Hi! My name is Veronica Susovica and I am currently a junior majoring in design.
(A little bit of my background) I like working primarily with digital illustration, so this will be very new to me. What prompted me to take this class is that I wanted to learn how to make websites, especially since I want to make my own portfolio without relying on square space or wix and it would be nice to have something custom to me. But I also think it is a valuable skill to have in this golden age of computers.
I have extremely minimal experience with HTML/CSS/JS. I briefly worked with HTML in Typography last spring, but I honestly wouldn't count that as I didn't really know what I was doing.
One thing I hope I learn in this class is to hopefully be more comfortable/confident using HTML/CSS so that, in turn, I can experiment making my own websites.
One way I anticipate it will be different designing for a screen rather than paper is the disconnect. When you use a pencil or stylus, you're directly marking the idea onto a blank sheet: idea -> result. However, it seems that with HTML, for example, it's more like idea -> tags -> result. So, the tags create that disconnect. It almost reminds me of those "etch a sketch" tablets, where you can't draw on the tablet, but you have to rely on the little wheels to be able to draw.
A website that exemplifies excellent design: Animal Crossing
After playing the game itself, I noticed the visual language used in the website matches that of the game design. I also love the little pop-up animations and the subtle scrolling texture animation in the background. It has a playful flow which suits the content and it layers images very well.
A website that exemplifies excellent communication: Panera
It does its job as a restaraunt website. I can find the menu and categories of food easily. When I open the page, I am immediatley given the choices of dining methods. The labels are clear and bold and the despcriptions are more quiet which indicates there's a clear hierarchy of information in place. Moreover, there is a good organization of thumbnails which helps make navigation easier.
A website that works well: Pierre Louis
This website is very interactive for a simple "business card"/portfolio website. It goes beyond the standard "this is me and what I have done" and it makes it fun for the visitor as well. The animations are clean and I think the addition of sound effects are fun. The interactive gadgets run smoothly and everything is well put together.