Proposal Site Color

For my site, I will use a modified monochromatic palette. Besides black, white and shades of gray, I will use tints and shades of red and a desaturated gray-brown. I am choosing these colors because they fit with the theme and analogy of my site, and because they match with some preliminary logo designs I have done for myself.

These colors have obvious political symbolism, and have been used for propaganda materials throughout the 20th century. Associations can also be drawn with violence and bloodshed. Just the kind of thing FPS designers would look for in an artist, and hopefully daring enough to catch an advertising executive's attention.

The red will be used on the header, the logo, the page name and any areas where important navigation will appear. The gray-brown will be used as a backdrop for text areas to add contrast (think old newspaper).

The palette will look like this, with shades of red, different saturations of gray-brown, black, white, and shades of gray.

Some sites have color schemes similar to the one I want to use:

www.commandandconquer.com/redalert

www.kongregate.com

www.ign.com

Proposal Site Texture

Texture:

For my buttons, I want to use a chiseled, stony texture. I am taking my inspiration from Eastern European state-sponsored sculpture. I may add a slightly cracked appearance to some of the buttons to give an ambiance of decay. The backdrop for the text areas will look like weathered newsprint. The head of each page will have a posterized, "propaganda material" look like Soviet posters from the 1920s and 1930s. The texture will be flat with some ripping and tearing. My site will retain the textural and graphical qualities of this art style, but will not employ the same obviously political content.
The forms used will be very angular. I hope to offset some of the visual tension this brings about by making the shapes appear very solid and secure, as well as by using lines that intersect at right angles. Periodically, curved lines will be used at the edges of rectangular forms to give the impression of damage.


Vera Mukhina's statue of the Laborer and the Kolkhoz Woman

Stalin-era propaganda poster

1960s-era propaganda poster. Note the flat colors and worn paper

Proposal Site Typography

My typography decisions can be justified by a recent modification to my metaphor: In addition to the simple gallery format, I will use copy in the form of fictional newspaper articles and news briefs. The theme of the site will revolve around "revolutionary art" with the copy apparently covering an actual revolution. Works of art will be showcased as the apparent work of the revolutionaries in their attempt to overthrow the status quo.

Summary:

I will use Cracked for the header and Courier New for the body text. Cracked is a novelty font that I will use for headers, the page ID, page names and navigation buttons. Courier New will be used for the body text (12 pt.), and footer text (10 pt.).

Examples:

Cracked has a feel of damage and decay to it, helping the feel of "tearing down the old regime". I hope to show that my work is revolutionary and disruptive. Courier New has an association with typrwritten reports from the 1940s-1980s, a time full of political unrest. Also, Courier New is a widely available font on most browsers.

Proposal Site Layout

Concept:

I want my site to be professional while remaining aesthetically pleasing and, to a certain extent, inventive. The site itself will be as unobtrusive as possible to allow the content to show through. I am currently thinking of making my site mostly monochromatic with a few colored elements for accent. This will keep the site from clashing with or overpowering the diverse artwork. Put simply, I would like my website to be sleek, simple and stylish.

Another concept I was considering, but that I do not believe would be appropriate at this time, would be a website formatted somewhat like a game. I could use such a layout to incorporate my art directly into the site, and create a feeling of "levels" for each page of the site. This would be similar to www.2advancedstudios.com. However, this would require more expertise with Flash than I currently possess.

Websites:

Some websites that I would like to emulate include:

www.conceptart.org - The color scheme here is very good for a gallery

www.fictionpress.com - An online library of writing samples

www.lorinwood.com - A simple portfolio site where the emphasis is on the work rather than the design

Analogy:

I plan on using two analogies for my portfolio: First, for the visual art, I will use a gallery analogy. Second, for my written material, I will use the analogy of a library.
Users will be able to browse through my images with nothing in the background to distract them, like an exhibit at an art museum. This will allow them to focus solely on the artistic merit of the pieces, as well as hopefully reflecting well upon my design skills.
Visitors to the site will be able to browse through my writing samples as a whole, but will also have the option of narrowing their search to a particular topic via buttons along the top of the page (similar to the image viewer's thumbnails). This will give users the opportunity to scrutinize my skills in genres or fields that interest them. For instance, a game company that creates mostly sci-fi shooters would rather look at my science fiction than my historical humor pieces.

General Layout:

Specific Layout:

Proposal Site Interaction

Interaction Summary:

Because the users of my site will want to access only the information that is relevant to them, and in a timely manner, I will attempt to utilize the principle of progressive disclosure. The homepage will be simple, with a list of pages to choose from for more information.
At the same time, it should be simple to navigate, so all the major topic pages will be accesible from any page on the site via buttons on the head of the page templates.

In the gallery pages, back and forward arrows will be used to browse the images. There will also be a row of thumbnails above the image to show where the user is in the "filmstrip".

An example of a gallery like this can be found at:
http://www.khangle.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=4&pos=8

A version of the filmstrip concept can be seen here:
http://www.khangle.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=4&pos=8

Interaction Modification:

The following sites give examples of the navigation concept I want to use:

http://www.khangle.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=14

http://www.conceptart.org/

I will use buttons in a horizontal row at the top of the page, below the site logo.

The arrangement should look like this:

A navigation button to a page will appear depressed when the user is on that page:

When rolled over, the buttons will highlight:

The image viewer will look like this:

Proposal Site Structure

Site structure type

I intend to use a hierarchical site structure, sorted by type of content. I think this would best facilitate the use of my site by potential employers. Given that a diverse array of professionals will be scrutinizing my content, it would be best to sort it by topic, allowing users to navigate quickly to the work that pertains to their needs.

Site structure summary:

My portfolio site will be organized in a gallery style, with links at the head of each page leading to main gallery pages.

Home page
Bio and contact page
Drawings gallery
Photography gallery
Writings library
Digital Painting gallery
Traditional Painting gallery
3D Modeling gallery

Design concepts and programming will be integrated directly into the design, so I won't need a gallery for those. This will help my portfolio stay focused and keep it neat.

Drawings	Photography	Writings	Paintings	3D Modeling
Still-life	Railroad yard shots	The Honorable Killer	"Bayou Night"	Night creature
Abstract drawing	Spider photo	Byzantine Chapter 1	Bell Peppers	Transformer
Hand Sketch	Photography montages	Da Vinci's Secret	"Eisenhower State Park"
Inanimate objects study	Panoramas	Divine Wind	Flowers
Charcoal subtractive and additive drawings	Landscapes	The Extremist	Self-portrait as space marine
Pencil Self-portrait	Farm photos	The End of the World	Lost Traveler
Vine drawing	Technology montages	Sweet Blessed Boring	Crusader WIP
Bell pepper sketches	The Revolutionary		Winter
Ancient city pen drawing	The Plans of Men		One-point perspective painting
100 Words Drawing Challenge
Charcoal Self-portrait
Classical figure drawings
Charcoal cup study
Skull study
Monastery sketch
Hibiscus pen drawing
Tank concepts
Shed with Bell Tower
Roman ruins sketch
Sculpture concept
Starship concept

Proposal Site Content

Drawing:

Still-life - Drawing Foundations
Abstract drawing - Drawing Foundations
Pencil self-portrait
Charcoal self-portrait
Charcoal hand study
Pencil hand study
Bell pepper sketches (2)
Ancient city pen drawing
Classical figure drawings (3)
Charcoal cup study
Inanimate objects study
European church pen sketch
Furniture studies (3)
Charcoal subtractive/additive drawings (3)
Skull study
Vine pen drawing
Hibiscus pen drawing
Monastery pencil sketch
Roman ruins pen sketch
Tank concepts (2)
Sculpture concept
Starship concept
100 Words Drawing Challenge sketches (6)
Shed with bell tower (WIP)


Traditional Painting:

"Bayou Night" - acrylic
"Bell Peppers" - acrylic
"Flowers" - pastels
"Winter" - acrylic
One-point perspective painting - acrylic
"Eisenhower State Park" - acrylic


Digital Painting:

"Lost Traveler" - Digital Imaging
Self-portrait as space marine - Digital Imaging
Crusader concept (WIP)


3D Modeling:

Night creature concept art and model renders - Beginning Modeling
Transformer reference image and model renders - Beginning Modeling


Writing:

Da Vinci's Secret - short story
The Honorable Killer - short story
Divine Wind - short story
The Extremist - short story
The Plans of Men - short story
Sweet Blessed Boring - short story
The End of the World - short story
Byzantine - novel
The Revolutionary - novel


Sculpture:

Noodle ribbon - 3D Design
Perspective box - 3D Design


Design:

Alteration of a theme - 2D Design
Color theory - 2D Design
Kiosk interface prototype - Basic Interaction Design (group project)


Photography:

Photography montages (5) - Digital Photography
Landscapes (5+)
Farm photos (5+-)
Spider photo
Panoramas (5)
Technology montages (2)
Railroad yard shots (23)


Computer Game Design:

Steam War (WIP, group project)
-Design document, concept art, etc.
Revolucion card game (group project)
Leviathan level design (WIP)
Battle of Algiers (group project)


Programming:

Box fan applet - Java I
Bank project - Java II


Summary:

I have been flipping through old sketchbooks and rummaging through archived folders on my computer looking for usable content. Most of the pieces I have could use improvement now that my skills have progressed. Also, there are some pieces that would make for a more complete portfolio that are missing currently. A good deal of the content I have listed comes from college coursework, which is easy enough to date and analyze. Others, like my traditional paintings, are from some time in high school.
It appears that my drawings are the most visually compelling of my works. Therefore, my portfolio should probably place those prominently. My photography is also interesting, and could stand to be showcased on the home and directory pages.


Still need:

More digital painting to show progression of skill in the past year. I have not had the time to try as much digital painting as I would like. Compiling this portfolio gives me an opportunity to remedy this. I have a strong interest in environmental design and would like to try painting out a series of environments. Also, I would like to work on more sculpture to show understanding of form. Some of the pieces I have listed above will also need to be harmonized or altered.

Proposal Site Overview

Description:

For my website, I intend to create an online portfolio showcasing my diverse body of work. It will contain some mixture of scanned-in images of my sketches, photographs of my paintings and larger drawings, thumbnails of my photography, and PDFs of my short stories and beginning chapters of my novels.

Goals statement:

This site should impress potential employers and give them the impression of someone who is professional and talented who also understands the industry. I am interested in possibly pursuing a career in computer game design, architecture, or advertising, so I will attempt to gear my site towards these audiences.

Audience description:

In recruiting new employees, computer game companies are wary of people who are Jacks- and Jills-of-all-trades, but masters of none. I will need to be wary of showing a portfolio which is very broad, but also too shallow to show mastery of a particular skill. Advertising firms are on the lookout for those who are able to design brochures, ad slicks and websites. This requires computer know-how, a knowledge of design principles, and the ability to write effectively. Architectural schools look for varied artwork that shows a knowledge of form and space, as well as an understanding of perspective.

Approach:

Because of the diversity of potential employers, my portfolio will need to be somewhat varied. All the jobs I listed above would require visual art experience, and advertising and game design would both require creative writing and narrative skills. I will try to structure the site neatly to show good interaction design, but I will also attempt to make the site visually appealing to show artistic competence.

Client statement:

For this website, I will need to take into account the needs of my client, Vanessa Paugh. The site will need to show an understanding of web design, be aesthetically pleasing, and reflect well on my website creation ability.

Summary:

For my website, I will be creating a portfolio to showcase my visual art and creative writing. I intend for it to pique the interest of computer game companies, advertising firms, and architecture schools. To do so, I will use selectively chosen, diverse pieces and solid design. I will also need to show a clean and well-designed site to demonstrate my professor's teaching ability.

Proposal Site Ideas

Things that interest and inspire me:

1 Renaissance artwork
2 Strategy Games
3 E-books
4 Online movies
5 Music
6 Christianity
7 Christian history
8 Writing
9 Artwork in general
10 Online media
11 Learning and teaching new things
12 Architecture
13 Legos
14 Painting
15 Science & Engineering
16 Huge building projects
17 Science Fiction
18 Creative writing
19 Sim/City Building computer games
20 Touch football
21 Political theory
22 History
23 Programming
24 Computer Game Design
25 Pirates
26 Photography
27 Fantasy environments

Whatever I end up doing for my website, it will probably involve the distribution of digital media (art, video, fiction and essays, games, etc.).

Inspiring and interesting clients:

Businesses:

Firaxis Games
Gearbox
Id
Barnes & Noble
Petroglyph
Wired
Popular Science
Popular Mechanics
GSD & M

Groups:

Greek Orthodox Church
YMCA
The Vatican
Student Game Developers' Association
Young Adult Writer's Alliance
National Novel Writing Month
UTD
JAB
Texas Government

People:

James Gurney
Sid Meier
Michelangelo Buonarti
Leonardo da Vinci
Benjamin Franklin
Isaac Asimov
Steven Spielberg
John Lasseter
Isaac Newton

Inspiring and interesting websites:

Content:

http://www.miniclip.com
Fun, goofy games for when lectures get boring. Which never happens in Internet Studio.

http://www.hulu.com
Movies and TV shows at a college student's favorite price.

http://www.wikipedia.com
A good site for information junkies.

http://www.khangle.net/gallery
Some truly awesome environmental paintings.

http://www.sparth.com
Even more truly awesome environmental paintings.

http://jamesgurney.com/index.html
Landscapes. As opposed to environmental paintings.

http://www.gamenode.com
Slightly more involved games that you can play for longer amounts of time.

http://www.javacooperation.gmxhome.de/TutorialStartEng.html
A resource for aspiring game programmers

http://www.freeworldgroup.com/games8/gameindex/dspace.htm
This is actually just a game. But a fun game!

Interaction:

http://www.hulu.com
Easy to search and find what you're looking for. Plus, when you navigate away from a page where you were watching a movie, it saves your place for later.

http://www.google.com
Once you get the basic concept of the internet, Google is pretty much intuitive.

http://www.hotmail.com
An easy to use web email platform.

http://www.youtube.com
Huge searchable database of videos.

http://www.mapquest.com
Easy to use, easy to find a long lost relative's house. Or pizza.

http://www.gsdm.com/
A slick but simple advertising firm's site.

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/
Search engine that allows a user to search by artist's name, title of the work, or museum.

http://www.groups.google.com
A free way to organize people online.

http://docs.google.com
A free alternative to Office that also serves for online collaboration.

Design:

http://www.concepart.org
A beautiful site chock full of artwork. It's in entirely neutral tones so as not to distract from the site's images, but somehow still looks amazing and even contributes some to the art.

http://www.facebook.com
Interaction-wise, it's a pain to use. But the harmonious blue-white thing is pretty.

http://www.utdallas.edu
They actually made orange and green look good. Wow.

http://www.utdallas.edu/~wisdom
It may not be much now, but wait a couple months and it'll floor you.

http://www.2advanced.com/
When you see it, you'll get it. They created a different kind of environment for each page of the site.

http://www.orbiterdesigner.com/bronzeage/index01.htm
Near as I can tell, this site is devoid of content. Isn't it pretty, though?

http://soa.utexas.edu/
A school full of artists darn well better have a well-designed site.

http://www.painterly.co.uk/
Paintings are displayed in little round bubbles, which is a nice contrast with typical square buttons.

http://www.deviantart.com
Like conceptart, gray backgrounds let you focus on the art.

Proposal Site Designer

My name is Steven Engel Craven. I am currently a Junior in the School of Arts & Technology at UTD. My school email address is wisdom@student.utdallas.edu and my UTD webspace can be found at www.utdallas.edu/~wisdom. The address of my blog is http://atec3361stevenengelcraven.blogspot.com.

I am taking Internet Studio because it is a prescribed elective in my degree plan, but also because I am interested in art and design, and hope to one day run my own internet business. In this class I hope to learn the skills necessary to accomplish my goal.

Currently, my web design experience somewhat limited. I created a portfolio site in my Digital Imaging class consisting of three pages around two years ago. I am proficient in Java and am learning C and C++. I have experience with Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Maya and Illustrator, as well as some knowledge of DreamWeaver.

Besides web design, I have drawing, sculpting, painting (traditional and digital), and photography experience. My skills also include creative writing, computer game design, teaching, swimming, and some knowledge of business and marketing.

I have attended UTD for 2 1/2 years, starting out undeclared and then choosing to major in Arts and Technology. Before college, all of my education was through homeschooling. I plan to graduate in 2010 with an ATEC degree, and then work in either advertising or game design.

I feel that my best aspect is my easygoing nature.