance as they are in control of product life cycles and also the overall cost of the operations. Data science helps in analyzing machine data and sensor-generated data to find information about trends and patterns about the operational cycle, which in turn can help one in making better decisions.

We have all seen animation and probably so much so that we have got to the point where we just take it for granted. If we have to stop and think about it, our explanation of it would be simply something that moves. Many of us would equate it to cartoons.

To become more technical what we are referring to is 2D or 3D animation. 3D being 3 dimensional by way of the order of the images be presented. Each movement is known as a frame. One frame very gradually moves onto the next and give us the illusion that the object is moving. The frames are then presented moving from one to the next very quickly.

To create this effect by hand or as we refer to the 2D was painstakingly consuming. The artist would have to draw a new picture each time the object moved in any way. Then all of these photos would be put together consecutively. These were called cell animation and hand drawn animation. Although it was detailed and a great deal of work, it was well respected by the true animator and received with pleasure by the viewer.

Cartoons have been based on 2Dimensional art for years. With the inception of the computer not long after came the capabilities for 3D. This does not mean that 2D still does not have its place of importance. Nor does it mean there is no skill involved. If one thinks that, an individual that who has no artistic basis can sit down and do 3D animation just by learning the software this is simply not the case.

To create 3D animation it requires the use of complex software. All of the characters are designed by way of the computer and hand drawing is not a consideration. It will progress through a series of steps before the project will be completed. The individual who is responsible for this project must have a thorough understanding of each and every step in order to reach the desired results.

There are many standard software programs that are used for 3D animation. There are several on the market. They all vary as to capabilities and complexity. If you have a real interest in this type of art, then you could start with a very basic program. As you, master the one move on up to the level. Remember though this does not replace the artistic eye. You need to be able to discern that the character looks perfect during every step of the way to becoming completed. If you are not able to critique your own work then you are not going to get good results. If you seem to have a knack for drawing but have had no training you may want to consider taking some art courses and at least learning the basics before you attempt 3D animation.

The 3D industry is one of the booming career and education domains in our contemporary society. In fact owing to the sweeping development mainly in technology 3D has become the in-thing and core driving concept in design and animation right across the print and electronic media. As an aspiring 3D animator there are various things that you need to know right from the word “go”. The computer edge has made things quite easy and simpler in the design frameworks.

There are so many softwares that have designed to enable designs and animators to draft, design and finish their designs and animations. If you are to be a 3D animator that stands out in the highly contested 3D market, you need to know the kinds of software that you would want to work with to make your creations stand out. In this piece we are reviewing the top design and animations softwares 3D Mix and Maya.

The objective here is to highlight the pros and cons of each 3D software such that after reading here you will know what exactly you want to settle for and that will also depend on what you want to do with each software. The interesting part about these two competing softwares is that are owned by the same company. Quite amazing! What this invokes is the logic that the company would not be attempting to compete against itself. Autodesk owns these softwares.

Let’s start with 3D Max. This one has been optimized for the architectural and visualization kinds of animations. Maya on the other hand is the best pick for TV and film productions. The reason to this is that 3D Max is loaded with conceptual modeling tools that cater to large scale creation while at the same time it works well with other Autodesk product lines. On the other side Maya is great with tasks that entail character rigging as well a animation layering. Maya also does well for tasks that involve handling capabilities and Maya has motion capture prowess that outsmarts 3D Max.

Still on Maya- this one has a huge edge over 3D max when it comes to Nurbs modeling. The fact behind this is that the software has taken a different approach in this regard and by extension this means that the application is more user friendly on this regard. What you need to know about Nurbs briefly is that these are complex surfaces. Maya has a great capability of simulating realistic animations and effects. Of course 3D Max is more affordable than Maya for complex and architectural designs and animations Maya is the best pick.

What skills do you need to be a 3D animator? First of all, you must be able to draw. Additionally, you should be familiar with the process of creating a storyline and know a little about acting. Added skills that would help greatly would be sculpting experience and a knowledge of anatomy. Even though animators use computers to create animations, the ability to draw is one skill they absolutely must have. Due to the number of employment applications received by the big Hollywood animation studios, If you aren’t fantastic at drawing, you can forget about ever getting hired by one. So where do all the animators who can draw good but not great work? Well, making films is not the only job animators can get. They also work in industrial design, architecture, interior design, on the Internet, producing media such as CD-ROMs, creating computer games, and many other fields.

Additionally, an animator position is not the only job available in the animation field. Animators are supported by storyboard artists, graphic designers, layout artists, animator’s assistants, background artists, in-betweeners, and many others.

Regardless of where you work, you’re probably not going to start at the top rung of the ladder. Most people who aspire to eventually work as animators start their animation career as an in-betweener. This job can help you to learn the basics of professional animation and get paid for it. The in-betweener’s job is to help the animator’s assistants to fill in the movement between key drawings. These in-between drawings are called transition drawings.

On the other hand, people who are more interested in the technical aspects of animation might get their start as a storyboard artist’s assistant. The storyboard is the outline of the film that the animators work from, and the storyboard artist creates it from the script. An assistant usually starts their career by doing clean up and revisions, with the aim to eventually prepare portions of the storyboard with instruction and assistance from the artist.

Most likely the biggest future advances in animation will occur in 3D animation, so if you want to be on the cutting edge, that’s what you want to learn. New techniques are being developed all the time, while many old ones are continually being updated to keep pace with all the technological advancements that are occurring in the field. Nary a week passes without news of some improvement in either the hardware or software used for 3D animation. If you intend to work in the field, be prepared to continually re-educate yourself. The good news is that many employers will either provide the training or foot the bill.

Data science market in India has grown exponentially in the last few years. Several industries are turning to big data techniques to create value for their business. As the competition in the market is at its all-time high, staying in the game as a leader is a new challenge.

Data analytics has always been a part of business concerns, but the latter is more proliferated and advanced. Let’s know how?

DATA SCIENCE AND DATA ANALYTICS

Industries like finance and banking have always used data analytics to know about risk and frauds that can happen, checking customer’s credit position and expenditure pattern. Data analytics used various quantitative and qualitative methods to see behavioral changes in data and patterns. It doesn’t use much mathematical and programming skills, but depend on soft skills.

Whereas, data science is the broader subject; it uses mathematical, statistical, programming, skills and on final stage rely on soft skills. Data analytics is a part of data science which starts from asking the correct questions and by using one’s curiosity to see what others cannot. That is the reason why data science is more in demand, so that other than just having a narrow lookout one should see future changes and be prepared for it.

GROWTH OF DATA SCIENCE

Analytics industry is earning revenues like never before; almost all industries are spending on analytics to increase one’s business value. Analytics industry is showing a growth rate of 33.5% CAGR. In no time data science will become the leading industry in revenue earning, innovation, and for providing career opportunities. Let’s discuss some leading sectors that are leveraging data science:

Social media and entertainment: Digital media are the new revolution, and the number of competitors is high. Major challenges include; knowing what customers want, how to expand distribution, collection, and knowing the right content. Applications include:

Using recommendation systems to make the right content available.

Creating the right kind of content.

Checking the performance of content among the audience.

Retail and wholesale industry: This industry has many components like product demand and supply, customers, logistics, warehousing, advertising, pricing etc. All these data and information are used to make retailing business fruitful. Some of the uses are:

To know about the market trends and fashion.

Taking care of the inventory levels at all times.

Knowing about the customer buying patterns and preferences.

To keep a tab on frauds and defaults.

Banking and finance industry: One of the pioneers in data analysis, and still provides a major share of revenue to the analytics industry. This industry deals in various dimensions with two major variables, that is of money and customers. Some of the applications are:

Big banks use it for the credit position of the customers.

Several financial commissions use it for keeping a check on illegal activities in the financial market.

Trading and investing firms use data to know about market moods and trends, so that they can mitigate risks of losing.

Manufacturing and natural resources industry: Both the industries deal with a lot of data which can help them in increasing their market performance and profit margins. It is used for:

Natural resources industries use it for analyzing geospatial and geographical data.

Manufacturing units use data science for maintaining inventory, optimizing production, and handling labor.

Pursuing a career in production music can be a daunting task. Beyond the years of formal musical training and hands on experience, one must be prepared to work in a highly competitive and sometimes not-very-lucrative field. Whether you’re considering a change of pace, or looking to move forward on your career plans, here are some tips to help you in your music career.

1) Get as much education as you can possibly stand. This piece often gets overlooked by musicians because of the stigma artists place around higher education institutions and their effect on creativity. However, there is no substitute for formal training on your instrument and in your craft. The more knowledgeable you are, and the better your skills, the easier finding work will be.

2) Get hands-on. If you can afford it, buy gear. Play with computers. Play with digital instruments. If you’ve gone through the process of bettering your education and formal training, do the same for practical application. Record other musicians, record yourself, and practice, practice, practice. Get familiar with your gear, and use it every day. Playing a sequencer is just as much an art form as playing a guitar, and both require hands-on practice. Produce a production music track every day and build up your library of composition ideas.

3) Network. Networking with other production music professionals is a must. Go to meet ups through your alumni association. Join film production associations. Go to music and composition meet ups groups. Sign up for mailing lists, and discussion groups on social media sites. Do whatever you can to meet as many contacts as possible.

4) Listen. Listening to other artists is crucial, as is being able to listen to the needs of your clients. Listen to how they talk, to how they describe music, to how they interpret things like emotion, tempo, feel. You’ll need to be an expert not only musically, but also as a translator from concept to score.

5) Be persistent. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your career be. Handle rejections gratefully, and move on. Keep sending demos, regardless of the outcome, but be sure to take heed of constructive feedback and criticisms. Always be looking for ways to improve your product and presentation, and keep at it. With time and perseverance, your hard work will pay off.

6) Be prepared. Production music careers are not for the faint of heart. Be prepared for days of low to no income, and either have the financial resources to back up your switch up front, or consider working a part time job to make ends meet while you move your career forward.