Allie Sassa: Introduction Questions

1. Provide your name, major, and year in school.

My name is Allie Sassa, and I'm a junior studying communication design and K-12 teaching with an emphasis on art.

2. Tell us a bit about your background and what prompted you to take this class.

I'm a painter and typically lean towards illustration rather than design, but I want to learn more about website design and push myself away from the mediums I typically use. I've been excited but nervous about this class because I am so unfamiliar with the topics and programs, but I am really liking it already.

3. Do you have any experience with HTML/CSS/JS? If so, tell us a bit about it.

I do not have experience with HTML/CSS/JS, but I am very excited to learn more in studio this semester.

4. Name one thing you hope to learn in this class.

I hope to learn how to use Visual Studio Code to create a website for my portfolio. I really enjoyed making a website from the exercise in class, and I hope to be able to create a website for my portfolio that incorporates the typography and design principles that I have picked up in other studios.

5. Name one way you expect designing for screen to be different from designing for paper.

Designing for a screen will be different than for a paper because of the interactive nature of screen design. For most paper formats, user experience is limited to visual interaction with the piece. When it comes to screen design, it has to be crafted to have a strong visual presence but also user-friendliness that requires additional considerations that paper formats do not.

6. Provide a link to a website you think exemplifies effective design. Explain your choice.

https://www.milkmakeup.com/

The Milk Makeup website exemplifies effective design because it uses icons and patterns to create a cohesive feeling throughout the website. There is a strong sense of visual clarity because the website design is easy to navigate, and the design of the type and categories of the website creates visual interest through detailing and the use of grids.

7. Provide a link to a website that you think exemplifies effective communication. Explain your choice.

https://www.goodamerican.com

The clothing company "Good American" exemplifies effective design because of the simplicity and ease of its website. For example, everything is accessible from the home page (their latest drops, most shopped collections, etc.). They exemplify efficiency in their shop tabs because they have a unique and simple feature that allows you to see each clothing item on a model in size you are going to purchase. Their website is effective for me as a user and has features that make the website effective and simple to navigate.

8. Provide a link to a website that you think works well. Explain your choice.

https://www.etsy.com

Etsy is a website that works well because it makes a variety of storefronts cohesive and easy to navigate on one site. I think the use of categories on their pages allows for simple browsing without being overwhelmed by products. I appreciate how each category is listed on the top of the homepage, so you can start looking in a specific area of interest when you open the site.