Boots Library! More Artist Inspiration...Edvard Scott...

After looking through more digital arts journals I finally came across an artist that brought all aspects of the previous artists looked at together. Edvard Scott a self-taught graphic designer and illustrator from Stockholm currently based in New York. He has worked from print to projections and one projection in particular has caught my eye for inspiration for the 3 page website. It is titled yellow and was created especially for the Projector Spectre exhibition in Breda, Netherlands. The festival screened 10 animated films for two weeks during the summer of 2007. It brought to mind ideas discussed in a previous seminar when Shaun was discussing the idea of a 3d website and this could be used as the main opening page as a platform for the rest of the site. As I am thinking of incorporating my interests of either tea or dance I could have a 3D box of teabags or perhaps a stage to relate to the dance idea. Or even following through from the stage idea I could do a website for a theatre and perhaps incorporate a 3d leaflet which opens out to as part of the 3 page site.

I like the way that the piece rotates and looks like it is jumping out of the page and this could be achieved to help give the website depth. I also like the way Edvard has brought an illustrative print to life and how something that is usual static (like a leaflet) is allowed movement of its own.


Within his other prints I like his bold use of colour and the way it makes his work really stand out. The thick black lines used within the prints help to tone down the colour and so that the large amount of colour is overwhelming. His work is abstract and uses patterns of in a way that reminds me of doodling; this could be incorporated into the banner with the swirl like image appearing to grow. I feel I am inspired by this type of art as I myself am a doodler, whenever sat with a paper and pen I will be drawing anything from lines to patterns to an actual mass of images. The swirl like patterns would also relate well to the idea of dance as they are flowing and free just like dance itself.

Boots Library! More Artist Inpsirations.

After looking through journals in the library I have selected a few artists whose work grab my attention and I have now to narrow those down to the final one.

The first to grab my attention was Steve Wilson a Brighton based illustrator. His designs grabbed my attention for the striking mix of bold colour and fine detailed patterns within some of his prints.

http://www.coshuk.com/html/images.php?id=29 - a showcase of some of his work.

The second that caught my eye was Johnny Cheuk a graphic designer and illustrator based in Hong Kong. Again he is brave with his pallet and quite free with lack of detail replaced with patterns and bold lines within his portraits. http://www.johnnycheuk.com/ - Artists Online Portfolio.

The last which is different from the other two is Jing Zhang a graphic designer, fashion designer and illustrator. His work is Mazaki inspired and I was drawn to it for its intricate details and patterns.
http://www.mazakii.com/ - showcase of work.

Strike! FWA Websites

The X Factor Challenge (http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/xfactor/)

What does it look like?

The pixilation animation is long but the end result is worth it. The simple cartoon drawings are recognisable from the TV adverts. The notepad feel is continued throughout and keeps the website clean and simple.


How easy is it to use?

The site is easy to use as it consists mainly of buttons and links to the different areas. On the main page the sections are highlighted with colour that makes navigation simple and effective. Within each page there is a side navigation menu allowing the user to change the section at any point easily. There are written instructions for all the areas that involve the user actually interacting with the site that makes the use of the site clear and easy.

How relevant is the content of the site?

The content of the site is relevant and it all relates back to the TV adverts and the interactions, which is what the site content is all about. As the songs and votes on the site are what made the choice of who would be used within the adverts themselves.

How clearly is the content organised?

The content is clearly organised with the main information being centred within the notepad and the navigation in the menu to the left help keeping a fluent feel throughout the site.

In Plain Sight : Witsec Confidential (http://www.witsecconfidential.com/)

What does it look like?

Because of the image the site has a cop movie feel about it, however the large image background makes the site stand out and feel different from others I have recently looked at. This is continued throughout, as there are movie clips in the cop feel. There are lots of images used throughout and a few movie clips and interactive buttons and pictures (e.g. the map).

How easy is it to use?

The site is easy to use as it gives you step-by-step instructions with the use of the notes page within each mission. All the buttons are large and clearly labelled; they also have a rollover effect making navigation through the site easy for the user. The fact that it runs in sequence also makes the site easy to follow and progress through, however on certain pages the fact that the user is given the choice on what to answer/ask helps to still give the user that feeling of control.

How relevant is the content of the site?

The site content is very relevant and a interesting way of putting across the importance of witness protection, which in another way could feel a boring subject to read about. The way you are given a case is enticing and encourages the user to continue and unlock all the stages meaning that you learn all the content intended. The films and images are relevant too and keep the cop theme alive throughout the site.

How clearly is the content organised?

The content is clearly organised with the main content being in the middle throughout the site. The whole site is sequenced making it feel extremely organised and well thought out. It is repetitive in the fact that the image is always on the left with the text to the right and the buttons to the bottom left and the fixed buttons along the bottom of the page meaning the user always knows where to look for what that want to do.

Strike! IDEO~Apple~Sony~NOW

IDEO (http://www.ideo.com/)

What does it look like?

The site seems quite busy at first and the layout is left aligned and it would be preferable centred. After the home page though it becomes much more organised there after and the colour scheme becomes simplistic with grey and white throughout. The rest of the site has a blog like feel to it with sequenced information about the company. The only use of colour is with the images which helps to make them stand out and adds interest to the page.

How easy is it to use?

the main page navigation is clear and simple to use and it is also highlighted with a colour change. The rest of the sites navigation is also simple as on each page at the bottom there is a navigational box highlighting the key areas of each section.
The only page which lacked ease of use I felt was the focus main page as the mass of images were confusing on first sight and there was no indication they were buttons other than a small hand so this could have been improved.


How relevant is the content of the site?

The content is relevant as it outlines the company showing its work, the ideas behind it and company news in a very detailed way. There is a lot of information and some areas could have been cut down, as it can seem quite intimidating to the user.

How clearly is the content organised?

The content is organised into sections under key areas. And within each page navigational content is organised at the bottom and top of the page. And the information is in the centre of the page sectioned with the main information at the top and related issues sectioned in three underneath.

Apple (http://store.apple.com/us)

What does it look like?

Clean and simple from the start, which is what you expect as most people already have an idea of the company, and this is how you associate Apple and its products. There is a large use of high quality pictures throughout each page of the site allowing the user to always see the product. The store page is the busiest page and when you choose the type of product from the menu the products become displayed across the top in a banner form with an interactive scroll bar and the main product information is shown below.


How easy is it to use?

The site is easy to use as expected, as there are simple links and tabs to move between pages and product information. There are listed menus leading to other sites and all buttons are clearly highlighted normally with a colour change or in the ‘buy now’ cases an actual button.


How relevant is the content of the site?

The site content is relevant and so is the content within each section. The store information includes the relevant specifications of each model and technical information as well as the opportunity to buy the product you want. The other sections give simply general product information and overviews. Also like with the Sony there is the highly relevant support information.

How clearly is the content organised?

The site content is clearly organised with boxed menus and the main section being centred and also sectioned with the use of headers. Tabs are also featured to organise certain product information clearly.

Sony (www.sony.co.uk)

What does it look like?

The site has the typical Sony colour scheme concentrating mainly on blue and white and the main product and company and product news is centred and is the first thing you see. This is carried on throughout the pages apart from on certain pages there is a certain colour change either just in the border colour or as the background colour, this mainly changes for the major brands for example ‘the ‘walkman’ page. When you decide to view certain products the page becomes much more like a catalogue and online shop where you can view details and add to a shopping basket.

How easy is it to use?

The site is relatively easy to use as there is a menu to view all the products and across the top there are the main pages for the user to navigate through the site. The further information links can be found under the products and the main legal links are clearly shown at the bottom of each page.

How relevant is the content of the site?

The content of the site is very relevant not only does it give you company information but it also informs the user of product detail as well as allowing them to purchase products online. The most relevant information is the support section as with all technologies comes problems and this is a clear and helpful amount of information.

How clearly is the content organised?

The content is clearly organised within the main page and there are tabs used to highlight the key areas and this is used within the product information section as well. Splitting the information section with the use of tabs gives the user the feeling of choice as to what information they look and and makes the sometimes extensive information easier to digest.

NOW online workspace (www.ntu.ac.uk/currentstudents)

What does it look like?

Although the website looks clean on first look with the simple black white and blue colour scheme and boxed areas the simplicity ends here. This is due to the fact that on a closer look you find that the navigational buttons to the main contents are not very clear and difficult to locate. However the theme is carried out throughout giving the website a continuous feel. There is nothing about the site that stands out but this reflects the educational purpose that the site was designed for.

How easy is it to use?

You would think with the category boxes would make it easy to use. But the main categories are not within the boxes but are instead within the banner and are small and with the colour choice easily unseen. Although once you have found the area you are looking for the navigation is simple as it is all based on hyperlinks.

How relevant is the content of the site?

The content is relevant as it is all the links needed to take the user to the course information. There are a few changes that could be made one being that the email should be built into the front page as it is important and users want to see it quickly and easily.

How clearly is the content organised?

Content is organised clearly within the boxes however not really in order of relevance. On the first page course content is organised below student news and competition and it doesn’t feel right to have to scroll down to the most important information.

Strike! Designer Interviews.

Joel Schafer: 'I'm into minimalist clean design' January 15, 2008

Through reading this interview I feel it is important to continue to read magazines such as Digital Art and look into design award sites such as the FWA. He also mentions how he never starts software without using paper. I feel this important as without a mapped idea of how the site and interaction will flow the site will seem broken and the user will find the navigation difficult and find another site to use instead. It is mentioned that knowing a photographer will come in useful therefore networking within the photography course within the university would be a good place to start. I also have a friend at home who does photography so when I am at home I can still continue to get professional pictures for my work. In the interview he says that the way forward in web design is going to be with a greater use of interactivity so looking into interactivity this year will enable us in a head start when entering the industry.

Neworking - SPP2

"The essential point of networking is human contact; business has killed networking by making it something for the career orientated person?"

If networking were now only for the career minded, sites such as facebook would not be in existence. However facebook is one of the most largely used networking sites on the web today. Connecting people all over the world and most importantly not in a business sense. But connecting people in a social sense meeting people who share the same interests and keeping in touch with friends and family. Therefore i believe this statement to be wrong in suggesting that networking can only be used in a business sense.

However a development such as networking sites although proving that networking is not only for business may be killing networking itself if as this statement has devised human contact is the essential point. Therefore it is the business that is keeping networking alive not killing is as it is the sites that do not allow human contact whereas business promotes it and many business networking involves client meetings and networking events where human contact is essential.

Artist Inspirations.

One of the inspirations throughout my life has been dance. It is one of the major art forms that inspires and captures me and influences everything I do. Therefore when asked to find an artist that inspires me I knew the individual too would have to be inspired by my passion for dance. I found this in the photographer Richard Calmes. I love his portfolio on dancers and how well he captures the movement and love of what they are doing. The ‘out there album’ is my favourite, as I have always wanted to see dancers in the real world. People don’t realise that once a dancer always a dancer it is in your life every single day and so are the lessons you take from it. I was therefore thrilled to find he incorporated this into his work.

His website itself is simple however there are a few elements within it I feel work particularly well. Within the portfolio I feel the interactive image selector helps the user feel they are picking and choosing the images and gives them a feeling of choice. I also like that there is a blog where users can comment on the pictures and he can receive feedback. The music to accompany some of the albums is also effective as incorporates another key area of dance and adds an entertainment element to looking through the photos.

Chapter 2 - Successful website layout

Demographics! And the technology the user is likely to be using. Website standard size 760x420 pixels.

Create a site map of navigational links

Enhance the content!

Layout types
Classic inverted ‘L’
-Good for corporate companies – large demographic.
-Defined by top and sidebar – Navigation/Logo

Top header
-Navigation and logo
-Simple and clean
-Used for drop down menus/navigation

Side navigation
-Clean and simple

Box shape
-Information in the middle – focus is drawn
-Classic header, content and footer

Left/right justified
-Stays fixed size

White space
-No sense of interface
-Simple and elegant

Full design
-Covers entire browser window
-Can be busy

Middle
-Interface middle – clarifies information

Classic black background with green/red text
-Not to be used for business websites
-Good for music sites

3D design
-Created using 3D software
-Drawback – download speeds

Horizontal scrolling
-Commonly used by artists, photographers and online stores
-Don’t over do it!

Unconventional
-Have layout but do not conform to typical layouts
-Free to design whatever you like

Emphasis
-Bold, Big, italic, different colours, shadow, glow, texture, shapes, borders, white space.
-Questions you need to ask yourself to decide what to emphasise.
What’s the message?
Which elements communicate the message?
More than one message?
Which visual element is most appealing?
Any elements that could be removed?

Exploring Web design

I have been reading Exploring Web Design, Jeremy Vest, William Crowson & Shannon Pochran. It explains in each chapter the art and techniques to successful web design. I can apply this to my future web designs within the second year and any personal work I take on.