• Rendering method of individual objects (appropriate? cohesive? engaging?) Your homepage has definite room for improvement. One thing that came to mind right away while i was exploring it was that I would like the outline shapes of mugs to have a roll over option that revealed your handmade paper cutout mugs. That way, each coaster could be revealed one at a time when the viewer rolls over the outlined shape of it. This wouldn't be hard to make happen either! The way your rendered the mugs with paper cutouts is interesting and shows that you were experimental, but I do feel like they lose their appeal when you present them as just outlines. The dashed line is completely digital compared to the handmade, intricate paper mugs that you also have. I can't decide if I like the way the paper mugs have a white cutout piece behind them...It almost looks like you got lazy in photoshop and didn't want to cut them out so just the mug would be left without any background. But...on the flip side, I think they could work how you have them because that white background with the uneven trim behind the mugs could tie them into a more digital situation. I do wish you had somewhere on your site to see the mugs really big so that all the detail that exists in the paper cutouts could be shown off a little more!
• Composition & typography of site's content (accessible? refined? engaging?) I love your typography and site layout! I think your "mug luster" title is awesome but I think you should have incorporated the paper cutout treatment on your title. It would be a nice touch if you used some neat textured paper and hand cut the title out. I like your subtitle text a lot and maybe that could remain digital type, along with the rest of your sites typography. Reread your introduction page body copy text. You left out the word "coffee" after the word morning in the second sentence. You misspelled "the" and "size". I like your color scheme and i think it really works well as a cohesive site.
• Information visualization strategies (clear? informative? engaging?) You infographics need some revision. The mug sizes infographic shows your paper cutout mugs being compared to the worlds largest mug. Why is that mug a dashed line outline instead of a paper cutout? It would make more sense if they were all rendered the same! Your muggin' n' movin infographic is nice but I think the text should include what year you got it for christmas and when you brought it with you to KC. You also refer to it as "a floral mug" instead of "the floral mug". You show the mug 3 times and each time it is a new color. That is confusing to the viewer because it seems like a new or different mug each time. I think it should remain one color and size consistently. Your Muggin Rights infographic is very difficult to understand. It looks neat but when it comes to legibility, it is lacking a lot of refinement. According to the top row (purple gradient) each little chunk represents 20 years. However, your years don't match up to the color bars that you are using. For example, 1771 appears to be at more like 1795. The 1980s&90s start at the 1960s according to your timeline. The 2005 and 2008 actually seem to be most accurately depicted on the timeline you set up. Also, your puncutaion in this infographic is lacking consistency. Either capitalize "the" or dont!
• Functionality (clear? user-friendly? engaging?) Considering your site isn't fully completed yet, its hard to really critique its overall functionality right now. There are lots of things that I hope will eventually happen, such as more infographics, larger images of your paper cutout mugs. rollover images on your dashed line mugs, etc. I think you have created a beautiful layout, color palette, typography, and supporting body copy text. Everything is user friendly and easy to navigate! Can't wait to see the final site!
I like the cutout mugs are really cool. I think you should keep the same rendering method in the manufacturing sorting method as well though instead of the outlines. That would help it be more cohesive. The explanation for the outlined cups isn't readily apparent without explanation.
Typography is great - especially with the home page and navigation buttons. I'm not too sure about the text explanations. The italics is a little hard to read with the larger amount of text. Also maybe consider the hierarchy between "Sorting Method" and the Sorting method used, like "Mug Makin' Methods" - right now the phrase "Sorting Method" has a greater importance and it should probably be the other way around. Also, there needs to be a bit more space between the dashed line and the explanation text for the "acquired" sorting methods. (note: It's spelled acquired, not aquired). Make sure you spell check and grammar check the whole site.
The infographics are engaging. I think the use of the outline for the giant mug is appropriate in "mug sizes" since it represents a mug that's not actually in your collection. (I also like the fun comments interspersed here, eg: "That's not a dip I'd like to take." ) One comment, the mug in "Muggin' n' movin" needs to stay the same color, because it was a little confusing on whether or not it was actually the same mug. All you need to change is the size and that should be fine. The only thing that needs changing on the "Muggin rights" is to capitalize the "The" each time and to maybe line up the timeline with the ends of the bars below it. Also if you don't segment the timeline into bars it might be a little easier to fudge the exact placement of the ends of the bars since they seem to be slightly off right now.
I don't think you need both the x and the "close infograph" just so long as the "x" is clearly a graphic and not random text you can kill the phrase. Or possibly just have the phrase "close infograph" as a clearly delineated button. Both together is redundant. Overall though, the navigation is pretty clear and very attractive and engaging.
2 comments:
• Rendering method of individual objects (appropriate? cohesive? engaging?)
Your homepage has definite room for improvement. One thing that came to mind right away while i was exploring it was that I would like the outline shapes of mugs to have a roll over option that revealed your handmade paper cutout mugs. That way, each coaster could be revealed one at a time when the viewer rolls over the outlined shape of it. This wouldn't be hard to make happen either!
The way your rendered the mugs with paper cutouts is interesting and shows that you were experimental, but I do feel like they lose their appeal when you present them as just outlines. The dashed line is completely digital compared to the handmade, intricate paper mugs that you also have. I can't decide if I like the way the paper mugs have a white cutout piece behind them...It almost looks like you got lazy in photoshop and didn't want to cut them out so just the mug would be left without any background. But...on the flip side, I think they could work how you have them because that white background with the uneven trim behind the mugs could tie them into a more digital situation.
I do wish you had somewhere on your site to see the mugs really big so that all the detail that exists in the paper cutouts could be shown off a little more!
• Composition & typography of site's content (accessible? refined? engaging?)
I love your typography and site layout! I think your "mug luster" title is awesome but I think you should have incorporated the paper cutout treatment on your title. It would be a nice touch if you used some neat textured paper and hand cut the title out. I like your subtitle text a lot and maybe that could remain digital type, along with the rest of your sites typography.
Reread your introduction page body copy text. You left out the word "coffee" after the word morning in the second sentence. You misspelled "the" and "size".
I like your color scheme and i think it really works well as a cohesive site.
• Information visualization strategies (clear? informative? engaging?)
You infographics need some revision. The mug sizes infographic shows your paper cutout mugs being compared to the worlds largest mug. Why is that mug a dashed line outline instead of a paper cutout? It would make more sense if they were all rendered the same!
Your muggin' n' movin infographic is nice but I think the text should include what year you got it for christmas and when you brought it with you to KC. You also refer to it as "a floral mug" instead of "the floral mug". You show the mug 3 times and each time it is a new color. That is confusing to the viewer because it seems like a new or different mug each time. I think it should remain one color and size consistently.
Your Muggin Rights infographic is very difficult to understand. It looks neat but when it comes to legibility, it is lacking a lot of refinement. According to the top row (purple gradient) each little chunk represents 20 years. However, your years don't match up to the color bars that you are using. For example, 1771 appears to be at more like 1795. The 1980s&90s start at the 1960s according to your timeline. The 2005 and 2008 actually seem to be most accurately depicted on the timeline you set up. Also, your puncutaion in this infographic is lacking consistency. Either capitalize "the" or dont!
• Functionality (clear? user-friendly? engaging?)
Considering your site isn't fully completed yet, its hard to really critique its overall functionality right now. There are lots of things that I hope will eventually happen, such as more infographics, larger images of your paper cutout mugs. rollover images on your dashed line mugs, etc. I think you have created a beautiful layout, color palette, typography, and supporting body copy text. Everything is user friendly and easy to navigate! Can't wait to see the final site!
I like the cutout mugs are really cool. I think you should keep the same rendering method in the manufacturing sorting method as well though instead of the outlines. That would help it be more cohesive. The explanation for the outlined cups isn't readily apparent without explanation.
Typography is great - especially with the home page and navigation buttons. I'm not too sure about the text explanations. The italics is a little hard to read with the larger amount of text. Also maybe consider the hierarchy between "Sorting Method" and the Sorting method used, like "Mug Makin' Methods" - right now the phrase "Sorting Method" has a greater importance and it should probably be the other way around. Also, there needs to be a bit more space between the dashed line and the explanation text for the "acquired" sorting methods. (note: It's spelled acquired, not aquired). Make sure you spell check and grammar check the whole site.
The infographics are engaging. I think the use of the outline for the giant mug is appropriate in "mug sizes" since it represents a mug that's not actually in your collection. (I also like the fun comments interspersed here, eg: "That's not a dip I'd like to take." ) One comment, the mug in "Muggin' n' movin" needs to stay the same color, because it was a little confusing on whether or not it was actually the same mug. All you need to change is the size and that should be fine. The only thing that needs changing on the "Muggin rights" is to capitalize the "The" each time and to maybe line up the timeline with the ends of the bars below it. Also if you don't segment the timeline into bars it might be a little easier to fudge the exact placement of the ends of the bars since they seem to be slightly off right now.
I don't think you need both the x and the "close infograph" just so long as the "x" is clearly a graphic and not random text you can kill the phrase. Or possibly just have the phrase "close infograph" as a clearly delineated button. Both together is redundant. Overall though, the navigation is pretty clear and very attractive and engaging.
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