Research for Types of Interactive Sites

1. Brochure: www.acehotel.com/losangeles

   This website seems like a good example of a brochure site because of the unique retro style to it. Not only does it look nice, but it is also a well functioning site. The simple layout does not overwhelm the viewer as it is straight forward and easy to understand. For example, the menu bar, which is found on the left side, is well-designed, clear, and concise. Also, it is thorough in that the hotel’s contact info and address is at the top– the first thing you see when you open the page.

2. ECommerce: http://www.society6.com

   This ECommerce site, or online store, has a good look and design to it. It also functions well. It is the perfect site to buy and sell art prints, canvases, iPhone and phone cases, as well as t-shirts with the same graphics. Its simple design allows one to search for exactly something they were looking for due to the top bar with several categories to choose from. The font family used is easy to read and distinguish. While scrolling through a certain category of products, one can see the prices right below the image of the product without having to hover or click on it. Very straight forward and a fun site to shop for artwork.

3. Community/Organizational/Social: http://www.behance.com

   Part of the Adobe family, Behance is a great social networking site for designers and artists around the world. It is well-designed and easy to maneuver around. Not to mention, all the inspiration and ideas one artist can discover while being on the site for about 30 minutes only. It is organized through different types of artistic categories and tags so that one can simply search something they may be working on and instantly the site brings up several artist’s projects and portfolios. It is a great website to check out professional styles process books and portfolios. With its columnated page design, it is quick and fun to look up tags to draw inspiration from.

4. Reference/Instructional: http://www.bing.com

   The search engine, Bing, might not be visited as often as Google, but it definitely has more points on design and aesthetics. Although very similar when the results page pops up, Bing’s landing page is fairly creative and different from others. It looks like a blend of Flickr and google because of the use of photography. It functions well too and quickly delivers results of what one had been searching for.

5. Web Application: http://www.pandora.com

   Pandora is an online personalized radio. The design isn’t the best out there, but it is designed to please the user of the web application by making it easy to organize custom stations of different types of artists. Some of the graphics give it a fun personality which looks nice. Also, the top bar that displays what is “Now Playing” is clear and concise so that one always knows what is playing.

6. Microsites/Advertisement (Brochure): http://www.inherentvicemovie.com

   As soon as I saw a few commercials for the movie–Inherent Vice–I was instantly moved by the graphics and color palette of the film. The site for the film incorporates creatively composed digital art and subtle motion graphics that really stand out. The typography works great with the graphics and art. Scrolling through the categories is also done in the same creative way as the digital art.

7.  Apps- Mobile: Uber App, www.uber.com

   This is a great app with a functional design and made easy to use. Uber is the go-to app for most people looking for cheap and quick rides. The design allows users to instantly request a car of their choice with the 5 simple categories that also includes free rides. The app is in a way a social networking site as well, as it allows users to rate their drivers and improve the app’s functionality more each day.

SAMPLES OF WORK

Final Project. 12/15/2014

Digital Illustration. 1/14/2015

Graphic Design Inforgraphic. 12/16/2014.

ABOUT ME

I have never been one to settle or stick to one thing for a great amount of time. However, when it comes to art and Graphic Design, it is what I am most passionate about. My desire to be a Graphic Designer is actually fairly recent. It was only about a year ago that I made the decision. I’ve always been an artist and very good with computers, so it only made sense to pursue a career as a Graphic Designer, right? Well, as a fine artist, I quickly learned that knowing just how to draw and the basics of photoshop was not a straight guarantee for success in the design world. Although, being the highly-tech person I am, I became comfortable with the softwares and programs and after taking a few beginning courses in design, I knew this was the career I should pursue.

So why Graphic Design? At first, I mainly used my design skills to transform my drawings into vectorized pieces and digital illustrations. I still do that, but I have now found a passion for designing alone. This is something that I really enjoy–the journey from drawing and sketching an idea to then recreating it digitally on a computer. Not only does it give my design work an artistic and unique touch, but it also helps me brainstorm ideas easier than when I begin straight from Illustrator or Photoshop. Since there are several categories in Graphic Design, I am yet to pick one (or two or three) and stick to it. Some that interest me, include the entertainment business, advertising, and Motion Graphics–such as working on movie title sequences, posters, and/or graphics for the film.