Over these years at Whittier College, I have learned many things in various courses and have worked on numerous projects to demonstrate that knowledge.
In my experience, one of the best things about studying subjects that you have interest in is that you are more invested and excited about the projects you produce.
One project that I am still very proud of today and plan to include in my art portfolio, is from a course in the semester of Spring 2020 called Introduction to Web Design. From what I was told, this class was new this semester and had no prerequisites whatsoever—which was exciting because it gave students with varied experience in digital design the opportunity to join this class right away. We learned about design concepts specifically for the web, such as how colors, fonts, and textures can create tones for the people viewing the page. This led to designing banners, ads, websites and lastly my favorite: how to prototype apps!
The last two projects of this class were to prototype a website and an app, using two different types of electronics (iPhone, iPad, tablet, etc.), using the web design skills that we had been learning all semester plus adding in functionality that way we could emphasize what our “users” would be seeing.
For my first website prototype, I decided to remake the website for California Donuts. This is a donut shop located in Los Angeles that is open 24 hours and they offer a wide variety of specialty donuts. I chose this site because when visiting their current website, it didn't feel connected to the experience of actually visiting their shop. I wanted to make it more lively and connected to sweets by using colors that pop, textures like sparkles, and fun text to maintain a “googie” style, since they have been around since the 80s. I got very positive feedback after presenting this project to my classmates and if anyone is interested in viewing this prototype here is one of the links. This website allows for scrolling, as if it were an actual app along with the use of some buttons!
California Donuts
For my second prototyping project, instead of doing a store or restaurant, I decided to challenge myself and make a website and app for a music album. I chose Frank Ocean’s Blonde, because although there is a Frank Ocean website, I wanted one specifically dedicated to this album. For this website, I chose to include a collage of images of Frank Ocean, a list of the songs on the album, official videos for some of the songs and Frank Ocean merch. I chose calm colors that would complement the album cover: green, mustard yellow, black and mostly white. I even created an animated loading page. This was by far my favorite project because I felt that I was able to convey correct feelings and an inviting page for viewers. And here is my prototype link for anyone wanting to experience my app.
Frank Ocean's Blonde
I loved working on these projects because it really opened my eyes to the way that viewers engage with the web and how to create a positive experience for a variety of different websites and applications. Not only can I tell which companies are investing in a web page well designed for them but I can create my own! These two pieces will fit very well in my art portfolio for the future, to show how diverse my knowledge of digital design is. After creating these pieces I realized that I would love to continue this process of prototyping designs for the web.
