Today’s Goals:

• Take survey about the 1st quarter and learn about basic visual design techniques: color use, typography, and visual organization/use of space

 Today’s Featured Site:

• https://kiddopaint.com/– Like having Microsoft Paint right in your browser

 1st Quarter Summary

• Look at what you’ve created and be proud: Harvest of the Month graphics, Wall of Inspiration, Period 2 Pixlr.com Boss Challenges, and Period 3 Pixlr.com Boss Challenges
• Please take this 1st quarter survey

 Good Design & Effective Use of Color

• Find and make note of 2 websites: 1 is an example of good design and 1 is an example of bad design. Make sure you note WHY you chose those sites (what is good, what is bad, etc.). We are all going to share our examples.
• Think: What is good design? Why?
• Color: How do you pick colors for your website? Take this color survey and see how your answers compare to others around the world. Also, check out this interesting article about the psychology of color. Does it surprise you after seeing the color survey results?
• Design inspiration: The best in web design; fresh designs; and DJ Khaled’s questions for designers.

 Design Evaluations

Our Inspirational Quotes

• Our Wall of Inspiration: Let’s just look and take note. Is the text always easy to read? Do the photos match the quote well? Are the colors used in the photo and the quote complementary? Does the text seem balanced and well-placed in the photo?

Bad Design as a Choice?

• Sometimes unconventional design practices are used deliberately- let’s check out http://brutalistwebsites.com/ and http://hoverstat.es/ for examples.

2016 Web Design Trends

• Trends include: Bold use of text, animations, vibrant colors, illustrations, minimalist design, and long scrolling (from UXPin.com)
• Example sites:
  • http://le-mugs.com/en/
  • http://www.ot-24.co.uk/
  • http://dreamteam.pl/
  • http://www.vitosalvatore.com/
  • http://www.mdmoch.com/
  • http://www.blizeyewear.com/uls
  • http://www.creationsnamale.com/
  • http://www.makemepulse.com/
• Evaluate sites:
  • Load time– is the site fast or does it take a long time to load?
  • Interaction– how do you get through the site- scrolling, clicking, or using a menu?
  • Colors– dark or light pallete? Do the colors go well together?
  • Typography– how is text size, font, and placement used to guide you through the site?
  • Visual organization– is the site cluttered or busy? Is empty or blank space used to create visual balance?
  • Mobile-friendly/responsive– shrink your browser window to see how the site adjusts itself to smaller screen sizes AND then try it on your phone (are the animations as smooth? does that site take longer to load? what else do you notice?)