I thought this might be an April fool but I have done it anyway. See below:
Initially, I thought it might be a great idea to enter the 2009 D&AD Open Brief: ‘What else do you do?’ however, following registering an interest searching through the categorises and selecting a web design brief that included everything required to begin the design process, I reconsidered my decision.
On the very slim chance I won and I do mean slim, I would get recognition of my efforts both by gaining an award and completing my project to a high standard, what a great achievement. Although I have to be realistic here, I am working on two projects and a presentation that all need completing in just over a months time. Time is something I have just realised is something I don’t have a lot of.
Weekly Timesheet This is my time sheet from last Wednesday 25th March to Wednesday 1st April: Full production schedule If this requires to be created in a different format, I’m sure I will get to know when I am in college.
I am unable to decide between these three ideas - feedback would be appreciated. I will be posting these on the forum. Hopefully your feedback will allow me to choose just one. IDEA ONE IDEA TWO IDEA THREE Feedback would be appreciated.
It took me quite a while to decided on a web design company website that I could say I liked. I wasn’t looking for a fantastically presented design but one that focused on usability. It is my opinion simplicity is best; people can tire in moments of looking at a site and navigating through endless pages. The website for First Class design has many attributes of a well designed site including a black background with repeated diagonal line focusing the user’s attention to the vibrant portfolio.
Layout and design The focus of this site is to present a portfolio with a brief testimonial from previous clients. The flash slideshow installs confidence in potential client knowing that other people have received a good service. Keeping to a selection of only half a dozen examples from the portfolio that is refreshed with different examples maintains variety and keeps the view interested. Another great point is that the portfolio is photographs of actual printed material.
Accessibility & Validation On the downside I can understand why they play down the fact that they can do webdesign because the site doesn’t validate.This might not be important to a lot of client but it is something I would question.
Navigation Another great advantage of this site is that the site format of the size doesn’t alter. What I mean it that the logo and contact details remain in place on every page and the only things to change from page to page is the images and associated text. Even when the text is increase five times the size the site remains easy to read and navigate through.
Unfortunately if java script is turned off the text does refresh with the associated image and you are unable to navigate through the thumbnail portfolio.
Conclusion
The design layout simplicity and quality of design is first class. Taking into account the site is let down by validation and reliance on javascript, I would be very proud of it.
Joe Williams is now in his final year studing Computer Science at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. His potfolio is very limited as you would expect and his written english is very unproffesional, but honest.
Layout and design
Putting text over images makes the text difficult to read and suggested that he doesn’t understand too much about usability. The only graphic of any interest in the design is the repeated paisley background image.
Accessibility & Validation
This is possibly the only design that I have tested that looks better when the size of font is increased. I am very disappointed that this site doesn’t validate.
Navigation
The navigation very large disappears when you scroll down the page adding to the frustration of navigating. A return to top top link could easily solve this problem.
Conclusion If I was Joe Williams I would re-consider my portfolio and all the websites I had created. None of them validate and this is a potential problem.
Final Conclusion
In my opinion you are a web design whether you are college student or web professional. The only difference is as a professional you are paid for the job you do. The main difference between the two online portfolios I have analyses is the level of creativity. Speaking as a professional graphic designer I believe that creating a design that are aesthetically pleasing are only achievable through a mixture of experience, influence and pure natural ability.
My online portfolio has been a long time coming and is the main reason I joined this course. Initially my primary audience will be my tutor however, I perceive that their maybe other interests in my portfolio from potential employers or clients. Fellow design industry professionals and students may also be interested in visiting it as an example of a students work.
1. Primary Audience – Tutor Steve is the tutor of the HNC Interactive Media course; he will be visiting my online portfolio to assess it against the delivery requirements and the assessment criteria. With a background in graphic design, Steve will be mainly interested in the aesthetics of the design.
Steve uses a Apple Macbook that users Firefox version 3 to browse the Internet. At work and at home he has access to a high-speed Internet connection.
2. Client Oliver & Jones are a catering company interested in rebranding their product range, corporate identity and website. The economic downturn means they can no longer afford their original advertising agency and require a designer who is honest, can offer marketing advice and ensure that all designs are consistent from print to web.
Due to the location of the company in a village on the outskirts of Sheffield their Internet connectivity is variable. Using Microsoft Vista with Internet Explorer 7, they intend to locate a designer either through links from the Chamber or Business Link. By offering the design work to a freelance designer or local small design company they will be supporting their local economy and over the years will build up trust, developing a dependable design service they can rely on.
3. Fellow Industry Professionals Dylan and Al are from my secondary school days, they recently found me on facebook, a social networking site and have asked where they can view my portfolio. Each of them have their own website showcasing their artwork.
As creative’s they are both naturally very competitive and will scrutinise every detail of my website, aesthetics of the website the content and if it standards are compliant with all be under observation. They are expecting my portfolio to impress them and maintain the standard of design they remembered from their school days.
They both use Apple Mac’s and browse the Internet using Safari through a 2Mb broadband connection.
1. Display my Web and Design skills The design of my online portfolio will showcase my design and web skills to a level that I am satisfied with. This I feel will be the hardest goal I have ever set myself.
*In order to achieve this goal I will have to scrutinise my own design work and choose a design that is attractive and easy to maintain.
2. An easily updateable portfolio To regularly update my portfolio while my latest campaign is live to the public. To achieve this might require me gain an understanding CMS. If this is unachievable I may need to keep the layout simple* and use comments to highlight areas that need updating.
Learning how to use a CMS will be useful for me when I approach new start-up businesses that might require a self managed website solution.
*This will be measured by how easily the process is to do – creating a design that can accommodate new design work without being too busy is the solution.
3. High ranking in Search Engines Optimisation To be listed high in the search engines is essential to attract potential new employers or clients to my website. In fact my last client asked if her site could be among the top five listed in Google*.
*Possessing an understanding how to improve SEO and track results in Search Engine Results Pages, such as Google’s tracking service that lists the most popular keywords that users may use while searching for similar sites.
4. Validated to XHTML 1.0 Strict and CSS ver 2.1 standards *This goal goes without saying and has been a goal I have set myself in all the websites I have developed. Ensuring the website is validated to these standards goes towards improving SEO and will increase compatibility across browsers.
*Regularly checking the website by using the Validation services from W3C.
I have decided to do: The MLILB Creative Brief,
Month Two:
