Project 1 Preliminary Critique Roughs

[NalaniN]

Hello!

Here are my roughs for preliminary critique. I wanted 2 different ideas, so light and dark themes are quite opposite but still represent my love of the outdoors. I was inspired by several sites but the 2 I'll post here are the websites of Michael Calcada and Jennifer Scheurle, people I found from doing random online searches. Common to both is a feeling of clean space, which I tried to incorporate into my designs.

https://www.michaelcalcada.com/ I like how Michael greets you with a wave and has a light and dark "switch" at the top corner. I also like how clean and open the home page is and how items actively move into your view as you scroll.

https://gaohmee.com/portfolio-games/ The clean openness attracted me to Jennifer's site also. And, the way her site moves when you scroll is something I haven't seen before. I also like her logo.

[Abused Oreo]

Hey Nalani, good work on both designs. I like your thought process on light vs dark. I would say your second design with the sun is stronger because it visually stands out more. The background on the first design could use some work. I find the color to be a little bland and makes the type a little harder to read. However, I think the layout is very nice with the first one. The second design is nice to look at and is super easy to read and navigate. The background image is nice and clear and provides enough contrast for you to read the type. The only thing I would consider changing on the second design would be the color of the TMCC logo and the GRC 175 stuff. I know we want to make it green since its school colors but I think this design would benefit more if you changed that to match the colors in your pallet i.e. blue/white/orange. Great work with both designs!

[katyroses]

Hey Nalani, I like the look of each design. I'm enjoying how you used negative space to complement the design and images you've chosen. The fonts are a great choice as well. The only thing I thought that you could do differently, is on your first design where you used the large drop shadow to put your buttons on. Maybe switch that to a low opacity box or circle, like how you did it in your other design. Other than that, they look great!

[Instructor]

You've got a couple of good looks here, Nalani. As neat as your space one is, I think I like the sunrise one better.

I think it's the rays of sunlight that attract me to it. They give it motion. The design is pushing out to the user. I like the simplicity of the layout. You've got good margin around your title and at the top. You recognized that you had a good image and you made sure your design didn't get in the way of it. I also like how you worked with the image using the rays to point at the title and navigation. Good font choices too. I especially like your blend of fonts in the title. The thick script and thin script work well together. It creates a warm and soft feeling that compliments the sunrise well. Good use of contrast as well. The light blue and white stand out well against the darker blue of the sky.

I don't think your bodycopy needs to go in a semi-transparent container. I think your background is light enough and your bodycopy is dark enough that it should be able to be seen in the sky. If it does need a transparent backer, try white type against an ultra-transparent dark box. Also, add a little more margin around the edges. The current box is too tight to your type. Add a little bottom margin under your TMCC logo and your "GRC 175, Web Design and Publishing I, Fall 2019" type so they are not right at the bottom. I'd make your "References & Resources" button one line as well.

Nice work!

[genesis_urena]

Hello!

I like how you play between the two opposites. Dark vs Light theme. I think you did very well spacing your objects. I would recommend you to add green to any of your compositions or make the logo black. That just to make the logo and text next to it fit within the composition. Very well and clean job!

[itsdrrlcarden]

Hello, great start for both designs! I really enjoy the sunset one because it appears more readable. I think exploring with different typefaces could better your designs. I like the shapes you use as the "text boxes"!

[tandyg]

At first I really liked the space layout because it just seemed to open the space into the abyss. I thought it was really great and the use of fonts would be so great to consider and color is just the cherry. After seeing the sun ray layout, I can agree with the movement comment and how it's created with the rays reaching out. It works wonders and I could imagine expanding on this to create to greatest layout ever. Thank you for sharing.

[adriannageo]

Hello Nalani, I am really drawn to your second design's layout. The background image sits in perfect with everything else.

[trixiapanda]

Reach for the stars Nalani!

I really like both designs and your idea of light vs. dark is very thoughtful. I have no problem with both designs, but if I really had to choose one, I would say the dark version (purple sky with stars) because it gives a calm vibe. And the arrangement of the layout feels more in place. The sun on the second design might be an issue (because it can be bright to look at, but if it is just for the homepage, then I wouldn't mind it). Overall, great job!

[cwalkerdesign]

Hello,
I love the art work in both designs. colors used is pleasing to the eye and navigation is easy in both
great job
Charmaine