Project 01 Preliminary Critique

[jillian_rodgers]

For my Project, I was influenced by my love of gothic aesthetics and metal music/concerts. I wanted to focus on using black, white, and red in my websites to create that dark and eerie look, but still looking professional. For the first design, I utilized the infamous "death metal font" as the main focus of the website. I really enjoy how much is stands out against the rest of the page. For the tabs, I kept them minimalistic so they didn't distract from the headline of the page. As for the second design, I used a "gothic" and or architectural font to tie in with the black and white theme I was going for. I kept the tabs for this design towards the top and added a thin white line to break up the text and keep the focus leveled. I follow many artists who do merch designs for many of the bands I listen to, as well as album covers. This led me to look more in depth at their websites to get an idea of how I wanted to frame mine. I want to eventually do freelance art, so I thought it would be fun to think of this project as a stepping stone to make my own website in the future!

Here is my website inspo:
http://www.mikechardcore.com/about-mchc
https://www.dan-mumford.com/

[LMisher]

Hello Jillian!

I really enjoyed the pinks and reds of the first version; however, I wasn't able to complete read your name on the header. Maybe a slight change in fonts would make it cleaner to read? I liked the black and white version because it reminds me of those turn of the century books or even true crime websites.

Also, I would just have one suggestion for the mobile versions... Instead of having the buttons (project 2-4), I would replace them with a hamburger menu. This will allow more space on the mobile version of the site. Overall, you did a great job. I look forward to seeing the final version of your project.

[Instructor]

You've certainly got two very distinct feels here, Jillian. Love the use of contrast on both. I think I prefer your heavy metal design due to the splash of color.

Great choice of background image on this one. I can just about hear it while I'm looking at it. It immediately establishes the tone and the splash of red really catches the eye. As mentioned previously, it has great contrast which helps set up any layout placed against it and provides a great visual texture. Better yet, it adds a sense of vertical motion, especially on your mobile rough. Somehow you've managed to locate a typeface that's evocative of those "bundle of sticks" death metal logos while still being legible. An inspired choice for your title. The layout itself is simple and clean, which is good since the image is handling all the visual complexity on this one.

I wonder if you need so many defined boxes for your content. Given the high contrast and large dark areas of your background image, I'd be tempted to move the bodycopy down into the crowd and maybe try a dark outer glow or drop shadow behind your buttons. May that plus a bolder font or typeface for your title. I'm not so sure a serif typeface is the best choice for nav/title/bodycopy anyway. Maybe a really hard edged sans-serif type? Also, watch the horizontal and vertical alignment of your button text.

Nice work!

[onnimelon]

I like the first 2 designs a lot better. You captured that metal rock concert look for sure. The only thing I'd really say is the text is too big for the buttons. Defineltyy give them breathing room
For example references is just breaking out of their. Also try other colors than black maybe. Perhaps hot pink like the background or something.

[ngrover19]

Hi Jillian!

Being into heavier-ish music a lot myself, my favorite is the first submission with the cool metal typeface! Although I do also enjoy the sort of vampiric tone of the second one, I just feel that the layout of your first submission works best out of the two. I also just realized reading this post's comments that those three little lines are called a hamburger menu? Which I think you've executed perfectly in the metal mobile layout. Great work!

[taylorichord]

Really cool fonts and backgrounds on both of them! Aesthetically I like the second ones the best, and the layout structure is really nice and clean.
Great job!

[Giselle]

Hello Jillian!
I'm obsessed with both of these designs! I love the concepts of both, and you have great typefaces. They are easy to read, and the hierarchy is prominent right away. I like the layout of the first design, but I love the concept of the second one. Maybe you can try putting the second design concept into the first design layout. I know it will look fantastic no matter what way you decide to go!

[CedarM]

Hi Jillian,
I really like the use of colors and layers that you used in your web pages. I really like the first one with the dark foreground and the very vibrant background. I think this gives the pages really good depth. One thing you could think about doing is to use a bolder font for your text so it stands out a little more.

-Cedar

[kristenrothbauer]

Hi Jillian!
I really love your first design. It pops in color so much and the contrast looks super good. The only feedback I can think is to maybe make the navigation stand out a little bit more, it especially fades into the back on the first design. But great work!

[Brooke_Brown]

Hello Jillian! I really like your red-themed layout, the black and white one was cool but i had a really hard time figuring out what was in the background, i'm guessing flowers? But it took a lot of staring at the background to guess what it was. I do love the red layout of the concert and the vibe it gives off. I feel like i can gauge a lot from that background and my only suggestion is maybe to play with the transparency of the black buttons you have and your text bubble. I think if you make them a little transparent you'll be able to see them better, they kind of blend in with the photo and it would make it easier to see where the buttons are.