GRC 175 Learning and Discussion Forum

Hey, so I didn't get to present on Monday, so looks like I'm going next week, but I thought I'd throw up what I've got for some preliminary commentary. (And maybe allow for some adjustments by next week.... >_> )

Quick aside: having more or less completed this post now, I feel as if I should warn you now - I am rather verbose, and given to excessive use of parentheticals. Please, don't judge me too harshly for this. But, in advance: mea culpa!

Rough 1

So for starters, the more personally inspired layout.... Music is/has been a very big part of my life. (A musician... in a graphics arts class.... who's a coder. Hmmm.....) Anyway, one of my favorite types of music is punk rock, so basically, I decided to rip off the Sex Pistols. ^_^
File also found here: http://frostfire.dnsdojo.net/mainlib/im ... _rough.png

I'm thinking the links at the top are in their rollover state, and would be basic black when not activated. And the area where it says "Project 1" and "Project 2" is the body copy area. Also, I was thinking it might work better with a black background instead of white. Originally, my idea for the links was to use the "ripped out of a magazine" style of text commonly seen on punk show posters, or something similar. However, coming from a coding background, I'm a complete noob with photoshop, and only slightly less of a noob with GIMP. (That's the free and open source "competitor" to photoshop, for those unfamiliar. It stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program.) So, I didn't know how to create the effect I wanted. Instead, I used my extensive google-fu talents to find the font you see in the image. (Okay, so maybe I didn't need "extensive" google-fu.)

Rough 2

My second rough is the one I prefer. (Which you'll realize as I ramble on at length about it below.) This was inspired by the Principles of Beautiful Web Design book I've been reading for this class. I got to this part where it was talking about minimalist design, and I found the idea really intriguing. Simple, clean, and no extraneous "stuff" going on. It's not particularly representative of me per se, but I wanted to try it anyway. (In short, "because I like it!" Sorry!) I've played with some ideas since monday on this one, but for starters, here's what I brought to class:
File also found here: http://frostfire.dnsdojo.net/mainlib/im ... _rough.png

Each element, other than the "fall 2011" would be a link and a rollover. Body copy is below the icons, although I didn't try to add any representational body copy in this rough. My thought was the rollovers would be bright and colorful, though I wasn't sure if I would use pastels or bold bright colors. I'd love anybody's opinion on this, as most of you all are artists and much more versed in the technical aspects of art and what looks good than I.

So, along the lines of the icons, I started to play with them. Not just in color though either. In particular, the envelope and the triangle with the exclamation point didn't particularly please me. They are supposed to be the "contact" and "projects" links respectively. The envelope was boring, and finding something simple to represent "projects" was rather hard. The only other idea I had for that was a hash mark (#). Suggestions?

Anyway, below you'll see some ways I was playing with the icons. I rather like the change to the shapes exploding outside their confines. And I kind of like the hash mark too. Let me know what you all think!
File also found here: http://frostfire.dnsdojo.net/mainlib/images/icons2.png

guide to what I did by line:
1 - originals
2 - changed some shapes and darkened the gray to 20%.
3 - added pastel colors for rollovers. I was going for purple with the @, but got more of a pink, so I tried again.
4 - changed the shapes again (all of them this time, and some more drastic than others). gave everything more definite edges, but the fill is back to 10% gray.
5 - same, but with 20% gray.
6 - added the same pastels as above for rollovers.
7 - trying the rollovers with full saturation. I like them (I like bold colors) but it might be too much with all the white and subtle grays.
8 - other attempts at the "projects" icon. I rather like the triangle pointed up here... but the exclamation makes it feel more like a warning to me than anything. And the one with the hole feels a lot like a yield sign.

Anyway, that's what I've got and my thoughts and some motivations. Any and all comments are appreciated! (I'm an art noob, if this sucks, please for the love of all things good and holy [like doughnuts], tell me! )

Hello Sir,

Again IMO I actually prefer the first one. Mostly for two things: a. you said it represents you more and b. because design wise I rather like it.

I would play with the use of extending the texture of the "Queens" background. Its like a grungy paper. ( that could be fun.) I love that you will leave it b/w except for the rollover state! Very pleasing on the eye. I would say make your body copy also black, and a sans serif to match the sans serif of the links. but ya. I really like this one and think it would be really fun to play with.

For the second one. I do appreciate the simplicity of it. But I'm not sure if its too simple? I don't know. I just seem to like the first better~

I like your idea for the background.... Now I just have to figure how to do it. (To google!) As for the body copy, I really should have just deleted those when I put the image together. They were just an object to put there more than anything. I wasn't really trying to indicate a font I liked or a color I liked for that. Basic black text is the way to go there for sure, but I'm wide open on fonts. Problem at this point is the fact that I've already got 3 different fonts goin' on.... although maybe with their integration into graphics that isn't as much of a problem? Of course, those 3 fonts are unsuitable for blocks of text, IMO, so I'm going to have to add one anyway. Hm....

As for the second one, "too simple" was pretty much the objective; I was going for absolute bare bones minimalism. Apple's marketing/branding was part of my inspiration. Like when a mac boots up and it shows a blank white screen with the gray Apple logo in the middle. It would end up looking slightly less simple with some body copy added, and I think the rollover actions would really add a lot too. Fair ball that you prefer the other one though. (It was fun to create that one... felt kind of silly. )

I like the first one better too. I agree that something more is needed in the background. The second could be very powerful in its simplicity if done right, but the first one is visually interesting and slightly chaotic.