Develop Your Idea
I would like to create a writing portfolio website to showcase my literary works and writing skills. Many other established authors and poets have websites but a lot of their designs are the same or plain. I'd like to diffrenciate myself somehow while not having a site that looks too overhwleming or hard to figure out.
Discovery and Research
I would want my site to be simple to use yet have a writerly vibe that isn't totally boring. I would want a straightforward layout that's organized yet still is pleasing to the eye and matches my writing's aesthetic. I don't think I'd have very many elements though to keep things simple.
Mieko Kawakami: My favorite contempoary writer's website. It is very straightforward and does not have too many elements. The image banner does a lot of the work, however it does not seem too plan because of the hover details. My favorite thing about this site is that even though it is plan and simple, it matches the vibe of Kawakami's writing. Her writing style is straightforward yet thoughtful. The bluntness of the site too, I think, gives it a professional feel. It also seems to reflect the values of the writer. Language and translation must be important to Kawakami's brand, hence why her works are organized by translation. Perhaps its a show of a desire to touch the hearts of many with her work.
Tahareh Mafi: Definitely a more interesting website than Kawakami's. All of the navigation buttons are fun shapes. It looks exactly what I picture when I think 'contemporary young adult novel' or has an energy akin to that of a middle school English class or a Barnes and Noble fiction section. There are a lot of floral details and motifs of writing like letter stamps and buttons shaped like books. It feels a little cheesy, and so are the kind of novels you read when you're in middle school to high school. She deifnitely knows her audience.
Evanescent Magazine: This one is a literary journals for teen writers. Its a very simple site to figure out and also retains that youthful, safe tone with all the colors and button shapes. It is supposed to look inviting for teens just getting started writing who may be intimidated by publishing.
Target Audience
Anybody who wants to read me / wants to look at a few of my writing samples for a job or more likely as a candidate for a literary group.
Inspo and Concepts
Thumbnails and Sketches
Wireframes and Prototypes
Photoshop Comp (Laptop, Tablet, Phone)
