P2 Research

Some Kind Of Happiness, By Claire Legrand
Cover Designer, Thea James
Design Firm, Workman  Publishing
Published on October 8, 2015

Voices In The Night, By Steven Millhauser
Cover Designer, Janet Hansen
Design Firm, Alfred A. Knopf
Published on April 14, 2015

The Hourglass Factory, By Lucy Ribchester
Cover Designer, Melissa Four
Design Firm Simon & Schuster
Published on January, 2015

Unit 2 Chapter 3,4,5 Response

          On this section of Don't Make Me Think you learn in detail the characteristics of users while navigating websites. There's five important things you need to remember while building your website. The first important thing for your webpage is visual hierarchy. You can do this by changing text size, font, and color to make certain words more visible on your page. The second important thing for your page is taking advantage of people's conventions. Convention is the way someone usually does something. For example if people are used to scrolling down a page you should probably incorporate that into your layout rather then clickable buttons. The third important thing to remember about your page is break it up into clearly defined areas. You don't want someone visiting your page and not knowing what to click on or where to go.  If the user has trouble with this they may never visit your page again. Making it obvious what's clickable is the fourth important thing for users to know about your page. Using visual hierarchy on your page will help you achieve this. The fifth important thing to incorporate in your page is minimizing noise. You can minimize the busyness on your page by showing information only when it's needed. Another way to minimize noise is making a simple background so it doesn't take away from what's important on your page.

Sitemap Portfolio Website

Mood Board Web Portfolio

Web Portfolio Concept Statement

Unit 1 Chapter 1 and 2 Response

Don't Make Me Think

Chapter 1 and 2

         The first chapter talks about how to make a interfaces easy to use. You can do this in a few different ways. The first being text hierarchy. This will show users where to look first. Another way to bring attention to a particular spot on your page is to change the color so it stands out more. These design elements will also help users spend less time thinking about where they are and what they are looking for. Since people scan pages rather then reading everything. Visual effects like this make people spend more time on your page because it's easy for them to find there way around. If a person can navigate through your page with ease it makes them feel smarter. The feeling a person gets when viewing your page is the deciding factor if they will revisit your site or not. 

Unit 1 Interface Sketches

The wire frames I made are for the i Phone. The one on the left will have five buttons and will be able to scroll down. The wire frame on the right will be a single page. With the same amount of buttons. With each button going to a new page. Each style corresponds with the desktop version.

For this wire frame I wanted to keep it simple and clean. Everything would be displayed on one page top middle. The body copy of the page would mainly be a rotating images of my passed projects and art. I feel this layout maybe over used but that's because it works. 

This wire frame I tried to be a bit more creative with the layout. The page would consist of five buttons. Each button would bring you to a new page that looks similar the the last one. I would create a interesting graphic to link the buttons together. This graphic would be the same throughout the site.

Unit 1 Inspiring Portfolios

     After reviewing plenty of individuals portfolios. I came to the conclusion that I have a long way to go, when it comes to creating a intriguing interface for my portfolio. Below are a few inspiring portfolios I came across.

Ed Peixoto

Ed Prixoto's website has very eye catching color saturation on a black background. The colored lines and forms show movement down the page. This makes for a easy and enjoyable user experience.

Thibaud

Thibaud has a love for color this is apparent in his site. He has a consistent rhythm with good balance between color and negative space. His site is constantly changing button location which keeps the simplicity interesting. 

Chris Woods

Chris Woods is an expert photographer. This is seen in his website by the great balance and contrast that each of his photographs possess. There's very little text on his page but there's no need for it. Each picture represents a thousand words. Which is demonstrated very clearly by the first thirty five photographs he displays. Chris's photography displays his caliber of skills without saying anything. That's why his photography is so prominently displayed. 

Domenico Tedone

Domenico Tedone showcases his expert Photoshop skills with a very unique interface design. When viewing his site it seems like you're using Google map rather than scrolling through a portfolio. This uniqueness makes a lasting impression. The use of negative space also accentuates his artwork.

Justin Birds

Justin Birds has the simplest portfolio on my list. His website maybe simple but it serves it's purpose. He doesn't portray himself as something he's not. With the skills he has. The bird on the tree is a clever play on his name. It's also interactive because it flies when you hover over it. Which I find to be very intriguing. 

Robby Leonardi

This is by far the best online portfolio I've ever seen. Robby Leonardi had the great idea to turn his portfolio into a game. The game aspect makes viewers want to go until the end. The way he keeps viewers engaged is genius. I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more portfolios designed like this one in the future.

Wade Brothers

The Wade Brothers are two program directors for a variety of different employers. All the companies they work with are very established. This is evident in their website. The website has great balance between text and images. This helps users navigate the page without too many distractions.

Jesse Willmon

Jesse Willmon is an illustrator who loves cartoony motion graphics. This is displayed very clearly throughout her website. Jesse's website is colorful and playful which gives the user a good feel for her personality. She stays consistent throughout the page by using a typeface that accents her illustrations.