Research

Legend

the lists under each site will answer these questions

• Why did I choose this particular site?
• What specific aspects of the site do I find useful to my own design knowledge?
• What features/concepts of the site would I consider to use in my own site design for this class?

Twintype

• Similar in scope to my own project. Portfolio Site.
• Nice nav. recent projects on first page. mixed flash usage (anti-purist but effective in this situation).
• nicely laid out. easy navigation. clean appearance. the portfolio pages are quick to browse and feature appropriate information

Sroown

• Similar in scope to my own project. Portfolio Site.
• recent projects on first page. interesting project information rollovers
• Gallery on front page.

Grid Systems

• Information/Research Resource
• excellent information on grid systems and how they apply to the web.
• Grids for Layout

Setting Type to a Baseline Grid

• Information/Research Resource
• excellent information on how to apply a baseline grid to type with CSS
• Baseline grids

Final Project

For my final project I am going to create an online portfolio site.  As a Graphic Designer this is an important step.  Having a place for clients or employers to view my work can only help me to further my career.

Problems to solve:

• How will it look?
• How will work and information be organized and presented?

Initially, I want my site to be clean and well organized. I don’t want the design of the site to distract from the work. Maybe I’ll have the work presented on the front page since it is the most important feature of the site. How can I do this without becoming too cluttered? Ideas are welcome.

Design Process

Anything designed well doesn’t just appear out of thin air.  Designers usually follow a process to solve problems in order to complete the design task at hand. After reading Douglas Bowman’s “A Design Process Revealed,” I noticed that his process for creating a personal project for CSS Zen Garden is not so dissimilar from any designer. His process:

• Research & Discovery
• Competitive Analysis
• Exploration
• Thumbnail Sketching
• Typography
• Imagery
• Composition
• Execution & Implementation

I won’t go into detail about these points. His article is sufficient for that. It is important to note that this process follows a simple structure to go from initial problem to final solution.  Designers need to be more than creative, they must have the ability to work efficiently  and effectively.  Without a structured form of problem solving each project can become sloppy and more overwhelming than the last.  

—— After analyzing this article and writing about it I see that one of my major problems is that I don’t work very efficiently.  i may follow a similar process, but it seams like I don’t execute it in a time efficient manner.  I suppose that is the point of this blog.  Learning how to learn.

Introduction and Goals

My name is Anthony Stanford.  I am in the Graphic Design BFA program.  I currently work at a veterinary clinic.  Although taking care of animals is its own reward, it isn’t very lucrative.  By continuing my education and furthering knowledge of my field I hope to start a career that is rewarding and actually pays well.

Goals for this class

• Create a web site using Cascading Style Sheets for all presentation, and XHTML for structure.
• Create a brand identification into the interface design of a Web site.
• Understand how you learn best and increase your skills at self-directed learning.
• Research and identify information sources about web standards, designing with CSS, and related information and aggregate these resources for your continuing study and application.
• Create a sweet, standards compliant, portfolio site.