Whiptail Biking Co. - Final Design Campaign

My group created a company called Whiptail Biking Co. for this design project. I developed the website for our company using Wix and by following the style guide.

My final draft of the website is now published at this link:
https://comm3560.wixsite.com/whiptail

This is my final design of the landing page.

I made sure to keep consistent with the fonts we chose, Museo Sans for all main headings, and Expressive Inks for subheadings. I think that Museo Sans conveys the clean, straightforward design that we desired for all of our media, while Expressive Inks conveys the fun, adventurous side of the company we want to also shine through. 

I applied Rutledge's "quiet structure" in this design by keeping the header focused and organized, and providing the audience with a clear path to information. There is also a high level of affordance, or intuitiveness in this design.  

The color for the header and the button is Pantone 7705 U. 

I made sure that the company name and tagline, when clicked, intuitively redirects to the homepage. The rest of the header links are linked to the other three artifacts, as well as Facebook and Twitter buttons. 

There is continuity throughout the landing page, not only in the colors, fonts, and themes, but also the flow and direction. The eye begins at the logo and tagline in the top left corner, then goes to the main logo and button in the center of the screen, only to be led down further to more information when the button is pressed. When the "Let's Go" button is pressed, intuitively, the page slides down to a "Who We Are" section that explains the company while keeping continuity of fonts and colors. 

Each page features a similar button, guiding you to the next artifact.

Followed by the about section, is a booking widget. Although I initially wanted to remove it, Wix didn't allow me to without deleting the entire page. However, I actually like the way it looks and the element it adds to the landing page. I chose a design that implemented the Gestalt Law of Proximity. 

At the bottom of the landing page is a contact form including social media links. 

There is a dividing strip above the bookings section, colored Pantone 4535 U, which ties into the color of the contact form.

Wix would only allow me to add colors in Hex code, so the style guide lists the Pantone colors in other formats, including Hex. 

Progress:

Very first stage; decided on "Gear up and go" tagline, as well as the "Tours | Guides | Gear" part of the logo.  Still looking for photos. 

Changed tagline to "Grab your gear and go!" Looking for an appropriate photo that's big enough to be good quality. Header links coming together. 

Tentative background photo. Still waiting on logo to fill corner space.

Logo and style guide finished. Style guide colors are applied to header and button so they match. The secondary logo (just the wheel) was going to go in the top left corner, but Wix didn't allow images on the header. Instead, company name was added. 

 Almost to final draft; Header was changed to add social links. Text color on header was changed to orange when clicked, rather than light blue, to comply with the style guide. 

Still Composition

I took this photo on Sandy Beach in Douglas, Alaska, over spring break. This photo tells the story of what Douglas used to be. A hundred years ago it was a thriving mining town before it was lost to a big fire. You can see the old salt house and where the dock was, inviting ships to the island. It illustrates the compositional principles of rule of thirds, the diagonal rule, and vectors. The broken down wooden posts are remains of what used to be a wharf on the beach. The trail of them leads the eye down the z-axis of the frame. Following the rule of thirds, the horizon line is two-thirds up from the bottom and the wooden posts all fit into left two thirds of the photo horizontally. They also serve as vectors, pointing directly up. 

Design Evaluation

I discovered two ads for LEGO, one modern one, and an older one. Although LEGOs are typically a child's toy, both ads are targeted towards adults.
I found this 2011 LEGO ad to be a fantastic example of good design. The disproportion of negative space focuses the attention on the crossword puzzle happening in the center of the ad. The hues of the different little LEGO pieces and the soft green background give way to a playful, childlike feeling. Also, the contrast between the light green and the intensity of the red from the LEGO logo draws the eye to the brand emblem.
Many Gestalt laws are put to use here, including the Law of Closure: the pieces closed off by the red crayon line are seen as a whole, which would create a tractor. The Law of Similarity can also be seen in the pieces of the tractor in that they are all related in color.

This ad, also for LEGO, is from 1981. While this ad does foster a nostalgic, vintage feeling, I found it to be a poorer example of good design. There is a lot of text on the ad, which can sometimes put off an audience and deter them from paying further attention to it. The dull brown hue of the background creates no interest, does not catch my attention, and doesn't convey the same sense of fun as the green of the previous image. In fact, it contrasts with the colorful LEGO pieces in the girl's creation in a negative way. It makes them look dated and dreary. Also, there are multiple different font types, which make the already busy text even worse visually.

Contrast, Balance, and Harmony

I love the structure and sense of togetherness exhibited in this photo. 

The Gestalt Law of Closure is used, making the group of dancers appear as one complete unit. 

The contrast between the dancers, the lighting illuminating the stage floor, and the black backdrop is visually stimulating. The deep darkness of the back of the stage makes the lines of the bodies sharper and even more dynamic. Also, the shadows on the underside of their limbs versus the highlights enhance the details of their muscles, which adds texture to their skin. Then, the color of their costumes blends with the color of their skin, adding interest to the photo. Given the positioning of the photo, the dancers seem so small on stage, and the distance helps unify them as one. 

As a dancer, the lines of their arms and legs, complexity of the lift, and the element of collaboration at work speak to me. Culturally, people view dancers as graceful and view the stage as another different world. It is revered by some. It appeals to us psychologically because we see the dancers up there creating something amazing. 

Visceral Response

Photo by Meaghan Coles

This photograph of a 2016 Paolo Sebastian dress, taken at an A/W Couture show is something I find "stupefyingly beautiful." I think that the details on this long sleeved dress are just stunning. The texture of the lace, the sheer material, and the beading all add to the beauty of it. The photographer's use of space to focus on the upper half of the dress allow viewers to focus on the back details. The form of the buttons down the model's tan back draw a line to the concentrated area of detail and floral appliqués at her waist. The color contrast between her tan skin tone and the light, silvery colors on the dress heighten the beauty of it as well. These culminating factors are what stir feelings of beauty in me. I actually have a soft spot for fashion, but I think the allure of the dress in this photograph is enough to make even the most fashion-handicapped hold their breath.