Category: Design

Choosing a font is very important when it comes to web design. I have talked about this in several of my previous posts, however, it can be challenging to select the best font for a design. The font you choose should reflect the personality that you are trying to convey with your design. There are so many fonts to choose from, it can oftentimes become overwhelming to know what’s the best fit. My best piece of advice when it comes to selecting a font is to not overthink it. Go with your gut on what looks best. However, make sure you are keeping simple style rules in mind (Check out my post “All About Fonts” for more insight on that).

When it comes to actually finding the best fonts there are a few sites that I always turn to that I want to share. These sites are great resources to find and download fonts that you can’t find on most softwares.

DaFont.com

One of my favorite sites to download fonts from is dafont.com. The reason why I love this site so much, and use it frequently, is because it is extremely easy to use and offers a wide array of fonts. You can choose from different categories of fonts such as fancy, foreign, gothic, basic, script, and many more. From there all you have to do is find your desired font and download it to your computer. Once you download the font, simple open the file and click “install.” You should be able to see the downloaded font on the dropdown menu of fonts on whichever software you use.

Urban Fonts

I also really like using https://www.urbanfonts.com/free-fonts.htm. This site is similar to DaFont because both allow you to simple find your desired font and download it straight to your computer. That said, however, Urban Fonts definitely does not have as many fonts to choose from in comparison to DaFont but it still a great site to find new fonts.

1001 Fonts

The final site that I oftentimes find myself visiting for new fonts is https://www.1001fonts.com. Again this site is very similar to the two previous ones I have mentioned, however, one feature that I really like about this site is that you can actually type in your text to see how it will be displayed in the different font options.

Conclusion

Overall, all three of the sites are great resources for finding and downloading new fonts, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. For more font resources be sure to check out my resources page.

In nine, short days, I will be graduating from James Madison University. Through my time here at JMU, my academic experience has been eye-opening, challenging, and robust. Believe it or not, I came to JMU as an accounting major. After sitting through my first intro to business course, I knew that I was in the wrong major. However, I stuck with that major for the entirety of my freshman year, because I wanted to at least give it a fair shot. As the fall of my sophomore year approached, the thought of sitting through another lecture on financial analytics sounded like hell. So, I took the initiative and finally changed my major. I declared Communication Studies as a major with a minor in WRTC. To be honest, at the time I had no clue what WRTC even stood for, but I chose it because my advisor said, “it will be a great pairing for someone like you who wants to pursue public relations.” Of course, I trusted her and added the minor. In hindsight, however, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Originally, I thought the WRTC minor would just require a multitude of writing classes. I never would have imagined enrolling in a class that would teach me how to use different softwares to create my own website.

I have learned way more in Online Design I than I ever could have imagined. I took this course to fulfill the elective portion of the minor, thinking it would be easy and not to challenging. I was wrong. This class has been challenging, but in a way that has given me the basic skills for online design. Prior to this class, I never thought I would be using HTML/CSS, but here I am. I have experienced frustration, stress, and a lot of headaches because of HTML/CSS but I really do feel I have learned an immense amount. Although I am still no expert, I am proud of myself for at least learning the basics and being able to interpret and understand a lot of the language.

I am glad I chose this class because it challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and become open to learn unfamiliar topics. As a second semester senior, I was able to adapt, learn new skills, and exemplify perseverance to overcome the frustration. I may sound a bit dramatic, but this semester has been one like no other. I am not too sure when I will use softwares such as Dreamweaver in regard to my professional endeavors, however, I hope I am able to find ways of using my skills of HTML and CSS.  

If you have been a frequent reader of my blog, you would know that I was recently working on my second web design project for my online design course. With this project I used the software, Dreamweaver, to create a blog page showcasing my study abroad adventures along with some helpful tips and advice. Although I have completed the project, I now plan to revisit it and make it even better. Hopefully, you will feel somewhat inspired by my personal reflection and chose to do the same with some of your previous projects, even if they were just for fun. I have realized that by going back and revisiting and revising old design pieces, it will only help me grow and better my skills in web design. That said, here are some of my personal critiques of my second design project:

Layout

One of the biggest issues with this web design is the layout, especially in regards to how the text is dropping onto the majority of the pages. I failed to use a variety of design options, so my text is on the page in a way that is boring and hard to follow. Although I used a one-column option for my text, the margins are too small so the words run too horizontally for my liking. To fix this I plan to include a bit more variety amongst the text and the way in which it is laid out. For example, for my home page, I plan to increase the margin size so that the column is more narrow. This will help my readers follow along with the content.

Images

Another issue I am having with my web design is in regards to my images. The styling of them is quite boring so I plan to spice them up by including new design elements to my CSS page. For example, I plan to add rounded corners to my images to give them a softer appearance and overall better look. I will do this by using the CSS border-radius property. At first, I was unfamiliar with this styling option, so I took to Google to learn how to create it. Turns out, it is very simple to accomplish. I visited w3schools to learn the code:

Color

Lastly, one of the other major aspects of my web design that I want to fix is my current color scheme. Currently, I have a few different themes going on that do not really seem to be working well together so I plan to pull some colors from my header image that I have on my index page and use those throughout my site. I plan to use more blues and creme colors to enhance my overall design.

Conclusion

Overall, I am proud of the work that I have put into this web design but I also know that it can be even better. Even with just a few more days left in this course, I want to push myself to learn even more and create even better content.

I am now in the fourth month of my online design class, and boy, have I learned a lot during this time. Although my skills are far from expert-level, I feel I have been able to become a little more “dangerous” when it comes to my design choices. What I mean by that is I have been trying my best to really push myself, even when things become frustrating and difficult. For example, just last week I was attempting to code some simple styling for my website project and nothing seemed to be working. I became frustrated and angry, internally screaming at my Dreamweaver software. But then, I took a few deep breaths and took to my good old friend, Google.

All I really needed to know was how to code some basic features, however, in the midst of my frustration, I was feeling daring. I came across a blog post entitled “19 web design trends for 2018” (https://webflow.com/blog/19-web-design-trends-for-2018). Although this search wasn’t totally relevant to what I really needed at the time, I read through the article anyways out of pure interest and curiosity.

As noted in the title of the post, this article features 19 web design trends relevant to 2018, and I want to talk about some of my favorites that are featured.

The number one trend listed on this blog post is broken grid layouts. This caught my eye right off the bat as a very interesting trend because I have always known the grid feature to be one the serves as structure and consistency. Now, the trend of a broken grid layout seems to be all the craze because of it different. I appreciate this trend because it’s certainly not boring. It is eye-catching and artistic.

The next trend that caught my eye has to do with images and incorporating them in a more powerful way through web design. According to this article, it seems that web designers have moved away from using stock photography and including more illustrations. Again, I appreciate this because it is taking a more artistic approach to design. This trend is forcing web designers to keep things fresh, new, and exciting. They say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so why use boring stock images when you can use beautiful illustrations to portray your message instead.

The last trend on this list that caught my eye was number 8, “floating navigation menu.” Personally, I have always been used to seeing fixed navigation bars, and what I like about those is that they serve as a sense of stability of structure for your site. Something about the bar being attached to the top of the page, without seeing anything behind it always just seemed like the norm for design. However, this trend pushes the boundaries by using a stylistic approach that’s cutting edge for online design.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this article because it forced me to take a new approach to look at web design. Since I am fairly new and inexperienced, I never felt the need to question certain design choices, until now. Why did I just assume that navigation bars had to be fixed? Why did I think every web site used the standard grid layout?

Basically what I am trying to say, is that web design is like any other form of design. It’s always changing and new trends will continue to appear. Things will become outdated, and then most likely make their return years later. I plan to think about new and innovative ways I can incorporate some more “dangerous” web design ideas into my upcoming projects.

In one of my last posts, I discussed a site called Minimums.com because of how well known it is for its web design. So, for this post, I wanted to do something a little bit more contradictory, so we say, and look at a site that has not as great web design. To be honest, it’s not as easy to find a site with poor web design as you think. It’s almost like they are hiding, but they are for sure there.

Since I had some trouble finding a site with poor web design on my own, I came across a BuzzFeed article that pokes fun at some horribly designed websites. The article is entitled, “20 Hilariously Corporate Websites” (https://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/official-websites-that-need-to-be-stopped).

Amidst the humor, BuzzFeed actually put together a solid list of sites with poor web designs. And you may be wondering, why would I want to look at sites with poor design when I can just look at sites with good design? Well to answer that, I think it’s important to look at examples of what not to do because it almost makes what you should be doing a bit more obvious. Sometimes when I look at sites with incredible web design, it is difficult to point out exactly what’s good about it, because, most likely it’s all great and just blends together.

So let’s look at one of the examples BuzzFeed included: a website for the movie “The Room” (http://www.theroommovie.com).

I was shocked when I was transported from BuzzFeed’s site to this official site for a fairly well-known movie.

Let’s start by talking about my favorite, worst, aspect of this page. The “navigation bar”. My favorite thing about this “navigation bar” is that instead of staying within the site domain and navigating you to a different page, this “navigation bar” opens a whole new tab for you when you click on one of the tabs. It’s almost laughable.

The next worst thing about this site has to be the text design. There is none, so that’s that. First off, some column usage would have been great for the text of this site because it could have really helped with the flow. As the site is now, it’s a very large layout with small margins, and a lot of text, making it very difficult to read and follow.

Even though I am certainly no expert when it comes to web design, what I do know is that all this site really needs is some simple styling. The styling would help with layout and flow. From there, the web designer could use a variety of styling choices to help break up the text and images in a way that makes this site more appealing and overall easier to read.

For today’s post, I wanted to share with you a little bit more about my finalized game plan for our second project. That said, to recap, for our second project we were asked to created another blog space and fill it with content that is personal to us. So, after much deliberation, I have decided to go with my idea of creating a study abroad travel blog. I chose this option over my other ideas, mainly because I feel as though I would be able to provide the most content for this. Another reason why I decided to go with this option because I feel the most passionate about studying abroad and travel in comparison to my other options.  

To give a better and brief understanding of my study abroad experience, I traveled to London this past summer where I not only took a full course load but I also was given the opportunity to intern as a press assistant at a boutique PR / Communications firm. All in all, it was an amazing experience that taught me so much about not only the British Culture but also about myself. That said, I want to document some of my experiences as well as some of my tips on this new web space that I will be creating.

So, I have been thinking a lot about this recently. How do I want to use what I am learning in my online design class in the future, specifically in a future career? If you do not already know, I am a senior Communication Studies major at James Madison University located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. With that, I also have minors in Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication as well as British Communication and Media. My fields of study definitely overlap but taking this online design class for my minor has definitely challenged me, and here’s how:

First off, I am a major newbie when it comes to web design. However, I knew that before taking this class and I kind of enjoyed the idea of taking on this challenge. This is my last semester as a college student and I wanted to take a class that would push me outside my comfort zone, and so far this class has done just that. For example, I have never used HTML or CSS before, and quite frankly, I never thought I would. But here I am, learning how to code my own website. It’s pretty cool, but definitely challenging. Although I may never need to create a website from scratch in the near future, I at least know the basic understanding of where to start.

As for how I plan to use these basic skills in the future, I am still unsure, however I feel comfortable to at least be able to decipher between good and poor web design, and the characteristics for both. That said, I feel that being able to recognize these qualities will help me, especially in the PR field.

Public relations is all about creating mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. With that, you would be surprised how much an organization’s website can influence and effect the perception by the public on an organization. For example, if an organization has a mediocre web space that is hard to navigate, or is misleading, the public may become frustrated and lose trust in that organization.

As I have mentioned many times before in several different posts on my site, I am for sure a rookie when it comes to web design. At times, even creating content for these blog posts can become frustrating for several reasons. One of those reasons being lack of motivation. Another, and a major one being lack of inspiration. Although it may seem easy to just hop on google and find a site with good design and good content, let me tell you, it’s much harder than you think.

I have looked at several different types of sites over the course of this semester, and after that long of a time, they sort of all just blend together. It’s hard to even remember the ones that stood out to me. So, I am back at square one looking for web design inspiration. However, I decided to start again, but start simple. I asked myself: “What’s a site that I visit frequently that has a good web design?” And my first thought was the website for James Madison University.

James Madison University’s website (https://www.jmu.edu) is a great example of good web design, and I am going to discuss why I believe this to be true. With that said, let’s keep in mind that this site is for a well established, large public university. So, one would expect its site to be far from mediocre.

When you first visit the homepage, you may be immediately come to recognize those distinct JMU colors. However, it is not just one type of purple used and one type of gold used. There is a variation that helps with complementing and contrasting. It adds a nice overall flow to the design.

Another thing that is nice with this site is the use of other colors that are not just JMU related. For example, the boxes in the middle of the home page (as shown below) add a nice pop, almost giving the site a more academic feel.

As for layout and navigation, the site is very easy to maneuver and read through. The navigation bar at the top of the page is very well organized, with several parent tabs and unordered lists. Everything is clearly stated and right there in front of you.

When actually scrolling through the homepage, the site visitor is shown various buttons, tabs and sections. For example, once you get past the large picture at the top, you will come to a section with a video embedded as well as a section with different tabs such as “News,” “Events,” “Arts,” and “Sports.” I really like this section in particular because it allows the visitor to have a quick look at everything that is current and new going on at the university. There are even featured images included with the articles in each of these sections, which I feel is a very nice touch.

The next section on the homepage features all of JMU’s social networking site. This is a great plug for all their platforms and shows the site visitor how connected they are. You get a great insight into the universities instagram, twitter, and facebook pages, all at one glance. What I like most about this section is that you can literally scroll through the university’s twitter page without leaving the site. This is something that I would love to learn how to embed onto my own page.

And lastly, the page has a nice bottom navigation bar followed by a footer. The footer includes pretty much all the basics you need to know about the university including its address and then links to important policies.

Conclusion

Overall, JMU’s site is a great example of good web design, but who’s really surprised. The site keeps well with the university’s brand and has a nice flow. That said, maybe next time I will analyze a site that has poor web design and compare the two for more of a learning experience.

For our next class project, we were asked create a personal blog about something that we are passionate about and can offer a lot of content for. Immediately after given this prompt, my brain was flooded with various of ideas of different types of blogs that I would want to create. After some consideration, however, I narrowed down my ideas to three topics. With that said, in this post I am going to take you through some of my brainstorming ideas as well as some inspiration to act not only as an idea log for myself, but also potentially offer you with some inspiration for your next blog site.

My Ideas:

1. Study Abroad Tips and Advice
2. Top Spots in Harrisonburg, Virginia
3. JMU Bucket List: Things You MUST Do Before Graduating

Study Abroad Tips and Advice

The main reason why I thought of this as a blog site is because of all the content I would be able to offer. This past summer I studied abroad in London where I not only took a full course load, but I also had the opportunity to intern as a press assistant for a small boutique PR and communications firm. This was the experience of a lifetime, however there was so much that I wish I knew prior to embarking on this journey.

Studying abroad is a whirlwind of events and memories, and is an experience that will really teach an individual a lot about themselves. I was in London for a total of nine weeks, and boy let me tell you – I learned a lot about myself. I was immediately thrown into a new culture, with new people, and a new way of life.

If I chose to select this as my blog topic, I would offer a wide array of blog posts. Some of these posts would include the following: how to pack effectively, tips for weekend trips, my top moments of my trip, making the most of your adventure, as well as many more.

Like I said, I feel as though I could offer a lot of content for this site because of all the knowledge I obtained through my experiences. Along with this, I also have an absurd amount of videos and images that I feel would really enhance my site and making it very appealing to my audience.

Top Spots In Harrisonburg, Virginia

My next site idea is inspired by the town that I currently reside in. Not only is Harrisonburg home to JMU, but it is also home to an immense amount of restaurants, bars, and attractions that are totally worth a visit whether you are a JMU student or just a visitor for the day.

Like my previous idea, I feel as though I would have a lot of content to offer for this site idea. I have been living in Harrisonburg for the past four years and feel that I have been able to experience a lot of what this town has to offer. That said, I think this blog would be a very interesting travel-esque for those interested in tourism and attractions.

Harrisonburg has so much to offer, sometimes it can be overwhelming, especially for younger JMU students. That said, I think this type of blog site could be really beneficial and helpful for those interested in exploring Harrisonburg.

JMU Bucket List: Things You MUST Do Before Graduating

My last idea is inspired by the fact that I will be graduating from JMU in less than two months and there is so much I still want to experience. I thought it would be cool to compile a list of some of the most hyped-about JMU activities, events, and known places and have all the information needed to check this off of a bucket list.

This site could include things such as: things you must try from e-hall/d-hall, attending madi-palooza, or even just going on the hunt for the underground quad tunnels. When writing each post I would include information about why these things are so hyped up as well as information regarding location, times, etc.

Overall, I think this would be a really interesting site for JMU students to explore so that they can make the most out of their four years at JMU. It would also serve as a platform for myself to reflect on all the awesome things that this school has to offer, reminding me of why I chose to come here in the first place.

Conclusion

Overall, I am excited about each of my three ideas. However, I have a feeling I am going to chose the site idea about studying abroad. I say this because it is a topic that I am very passionate about and a topic that would excite me to write about.