Project one Preliminary critique

[ariaaearnest]

Edit: I just noticed I forgot to put in the TMCC logo. I'll update that when I can. Sorry!

Looking up inspirations for my websites I used sites liked https://www.behance.net/ and www.creativebloq.com
and http://www.webcreme.com/ So I would put these websites under my references.

With my first site, the main theme I was going for was children book illustrations. I'm a fan of cartoons and illustration so I wanted my first layout to show that. I originally wanted to use my own illustration for the background but I sadly ran out of time and could not complete a full color illustration that looked presentable enough for critique. If I go with this layout, the background art would be my own illustration inspired by Beatrix Potter's and Tove Jansson's art. The site I was mainly inspired by was the hunger games website, specifically their district hero's page http://www.thecapitol.pn/districtheroes. I loved how theses sites used simple graphics and full body illustrated backgrounds for their website and drew inspiration from this as well.

For my second website I was mainly inspired by more simpler sites like http://www.moririshgin.com/ourgin and http://www.mikiyakobayashi.com/projects I loved how simple and beautiful these designs were and tried to draw inspiration from them. I'm not sure if this design is too simple though and if there's more to it I need to add. The buttons would be roll over buttons that would change color when rolled over.

In my final site, I would like to use my own illustrations to give my designs a more personal touch. Sadly I ran out of time before I could post any presentable colored drawings. When I do switch out the drawings, they will have similar color schemes or take colors from my illustration. Also any suggestions about typography would be great too since I don't know too much and about it and need to do more research on it.

[rmiyashiro]

Your second design is where it's at! Though I don't know what drawling your gonna put on the rabbit one. For me to really choose a favorite I'd need to see the drawling you plan on using, but until then, I'm in support of your second design. The negative space with the cloud picture create a lightness. It almost makes me feel lighter than air like David Blaines.

[Ryan_Hartman]

I find the First Layout to be more eye pleasing and simplex which allows the user to follow it easily.
What i would consider is possibly a larger text box and maybe look at different colors combinations to make less bright and more visible.

[kaycee_weddell]

Good Job! I like your concepts and the colors your chose. They both work great with that white background.I think I am leaning more towards your design with the rabbit. It is very clean and organized. With that said I think maybe you should work with the space at the top a little more. It feels a little empty at the top. I thought maybe you could try putting your navigation bar up there and see if that brings your design together. Overall good job!

[Joe_Morales]

I like both of these design they are so soothing to look at I would love to see what illustration you would replace the rabbit with if you go with it. My critique would be to mess with your navigation bars they are kind of small and get kind of lost in the space.

[KamiGurl]

So far, I'm really enjoying both of your concepts. The choice of color is used very well! If I were to choose one, I really like your idea of the first one. It is very different from a lot of web sites out there and it is intriguing. I'm interested to see what you will actually replace the image with. The only thing I would critique on is where your name is, I would play with it a little more~ perhaps move it up so that it isn't close to your navigation bar and body copy. Other than that, Great Job so far!

[raoki]

Both of these are so cute! I love those colors with the white background, those fit really good.
I'd choose the first one because it already looks good so you don't need to fix a lot. Just align the body copy and add the tmcc logo on the top right corner. I believe you can easily replace the rabbit image to your art of work, it'll look even better than this

[lornrocks]

Hmmm, this is a tough one, Aria. I like both of your layouts. I can't wait to see when you actually finish your bunny drawings and put them in the layout (if that's the one you choose) because your art is so cute and I would love to see it inserted into your page.

I like the first layout but I feel that the top of the page is way too blank. I almost expect to see a tiny nav bar or maybe some kind of home button or something. Beyond that, love the layout, the white space is great and the colors are so pretty and soothing. I love the text box overlapping the photo, great choice. Also love the logo.

The second layout is also very pleasing. Love the sunset photo and its placement and how you pulled colors from it for your layout. I think this composition is more balanced than the first one, it uses white space in a good way and doesn't have an awkward unbalanced composition like the first one. I do almost wish that your text area was contained within a border like your buttons are, or maybe just make a fake button bar type thing (but big) like Michael showed us yesterday? It's sort of floating in space otherwise.

I think both layouts are very you and work very well, so honestly, it's up to you which one you want to pick.

[gr8ful1]

I like both of your designs equally. I like the color scheme of them both, the colors seem calming and very complementary. If you go with the first, and use a illustration that is similarly weighted at the bottom, I might try moving your name and body copy up slightly, maybe even just stretching it vertically a small amount. It seems like both sides are a little bottom heavy, and if you can move your body up into some of the white space it may not have to overlap the illustration.
My only suggestion for the second design would be to try to make all of the navigation buttons the same size, and have the same overlap into the circular illustration, so that they mimic the curve of the graphic.

[Instructor]

I'd say you have two equally strong designs here, Aria. Pick with one works best for you.

Your first design has such a fun sense of antique whimsey to it. The picture of the rabbit looks like he's perusing the content of the website. He also guides the user's eye to the content by his gaze and the direction he's pointing. The color scheme of the document reflects the image. It's a set of soothing sunset colors that are pleasing to the eye and relax the user. The type choices work well to enhance the antique feel to the whole composition. It's actually pretty well balanced even though it's bottom heavy.

My biggest issue with the first design is the text boxes. As in, you don't need them. Remove the text boxes, narrow the content area and increase it's height so no part of the type touches the rabbit image and you'll have a nice clean design with no overlap or busyness. I'd also enlarge your navigation type a bit also.

Your second design makes me feel like I'm up in the sky watching a sunset from the top of a cloud. Once again your color scheme reflects and reinforces your imagery. Your type adds a smoothness that seems to reinforce your cloud theme. The bodycopy is easy to read as well. I like the rounded rectangle bullet points. They reflect your navigation buttons well. The rounded sunset portal makes it feel like you're watching the sunset through a break in the clouds, or possibly a porthole, or maybe it's a reflection on the sun itself.

A couple of issues with your second one. I don't like the overlap showing between the buttons and the framing circle around your sunset sky. I'd make the overlap invisible and size the buttons so they're either all the same width or the extend the same amount out from the circle like the wing on a set of pilot's wings. The other is the distance between your image and your content area. There's too much space between them which breaks the design up. Enlarge one or the other or both to give a bit more proximity between them.

Good work! I'm curious to see what direction you'll go in.