In the last article, Joshua McClurg-Genevese explained the fundamental concepts of design, including the stuff that a webpage user might not necessarily think about including resolution, font, and web-safe colors. In his next article titled Principles and Elements of Design, he takes a look at the elements of design, which are the aspects of a webpage that the user actually sees, such as color scheme, layout, and proportions. He has prepared reviews of 8 different website themes, each one categorized by a certain aspect that separates that theme from the rest. Now, here are my reviews:
- First, addressing the aesthetic of balance is the Centerfold theme. It is an almost perfectly symmetrical layout, with its light colors and small text not providing any distractions.
- Next is the Manhattan Edition theme, teaching us how a webpage uses rhythm. The sense of movement in the sky combined with the texture of the graffiti font and the black smoothness on the bottom of the page make for a great layout.
- After that is the Museum theme, showing us how to include proportion in a webpage. This theme shows us a foreground and a background, which is used to help define symmetry and visual weight, and can often create a sense of tension that focuses the eye. The use of black and white silhouettes makes it easier for the user’s eyes to adjust and focus on certain parts of the page.
- Next we have the Pretty in Pink theme, showing the Dominance factor in a webpage. The dominance is apparent in the color scheme, with the contrast between the hot pink and white forcing the user’s eyes towards the text on the pink.
- After that comes the Sub:lime (no, not a typo) theme, giving us a lesson on how to incorporate point into a webpage. It is apparent in the pixelated image or two halves of a lime at the top of every page under this Sub:lime theme. Sub:lime is a good example of how the elements of design can build upon each other to create a composition
- Subway Dream points out line, which is characterized by both length and direction. This theme exemplifies perfectly how you can focus on a single element of design and extend it to create a definite sense of unity in the composition.
- Then we have the Hedges theme. It shows form with the use of different 3D shapes forming images such as trees, letters, and people.
- Last, we have the theme El Collar de Tomas which shows us the use of color in a webpage. All over the page warm, almost pastel-like colors can be found. Although it gives the impression that many different colors are all over the page, only three hues: red, orange, and yellow can be found. Through the manipulation of value and position in space, El Collar de Tomas makes the simple look astonishing.
My favorite theme out of the 8 McClurg-Genevese reviewed was definitely Hedges. I liked it the best because it had the most contrast between the top and bottom of the screen. The green on the top wasn’t jumping out at my face, and neither were the details and images all over the page. Hedges nicely shows us how to create form through a simple extension of point and line.
Learning about these themes and the specific components of webpages has taught me a lot about my own web page, and I am going to research more on how to make my blog the best it can be!
Joshua McClurg-Genevese’s full review of the different designs can be found Here.