week one

Ugly Site assignment: tuesday

Sites That Need Some Help
http://members.tripod.com/fuzzymartian/
http://www.longscycle.com/
http://www.globalaigs.org/
http://www.saltinstitute.org/
http://www.ferreestools.com/
http://www.wetestit.com/
http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/sruniverse.html
http://www.whitesnake.com/
http://www.theponusyachtclub.com
http://www.valweb.org/
http://cobrastrike.com/
http://noahsarklimos.com/

Webby Award Sites
http://www.greenpeace.org/apple/
http://www.theirc.org/
http://peoplesdesignaward.cooperhewitt.org/2007/
http://www.universalleonardo.org/
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/
http://startheregoplaces.com/?SSID=3DC45627917D47F0AB815B55520B0F86
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
http://www.newyorker.com/
http://www.truthdig.com/
http://bestuff.com/
http://www.dkny.com/
http://www.fullsail.edu/
http://www.sony.com/index.php
http://www.denverzoo.org/
http://www.last.fm/
http://www.semillero.net/semillero.htm#
http://www.kinetic.com.sg/
http://sos.arcww.com.sg/index1.html
http://www.jonathanyuen.com/

Choose one of the ugly sites above and redesign it.
Please make it better than the original site...
Use your instincts - think about what we discussed in class. Think about why you don't like the original design. Think about what would make this page interesting / easier to navigate / easier to look at.

Sketch out your design in your sketchbook, I don't want you to use a computer for this assignment other than to view the ugly site you are basing your great design on. Use pencils, pens, markers, crayons, color paper, whatever you have available and whatever will best express your vision.

The design should be a full page or more of your sketchbook. Only redesign the home page.

All content should still be present from original ugly site but it can be compressed, turned into menu items that would move it from the home page to secondary pages - but this should be clear. I should be able to find everything from the original page on your new homepage in some shape or form.

50 points: based on creativity of design, overall presentation, clarity of message, naviagtion solutions, and content.

reading:
Human-to-Human Design by Sharon Lee (required)
Paper Prototyping by Shawn Medero (required)

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Elements of Design assignment: thursday

Elements PowerPoint

texture
http://www.kauaidiscovery.com/activities/snorkeling/
http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=/192/192.css&page=1
http://www.kinetic.com.sg/

line
http://sos.arcww.com.sg/index1.html
http://www.lilmonsta.com/
http://www.newyorker.com/

color/value
http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=177/177.css
http://www.semillero.net/semillero.htm#
http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=201/201.css
http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=145/145.css

shape/form
http://www.ownyourc.com/
http://www.snow.com/resortexplorer/

space
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
http://www.last.fm/
http://www.oursites.co.nz/rff/

In your sketchbook divide 5 pages into 2 equal horizontal sections.
Label each section with one of the words below (there are 10)

Draw, color, create a line, shape, texture, and color for each of the words below.

For texture or color you may cut out magazine images and paste/tape them to the page or do rubbings with a crayon over found textures.

Keep your work neat and visually organized as if you were going to present your ideas to a client.

industrial
healthy
artistic
conservative
playful
technological
musical
medical
educational
political

50 points: Grade is based on completion, visual presentation, and creativity of solutions.

reading:
Art Theory for Web Design (your textbook) - Chapter 3
Whitespace by Mark Boulto

bookwork:
in your textbook - Chapter 3 (starts on page 40)
Question 3.8 - sections 2, 3, 4, and 6
Tuesday's quiz questions will come directly from the above questions and sections.