This week we’ll be getting in touch with our creative side and explore design concepts. Two aspects of design are visual hierarchy and color theory.
Visual hierarchy is how we decide where to place pieces of our site so they’ll be easy to find, interact with, or stand out. Visual hierarchy goes a long way in whether or not the user has an easy and pleasant experience navigating their environment, or a challenging and frustrating time. This article from Adobe is a lengthy one, but covers basically all the variables to take into account when creating a layout.
As for color theory, this article from WebSpecDesign gives a good introduction to beginners about color theory and usage on the web. In almost any resource about color theory on the web you’ll notice references to accessibility. We’ll dig more deeply into that topic next week, but to get a preview, read just the “Introduction” and “People with Disabilities on the Web” sections of the WebAIM page and be thinking about how your design choices may effect those individuals with different abilities from yourself.
Design is more than just colors, fonts, and layouts. Always try and keep your user and/or client in mind. Have you ever been somewhere (in person or on the web) that was new to you and you needed a minute to find your way around? If it was a physical location, how did you find the exits/bathrooms/stairs? If it was a website, were you able to find the page that had the information you wanted easily, like the product description page? Just like whether or not there are clear bathroom signs, your design choices can make for a great or uncomfortable experience.
Please answer the below prompts in your assignment submission:
- Think about a time when a layout personally impacted your experience (like the examples in the first paragraph) and describe the scene for us. Also share how you felt when you could/couldn’t find what you were looking for.
- In the visual hierarchy article, were there topics that surprised you? If so, which one(s) and why?
- What are some of your most favorite and least favorite design features as a user?
- What was something new you learned about colors/color theory and how do you think that knowledge will effect your design choices?
- Try out some different background/foreground color combinations using this tool from A11y. Are there any combinations that surprise you in terms of not meeting accessibility guidelines?
When you’ve completed your Coding Assignment (if applicable), and have read and thought about the mindset questions above, submit ALL of your assignments (coding and mindset) using:
