Project 2 Preliminary Critique

[lornrocks]

Hi everyone, I'm not sure how we're supposed to post this, so here is my four roughs for my two layouts. I'm doing Suzanne Collins' website (she wrote the Hunger Games), which you can view here: http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/index.htm

For my first design, I decided to really drive that Hunger Games aesthetic home, because that's what I would do if I were her PR person.

Also her bio is waaaaaaay too long on the actual site. I think for the sake of brevity I might shorten it for the actual redesign. I gave up trying to fit it all in.



For my second design, I decided to redo the current theme/aesthetic of her website with the orange and white, but made it more organized and not like someone abused Wordpress.

I decided she seems like a very chill, nice person and she probably wanted orange for her website because she likes those colors. So I went with a soft design and used a pretty watercolor font for the header and nav and stuck with the serif type she has in her original site for the body copy. I realize it's not super fancy but I think it's still a marked improvement from what she has currently.

[kaycee_weddell]

I really like your designs! I think they both turned out really well. I like how powerful the hunger games themed one is. That is a very popular movie/book so I feel like people will really remember her for that. I also really like the orange design. I feel like the type and overall feel of it works really good together. Both designs would be a good pick and the only thing I feel like might make your designs stronger is if you maybe put the type in columns. There is a lot of text on the page and it looks a little intimidating. Just something from typography:) But great job!!

[rmiyashiro]

Use the first one. Stuff on fire is always interesting. I've never read any of her books and I think I've seen 2.5 of the 4 movies based on her famous series but she'd definitely like the first one the most.

[KamiGurl]

Hey Lauren,

First of all, great job on both of your designs. They turned out really well! Personally, I am enjoying the first one with the Hunger Games. I think that one would be more successful since everyone can relate/know who she is from that. I agree with your bio comment: to perhaps shorten it up a little bit.. It's way too long lol. And maybe try doing what Kaycee suggests, either put the text in columns or making the body shorter so the lines aren't so long. I felt the same way (text is intimidating and not interesting to read). Other than that, Great Job! I love the color scheme!

[dzynecin88]

Hi Lauren -
I love your designs! Particulary the texture and your font choices. It's a tough choice, but I associate the first one immediately with the Hunger Games, and really love the texture you've used. You're right - her bio is ridiculously long and shortening it would make it more inviting to read.

[Ryan_Hartman]

Both are nice designs, but i like the second brighter design better because it portrays the biography more towards her verses the books she has created. It also portrays more of a fluent personality verses the first design that has more of a solid rocky structure with the fonts you've used.

[Instructor]

Now these are two excellent designs. Great use of textures to add weight and visual interest to your compositions. Your typography is well chosen on both and really works well to compliment your themes. They are both good enough that I leave the decision on which one to pick up to you. The first shows her as the author of the Hunger Games, the second shows her as a general author who just happened to write a hit book series.

If you go with your first design, the home page is just about perfect. Texturally, typographically, marginally, and layout-wise, it all works to drive the Hunger Games theme into your head. I can hear the whistle right now just looking at it. Nice use of transparency and subtle drop shadows as well. The navigation is also nicely laid out and easy to find and use.

It's inner page is not quite so good. The navigation is great and I really like what you did with the page title, but the bodycopy is kind of an amorphous blob that hits you right in the eye when you first see it. It needs more margin between itself and the picture and more spacing between the paragraphs, at least. I'd say to try putting it in a smaller space as well, like you did on the inner page of the second design.

If you go with your second design, you have a very nice general design that uses it's paper texture, color, and contrast very well. The eye immediately does to the navigation and title bar at the top. Typographically it works as well. The brush font used in your titles and navigation gives a feeling of warmth and personal craftsmanship, while the thick serif bodycopy gives a nice traditional feeling. You also have a nice large content area you can configure any way you like. The inner page in particular is rather strong. I like the image location, the text box location, the titling and how the content composition plays on the established elements of the website design.

It has a weaker home page than the first one though. I'd say it needs more photos. It feels a little plain right now. Perhaps a collage of some of the books she's written or another picture of her, or both? I'd also increase the leading on your paragraph.

Excellent work, Lauren! I look forward to seeing the real version of this one.

[ravens.way]

I like the design for you first site. The colors work well together. The fonts are easy to read. I like the textured back ground you used on your site.

[gr8ful1]

I like both of your designs. The first is very bold and draws interest for the Hunger Games theme. Looking at her origional site though, and being someone whose never seen or read the Hunger Games (I know!!), I think your second design feels a little truer to her as an author. Her site seems to try to highlight all of the books she's written, so I think highlighting Hunger Games while also crediting her other work is smart. I like the layout, color scheme and fonts of the second one, but I agree the bio is way too big, it takes up the whole page and doesn't have breathing room. Great job!

[raoki]

Hm she is well-known because of Hunger Games so I'd say the first design is more suitable for her website.
Also I love the powerful design! I was about to mention about the typefaces because looks like there are three typefaces and usually people choose just two... but it doesn't really bother so I guess you can stay with them Great job!