Blog Post 7!

I found Smashing Magazine's article very helpful.  It made me realize the exact things I need to include on my portfolio site without including too much.  Ideally, I would like to follow all 10 of the articles suggestions.  At this point in my 'career' though, there are a few ideas that I would not be able to complete with the given timeframe. I would definitely include a logo and tagline, even just a simple design that would promote my name and what I would do.  My portfolio and services sections would be the ones that are lacking.  Right now, I don't feel like I have enough experience to offer valid service options to potential clients.  Hopefully I will be able to add that element to my site soon.  I also have very few work samples for my portfolio.  There will be some, but not as many as I would like.  Including about me and contact sections is very important.  I would make sure they are easy to find and easily accessible.  Using social networking and blogging to promote my work is also a good idea.  I would like to include these links on my site as well.  I would also include a 'call to action' to make viewers want to visit my recent work or view my blogs or tweets.  Using the correct language and communication is important.  I would show who I really am instead of trying to be so professional that it turns people off.

After looking at the portfolio samples, I found that my favorites were the most simple.  The straight forward designs that showcase the designer's work are definitely the most effective.  I got lost in the busy designs and didn't know where to look and what to focus on.  My favorite was 'Digital Mash,' it had easy navigation and was visually stimulating.  I also liked Toby Powell's design as well as Vico Lauranco, both were simple without being overly simple, they made me want to search through the rest of their sites.

I feel like I would need to develop my knowledge of HTML and CSS to be able to design sites like these.  At this point, my knowledge base is so basic that the smallest changes seem hard to me.  Through practice and research, hopefully I will be able to create great designs in the near future.