Looking Back

After last weeks review of my site, I have decided that it is finished. I am happy with the look and the functionality of the site and it will only need updates as my work progresses. Please feel free to take a look at my site and submit comments through my contact tab.

amandameng.com

Fixing My Portfolio

I had already had the setup for my portfolio in place but after some review, I needed to update both my home and portfolio landing pages and create a coherent and consistent look for each individual portfolio page. To accomplish this, I created the code below as my landing page. This page will be updated frequently to allow the viewer a quick glance at all the new things I have been up to and give them easy access to them without using the side navigation (which they can still use if they want to). I also made my header a link that will bring the user back to my homepage at any time. Below is the Code and the final result:

What I have so far

I have been very busy working on my site. I have mainly been focusing on my portfolio section but I have also been semi-updating my home page too.

After reviewing what I have done with some friends and family, I have decided that some changes need to be made by next week. Here are the main problems with the site:

1. Too White - I need either some background color or some other elements to add a more design feeling.
2. Too Boxy - Everything is trapped in a box. Maybe adding a background will help this. If not, I will need to find another solution.
3. Portfolio Nav in Sidebar too Restricting - I need to have more options for viewers. I am thinking of creating a standard nav bar as a library asset and placing it in the different pages. This standard nav bar will have thumbnails of all the different projects.
4. Update Projects and Standardize Pages - I need to update some of the photos, descriptions and thumbnail shots. I need to make all page layouts similar so that they work together.

I am sure I will think of more things to improve as I go on but this should give me a lot to work with for the time being. Wish me luck!

New CSS and Unordered LIsts

Attaching external CSS pages is essential to good website design. For my site, I have two style-sheets attached. The first is the one most people see. It is the default style-sheet that will format the pages for internet viewing. This one includes all the fancy stuff such as the pull out button navigation and the general formatting of the page. The second style-sheet is the print style-sheet. This style-sheet tells the computer how to print the page in a clean and orderly manner because most people don't need all the fancy formatting for printing.

In designing the navigation for my site, it was essential to use unordered lists. In this unordered list, there is a special id to specify to the CSS how to respond to this special navigation list.

Revisiting Target Market

Target Audience Research

In creating a new portfolio site, it is important to first ensure that my “target market be clearly defined” (Lake). The target of my site as a whole is to gain the attention of potential employers and peers and to begin conversations about my work.

The target audience of my site is potential employers in the web and graphic design fields. I want to especially focus on the web and packaging industries. I intend on applying for employment at larger firms and companies so my site must look professional as well as demonstrate my skills and my playful and creative talents. I do not wish to work at an overly conservative location so some bending of the rules is acceptable. My future employers are looking for someone who is web savvy and up-to-date on the current digital trends. On the Turner Duckworth site, they claim they are looking for designers that are “confident, self-sufficient, articulate and motivated students with a strong ability to concept - a bit of wit and a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either!” (Turner Duckworth). Keeping that in mind, I need to create a site that is easy to navigate, displays information clearly and showcases my creativity and personality.

Winter 2011 - Inspiration for a New Year.

For the new year, I have decided that my website needs some serious work. I have abandoned my old address from school and created amandameng.com. This will be my home-base for all future projects.

I have also been working on a more useable layout that is more tailored to a target audience. I have been researching interesting layout design and hope to make my site more visually appealing. Here are some sites I have been looking at for inspiration:

Final css Zen Garden site

For my final Zen Garden site, I chose to work in a darker color palate than I normally would. My goal was to create a deep jungle theme without using overtly jungle imagery. I accomplished this by using a dark gray background with rich green accents throughout the page. For the background, there is a hint of foliage.


My site will stand out from the rest by being bold. The layout has a structure which creates an environment that is easy to navigate and access. The visual hierarchy is simple to understand which makes my page have readily accessible usability.

The wide area of the body text makes the mass of information seem less daunting. I chose to widen this area because I noticed in the other designs of this site, the information became very intimidating because of its length.