ZenG Wireframes

Tags

IMD220

Tablet 1.

Tablet 2.

Iphone 1.

2. Iphone.

Psychology of Web Design and User Behavior

Tags

IMD220, web design

What does the author mean when he says people are social animals?

I think that the author is trying to point out that humans like to interact with new shiny thing and tools/websites like Facebook and twitter enables us to keep in contact. The author also point out that people are fast at adopting the technology to interact.

Describe some characteristics of user behavior as it pertains to websites.

There are several characteristics pertaining to websites, users will feel good if a website remembers their personal information and people will also get upset when someone violates their social interactions.

Give an example of looking vs seeing.

Our brains see objects and depending on what we are looking for our brains will filter our view to what it’s target is. So seeing is more of what our brain actually processes when it get the image from the eyes.

All designers have a different point of view of what web design is, and to keep with all the components you have to lot at the entire picture, the author’s use of the elephant was great. You actually have to see the entire animal to know what it is. People will keep on changing and we need to study ourselves as much as we study web design.

Wireframing

Tags

wireframe, Wireframing

Creating a wireframe can save you time and money. It’s important to hava an idea of what you want your design will look like and what content will be included. And It can be a powerful tool to show your clients what their website will look like and what gadgets will be used.

There are tons of framing tools you can use to create your designs. Here’s two of the most popular programs:

1. Lumzy- is on of the easiest to use, internet based application, you can live chat with your co-workers, edit your images, and export in most of the popular formats.

2. MockingBird - is a inter based application, the user can use grids and columns to drop picture and re-size them to meet your design.

Logos and Branding

Tags

Branding

 1. Web Designer Depot

2. Web Desgin from Scratch

3. E2 Solutions 

4. WDL

5. Logo Designer

What creates a good logo?

A. A good “FREE” logo maker

B. Paying a big company millions of dollars to conduct a study.

C. Good typography, A cool symbol, good use of colors, and simplicity

The correct answer is “C”, A good logo should represent your company in a positive way, be memorable, simple and easy to recognize. If you use a symbol, it should be something recognizable and identifiable with your company or the type of business your company does.

Simplicity helps your audience remember your logo and identify it easier than complex designs. It’s hard to make out the details when you view it from far away. Using a good font also make your logo easy to see and readable.

Choosing the colors for your logo is one of the most important design elements. When you think about drinking a coca cola you automatically see the red color, or when you see something yellow BestBuy comes to mind.

Using multiple colors helps bring out personality, think about Google or the Olympics. Different cultures interprete colors differently, it’s important to give the right impression, don’t over use colors. See example: CIA

Visible vs. Invisible Design

Visible vs. Invisible Design

What is invisible design and how does it affect the way users interact with the interfaces we create?

Invisible design is the design of a website or application that allows the users to interact with it intuitively. The article uses the reference of a digital book to a physical, new users to digital books will want to change the pages just like a physical book. Invisible design is the method of creating a system in which users will interact with your website in a natural habit.

Do you agree with Einstein’s definition of simplicity, and how does this apply to interface design?

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but simpler” – Albert Einstein

Yes, and no, It all depends on the type of website/application one in designing.

What is a design pattern? Why are they important?

Design pattern is what the users expect from the website. It’s the existing knowlege the users will have prior to using your website.

Invisible design is initiative design that allows users to navigate and understand the website or application. This article helped me better understand the idea of what should be included in our websites and what why it’s important to know who our main target user will be.

My Favorite Online Magazine layouts.

1. Car and Driver magazine.

One of the best car magazine in the internet. Everything a car enthusiast would want is easily found in their website. The Buyer’s guide in CarAndDriver is one of the best in the internet.

2. Nashville LifeStyle

The three columns work really well in this magazine, The left adverting column is really well done.

3. KickStarer

The boxes for the content in KickStarter.com make the information stand out. Right navigation would be replaced with an ad.

My three favorite magazine themes:

1. Woo Themes: PremiumNews 

2. FThemes: Deems

3. Elegant Themes: TheSource:

Web Design Proposals

1. Bidsketch.com How to Write a Web Design Proposal

2. PopStalin.com Writing a Website Design Proposal

3. AcuityDesign.net  What Should You Include In A Design Project Proposal?

Creating a good web design proposal is one of the most important skills to have, You have to be able to make your client believe in your skills to hire you. This requires you to able to demonstrate what you can do for their business. A good proposal will include the following: The need of the client, The recommended solution to their problem, and the fee for the service.

A good proposal design should not have several fonts, keeping it to one or two readable fonts is the key to success. The header should include your company name, website, and phone number, you can add all the other contact information like your address, and social media links to the footer. A Confidentiality Statement should also be included to stop your potential client from sharing your information. Professionalism goes a long way, and a clear project proposal will help you win over the clients.

What I have learned from working on my new portfolio.

Tags

IMD220

What I have learned from building a new portfolio:

1. Don’t go crazy with fonts, staying simple is the best bay to keep it from being cheesy and simple fonts make it easy for your visitors to read.

2. Prepare all your images before you start coding, it will save you time.

3. Don’t be afraid to make changes.

4. Take a break from when you run into a coding problem, clearing you head will give it space to come up with a solutions to your problems.

5. Go check your favorite web designers portfolio.

Here’s a list of my favorite portfolios.

1. James Monaghan

“People love cool shit… its just that simple” – James Monaghan

2. Rich McNabb

3. Fred Maya

NBA Fail

Tags

IMD215

IMD220 Mock-ups

Homepage Re-Design

Interior Page Re-Design

 

 

Home page Option 1.

Home page Option 2.

Interior page Option 1.

Interior page Option 2.

Concept Board