Something I Made

For MIT College Application

Tell us about something that you have created. This can be, for example, a design, a device, an object, an idea or concept. (Please limit your answer to 500 words or fewer.)

Only a DRAFT!

May change/be updated - still in progress - may still contain inaccuracies

I am proud of the visual and information design of SeniorQuoter. (http://seniorquoter.org) SeniorQuoter is an open-source, installable PHP application which makes it easier for yearbooks to collect senior quotes. Note: You might want to follow along with screenshots posted online: http://snipurl.com/seniorquoter

I created the logo using custom vector paths in Inkscape. I purposely created my own letters to communicate the feeling of handwriting. The pencil furthers the feeling of handwriting and it serves as a recognizable icon. I also linked the pencil to be both the slightly, curved, cursive-like top of the “S” and the eraser to be the dot of the “I” in order to create a more cohesive, distinct shape to the logo. The logo is in all black for easy printing on any type of surface.

The administration panel is based off of the visual design of previous versions of the Wordpress blogging software. I admired the way Wordpress split the operation of the site into several main sections. Although Wordpress has since totally redesigned their administration panel, I think that our current design still meets our needs. The different sections are divided by data type. In order to increase the visual appeal of the interface I added famfamfam icons. The icons make each section easier to recognize and add more color to the administration area.

I selected the design of the quote submission page to simplify the submission of quotes and maximize the personality of the school. The quote submission page is very simple to use. There are no sidebars or extraneous links. In order to keep the code simple we do not support templates. However instead, we support full color customization and the uploading of a main image, commonly a mascot. This fits the needs of schools since school’s branding relies on their colors and mascot.

SeniorQuoter has been used for 2 years now at our school. There were no reported problems with the usability of the site and seniors reported that the system was easy to use. We had problems with getting seniors to get around to submitting their quotes (motivation) as well as seniors not receiving their private invite codes which were distributed offline.

In my opinion, SeniorQuoter is a clean, simple, laser-focused web application. It’s flexible where it needs to be, but is not too customizable as to make it impossible to test or develop.

Category:College Applications