Idea Development
Ideas I would like to explore during my portfolio creation is organization and interaction. One problem with common portfolio websites that I have encountered is a lack of easy navigation. I think it's a great strength to have a custom made portfolio page with a design that curates to the viewer, as it will also benefit the artist. I want to create a user experience that is not only visually pleasing, but interactive in a way that works with the content. For example, having the option to quick view instead of opening a new link, or having a picture gallery for multiple pieces of work in one project.
Discovery and Research
In order to curate my portfolio design to match the content I will be posting, I researched a few portfolio websites as inspiration. I looked up several game/level design professionals' portfolios. Surprisingly, many of them were outdated in UX, while current in content. Blurry thumbnails, terrible graphics, and a confusing UI were found on several. One thing I should make sure of for my portfolio is that it is future-proof; essentially that it will look and function like new in 10 years.
One portfolio I noticed in particular was Jay van Hutten's, a game + level designer with over 7 years experience in the industry. His portfolio was incredibly easy to navigate. He has an info page as the cover with several easy-to-see links for important pages like scripting, level design, and game design. There are buttons on the lower border of the screen with thumbnail images of projects he has worked on, making it easy for the user to pinpoint games they may recognize or points of interest.
http://www.jayvanhutten.com/
Something I might do differently than this style of portfolio is adding more content. While he has videos of clips of the games he has worked on, for my portfolio I would like to highlight more concepts. Maybe a work in progress or documentation for my larger projects would be able to be organized into my portfolio.
Target Audience
The target audience for my website would be creative technology studios or those looking to commission an artist. If I present my portfolio as a freelancer rather than a professional, it will change how users percieve my work. I will keep this in mind as I design my website, and if I can possibly combine the two to make a user experience for any curious employer.
Inspiration
I made a moodboard for inspiring photos for my portfolio. They include color scheme and some of my own content.
Thumbnails and Sketches
As part of the design process, I sketched out a rough base for how I will potentially organize my website. I sketched a few different options for the best way to set everything up visually. They include ideas for not only the home page, but folder pages where my work is stored. Ideally, I would like the menu to be easily navigated, with select works on the front page. Organizing sketchbook pages is difficult for me personally, so the portfolio will be good practice for including a range of my work.
Wireframe
Photoshop Comp
Creating a Photoshop comp helps me further visualize what the site will look like upon completion.