Project 3 Prelim

[Kassandra]

Hi everyone,

For project three I choose to redesign the Yale website. I have to admit that looking through and clicking through each page while doing the research part gave me anxiety. So my goal for my redesign was to simplify it and not have too much information. For the first design, I went with something simple and modern that is easily navigable and readable. I'm still going to work on my font choice because I'm not satisfied with just one font choice at the moment. As for my second design, I tried to keep it a little fun and artistic to have somewhat of the same vibe as it has right now but in a more simple and controlled environment.

[Anayik]

Hi Kassandra,

Both of these concepts are visually rich. I like that you used alot of imagery too, it really makes the whole page so interesting. It's a close call but think I like your first concept. The second one definitely has the art class feel and is fun and energetic but I guess taking into account the prestige of a school like Yale makes me more drawn to your first concept which is still colorful and visually pleasing while looking very professional. I love your transparent color overlays on your images!

[Krueckl]

Hi Kassandra,
Nice start on your layouts. I like your use of the paint in the second layout. It is very creative. I would try making the text in the navigation bar a darker color so that it is more legible against the bright yellow background. Same goes with the font that is in front of the paint splatters. It is a fun concept and I can't wait to see what your final project looks like!

[kmohara5190]

Hi Kassandra,
I think I like your second design the most because it is a little easier to read. The yellow goes well with the paint splotch colors, but the number of paint splotches makes the design feel a little busy. I think if you narrowed down how many there were it would look cleaner. Good job!

[Instructor]

I think giving people anxiety is one of the goals of the Yale Art website, Kassandra. They'd certainly put it in their "Site Needs & Goals Analysis".

I like your first design. It's super clean. What I really appreciate though is how pictorial it is. It uses a modicum of words and let's it's pictures do the talking. And boy how they talk! Your photos are well selected and provide a wide sample of visual information, from campus to student artwork. I really like the tiling setup where topic buttons and slideshows bump into each other. That kind of tiling makes it really easy to transition the design from one screen side to another since it's just a set of flexbox arranged puzzle pieces. Typographically it's every bit as clean. Selecting a slightly non-standard sans-serif type is paying dividends. It makes it look modern, but with a creative bent. I like the idea of the gray bar at the top, both to frame your collage and provide a neutral starting point for your viewers eyes. Nice use of transparency throughout as well. It adds a little bit of extra visual interest that helps attract people to the website.

I'm not sold on the two teal navigation at the top. Both teals feel a little clashy. I'd recommend using the blue from the Yale Art shield. That's tie it in and be different enough to stand out on your gray header.

Nice work!

[Hamistani]

Hello Kassandra,
I redesigned the same website, and I agree that trying to find things on their pages was difficult. I would find something, and then I would try to come back to it a day later, and it would take me a half an hour to find it.
I love the first design you have! It is clean, easy to navigate, and has great imagery. I would change the font of the navigation bar and I would make the navigation bar darker. It looks great; I can't wait to see it live!

[Mal-Festio]

Hello Kassandra,

I think the first one is the best one between the two, how you use the images for every section I think is really strong and provide a wonderful visualization. Not sure if the get backdrop for "Don't miss out Spring Exhibition is needed but it probably since you did add it. It sort of seems inconsistent to have the white borders only in the desktop version, probably add it to the mobile or maybe just remove it.

[jacklyn_yamine]

Hi Kassandra,
I think your grid layout in the first design is working really well and helps keeps things clean and organized, though that splatter image in your second design is a very cool idea as well. The yellow is just too highlighter-y and isn't really working well with the green you are using for the navigation color. The dark green and lighter grayish-green and are working much better in the header of your first design. Make sure your image filters are completely covering the image (the 'current happenings' seems to be not fully covered). Because you have so much of a grid shape going on there are a lot of straight lines and corners, I would pull back a little on how rounded you have made your search bar and text background.

[gavin_clouser]

Your first design is one of my favorite redesigns of the yale arts school website. I'm not sure if it's an overlay or a play with opacity on your photos but I think that's a fantastic addition. I think your redesign is great and I really love how professional it is. Im not sure what I can add to make it better.

[it's_crysta]

Hi Kassandra, I like how heavy you went on the pictures since art is very visual and we get it right away with your layouts. I like your first website the best, it looks more professional compared to the other one. It's looking really good, great work!