fra lippo lippi

Tell me about design!
a thought... Ask yourself first: Who is this for?

Below are some very basic components of visual design, with a particular emphasis on achieving a unified look. Think about these elements when you make or look at a web site. What aspects work well on a particular page? How could the page have been improved, design-wise?
BALANCE
  • Symmetrical: even distribution of weight to left and right of center. Usually gives a strong, formal, stable feeling.
  • Asymmetrical: uneven distribution of weight. Usually communicates dynamism, informality.
REPETITION/CONSISTENCY
  • Repetition of identity elements like a logo, or color.
  • Repetition of visual motif -- like a banner or background image
  • Consistent visual style -- maybe all photos, or all line drawings
  • Consistent positioning of navigation elements
  • Consistent functionality to avoid multiple learning curves.
RHYTHM
  • Repetition plus variation -- keep it unpredictable and exciting
CONTRAST
  • Stylistic contrast, such as intricate vs. simple
  • Typographic contrast: in size, serif vs. sans serif, type style, typeface
  • Color contrast, dark/light, warm/cold, saturated/desaturated, complementary colors
  • Contrast of shape -- geometric vs. organic, circular vs. rectangular
EMPHASIS
  • Create a focal point -- direct the viewer

Of course, what defines good design is also a personal issue -- and what I like might not appeal to you and vice versa.

Which sites do you like and why? What ones do you find ugly or unusable?

Below are some sites suggested in previous classes that you might want to look at.

One problem is that web sites often disappear or get redesigned, so if you really like something, get an image of it because it may not be there the next time you want to see it.




We'll come back to these issues again and again, but let's go back to the syllabus now.