Archive for March, 2011

This project was really different for me than the previous two. On the last two, I struggled with design and ended up completely changing everything at some point in the process. For this project I started out with an idea and it worked well throughout the whole process. I had to tweak some things along the way, but I never completely scrapped my design and started over. That was nice, even though I felt like I was slacking because of how much less time it took me to do it. Then I remembered that I was spending twice as much time as I needed to on the previous projects and I felt better.

I think my technical struggles and weaknesses are definitely getting better. I really can’t think of anything I really struggled with technically on this project. I’m even getting to the point where creating layer folders and naming all the layers is second nature and I feel like the project is incomplete if my layers are a mess. I feel like that is a good sign for my infant web designing skills.

Conceptually, I did have to come back and rework a few things. In my first comp, I didn’t have a place related to each post to tell readers which category each post was related with. I had to go back in a reorganize things a bit to fit it in cohesively. I think I may have some areas on this project where I’m not using a web safe font where one is needed. I tried to correct this, but I think maybe this should be a technical struggle, but I’m not entirely sure where web safe fonts should and should not be.

I think coming up with a solid design idea from the beginning was definitely a sign of improvement to me. I don’t know if that was specific to just this project though because I spend most of my internet time on people’s personal blogs rather than corporate websites. It could be that I’m just more comfortable and familiar with blog themes and that’s what made this process easier.

My sketching got better! I have a few more this time, but I do need to continue learning how to work things out on paper first. I think in the world outside of school, sketching will come more naturally when I have longer amounts of time to commit to projects throughout the day. Frequent interruptions in the schedules of my day make it difficult for me to get in the mind set of sketching. I will keep trying here though!

4. Minyx

5. Underground

6. Brandon Muth

7. Evan Eckard

8. iso50

9. Papuasia

10. IamSuprb

Here is some more inspiration. The photos are links.

I like the top part of the post section on this one how it is different levels or layers. I think it makes it more interesting and breaks the space nicely.

On this one I like the use of a journal as visual language. I think they could lose a little bit of the business, but I like that they reference the old ways of blogging, journaling.

I was looking for ways to have photos as the main content on the home page. This one is more newsy in content but I like the presence of photos.

I wish the main photo here was bigger so that the bottom part didn’t take up so much visual weight, but I like the latest additions section.

Ok, for this one, just ignore that cheesy blog title, but notice the date and comments treatment. That’s the only thing I thought was interesting on this theme.

Again with this one the date and comments treatment, except for how it overlaps the post title.

I forgot to get the link for this one. Sorry.

http://www.stylishtemplate.com/demos/electronics-web-template-2/

http://btemplates.com/2010/blogger-template-sunflower-2/demo/

http://btemplates.com/2009/blogger-template-yosemite/

http://btemplates.com/2009/blogger-template-photoblog-2/

looking for something simple. no gradients, no textures. but it seems sometimes that can be too simple. some of these are close, but still include these elements in a non hindering way. loveit

http://irrationalgames.com/insider/

http://www.frommybottomstep.com/

http://aralbalkan.com/

Information Architects

ULF Pettersson

Graph Paper Press

AutofocusFotofolio landscape

Empire Themes

FUDO