I began introducing myself to the world of UI design with the understanding that as a digital designer this is a skill I need under my umbrella.I've had plenty of websites prior to this and they've all been milestones along this journey of becoming a better user interface developer.
I approached this website as if it were a multi media project I was working on; my intent is to leave a lasting impression on my viewer. My landing page had to be different and memorable; so I went with something unconventional and went with a gallery wall look as my home page. I've always been a fan of baroque frames and wanted to include them in my website layout. I spent an hour on Pinterest viewing different gallery wall's and the decor that decorated the wall. I wanted viewers to enter my website as if they were entering my home. I wanted my homepage to be welcoming.
Every digital asset on the homepage was designed in illustrator. I created a vector of the ornate picture frames first and moved onto the simpler frames keeping the deep yellow/soft gold color scheme for the simpler picture frames. The use of white space in my art has grown the more I mature and this website is no different. Taking my cue from Virgil Abloh I kept things at a minimum for this website. I feel like it creates a great backdrop for this work to standout against.
The original inspiration for my gallery themed homepage. It leaves a lasting impression and its a website that can be changed and built upon forever. This layout allows me to make the page static or scrolling. This also allows me to change the picture frames, add or remove frames and create an entirely different look to the website while maintaining the gallery wall look. I can add small easter eggs about myself within the design similar to my current homepage.
Each frame includes a snapshot image of what project it'll navigate the viewer to.
The table sitting under the frames is just as important as the frames are. Every object on this table symbolizes something about me. The 16' Macbook computer is my tool of creation, the miniature Unisphere modeled after the life sized structure sitting in Flushing Meadows Park located in Queens, NY. The yellow bridge symbolizing " The City of Bridges" and my second home Pittsburgh, PA. Justin Buat "The Beat of Urban Art" was the first book I grabbed in my first college drawing class. He was from New York City like me, his drawing style was so odd and non traditional, he bent human limbs at extreme angles. I looked at my style as a apple off of his tree of creativity. After I graduated in March 2011 I made sure I had my own copy of this book for my own library.
I kept the project pages simple. Taking a page from the late, Virgil Abloh, I want my words and my creations to be presented against a blank canvas with little to no distractions. All of my project pages follow a uniformed look. These pages were put together using CSS grids with proper design response from large to smaller screens.
