Ideas for final year multimedia project

[kooben]

Hi

I am currently researching ideas for the above mentioned project and would like to bounce some ideas off you people.

A Web content management system, is my idea. Basically I thought of making a backend/admin area for a website where a non-technical user could add/update content on their site. It would be template driven and the user could add pages to the site using a selection of supplied templates.

I them when on to think about the template system and why should the user be limited to just the supplied templates. So I am now thinking about some kind of Flash application along side the backend that allows the user to design via drag and drop elements, new templates.

Im guessing that this kinda thing has already been done numerous times before but it interests me and would make use of various web technologies.

This aside though Im aware that more marks are given to the actual report on the project than the product itself so I would need to back it all up with extensive reseach and stuff.

Well thats it, I would be very grateful if you could give me some feedback on what I have mentioned above.

Thanks

[Smokie]

cant you come up with something more interesting than a CMS?... how about a website for unsigned bands to showcase their material, allow upload of mp3s, artwork, band blog etc... you could control the allocated disk space to each band and have charts of the most popular bands, and sucess stories (the ones that got signed) ....or maybe a develop a full-on blog system or forum, or mp3 sale/download site.... anything other than a CMS, everyone does that!!! just a suggestion...

[kpm547]

How about an online daytimer/schedule for a small office that allows employees to book meetings and such. The employee would have the option of making it private or not. Then everyone in the office could see the schedule of everyone else's non private events. A table could be displayed to show who's in the office when during the day or week. The receptionist could then book meetings for the employees and the employee would be able to see it and the receptionist could also see the employee's.

You could also incorporate a message system and do do list or job list that everyone or certain employees could see.

I've been meaning to do this for my office, but just haven't got around to it yet. Always thought it would be a good idea. Don't know if it is too complicated for your project though.

[JohnMitch]

Yeah, no offense but everyone in the world creates those template things. You would be suprized at how many people use this and then get overly discouraged. They then go and hire a designer because the "easy to use system" which has cost them a lot of money, was just a waste of their time.

I had a site for unsigned bands and it was going great. But I sold it to a music recording company and they killed it. Mine of course was just local, but still it was productive. Anyways, unsigned band sites REALLY are awesome.

[renegade]

How about a niche CMS concept....

An idea I had once that may be useful, there are thousands of real estate/estate agents sites and programs out there. How about building a web site plug-in that enables the real estate agents to build floor plans of their properties.

Could be quite simple, a blank canvas, with a number of template objects, walls, windows etc, that they could drag and drop onto the canvas. Once complete stream the canvas to a gif and save to directory that links to the property.

I am gonna try this out in .NET, but it would look cool as a project in Flash.

and remember, you heard it here first..... :wink:

[Smokie]

nice idea renegade

[kooben]

Hey,

Thanks for the replies

I like the unsigned band website idea as I am a music lover and musician myself. Had a quick search in google and found quite a few sites offering the band mp3 upload, bio, gigs etc features.

I didnt realise CMS's were a popular project, I had seen that there were many currently available and had noticed from the ones i'd seen that they were overly complicated offering features that customers didn't really need.

I'd like to go with the unsigned band idea, I just need to find a way to justify it and make sure there is plently of research etc for the report side of the project as Im aware that it counts for much more than product itself.

Once again thanks for the ideas and feel free to post more if you think of any or have any further ideas on the unsigned band site.

[kooben]

Hello

In addition to my last post I have come up with a few more ideas, could you people let me know wht you think in regards to how might be the best way to go about them and whether its a feiable idea:

Website Interactive Map Tool

This system would presnt the user with an interactive map of the website. It could be like a browser add-on or a stand alone app. Initial thoughts of developing it in Flash with a PHP back-end. Would need to some how 'spider' the website like serach engines do and retrive all of the site pages and links.

Automatic Website Rating System

This system would give a site a rating out of 10 for example, based on the sites HCI issues, accessability, link structure, navigation, browser compatability, useability alt tag useage and naviagtion etc.
Would be a web based application where the user would enter an address then the system would return a rating. Once again no sure how this would work just an idea.

Structured Instant Messaging Program

This would be like for example MSN Messenger service and would be aimed at allowing multiple people to talk in the same box with one person being the chair person of the chat box and that person would respond to requests to speak and indicate who is next allowed to speak. It would reflect a real meeting situation where there is a structure in place as to how people are allowed to communicate with everyone else.

Well thats it, these are very brief ideas which I have not researched and do not really know if are in my ability to complete,

Would appreciate any feedback you could provide,

Thanks