Proj 1 Prelim

[justinepaigek]

So here are my two roughs. I really wanted to go with a minimalistic approach, so that's the direction I went. I wanted to keep the color palette pretty simplistic yet still maintain some casual elegance. I also juxtaposed the block of type to the right, for more visual interest.



(I realize now that I posted my references/creative muses in the wrong place WOOPS. Anyway, I'll just copy/paste it here.)

Hi, all!
I did some digging on the interwebs and found a couple of places to help designing a website. Entheos is a site full of tutorials and has an area for designing a website: http://www.entheosweb.com/website_design/default.asp

And Reuters has an article on a website called Simple Web Tutorial, a great resource to ease the process. Brock Hamilton, the founder of this resource, claims that someone with no previous web/programming knowledge can have a basic site up in under half an hour. Let's test that theory, shall we? Here's the link to the article, which also has a link to the site: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/ ... NE20131028

Here are the two websites that I found creatively inspiring:

The first is called Medium, an anthology of the musings of ordinary folk and experienced writers alike. Besides the endless topics that kept me occupied for almost an hour, the site's design is pretty seamless with its minimalistic approach, with eye-catching photos and their accompanying article titles stacked on top of another. The primary focus of the site is "the words". This is a place for people to share stories and thoughts, without having to worry about "gratuitous side-bars, plug-ins, or widgets...there is nothing to customize." I think this site is a nice example of beauty in simplicity and exemplifying the less-is-more theory. https://medium.com/

The second site is called "Kaufmann Mercantile," an online store aimed towards the outdoorsman/adventurer/lover of quality goods. The company prides itself on selling only the highest quality goods that equally parallel in functionality as well as aesthetic and durability. I enjoy the colors used because they do evoke that woodsy-aura, making me want to live in a cabin in the Sierra Nevadas chopping wood and taming bears in my spare time. I especially like the flow of the products, where each listing is simply a photo of the product against a white background, staying simple and not trying to stage the product in an intricate setting (like some contrived online stores/catalogs do). I find the drop-down menus help ease navigation, and the typography has a strong presence yet still remains elegant. I may not currently find use for a waterproof lighter or a steel folding knife, but with the attractive presentation this site gives, I might just have to start shopping for one.

https://store.kaufmann-mercantile.com/

[Sierragirlnv]

Hi Justine,
Very good project one rough layouts you have there. I am leaning towards the second layout because the first one almost reminds me of an office memo. Please don't take offense to that but I think the horizontal layout and the length of it without any color looks plain. I like the second rough because the color choices offer depth and hierarchy. It has a modern feel to it as well.
well done.

Sierragirlnv

[paula_b]

Hi Justyne!
I like the first rough, I think because it has some color. I like your font choice and the simplicity of the page. It has an elegance in it, but I have trouble with all the white space on the left. What about a faint filigree (?) design. The second rough looks too much like a letter. Maybe a little color on some of the words in the copy.

[wendy_boddy]

Hi Justine,
Both layouts are clean and minimal. The top one is cool because you can keep adding to it and keep it clean looking a lot like your two inspirations. I would however like to see more images than just the headshot, but maybe you planned on having more as you went further with your design. The second one is cool as well. I like how you have a two images already planned for it and the horizontal layout is very easy to use and navigate through. I think I prefer the first one because there is so much space for your information and images.

Have a good one! =)

Wendy

[ryansegal]

Hey Justine,

Both designs have potential to them. I'm not too fond of the right-justified type on either design, however; it really slows down the reading speed.

As far as the first rough goes, have you thought about arranging the links around the circle at the top? It would definitely help with the hierarchy of the design as a whole, and free up some space for your block of text.

The best thing about the second rough is that it keeps with the minimal theme while not seeming entirely too plain. I think it would definitely benefit if you were to mirror it vertically, however; again, the right-justified text just feels a little bit clunky. You might also consider bumping the block of text a little further from your color bar,p; it feels a little tight, and it would lend to the minimalism by giving it a little more breathing room.

I think you picked a great typeface, but I'm not sure it works well as a header if it's not bolded. The circle has some interesting possibilities as well, and it might be worth trying to reapeat that element elsewhere in the design.

Overall though, I think these are some great simple starting points to build from. Sorry for the wall of text!

[dboudinot]

Hi Justine,

I like the bottom rough because of the color. It adds just enough edge to make the page interesting while still achieving your minimalistic appearance. I do think it needs to be a little more balanced on the left side; maybe that is where you can put "grc 175 web design and publishing."

[Instructor]

Hm. I think you have two pretty equal foundations to build interesting houses on here. You've gone very minimal, perhaps a little too minimal.

Of your designs, I slightly prefer the first one. I think it's the best starting point to build on. I like it's simplicity and ease of use and I think the typeface choice works well.

I'm not fond of the tacked on right side navigation. I'd put it between the headline and the body. I'd also use a slightly bolder font for the headline and navigation. I also think it could use the tiniest hint of color. Perhaps on the navigation or title.

A good, if quite minimal, start.

[Miasera]

Hi Justine,

You're off to a good start with the both of these, I really like the accent color of your second design. However, I'm also not a font of the right-align of the text. It doesn't work as well if it's a paragraph compared to a list, and a regular justify might work better even though you'll need to find a way to unify your designs better if you go that route.

They're simple and clean, and while I am a fan of such designs for now the first one seems a little too monotonous. You don't even have to add another color to it, you can play around with various font weights so that it doesn't all blend together, and I'm sure it'll look that much better once your images are brought in. Good job with both of them.

[georgia_novotny]

Hi Justine,
I like your designs... they both look fairly simplistic which is what you said you were going for.

I would make the first one stand out more as it looks like a word document.
I think that the type should have more boldness, so maybe trying a different type or just adding boldness/stroke.
The first thing you see is the very large black dot and thats all you think about as far as design. If thats what you want then thats what it communicates.

I liked the second one more as it felt more "alive". Starts to show a little bit more feeling with color and design rather than the first one.
I personally love details and lots of design.

Simple is more readable and appeals to a wider group of people so both design are good for those purposes.
Hope some of that helps.
Georgia

[hummela]

I do get a photo feel for the first layout.. but i am drawn to the second layout more, i can see the links a little better.. and i like the pop of color in the second one, more interesting.
If you wanna go for the first one maybe a heavier font an some color..