GRC 175 Learning and Discussion Forum

Hi there! Here are my roughs for project 1. These two layouts were among some of the more tame ideas that I had in my thumbnails, and looking back I kind of wish I had experimented a little more. But I do like how these are turning out and I think I definitely just want to add a little more pizzazz to them.

In rough 01, I decided to use a cool color palette since these are colors that typically appeal to me the most, but they are also in my comfort zone. I wanted to create a relaxed but still interesting look, hence the diagonal color blocking. I tend to lean toward minimalism naturally so I chose a simple, easy to ready sans-serif font family.

In rough 02, I experimented with some warmer colors and color-blocking (again...I wonder if I'm capable of designing anything without at least one color block). With this one I again wanted to keep it minimalist, but I do think I need maybe a complimentary color or something in there.

Here are my 2 website inspirations:

http://kennardlilly.com/portfolio/ - I liked this site for its bold colors and the combination of fonts.

https://www.rowanmade.com/ - This is the site that I got my inspiration from for my logo in rough 1. I also really like the muted colors and use of white space.

Both your designs look good. I personally like the blue design more than the orange one. It's easier on the eye and the layout is nice too!

I love the orange one! The design is super strong, and I really like the type you used. However, the design of the blue one does stand out from other websites.

I definitely prefer the green design. Something about the simple shapes paired with the slightly angled edges give it a lot of personality. Especially because I think the picture color tone works better than with the orange personally.

I really like both of your designs, they are of modern standard! If there is anything I would change, it would to increase the contrast of the text on colored backgrounds as those with poorer eyesight can struggle to read it. The placement of the hamburger menu (the three horizontal lines) on the orange design could be moved to a corner as that is not typically where those menus are placed (unless you plan on doing something fancy with them).

Thanks for sharing!

Hi!
I really like both of these designs! I personally like the blue one the most, its different, something I haven't seen yet, and it is really pleasing ! the orange is also really nice but I would maybe change the color of your name to a slightly darker orange than the background, I think it should stand out more!

I really like your use of mountains in the design, and think both your designs are really strong. One think I think you can improve on in the orange design is to switch the background colors to a vertical split instead of a horizontal one, in the mobile version. I think this will add some better balance since you cant put that horizontal split right in the middle.

Both designs are good and very modern. I actually prefer the orange design but like others have said, the text should be darker to stand out against the orange.

stormy

Hey! I really enjoy both of your designs. Overall I like the second version (orange-ish). I was able to clearly maneuver through your design, very sheik, and organized for the user.

-KJ

Oh, nice! I really like the geometry of your first one. It adds quite a bit of visual interest to your composition. The diagonal structure gives the whole thing motion, but it's not in your face due to the muted color scheme. The muted gray blue and teal work well together and are just dark enough to establish a good contrast with the white background. I like your photo, too. It enhances the tranquility of your design and adds a few additional colors to the composition. I also like your typographic choices they make it look clean without making it look cold.

Don't do all of your text in caps, though. It looks like you're shouting at your poor users. Instead, use normal upper and lowercase letters in your bodycopy. You can keep the caps for your headline and navigation if you like.

Good work! It's tranquil without being boring.