Delivery Requirements
- I will use Adobe Photoshop in order to create my screen designs, and I will design my portfolio website based on the 960 grid system.
- I will use Komodo Edit to build the website, using HTML, CSS and PHP where necessary. Afterwards I will then fully test the website in order to make sure it complies with W3C Standards.
- I will use my stephanielee.co.uk domain name, and will host the website with Hydro Host.
Competitive Analysis
I have carried out a competitive analysis in order to evaluate other FdA Web Design students portfolios and also Web Design companies websites. This allows me to see what is already out there, what can I do different to make my portfolio website unique and also it enables me to look and see what designs work well and what designs don’t.
Firstly, I have looked at Tom Smith’s online portfolio. The aspect that strikes me the most is how he has a short phrase/tagline at the top which is catchy. It is a good opener to a website rather than just a name. This phrase clearly identifies what Tom’s website will be about, and I therefore think this phrase draws you in. I have recently read an article on Smashing Magazines website, which lists the top 10 steps to the perfect portfolio website. Using a Tagline is number 2 on the list.
- Tom Smith’s Online Portfolio
I am unsure as to whether I like the layout of Tom’s website. I think it’s too heavy on the right hand side, and it feels unnatural having to look to the right of the website all the time. I do however like it as it is a different layout to what you usually see, and it creates more attention towards his name as that is the only thing on the left side of the website.
I really like some of the little design features Tom has used. Such as the bright yellow colours on the dark black background. They work to add a feature to the design, but also as a solution to showing the user what page they are on. For example, it is used on the hover over on the navigation and also it is used to pick out key words on the tagline and the page titles.
I like the navigation that he has used on the website. The links are clear, you can tell what each of their destination is by looking at them. I also like how he has split up the print work from the web work. For my portfolio I would like to do this, however I don’t feel as if I have enough work to show and therefore I will stick with one portfolio page.
I have also looked at Dan Dunsire’s website. I really love the creativity of his website. It’s really interesting and makes you want to explore the site further. I love the little personal bits on the website, like the arrows and the writing. It’s a creative way of writing titles, and makes the website seem less formal. I really like the typeface he has used for the arrows and the writing. It is like his own handwriting, and this too makes the website more personal.
- Dan Dunsire’s Online Portfolio
Again same as Tom, Dan has used a colour to highlight specific words in text to brighten them and draw your attention to them. This is definitely something which I would like to do in my website as I feel it is a great design effect, but also a useful technique for highlighting key points.
Dan’s portfolio, I feel, is a lot more personal than Tom’s. This possibly is to do with the fact Dan has included a picture of himself on his website, but also because Tom’s website seem’s more formal, where as Dan’s is more ‘freehand’ and creative and less corporate.
Both Dan and Tom include a comments page on their portfolio websites. I do think this is a very useful tool for any website, but especially for an artist’s website as they are able to get feedback on their work, whether it be good or bad. A comments page is definitely something that I will include on my portfolio website.
I also wanted to look at a website that wasn’t a students portfolio, but was something more professional, and I therefore looked for Web Design companies. I came across Core Design’s website which is a design company in Wakefield. There website is a little hard to evaluate at the moment, as it is only a static page while they improve their old website. However, I really liked one part of the page, the mini-me’s at the bottom. I haven’t seen that before on a website, and therefore it’s really unique, which I love. It’s really creative and makes the website more personal and less formal.
In conclusion, I have found the types of websites’s I like and aim to design for myself. That is definitely something ‘Unique’ and ‘Personal’ to me.
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