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Step 1: Develop your Idea

My website will be a portfolio of my past and current work, I am an amateur photographer, artist, and designer. Using traditional art mediums along side digital platforms to showcase a broad range of my work and capabilities. The goal of my website to showcase my work as simply as possible, I want visitors to my site to be able to navigate and explore without being distracted by irrelevant "bells and whistles".

Step 2: Discovery and Research

Going forward we will look at several prominent designers and photographers who inspire me.

David Carson

David Carson is an American graphic designer, art director and surfer. He is best known for his innovative magazine design, and use of experimental typography. He was the art director for the magazine Ray Gun, in which he employed much of the typographic and layout style for which he is known. In particular, his widely imitated aesthetic defined the so-called "grunge typography" era. His website layout is very simple and to the point, he lets his work dictate the mood and flow of the website. It is very easy for one to navigate, scrolling left to right, users are presented with his past and present projects.

Stefan Sagmeister & Jessica Walsh

Are a New York-based graphic designer and typographer. Sagmeister co-founded a design firm called Sagmeister & Walsh Inc. with Jessica Walsh in New York City. He has designed album covers for Lou Reed, OK Go, The Rolling Stones, David Byrne, Jay Z, Aerosmith and Pat Metheny. Jessica Walsh is an American graphic designer, art director and illustrator, and a partner at creative agency Sagmeister & Walsh. The unique element about the Sagmeister & Walsh website is the live office feed on the home page, it shows the "outside the box" mentality this firm represents. Navigation is simple and the layout is a good representation of their styles.

Timothy McGurr a.k.a. 13thWitness

New York based photographer, schooled in the world of art and graffiti since he was a knee high, Tim McGurr has experienced an upbringing almost comparable to none, yet he maintains a cool vibe coupled with a natural gift for photography. Having already worked on various projects alongside Nike, Japanese Hip-Hop legends Nitro Underground and various other New York heavyweights, McGurr is ready to hit the ground running with an arsenal of skills in digital imaging and film. 13thWitness' site is more ecommerce than anything, but still has the feel of a well produced online portfolio. He showcases many of his favorite photos and offers prints to those willing to dish out the cash.

Richard Avedon

American photographer Richard Avedon was best known for his work in the fashion world and for his minimalist portraits. He worked first as a photographer for the Merchant Marines, taking identification photos. He then moved to fashion, shooting for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, demanding that his models convey emotion and movement, a departure from the norm of motionless fashion photography. Avedon's site which is a foundation dedicated to his work is quite simple and very clean, several option links on the bottom and a point and click slide show of his more famous works.

Step 3: Target Audience

The target audience I'm trying to attract to my site would be potential employers, graphic designers, and photographers who are looking to collaborate. It would be a perfect way to showcase my web design skills, to also possibly secure work in that sector.

Step 4: Inspiration

Ideally I want my site to be similar in style to Richard Avedon, clean and simple. The idea is to let my work speak to visitors without them being distracted by unnecessary colors, sounds, or banners.

Seven Steps