Group items tagged

My burning question is how do I make my online architectural portfolio stand out from other portfolios? I found a blog at www.thinkvitamin.com by author Mike Kus that had some great ideas. One of his ideas was to keep it simple and not be afraid of having blank space. I think this is really good input because having a clean and unfettered layout is attractive to potential employers. How the items are arranged on the site and where the blank areas are can also showcase design layout skills. Another one of his ideas is to have a good set palette of colors. Having a specific palette that is consistent throughout the portfolio helps to give the site a coherent sense of identity and character. Also, the color palettes in the example portfolios he gives compliment and contrast with each other very effectively. I plan on doing further research on effective and attention grabbing color combinations as this seems important. Other important aspects that he can make a portfolio stand out if done effectively are imagery and typography, bucking current web trends, and attention to detail. His examples of portfolios are not all architectural but their merits are definitely applicable and are worth taking a look at.

What I like... - A simple composition - Thumbnail pictures that show up when I move a mouse cursor on the first picture - Work images that are automatically open on a new window page rather than on tha continously same page - A use of a couple of colors with white text (Not too many colors.. but an accent color on main title things - Enough spacing on a consistent way between contents What need to be improved... - Maybe, a little too small text? ... Personally, I really like this web design and do not see any other things to be improved...

Works: 1. Includes a variety of examples, illustrations, web design, photography. 2. Clean simple, with bold colors for tabs to draw viewers eyes, very large texts. 3. Large images on every page. Does not work: 1.Too much text. 2. Also sells his own art work??? but thats kind of cool, but draws less focus on main point? 3. Not much about info/resume.

+ project navigation on the left and project images on the right is simple and intuitive and project images are a great size. + Variation of media such as video with images creates an interactive feel + Project text on left is a good size and about the optimal amount (verging on the lengthy side however) - Navigation buttons to switch between different images in a project are not as intuitive and harder to find - Direct posting of project boards instead of individual images make site less engrossing - The web design is light on unique details, and therefore it is hard to get a sense of the personality of the artist from exploring the webpage (the about section is also very short)

What I like... - Use of two different colors (simple but clear) - Showing thumbnail images that interest me - A simple composition of overall web design What need to be improved... - It is confusing to figure out the relationship between thumbnail pictures and contents - It is hard to see the hierarchy of contents (it makes me to keep forgeting where I am and how I get into the page...) - A weak first page with little information

Pros: Loads quick, well organized, well made Cons: lacks color, confusing labels (web/email is not for contact), lack of personality