Blog 4

On Onextrapixel, I found a great article explaining the importance of an "About Me" section. This stood out to me particularly because I've begun to do some commercial/on-screen work and I want to create a website that shows my resume, head shots, videos, etc. This article describes how to make an effective "About me" section for web designers, and I believe these tips can be used for anyone looking for potential employers or clients on the web. The advice that I found most helpful is to determine what your target audience is, and then imagine what their reaction will be like when viewing your page and portfolio - to put it simply, observe from their perspective. Every aspect should be carefully considered and thought out, from the photo to the way you let viewers contact you. The photo above is a screenshot of an "About Me" page from two web designers at Duoh!, and it caught my eye immediately. It's welcoming, creative, colorful, and showcases the great work they're capable of doing without even looking at their portfolio. After reading this article, I'm convinced that this page is necessary and requires a lot of thought and imagination, especially for those seeking work.

I loved the article on trends for 2010 from Web Design Ledger, because like any other type of design, it's important to keep up with what's contemporary and fresh. The author of this article has done their research to determine what's "out" and, correspondingly, what's getting the most attention and positive feedback. Many are completely new ideas, and many are older (like the recently popular "retro" theme), but one that I noticed specifically is called the "one page layout" in which the website should be thought of as very businesslike but less "corporate": much like a business card with an edgier approach. In this example on Zach Klein's webpage, he avoids clutter and forces the visitor to focus on his links and important facts. While this simplistic layout isn't necessarily a new type of web design, it proves that design trends go in and out of style. The fact that the "one page layout" is popular again shows that web designers should be prepared to stay updated on what's new and effective.

Smashing Magazine has an incredibly helpful article for those looking to add some personality to their business cards. I wanted to read more about this topic because this doesn't just apply to designers - people with all sorts of professions need and use business cards, and anyone is capable of changing their plain business cards into something unique and innovative. Examples in this article remind readers to think outside of the box. Keychains, pins, patches, playing cards, small envelopes, fabrics, tins, and even card-shaped flashlights are some examples featured in the blog, proving that practically anything can be used as a business "card." Just like web or graphic design, the key is to catch people's attention and to stand out; why should business advertising tactics be any different? I think the example above is a great depiction of what an effective and creative business card should look like - still the size of a business card, but incorporates something new and clever to make it stand out amongst the others (in this case, a tear-away section to reveal more information). In the business world, it's important to stand out, and this is an easy way to do so.