OUGD504 - Design for Sceen - Concept Review + FEEDBACK

Looking at websites created by/for contemporary design studios has shown me the capabilities of designing for screen. However they highlighted the importance of considering usability to make the website easy and pleasant to use and a minimalist layout achieves this well. People of Print's website has a problematic user interface which creates a frustrating user experience. The content is informative, current and inspirational, however the interface lets it down. I can see potential to improve the user experience by using all available space on screen, engaging visuals and a clear and user friendly interface.

How can I inspire and educate users about print media in a digital age?
How can I bring print media onto screen?
What techniques can I use?
How can I connote print's natural, expressive and personal characteristics on screen?
Print isn't always uniform and consistent - Human error adds personality
How can I communicate the hands on processes used to create print media?
Techniques and processes
How can I make it experiencial?
How can I make People of Print's website an engaging and immersive experience?

Create an immersive and functional user interface for People of Print communicating the creative culture associated with design for print. 

Brainstorm

• Make it engaging and immersive:

Animation, large images, layering

• Clean design

Sans-serif 

Helvetica is a standard typeface for screen because it of its simple and clean form which gives it strong legibility. 

• Pop up boxes instead of new pages

Identified from my research into SLS' website
Better user experience
Engages and stimulates the audience
Easy to navigate - dont get 'lost'

• Make it transferrable between smart phone and website consistently 

Simple and clean layout would be easier to simplify

• Take influences from the creative processes and techniques that are covered to inspire engaging content. 

• Categories

• Large amount of content

Newsfeed
Categories
Events
Contact
Directory

Crit/Feedback

Pitching my concept to a crit group allowed me to articulate the problems that I have identified with People of Print's website. By demonstrating the problems of the website in front of the group allowed them to gain a better understanding of the problem I have identified.

• Good opportunity - Recreating a design website for a design audience provides room for an experimental and immersive interface.
• People agreed that the website content is good, however the delivery lets it down.
• Be careful not to create it just to make it nice - Be objective and solve problems.
• Focus on making it easy to use so I don't frustrate the audience and ultimately make their experience inspirational. 
• Make it work on computer and on mobile. 

The crit made me aware that my solution needs to be objective in order to improve the interface of the site, rather than just change the look. I have identified a range of problems with the site already which gives me confidence that I can create a better solution to finding inspiration online. The crit gave me confidence in my solution for design for screen because they believe it is relevant and apparent that the site has a lot more potential.