I've made some updates to my portfolio website.

In the design section, there are some new pieces that I completed for Swastika Laboratories (you can see the page of items created for them here). I designed their website to focus on the content while also strengthening their branding. I also designed some forms for them. Forms are one of my favourite things to design, but I don't get to do them very often. My educational background is really in print design, so I like getting the chance to work on some print projects as well as web projects. It's nice to balance the two, it keeps me on my toes :)

In the illustration section, there are some newly added Green Corner and Alice Project images. They've been shown here, but you can get a quick look at a selection of them in my portfolio.

I think the illustration page will need some more organization soon. It can be a bit tricky to arrange the thumbnails as they are. I prefer to give an idea of the entire image in the thumbnail, but the illustration pieces tend to vary a lot in size, so I may have to rethink that in future. I'm also debating the removal of traditional media from the illustration section, as the pieces are a bit old. I find that traditional media tends to be less forgiving when it's older. But I guess that's a good thing, as it means I'm improving. I am open to doing something traditional again, but it's not requested very often. Vector illustration is an area where I feel more skilled, and it's very flexible, so I tend to gravitate to that for personal projects.

General Updates:
I changed my portfolio site background to a subtle gradient. I was using a pattern for a while, but it didn't feel right. I think the gradient is cleaner and maintains the aesthetic I was going for from the very beginning: for the work to be the focus, and the site to look nice and be user-friendly but never distract from the work. I also streamlined a little more coding and removed an older page. And there's a new link in the menu to my Bubblesite for purchasing prints, in case anyone feels inclined to do so :)


Hope you like the changes. I have tested the site but, if I missed something, I appreciate a quick note pointing me in the direction of the problem so that it can be fixed as soon as possible.

Labels: portfolio, web design

It should go without saying that a company's official logo should always be a part of their corporate website. However, there are businesses that appear to overlook the importance of including the corporate logo and/or fail to realize the importance of having a website that is branded appropriately.

A website is the virtual face of your business and can easily be a visitor's first exposure to your business. Ensuring that your website is branded appropriately means that the website will unmistakably be associated with your business. Just as it is important to have consistent corporate branding for print collateral, it's important to maintain that consistency for your website.

A good practice in choosing a colour palette is to balance it around the colour version of the corporate logo. This can mean pulling colours from the logo, choosing colours analogous to those, and choosing colours which complement the logo. The palette should enhance the logo. It should also be appropriate for the company's industry and target audience. Remember that your logo and corporate colours need to be an integral part of the web design. Your website should strengthen your corporate image.

What if your logo only utilizes very bright colours? Your website colour palette does not have to consist of only bright colours. Keep your target audience in mind. Children are more receptive to bright colours than adults. However, it is important to keep in mind that text content should always be easy to read. Ensure that there's enough contrast and that type is sized appropriately.

If your business caters to a more professional audience, but you want to include some bright colours, it's best to use them sparingly. This allows the bright colours to make more of an impact and gives breathing room to other content. White space is not a bad thing, and visitors will generally prefer a site that gives some time for their eyes to rest while perusing content than a site which demands attention in too many places simultaneously.

Similarly, if you have a great deal of text content on your site, try not to have too many other items that can distract visitors from your content. If your site is about content, let the content shine. You don't need a plethora of bells and whistles to have a great website. If something seems to distract from the real purpose of your website, think twice about including it.

And what about extra features on your website? Don't forget to give those attention too. If visitors can see it, it should be easily identifiable as being associated with your business. That means the company blog needs to be branded. It doesn't mean that you need to replicate a site design for the blog, but they do need to work together.

Obviously, it's important for your corporate identity to carry across print and new media. But don't forget that there are things that are better suited to print than they are to new media, and things that are better suited to the screen than print.

Don't be afraid to ask your web designer why they think a certain route will work better for you in web design. Be glad if they raise concerns; it means they want the best for you. It is ultimately your business and your choice in how it's represented, but it's always wise to be receptive to the experience of your web designer. Even if you decide you want something to be done differently from what was suggested by the web designer, keep their concerns in mind and let them know that you prefer a different route.

Your website is an important vehicle for strengthening your corporate identity, and can easily attract new business. Take advantage of the opportunity to enhance your image; don't forget about branding.

Labels: recommendations, web design

I've added more work to my portfolio site, and re-organized the design section. There's now the option to scan through my work by project type. I've kept the client-focused pages, so that visitors can still see the range of work that I can do for one client while maintaining a cohesive image. There have been some minor visual changes as well, to help with the structure of the website.

Over on the Green Corner website, I've added new avatars through page 19. I've also updated the image gallery to reference all pencils and progress images through page 19. Another recent addition is the writings section of the site, which includes short stories and scripts.


I hope you like the changes. Please let me know if you find any bugs, and I'll be sure to fix them as soon as possible.

Labels: green corner, portfolio, web design

Please visit the Green Corner website to see the completed page 12. Vote to see progress images for page 12.

I've also made some other updates to the site, including progress images for page 11, new avatars, and more organization for the image gallery. Links have also been added for artwork available in prints.

Enjoy!

Labels: comics, green corner, web design

I've made some updates to my portfolio website. There's some new and updated pieces there, along with some streamlining of the site design and coding. I also added a link back to my art blog in the navigation.

I'm considering the addition of some other pieces as well. I'd especially like to add to the illustration page, as I removed some older pieces from there, and it seems rather short since I widened the content. I'll have some new pieces ready to show soon, and I'll be sure to post an update here when they're added.

Labels: portfolio, web design

I've just uploaded quite a few changes to the Green Corner site.

New things you may notice:

• The new Setting page combines the Midori Forest and Yousei Academy information
  
• New avatars/ icons
• Changed character bios (Aena's and Barudo's have new images)
• New About page (different from the FAQ)
  
• Progress images added to the gallery through page seven
• New Comics main page and added navigation for the Comics section (click on pages to move forward)
• Minor formatting and edits to the script
  
• New images on the main page
  

I removed the sketchbooks. I may add thumbnail image galleries in the future, but right now I'd like to get back to drawing comics :)

Hope you like the changes. If anything looks weird, please let me know. I don't have IE, so I had to trust Dreamweaver to find compatibility issues. Renders correctly in Firefox 3.

Edit: Fixed for Safari 3.

Labels: green corner, web design