Exercises

**Project 1**
[|Exercise 1] [|Exercise 2]

**Project 2**
Exercise 1

Skull Glow (roll mouse around the sketch and see what happens) media type="custom" key="8413666"

Tree Trip (use arrow keys to interact with sketch) media type="custom" key="8461244"

Project 3
Exercise 1

**Show and Tell - Website Analysis **

=== **Diablo III Game Site ** === **[] **

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The Diablo III website is a site dedicated to displaying elements informing the user of a game that is in development for potential consumers and fans to look at in anticipation of the game's release. The content itself varies from visual of the game such as artwork, trailer movies, gameplay vignettes, and characters, to portions of the lore which complements the storyline of the game as well as internal elements of the game such as character classes, enemies, NPCs, locations, etc. It also has an FAQ and internal community where users can voice their opinions and what-not on forums. The overall aesthetic of the site appropriately matches the content of the game and the game's overall look thus far. It portrays the allure of dark fantasy through an interface that almost glows through the dark background of the page. The interface itself is framed by illustrated gothic architectural flourishes that enforce this allure but also effectively separates linked content in an organized fashion. This gothic aesthetic is also enforced by a strict 1-2 column grid that is reminiscent to 15th century book design as well as display typography that seems chiselled in metal. ===== The main informational contents are separated into separate pages that are all linked to a central line of links on the home page. These stand out clearly on the first page so the user knows this information is most important. Updates of the game are featured on the home page below the links menu with brief explanations and a link just in case the user is more curious and wants to be directed to more elaborate information and visuals. The interactions on this site varies from simple rollovers with glowing feedback to 3-d rendered models that actually show signs of motion and cohesiveness with an environment with elements such as shadow. This adds to the experience because if people are actually interested in the game, they can get a very accurate point of view at how the character will look within the game. One unexpected element that stands out to me as compelling is the animated Flash image of a character on the top of the home page. It stands out to me because it very well rendered and adds a sense of visceral depth to the page, kind of like breaking the fourth wall.

===****Sagmeister Inc. ** ** === **[] **

This site is dedicated to showing the works of Sagmeister Inc., a design firm based in New York coordinated by art directer Stephan Sagmeister. What is presented, besides the work produced by the firm, are elements such as a store, news, contact information, interview questions and corresponding answers. The works themselves are also enhanced by background information, including the designers involved. The overall aesthetic is very simple and to the point so that it does not interfere with the visual content. The interfaces is composed of black blue and white, where the blue is activated to show links are activated. Everything conforms to a grid as to make navigation simpler and all necessary content link are on the top left. The links do not overwhelm the work images and are consistently left in the same location. In terms of interaction, It is very interesting how on the introduction screen the background is an image of the overhead view of the studio that gets updated every few seconds. The menu is also a part of the image, and you can click on the link in the photo. It really stood out for me as a surprising interactivity element and is also a simple coding technique which intrigues the user when they first visit the site.