Div tags and rollover thumbnail gallery.

I was very pleased with this attempt at creating a rollover thumbnail gallery. As a collection of images they work very well, so I think the rollover gallery is working for these images - but will have to check the suitability of other collections before creating one for every project.

I will not let this beat me!

Oh dear, what has my life become? I used all of my strength tonight to make a div layout for one page. I hope it works and then I can use it as a template. If not I guess I'm back to the drawing board.

To make this layout, I consulted the websites I've been looking at recently and also my own sketches and site map.

Style & Mood

http://jodyroberts.co.uk/

I like the style of Jody's website, as it is simple and easy to navigate. Ritsuko's website below has more personality due to the lovely illustration on the homepage which is something I would like to acheive. In terms of font, I prefer something easier to read such as the font Jody has chosen over Ritsuko's handwriting.  

http://www.ritsukohirai.com/Ritsuko_Hirai/Ritsuko_Hirai.html

I don't mind the handwritten header when it's combined with other typed text. The layout of Ritsuko's portfolio pages is fantastic. I love that you can clearly see the link between the inspiration and the garment. This is a style I would definitely like to try. 

The mood created by the photographs is quite soft and serene. I like that the background for these end-use photos is not stark white. It adds to the ambience. 

Style & Mood

The contrast between the dark background and brightly coloured fabrics creates a focal point for this page. It would be really difficult to get lost. The black background is almost like a stage and the textiles are the star of the show. I find his style quite theatrical and eyecatching.

Sitemaps

I found this exercise really difficult. It took two hours for me to get my sitemap right with all the connections and then I realised I had actually left out a whole project. I think the overall naviagtion is okay as you can easily get back to the homepage from anywhere. 

Buttons for Homepage

This seemed like a good idea at the time, but is visually too busy. If I want to use imagery for buttons perhaps choose a pencil motif or just take a piece of coloured texture from one of the images as a background. Also the imagery needs to relate to the topic of the page the button is navigating to - or they all need to be the same so as not to confuse people.

Homepage Composition

I put this composition together for an illustration page, but think it could possibly be the startings of a homepage.

Graphic Affair, Auckland

This website, although very interesting to look out was harder to navigate due to having to hover over the subheadings to click to a new page.

Helena Gavshon, London

The strong background colour draws the eye towards the central images. Written profile is great - brief and to the point.

Alexander Rose, Wellington

This website really showcases what they can do and highlights their most important work to date.

Abigail Brown UK

Simplistic, sophisticated and beautiful.

Genevieve Packer

First page has impact and the website is easy to navigate around.

Amy Van Luijk

The simple layout of this page is eye-catching and showcases Amy's illustrative style. I like how her work is visible on the first page.