The other day in a fit of inspiration, I set about the task of redesigning my website. This semester I’ve been learning a lot about branding myself as an artist, and one of my goals for the semester is to create a cohesive package of promotional materials which include website, business cards, letterheads, mailers, and a standard contract. Hopefully these will provide a clear and concise representation of my work and style to my clients in the future.
So what am I going to do different with this site? Well first off I want this new website to be less cluttered visually. Now, I am a self-taught web designer, so I kind of have to pick it up as I go. In the past I have turned to program manuals, tutorials, and webinars to learn how to physically code a website, however I haven’t had all that much reliable advice on what to do with it from a strictly visual standpoint. I’ve rummaged through hundreds of template catalogs, trying to figure out what I like and what I don’t, what is popular, what looks professional, etc. However lots of templates are excessively flashy, and I understand why; when you learn how to program a cool new function on your site, you want to implement it right away, even if that feature is not really necessary. The result of years of learning, is years of rotatinng widgets, tables, and forms that complicate a site rare than streamlining it. I am getting rid of all of this coding clutter to make a simpler viewing experience.
I am also planning a major restructuring of the galleries on the site in order to give more focus to the work I am producing now. Old work will still be available to view in an archives section, but it will be much less prominent. I will also be updating my standard contracts and studio policy by the end of the semester in preparation of working full time! I always appreciate feedback, so if you have anything to say about the new site as it is being built, please take a look, and don’t hesitate to contact me.
