Portfolio site critique

http://steveleggat.com/ ->  http://www.kgbburgers.com/index_en.html


KGB Kiwi Gourmet Burgers

I believe this site was masterfully created. The only fault I see would be that the client logos are not on the left side of the webpage. Other than that, the contrast between the colors are extremely easy on the eyes even though they used loud colors such as red and yellow. I find it useful that the head text does not scroll with the whole page, so you can easily access it when needed so you don't have to scroll all the way back to the top when looking for something specific on the header text. The address, email, opening hours and phone number are the first things on the page which is extremely great for informative information at a quick glance without having to savage for information related to contacting and accessing the restaurant.

The text and the pictures speak with each other. The website even has additional information, which includes the team behind it, describes high quality of the food, even culture behind New Zealand which could be useful to tourists, and finally a directional map to find them where ever you may be. There is also a language bar that changes the language, and it is easy to figure out because of the flag beside the text above the head text.

Chapter 6 Outline

How to make pictures that inform

I. Photos in information design must be clear, this includes:

1. be in focus
2. have a focus with the correct amount of detail
3. have meaning
4. show what you're telling
5. tell what you're showing
6. appear close to where you talk about them
7. point readers into the text

II. Photos must be in focus:

1. Informative pictures are shot well, crisp, and produced in high resolution. 
2. There must be contrast that supports the focal point.

III. Photos must have a focus:

1. Edit the photo to include no more or less than the reader needs.
2. Limit the information so the reader can quickly understand without being bombarded with information.
3. Make sure the photo keeps its story, cropping out what is needed to help get the point across without the reader becoming distracted.
4. Do not include elements in the foreground or background to compete with the focal point.
5. Make it a strong focal point!

IV. Photos must mean something:

1. Puffed-up documents hide the lack of good ideas. 
2. It is safer to go with a structured proposal with clear and meaningful images and tightly edited text.
3. If this is not done, than it can plague the intended message you're trying to get across.

V. Photos must show what you're telling:

1. Because all western languages look alike, it would be beneficial to use a picture that can illustrate meaning in a glance to speed things up.

VI. Photos must tell what you're showing:

1. Include captions, labels, and titles that connect the picture, and the reader, to the text.
2. Instead of just writing a name under a photo of someone, tell why the reader is looking at that person and why they are important. 
3. Most pictures and photos need captions because of their high visibility, get peoples attention, and tell the story.

VII. Connecting the dots is tougher than it should be:

1. Include no illustration that doesn't extend the information in print and no print unless it further explains an illustration. 
2. Pictures have to extend words, nothing is just illustrated.

VIII. Pictures must show up close to where you talk about them:

1. Place connecting issues on the same spread so the reader can connect related info.
2. If unable to, provide enough info in the caption to satisfy readers where they happen to be, and point to the text's location.

IX. Pictures must point readers into text (if they point at all):

1. Some photos and drawings have an inherent direction, favoring one side.
2. Place directional photos so they point toward the text, not off the page. The eye tends to follow the direction to its natural conclusion.
3. Two Gestalt principles that apply are: Common fate and Good continuation.
4. Common fate - people see elements going in the same direction as being related. That suggests enough awareness of a perceived direction to follow it.
5. Good continuation - people see elements that are arranged in a line as a group, even if the line contains gaps. That suggests they'll mentally fill in the gap between a direction and its object. 

X. To flop or not to flop:

1. Flop - turning the negative around to make it point in the opposite direction.
2. Some photos cannot be flopped from reasons of organizations' strict photo-accuracy policies or those that suffer from a direction chance such as a military insignia, police badge or anything with type.  

How to: CSS: Cascading Style Sheets

1. Yes, you can have multiple styles for one HTML element, such as font, bold, color, etc.

What is CSS? 

CSS is a  computer term which stands for Cascading Style Sheets. 

2.     How is CSS different than HTML?

 The difference between CSS and HTML is that CSS tells and demonstrates how to show and produce HTML. HTML is not a programing language it is a markup language.

3.     Why use CSS?

 It is an easier and more simple process. Files are usually saved in .css, and you can modify how a layout looks by editing one feature using certain websites supporting that feature.

4.     What are the 4 parts of the CSS syntax?

The 4 parts of the CSS syntax is Selector, Declaration, Property, Value.

5.     Why would you use comments?

 Comments allow you to state a what exactly it is, and where it is, giving you a better chance of finding the exact thing you wish to edit if it doesn't look professional in following all of the visual rules of visual hierarchy, etc.

6.     What is the difference between "id" and "class"

The difference between "id" and "class" selector is specificity. Id is used to show a single element. The class selector is used to show a group of elements.   

7.     What are the 3 ways to insert CSS?

Three ways to insert CSS are internal, external or an inline style sheet.

8.     Can you have multiple styles for one HTML element?

Yes, it is possible to  have multiple styles for one HTML element, such as the different designs for the font, bold, color, etc.

9.     What is "cascading order?"

In order to organize things when there is more than one style used, cascading order is the way to go.

Poster

Golden Mean

http://www.thegoldenmean.com/why.html

 

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci1182969,00.html

Symbol Design

Rubin's Vase