Ames' syllabi

I am reviewing the ste http://jpg.codes. It makes use of changing the user’s appearance through selectable background colors based on hex. To access these colors, the user must select the hamburger icon in the top left corner. One can find an easier color on the eye, however, there is no texture associated with this site.

The site could operate nicely as a single page with scrolling, but chooses to provide a new page to look at work, and even redirect to pages that have been created by the author. Scrolling is the preferred navigation; the user can scroll up and down. Big buttons, icons, circular portfolio images as buttons, and humor make the site easy to use, understand and ultimately enjoy.

The site could use work because there is little content on the homepage, which could be expanded to accompany portfolio information. The button to change background colors is interesting, but ultimately unnecessary. There should be more than one way to contact the author than a button that says “Holla atcha bwoy.”

My review of a one page Parabellum Studio http://www.inparabellum.com/ . It is a website for a fashion company that uses multimedia to show there work. The site starts off really crisp and clean and the black text on a white background makes it really easy for me to see what I need to see. The hierarchy of text makes everything very easy to understand and that continues throughout the page. What I thought was really cool when I first opened up the page was that there are randomized lines that go everywhere your mouse goes.  I thought it was a really neat idea and different.  The lines did not distract or take away from the text but I did wish it continued in the white parts of the rest of the site.

As I continues to scroll down on the page I notice that the site begins to bring red and grey into the color scheme. The red and grey bring great contrast to the site and continues the crisp look. I don’t really understand the crumpled paper but the image looks well made and brings my attention to the two pictures off to the side. The text takes a back seat due to the red image standing out but is still not hard to find or read. Three more lines show up that spread apart as you continue to scroll down the page. It is not really the random patterns I still want but they add a nice look to a simplistic page.

Scrolling down more I notice the site will be alternating between image on the left, text on the right and image on the right and text on the left. This makes the site a little less repetitive. Along with switching the side of the text and image, it also rotates the red and grey between the image and background. The site continues the idea of the lines that spread when you scroll down more.

After scrolling two more images and getting a quick summery off all the aspects of Parabellum Studios, I come across text on the right that says people. On the left next to the text is nine pictures of people in an angled style. When you put your mouse over a picture it tells you who they are and what they do but it doesn’t tell you anything else about the people that work for Parabellum Studios. You can click the two arrows below the text to navigate through the 20 employees they have listed.

As you scroll down further you have your good old contact us then on the very last part on the bottom left they have their location on a google maps. My only problem with the map is that it will not take me to the google maps of there business.  It has the little red dropper like google maps but it takes you nowhere which was disappointing.

As a whole the site is really crisp and clean with color contrast. It is very easy to read and understand what the Studio does because it does not clutter the page at all, everything is very simple and your eyes just flow down the page as you scroll. The site very successful and I truly enjoyed the look and flow of it the first time I looked through it. The second time I started to nit pick and wanted things like more randomized lines and more info about the people working for the studio and also the map. The design works because of how simple the creator made it, they kept the colors simple and have high contrast, the images aren’t busy and let your eye flow from image to text. I the only thing the site is missing is a little more interaction with its graphic images, other than that it is a very strong and successful one page website.

The single page website I chose to do a review for is the Look Book, for Melinda F. This web site utilizes design elements such a color and geometric shapes to create and identify multiply pages on a single page site. Although most design elements on this page work a few were a bit distracting, over all I found this web site to be very functional and easy to navigate.

As you enter the site, you are welcomed with a large header that is emphasized with a large rectangular, cool blue/aqua gradient with large crisp black font to display the title. The viewer instantly knows where they are; this is a “Look Book” and the month and year so you know it is current. Located underneath what the page is you are now informed for who is page is made. As your eyes fall under the title you see the logo and then the company name. This site can be easily recognized what it is and who is for. The cool colors used in the gradient are set on top of a white background with small thin geometric shape out lines. These shapes are colored with the same saturation as the gradient, the use of the same saturation helps unify the patterned background with the large solid geometric shapes on top. The shapes in the background pattern are small enough is size as to not battle with the fore ground allowing this combination to function together.

After taking in where you are and who the company is, you have now checked out the clean layout and want to continue on. With out a thought you know to scroll. Right under the company logo and name in small italic text, are the words scroll with a thin horizontal line leading you down the page. The combination of the text and the horizontal line effortlessly help you navigate through the page. You are directed to the next section of the layout with out any noise in between.

As you scroll, the company name disappears but to logo remains; this helps work as an identifier to let you know you are on the same page. The patterned background, color scheme and font hierarchy also remain the same to help add to the unity of the page. You are now looking at the products featured in this months look book. The title of the item is in large colorful text and then small sans serif font, in an unsaturated grey color for the description. This combination of a warm and cool color helps the eye to differentiate between the two elements, where as two warm colors may cause the eye to struggle to figure out what to look at first. After the gray text for the description there is navigation button that is out line in another geometric shape to distinguish the link from the other text that will take you to the full site in order to purchase this item, you know this because it is label “shop”. The use of repetition of the same layout makes this page easy to read. As you scroll down the page the placement of the text and images remain consistent allowing the eye to do less work.

After viewing all the products there is now a new section on the layout, this si labeled Deign, using the same font color and font family as the header. The design section future descripts the products as a whole; the main elements are in a large front size and also displayed in color. Even if the viewer is scrolling quickly down the page they still will catch the main words of description and will perhaps stop to read more. If not, the main descriptive words are large enough that it takes a second to read and you scroll through.

Now the viewer has reached the footer of the page, we know this because it is a flipped design of the top header. Same cool blue/aqua gradient and same crisp black text, only now the text reads, Shop. Incase you missed the smaller link button to take you to the full site after each product description; here is the viewers second chance to be navigated to the full site. The use of repetition ensures easy navigation to the full site, and hopefully entices the consumer to shop there.

For my review two of a one page website I chose the site Alyoop of the week “http://alyoopoftheweek.com”. This website caught my eye with its simplicity and kept me interest by its ease of use. It is a scroll up and down website with a page wide illustration of their choice for the best NBA alyoop of the week. As I commented earlier this is a very simple but eye pleasing site.

First aspect I noticed is the colors, none of the colors they use are very dual colors. Even the blacks and the browns they use have a sense of glow to them. They also use a lot of warm captivating colors such as red, orange, and yellows. The last thing I noticed about the colors are they are integrated into each illustration carefully and represent each teams main colors. Using small accent colors help to bring out the players and relevant designs on the page.

Another aberrance that I noticed on this site is how the content is set up. There is a very apparent vertical grid system that seems to be used with most of the content being center justified. Each illustrations text is looks to be some kind of slab serif font that guides you eye down to the players cartoon like illustration. The cartoon like illustration is very simplistic but each player is still very recognizable.

Lastly aspect I noticed was the navigation. While there is not much to say about it other than it is very easy to use. This is so because there are very few choices you have to make. You look at the player and ask do I want to see is alyoop and if so there is a distinct watch button under the player. If press watch it brings up a video screen and plays the video. With an “X” so you can exit the playing video when your done or keep it up and school to other players.

Over all I think this is a very successful site due to its ease of use and the visually pleasing content. At no point was I board or put off by any of the navigations. Lastly it left me with the feeling that I wouldn’t mind coming back to the site to see future content. Which in my opinion is what making a good site is all about.

In this one page site there have the ability to scroll vertically. While scrolling the side picture changes into the different subject that is being talked about on the left. In a one page site there should be some sort of grid system. This one page site is talking about the big cartel of 2014. This site is a great one page site it has information and also has the pictures. The color scheme is used throughout and it also adds to the site. It tells you how to scroll so people who just think there is only that one view make them wrong. In the book they talk about the layout of a site and the components in one. I believe this site shows that and makes a great point while doing it. Some of the design elements are being used like a grid. They have half of the screen being one color while the other side is a different one. They also have some of the text the color of the background of the one side. Which ties it together. The use of color in this one page site helps it seem more uplifting. I believe the site is designed well; the only changes I would make to this site would be changing the typeface. This site does show a controversy and I believe they made it a bit more eye-catching so people actually scroll through the entire site.

The site chosen is Jlenia Dog Sitter Rome, a site containing different kind of services for your dog. When I first visited the page the aspect that caught my eye the most and immediately were the colors used throughout the site. It is mainly consisting of warm colors but in lighter values that make them pastels, and these are used for the background, which in this case is portrayed as the sky. However, a cool color that pops up repeatedly as you scroll down is green for grass and frees, and it is very dominant and vibrant, which then contrasts with the background sunset-like sky. The texture throughout the one page site deals a lot with the imagery used which is a mixture of both cartoon objects, such as the hot air balloons, balloons, birds, and insects; and life-like imagery, such as the dogs, trees, wood, houses, and the grass. I recognized the texture at its strongest within the grass due to how it is highlighted and shadowed perfectly to make you want to feel it. For navigating purposes, it is simply done by going straight down the page, and for content not to be all mushed together, each section has a different scene that the level of grass distinctively divides, while the top of the scene is bright for the sky, contrasting the previous grass above it. This set up is rather cliché but it works very well with this particular set up and the graphics used. As you navigate downward, certain graphics and imagery move upward, like the clouds or balloons, or move across the screen, like the flying birds. Also, when approaching the next section, you will see where exactly you stand on the page by colored dots that fall vertical, since you are incapable of seeing it as a whole. Along with moving to each section, the title, followed sequentially with the text for that section fades in as the objects are moving around it, which I thought gave it entertainment, rather than a still page. Another means of the navigation is at the very top left corner where there are four ribbons that contain links to the awards won for the page as well as a voting link, which I see as a good idea for listing the accomplishments, making new users want to feel good about the site. I feel that texture, emphasis, movement, and color really make this one page site successful. The colors give it a very fantasy kind of mood to it, and the colors allow for all of the text to be very legible, and none of the colors clash together. Emphasis has a tie with color in that the images really pop out against the pale sky background and it brings attention to the graphics that help illustrate each section. Movement keeps the page from being to generic when scrolling down and the fade in and fade out makes the text more wanting to read rather than if it was just permanent. In addition the movement of the objects make the page come to life. The text is not only good color choices, but good font styles too. I believe that the design of this particular website is very artsy and playful which relates to whom the site is about; dogs, or “four-legged friends.” There is not a boring part about it, it’s no wonder why its been named the “most loved” site. Everything a website needs (about info, contact, descriptions, etc.) is all provided which makes it no doubt easy and understanding.