Website Crit & Where I'm at right now

Website Crit & Where I'm at right now

Moving forward from the last crit were I received feedback on my initial scamps I took forward points on:

Focusing on a grid system. 

Working from an actual definite screen resolution in this case 1024x768 as a starting point.

Took forward aims on how to communicate the idea of Japanese motorsport & Racing through color & layout. 

Focus on imagery within the layout. 

Focus on Van Da Graff positioning of main content with the inclusion of a column grid to allow more versatility within the positioning of content. 

Taking forward the idea that received the best feedback in the last crit and was more realistic to achieve based on my skill set of coding a website as it didn't have too many complex elements within it.

I moved the positioning of the text from this scamp proposal.

Digital mockups

Website homepage functions on a continuous scroll of a number of images. Navigation to content pages can be achieved through the fixed links at the top of the page that are always visible throughout the scroll to aid smooth navigation and good user experience. This text for the navigation was moved at the top to keep everything central allowing negative side along both sides to frame the content up giving even more structure and focus in on images.

Or through selecting images on the scroll system, a duotone overlay over the images when hovered over provides information on the content page that this image leads too when selected. 

Clean and minimal layout used to present structured focus on images, minimal use of color also helps draw this focus in on images. I also desaturated the images slightly to avoid that ugly impact and garish aesthetic often seen in other racing websites and it also helps flow with the minimal and structured layout. 

A problem of legibility happens when these images interact with the typography of the navigation system, a hover over of the orange hue I use will highlight content pages that could be selected. 

Toned down orange hue used to communicate drifting and time attack. Familiarity should be achieved with the end user through common past use of this color on past drifting and time attack websites. 

This gap between images frames up the lines nicely so keeping this gap on a few pairs of images would work. 

This orange hue is carried through on the navigation system on content pages, it highlights what page your on and what image is selected through the circular iconography on the navigation bar for the image content. 

This duotone overlay is carried out onto the content pages, when hovered over the images a transition of full color image to black and white with a duotone semi transculent.

Feedback & Progress plan

Again the overall concept of the site was received well, the idea of a focus on imagery and minimal text providing a snippet of overall information fits with the target audiences intention of wanting to view imagery more than anything. 

A few things popped up about the aesthetics and layout of the site, it was mentioned that the type alignment for the navigation system at the top of the page didn't feel right, apparently feels lost in the space and the homepage header "Japanese Motorsport" could do with been larger or use a completely different font throughout the site. 

Thinking of a more considered name was suggested, as the aesthetic and layout is based around the functionality of japanese design, engineering and technical innovation a name that communicates this would work well (along with considering the Time attack & Drifting aspect)

Good feedback was received on the black & white image's & duotone transition text boxes on the content pages as it provided good legibility and readability with no distractions from the image so the information is clearly and quickly consumed.

The interaction system both on the homepage and the content pages was received well, Tom mentioned potential problems with the continuous scroll and the navigation text staying locked during this scroll of images so this maybe a potential problem. 

Progress Plan

Experiment with font choices to communicate; Drifting, Time Attack Racing, Japanese motorsport. While keeping in mind all focus is on the images and the layout of content within the grid system is also considered to draw focus in on imagery in a clear and structured way. 

Play around with type alignment of the top navigation system of the pages to make better use of the negative space available in the layout. 

Focus aesthetics (Color, layout, type) on communicating Japanese Motorsport, Drifting & Time attack but again not in the cliche way that current sites present it in a clashy, garish aesthetic. Keep it stripped back to emulate the aspect of Japanese innovation in their technical & functional engineering background of car design. 

Think of a name for the website to communicate the concept of Japanese motorsport more, look into translations or other words that stem off from Drifting, Time attack and Japanese motorsport that may provide inspiration on a site name. 

Capitalize Time Attack & Drift throughout the webpage titles to keep consistency.

Keep selecting and editing pictures for the content based on lowering saturation so the images work consistently together and within the website's minimalist and structured layout & aesthetic.  

Consider hyperlink/web page link text to transition to colors on mouse hover over to highlight them and make them more legible & readable when they interact with images on the scrolling of images.