Assignment 4 - Communicating Your Work

In assignment four you will create a gallery and blog website to feature your creative work on the squarespace platform. Using your work created in assignments one, two, and three you will complete basis edits to your images and prepare them for web publication. Evaluation of all assignments, new and old, will be completed by access to your web site by your professor.

Review guidelines for your program website. 

OBJECTIVE - Create a professional website for your audience. Consider that prospective employers, discipline peers, design publications, and potential clients will be accessing the information on your website as the first introduction to you and your work.   

Keep it simple. 

  • use no more than two simple, readable, font types
  • work with neutral backgrounds (black, white, grey) that emphasize your work (think of it like a gallery)
  • let your design work be front and center of the communication
  • do not use a logo
  • make minimal style changes

Use precedent. Review other designers websites for ideas and formats that are formatted for designers to communicate and promote their body of work. Go here to review the Momentum, Forte, and Frontrow templates and live websites. Review websites of design firms you admire. 

CRITERIA - Use the following requirements to build your site:

1. Set up a basic squaresapce "personal" account using the UTK student discount. You can upgrade later if you need more space or features. 

2. Set up your website with the following steps and settings:

  • Use a large image template. (Use the Momentum, Forte, and Frontrow only.)
  • Set up the website menu with the following links.
    • portfolio (as a blog) 
    • about (brief professional bio) include a photograph of yourself
    • contact (how to contact you for more information)
    • home - feature your best work by adding galleries. 
  • Create a portfolio blog entry for each assignment. 
    • Provide a three sentence description of each project that emphasizes the assignment objective and your approach to the design. 
    • Complete a basic edit of your photographs. 
      • crop
      • white balance
      • color balance
      • adjust levels
      • sharpen
      • save as a JPEG with a maximum width of 1500 pixels
    • add crop mark or thin edges to illustrator images to define borders of work. 
    • Add a gallery block with ALL the images required from the assignment, photograph sketches, save digital work as JPEG images. 
    • Use the following settings in your gallery. 
      • Edit Gallery by double clicking in the gallery in the blog content edit mode. 
      • Select the Design Tab at the Top Right
      • Gallery Design = Grid
      • Select an aspect ration appropriate for the project. 
      • Select the Lightbox Option so it is ON. 
    • Your completed blog entry should look like this. (Make sure when you click on a thumbnail the image opens into a large lightbox.)

3. Use squarespace help for technical assistance.

4. Email your url to your instructor before 9:00 AM on Wednesday. 

Due: Wednesday, September 3rd at the beginning of class.