Feedback
We had a critique session which offered the opportunity to receive feedback on my website designs so far. I found this very beneficial as I got some very useful advice on changes I could make to improve. My classmates also left some feedback in the form of post-it notes which I appreciated. I also found it useful looking at other peoples work and their approaches to this task.
Changes I made
Homepage
The first thing I changed was the navigation. Previously, I had used a hamburger menu icon which I have now changed to a more conventional navigation along the top. The reason for this is because its easier to use on a desktop, especially those with wide screens and hamburger menus are more common when viewing sites on a mobile phone. This will be the same on every page.
Secondly, I placed my infographic in a phone mock-up. I did this so it matched the other projects, creating consistency.
View case studies page
On this page I added text below the name of the case study describing what type of project it is. For example, app design, branding etc. This makes it easier for users to find what they are interested in. Once again, I also put the infographic in a phone mock-up to create consistency on the page. I think it looks much better like this as its more uniform and visually appealing.
Again, the navigation has changed on this page. I used this page to decide where to place it as there needed to be some breathing room between the arrow and the navigation buttons.
Case study
This page needed the most work in terms of alignment and layout. Previously, the numbers and text had been two different typefaces. Therefore, I started by changing them to the same typeface, ‘lora’. This immediately improved the look of it as it looked like it belonged there. I then made sure to align all the text with the sub-headings. This remains consistent throughout the page, making it much easier to read.
All the images are either the full screen width or have been added to a box to separate them from the text. I did this to create a visual pause between text. Making it easier to read, follow and keeps the users attention. The colour used for these boxes is from the colour pallet of the project. These colours will change for each case study, depending on the project.
Get in touch
I got rid of the text on this page saying ‘Instagram’, ‘email’ etc as it was unnecessary and created visual noise. Just having the icons makes it much cleaner and draws the user’s attention to the contact details which are the most important thing.
About me
The last thing I had to do was design an ‘About me’ page as I had not done so yet. I wanted to make this simple and straight to the point. I have a paragraph introducing myself, so users know what my name is. I also added an image of myself to make it more personal and build the trust between myself and users. I made sure to add that I am currently looking for a placement/internship so businesses can reach out. Below this I have a call-to-action button where users can download my CV.
I also added a certification I have from a course on web accessibility as it shows what knowledge and skills I have. All the text on the left column is lined up to make it visually appealing and easy to read.
Overall, I am happy with my website designs so far and I am looking forward to starting to build my website and bring my designs to life.