Aeva’s Site:
On first glance, what would you expect to be able to do with this website?
To be able to view different news headlines and the animation would show them moving across the screen.
What is the content of this website?
News headlines that are all related to politics and Trump.
Does the form of the website feel intentional? Does it reflect part of the concept?
Yes it seems thought out due to the font choice and layout. It reflects that they are all articles from the New York Times.
Is any information missing?
Maybe adding a title or some type of footnote at the top or bottom of the page to state where the sources are coming from.
Are any of the design features distracting, out of place, or unnecessary?
I think that all the elements aren’t distracting and are serving the purpose of focusing on the headlines and this layout has a more serious tone to it which is also shown in the articles content.
What kind of formal design principles is the designer utilizing well? What can be improved and how?(Typography,scale, color, composition..)
Both Typography and color are used. The Type is in a font that is used in the newspaper where the articles are being drawn from and keeping the website black and white was a smart choice.
Does the scale of the design feel appropriate to the device? What, if anything, would make this easier to use and understand?
I think that I would maybe make the scale a little bigger since the animation would be showing the full text.
What kind of navigation is involved in this prototype? Is it clear? Why or why not.
The text is centered on a single page, maybe make the articles more spaced out vertically so the user could scroll down to reveal more headlines. It is effective with its current layout but it may just be fun to play around with something different.
How would you imagine a second round of this prototype evolving?
I think just adding the animation so you can fully see the website and all its functions. And than from there just making minor changes if needed to adjust with the animation.
What, if anything, would you change about this website so far?
Maybe paying around more with different text hierarchy more than it currently is. Adding more of a variation of size from each headline. It also may be interesting to use a fixed header stating the title or New York Times again to more clearly show a hierarchy.
Do the design decisions feel appropriate for the concept and content of the website? How do you see the two being related right now.
Yes the design represents the content being shown and also mimics where the content is being sourced from. And with the animation this also allows the articles to have more life to them than just standing alone still on the page.
Is this website a memorable execution of this idea? Why or why not? What is most memorable?
Yes most of these headlines were meant to stand alone and seeing them all together just furthers their impact and meaning. It is also memorable because the animation is constantly moving and changing the type which draws you in to look further and focus on each individual headline.
Any final thoughts or comments?
Overall I think that Aeva made many smart decisions with the content of her maxims and the way she designed her website as a whole. I’m excited to see what the final product looks like and how the text will be given life with the animation.
Link: https://sketch.cloud/s/dD8QZ/bgde304
From the Designer Sierra:
What did you gather from the peer review? What, if anything, did you adjust in your design?
It allowed me to get more opinions on questions that I had and how my website can further be improved. I also know that my ideas and design choices are understood along with my content. I think that with the addition of a line or graphic element the user will more easily be giudied through the website and know to scroll further to reveal all the maxims. I also may adjust like Aeva suggested the scale of the text and that by shrinking it the content won’t be as close to the edges and feel more central on the page.
What, if anything, did you take away from this exercise?
I gained a further knowledge of how to improve my design and how others responded to my design. It also made me take a step back in the details of my design: font choices, color choices, text sizes and alignments. I feel better now knowing that my content and design choices are clear. I know now what choices and changes need to me made moving forward. And it always interests me as a designer to see how another student interprets s a project and how it can be something vastly different that what I was doing.
https://sketch.cloud/s/mE4dJ
Sierra’s site:
On first glance, what would you expect to be able to do with this website?
I expected to scroll down and see more phrases. I might have thought the words were clickable at first.
What is the content of this website?
This site contains neon quotes for a “future me” taken from Sierra’s high school yearbook. The quotes relate to identity, journey, and the future.
Does the form of the website feel intentional? Does it reflect part of the concept?
Yes, the maxims feel like a collection of wisdom and ideas, so collecting them on one page that can be scrolled through, like a journey, fits this concept.
Is any information missing?
I might like a title or some kind of heading that explains the source of the maxims and gives a little more context to the collection.
Are any of the design features distracting, out of place, or unnecessary?
No. The only complicated visual feature of this site is the font used, but in neon with glow shadow, the words are outlined and readable.
What kind of formal design principles is the designer utilizing well? What can be improved and how?(Typography,scale, color, composition..)
Color and typography is used effectively to highlight the maxims and create contrast and interest. I might scale the size of each maxim down so that is centered more on the page, and not extending as close to the edges.
Does the scale of the design feel appropriate to the device?
Yes, although the scale of the type could be made smaller because it will be readable in a smaller font on a desktop.
What, if anything, would make this easier to use and understand?
I think that the design is understandable and does not need any changes to clarify, other than a title for context.
What kind of navigation is involved in this prototype? Is it clear? Why or why not.
This site uses a simple scrolling function to display a long webpage. It was clear to me as a user, because after I did not notice any buttons or other navigational devices, I went directly to scroll.
How would you imagine a second round of this prototype evolving?
A second round would only be necessary if Sierra changed visual elements like scale or color, or added more details. The format does not seem to require any more prototyping.
What, if anything, would you change about this website so far?
I would only add a title or short description to give the concept context.
Do the design decisions feel appropriate for the concept and content of the website? How do you see the two being related right now.
Yes, the choice to use a simple, black background and an ornate typeface highlights the maxims, which are central to the concept. The use of neon gives a glowing, “futuristic” mood to the site, which suits the theme.
Is this website a memorable execution of this idea? Why or why not? What is most memorable?
Yes, I think this website is unique and personal, and Sierra made design decisions that highlight important quotes that connect to her own life.
Any final thoughts or comments?
I really appreciate how this site uses simple elements to make a dramatic composition. I might change scale and add a title or additional information that gives a clue about the origin of the maxims, but visually, I think the site is successful.
For the Designer (Aeva):
What did you gather from the peer review? What, if anything, did you adjust in your design?
This peer review made me think about hierarchy and scale of my maxims. I want to develop a convention for sizing and choosing fonts for the headlines. Currently, I am thinking about sticking to two weights of the Cheltenham typeface and developing a rule for how they are applied: for example, bold roman for serious, alarming headlines, and a regular weight italic for headlines that seem ridiculous when taken out of context. I want to experiment with making all the headlines larger and more similar in size, and also with spacing them out more and having a longer page that engages the viewer by making them scroll down to see all the maxims.
What, if anything, did you take away from this exercise?
I thought about functions of web format more: for example, the use and importance of a simple scrolling function in navigating a page is not something I had previously considered, but since both Sierra and I used this function in our designs, I thought about how a user knows to scroll on a page, and benefits of using a single page scroll instead of buttons to multiple pages or other forms of navigation.
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