Project 1 Preliminary Critique

[Mike_Chavez123]

Hi class GRC 175, my names Michael and I have here 4 preliminary roughs. 2 mobile and 2 computer size.

Inspirational Websites: https://www.olivegarden.com/home
https://www.starbucks.com/
https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
https://thrivemarket.com/

First Roughs: These first two roughs are made on my mobile device, the aim is for a real pop hook appeal and a darker shade of black. I feel that these two roughs can hold strongly together and when choosing so for a final project I can see either one being pulled to a brighter level.

Second Roughs: Real flashy business like, color to attract the eye, plain and simple, easy to follow and guide. Original is the aim for these roughs for a final critique in project 1.

[Cole_Richards]

Hi Michael, I really enjoy all of your rough drafts, there is a good amount of difference between the two of the concepts which allows for some different viewpoints on your vision. I think that the black and white/ slightly colored roughs are really well done, I like the difference between the two but that they are still connected, I might bring the color from the other into the black and white one just to make it pop a bit more, but really well done!

[Mike_Chavez123]

Thank you Richard, I’m very well working into the final project of it. I made a separate scratch of it by hand. I do agree with the color popping out to attract the audience or reader to the website and keep them interactive and entertained. The theme is art.

[Instructor]

You're making a good start here, Mike. Smartballs are a real crapshoot. Sometimes they're delicious and other times they ... uh ... are very not.

I actually like your last grayscale design best. I'm a bit of a sucker for good contrast and that has it, whereas the colors clash in your color designs. I'd recommend taking this nice grayscale design and picking one color and adding to it sparingly. Maybe across the top bar behind your name and on the circle above "Web Design & Publishing I".

I'm also a sucker for skeuomorphic design and this one has it in spades. I especially love the paper texture in your background. A good look. I also like the fact that you picked one typeface and use different weights to add visual hierarchy to your design. Everything is large and easy to read, thanks to your good use of contrast. It's a good vertical layout that will work well on mobile and computer. I like the use of the personal photo and project navigation area as the dominant element in the document. You've also placed them near the middle to draw the eye down from visual center. Your header and footer are large and make for a good frame for your content area.

The only real issues I'm seeing are alignments and margins. I'd make sure to add a little more margin between your bodycopy and "TMCC". Maybe make it the same distance as between your bodycopy and the dark bar above it. Kick "Spring 2022" over so that it's left edge aligns with the left edge of the "W" in "Web Design & Publishing I". Maybe even play with the weights on your single font a little more so that you get greater contrast between, say, your bodycopy and your headlines.

Good effort!

BTW, don't forget to toss your name into your signature on the forum.

[kpargs]

Hi Mike,
I like your ideas here, I'm not exactly sure which ones are for mobile and which ones are for the web though. I really like the color and layout of your 3rd rough, I feel like a little exploration of typography and such could make something great. very cool.

[Meghna_Misson]

Hey Michael,
Great concepts! I like how different the layouts are for both, it really shows your range in ideas! However, even though you wanted to create a bright, pop look for the first one, the harsh fuchsia pink for the text scares me away. I really enjoy the composition of your second design the most, there is something visually appealing with how you are using your color scheme throughout your whole website, and it adds a great sense of balance within the design. I also do enjoy how the mobile one (I'm assuming), is black; although, I do wish that there was some color remaining to your name or to some of the other text elements so that everything is not all dark and gloomy. Oh! Maybe when we develop this into a fully functional website, you could have it to where the black button--for example a project button--when clicked on, regains its color back and redirects the viewer to that page (This is only a suggestion but it would be pretty neat). But for my other critiques, I recommend establishing some hierarchy and white space, that way the viewer's eyes flow through everything on screen easily. Other than that, good work!

[Elle Barre]

Hmm, these roughs are a tease! I like them all, they're each interesting, kinda challenging, like, I DARE you not to like these even though the intent is vague right now: this is ME and I'm passing you by and not even looking at you. Yes, I read all of that in there. Maybe I should up my meds, but I think I'm onto something. I like File 2 best, it's the most artful and fleshed out, though I DO like File 1 even though there is so much sort of wrong with it. :- ) It's still interesting, pleasing colors, and could be the framework with some tweaking, that you hang your titles and copy blocks in... maybe. There's not much in the way of headlines or titles in File 2, just tiny copy blocks, but the graphics are cool. The B&W one is the most fleshed-out DESIGN... I dunno about making the TMCC and GRC the main headlines... But, if it IS about that, well done. Interesting photos.

[Fatkid53]

While I like both your color scheme and the general layout, I would say that navigation in the roughs would be something I would revisit moving forward so that your UI is a bit more intuitive. I think the other thing I would possibly approach differently would be the fact that the designs are very much US based, in that they are heavy on the left side of the composition, and considering a more balanced composition may benefit the user. As for my favorite rough, I think color 2 has a lot of potential with the elements you've already composed. Rad start, best of luck.

[Samantha_Thomas]

I like all the colors you choose to use on your roughs. The black and white one is the one outlier as it just seems too dull.
That's just me talking tho,, as I like colors a lot.
I would be very interested to see which design you use and how they transfer to the website versions from the mobile ones you got. I would go with the second one as that seems to be the most attractive looking out of the bunch and make minor edits and changes on that with however people suggest to me.
I don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said, so I look forward to seeing which one you mainly go with and how you proceed from here on out.

[piratek]

So it seems instead of doing 2 designs and then doing a web and mobile version of those, you did 4 unique mobile versions. I like the last one the best personally. Actually I like the third one also. I like elements from both. I think one reason I like these two is the margins for the design as a whole are working and just generally the spacing for the texts seems better. However on the black and white one, I would tweak the spacing between your name and the TMCC just a bit.