daniExercise3.1

Exercise 3.1
Website: [|Lois Jeans]

Acting as a promotional outlet for denim retailer ‘Lois Jeans’, the content of this website functions off prompts issued by the user. Toggling between utopic and dystopic worlds, individuals are able to engage with the content, clicking on bubbles to enlarge images and quotes regarding utopia and dystopia.

The colour palette used on the website is a consistent array of sandy browns, golden orange, burgundy, beige, and white, conveying the utopia/dystopia feeling quite effectively. The typeface is carried throughout the entire website, and to create hierarchy, the headings, subheadings, and body copy are set in different sizes and colours. Simple text rollovers that changed colours were a nice touch for added interest, but also served as a functional element. Fixed navigation at the top and bottom of the screen ensure that navigating the website is simple and easy to understand. It also kind of framed the content of the website. Having the parallel bars on the top and bottom contrasted well with the content which was consistently on a diagonal from page to page.

Though the effects applied to this website are really cool, I was initially unable to comprehend how they were necessary or even relevant to Lois Jeans; even the pictures floating around don’t showcase the products that they are trying to sell. Prior to discovering this website, I had never heard of the company and I had to Google them to get background information in hopes of understanding the design. It kind of defeats the purpose of a website if no information relevant to the brand is being conveyed. However, the design itself is really striking and it was enjoyable to navigate, as the attention to detail is impressive. My only complaint about the design would be the fact that upon mouse interaction, the constant motion of the bubbles in the background got kind of irritating after a while. Having the bubbles float as they do without mouse interaction is a lot smoother and unobtrusive. Overall, this website was a really interesting and unconventional topic and method of displaying information for a clothing company. The visual aesthetics are appealing, the details are fun, and the background sound (although alarming at first), is a nice touch.



Website: [|idesign]

idesign is the portfolio website of Justin, a 26 year old designer based in Malta. Containing a variety of work spanning over web, print, and brand concepts, this portfolio organizes it’s content in an unconventional way.

Considering the purpose of the website is to showcase the work, I feel like the design might be a little flashy - however, i really enjoy how the designer stylized the information. It is just an overall fun website, even though it might not be ideal for a portfolio. The moving image at the top of the screen is unexpected, but it sets the tone for the rest of the webpage. This element, in combination with everything else found on this website, is organized in an unsystematic way. However, all of the elements still manage to work together quite well to create a kind of chaotic order. The sliding function incorporated into the website helps the user navigate the website without having to scroll down the page. Plus, having the hand illustration fixed on the right side is an innovative way of inviting the user to click it to go back to the top...without actually saying it.

On the first portion of the site, the main graphic is composed of many different typefaces. Visually it is quite busy, but it is attention-grabbing as well. Such an approach in the typography would be too chaotic for the entire website, so luckily, for the actual content of the website, only two typefaces were used; one for the body content and another for headings. This type, one serif and one sans-serif, provide contrast both in weight and style.

Quirky illustrations throughout the site act as visual cues to instigate the start of a new section, and having everything composed in black and white give a neutral colour palette that works well with the chaos of all the elements. Near the bottom of the page, blush pink is added as an accent colour to create further hierarchy. The use of rollovers are a nice touch, and the fade-in effect applied to the images manage to seamlessly integrate the colour of his work into his website.