What is "big data" and "small business" in the way it relates to Wordpress?

For example, this article: http://robklopp.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/the-hype-of-big-data/. I'm guessing the gist of "big data" is just that: a lot of data. I'm seeing something called "Hadoop" but I've yet to figure out what that is as it doesn't come up in "plugins" when I go to install it.

OK, this video made sense: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/big-data/big-data-analytics-turning-big-data-into-intelligence-cmpg.html?cid=sem116p38415g-c&gclid=CJ_C8JuIz7sCFbQWMgod8yYAew. So I'm now believing that "big data" is just that, lots of info, specifically unstructured info in the context of blogs, Facebook postings and bits of data that aren't organized in a spreadsheet format that can easily be analyzed.

So, what's the application to Wordpress?

So, what's the application to Wordpress?

None.  These are topics for the blog.  I think all that you are being asked to do is create Categories for "Big Data" and "Small Business"

You might be overthinking things.

Jason, Dave - thanks for weighing. Your counsel makes complete sense and that's the approach I'm going to take.

I want you to see what I've been given just so if there's something contained within their request that I'm not communicating, you

Please design a new blog page for Technology Advice using WordPress.  Provide us with an administrative login.  You may host the page on any domain you use for personal projects.
You are providing an alternative design to the existing blog page.  

Please use the following five headers: Gamification, Mobility, Cloud, Big Data, Small Business.  Feel free to use the existing content on the blog.  

We will use your completed assessment to evaluate your design skills, knowledge of WordPress, and attention to detail.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Reading through your input makes me think that by "headers" they're asking for a design and not an app. Does that sound right?

Up to this point, I've been laboring believing that "gamification" needs to be represented by my adding a promotional premium dynamic to my blog users when they forward a post etc. By "mobility," I was thinking that I needed to make sure my blog was mobile friendly. By "cloud," I took that to mean I had to add the "Categorized Tag Cloud" to my admin suite. But when I got to "big data" and "small business," I couldn't come up with an app that equated to either of those.

Elaborating on what they mean wouldn't be a problem, but I'm not hip enough with WordPress to know what "header" would mean apart from a header graphic.

When you look at what they're asking for, how would you interpret it?

Don't try to interpret what they said.  Look at their original blog and see what they are doing there.

Sounds to me like they are 'auditioning' you and your work to see if they want to hire you.

They are auditioning me which is why I want to put my best foot forward. Their blog is at http://blog.thrivemg.com/category/big-data/. I went out there thinking the same thing you were, as far as there being something that would give me some indication as to what their idea of a header was, but I didn't see anything.

Appreciate your input, Dave. What I may do is just put together a cocktail of content and design together and in that way give them more than what their asking and go from there.

It looks like their 'header' is the Categories list on the left that is part of every Wordpress blog.  That's nothing but a standard but ugly Wordpress blog.  I suspect they just want one that isn't so Yuuugly.

That's what I was thinking but they don't have anything pertaining to "Gamification" or "Small Business" so that's why I was stumped as far as whether or not they want me to elaborate on what those are and / or could be from a web design standpoint or if they wanted me to design something that had a "small business" theme.

I'll just go with my gut and try to be an over achiever...

Thanks!

I think they are going to ask you to transfer their content from the current blog to the new blog if they like you design.

Dave's right.  You're being auditioned.  Provide a skeleton of a new WordPress site for them and if they like it they will give you business.

Headers = Menu Items.  Use WordPress Categories and just add them to a WordPress menu...

From what I understand, as far as the world of WordPress is concerned, if you know PHP enough to pop the hood and customize things, that's a good thing. Most design work begins with a pre-existing template, correct?

If that's true, than for the sake of this audition, I may be well served to purchase a template and make the necessary edits.

Am I approaching this correctly, or am I off base?

Jason, you've been a huge help. I'm confident that had I not asked, I would've been regarded as someone with a lot of energy, but not a great deal of understanding.

I'm confident I know what they want thanks to you and Dave. Now I've just to get knock it out of the park.

Thanks so much!

For what it's worth, the two times that I have "created" a new theme, I just took the standard theme (Twenty-Ten at the time), made a copy, and modified it.  Just re-arrange the HTML and CSS along with the PHP and you can have something that doesn't look a bit like the default theme.

PS: Check it in all browsers before you submit it.