Website First Impressions: Reflection

When designing digital products, it is helpful to get a different perspective on what has been created. By doing so, the creator can take the feedback and choose to modify their designs to ensure that their digital products are effective and that graphical elements are appropriately used.

One of the expectations of this course is that you will be building a website. When completing this task, you will want to remember the information presented so far, including any website analysis you've done. This information will help you when it is time to create a web page/website and other digital products. Pay attention to your personal preferences for aesthetics (how things look - review those graphical elements!) and how those preferences are catered to.

It is also a good idea to seek out the preferences of others in their analysis feedback. Reading or talking to others about their interests will provide you with insight that may give you a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Graphical Elements Review

We've seen these terms a few times, but it is worth reviewing the following terms one more time before moving ahead in the course:

Line: A shape that connects two or more points. A line adds emphasis, divides and organizes content, and guides the viewer's eyes.
Shape: Any 2-dimensional (2-D) area with a recognizable boundary (i.e. circles, squares, triangles, etc.). There are two distinct categories: geometric and organic. Shapes communicate ideas visually (i.e. street signs, symbols, etc.), organize and separate content, create simple illustrations, and add interest to one’s work.
Form: Any 3-D shape. Forms can be 3-dimensional (3-D) and exist in the real world or they can be implied using techniques like light, shadow, and perspective to create the illusion of depth. Makes realism possible in 2-D designs.
Texture: The physical quality of a surface. Textures can be 3-D, something that can be seen or touched, or implied. Adds depth and tactility to otherwise flat images. Objects can appear smooth, rough, hard, or soft. Makes great background images and adds interest to one’s work.
Balance: An equal distribution of visual weight - how much any one thing attracts the viewer’s eye. Balance is affected by many things such as color, size, number (of objects, for instance), and negative space (the area of the image without objects). Symmetrical designs are the same or similar on both sides of an axis. Asymmetrical designs are different, but the weight is still evenly distributed while drawing attention to the right things.

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