About my portfolio website:

I wanted to write a little bit about the update to my portfolio website, afinaldesign.com.  The reason for the change was twofold:The name of my website, A Final Design, is a statement of irony.  I don’t believe that any design is ever truly final.  Both time and changing perspectives always lead to new views; further improvements are always possible.I had a personal desire to showcase my work in a more polished format which would better represent my ideals and who I am.

The newest format of the site includes several upgrades from the previous version.  One of my main focuses in this renovation was to present information in a way that was easy for the user to access, as well as to provide multiple ways to navigate and view content.  The first section of the site reflects this.  It is a brief statement about the site and my design ideology, followed by an interactive resume.  This resume was designed as an overview; the full professional resume is then made accessible as a .pdf.

The portfolio section of the website is the central focus of the site.  This also is why it holds the center point in the global site navigation.  The portfolio content is divided into areas of similar media, with more project information available for full websites in the case studies section.  I also wanted to design this navigation system to be easily expandable as my portfolio continues to grow, which can be achieved by reducing size of the projects nodes when the real estate runs low.  Bright, alluring colors encourage user interaction throughout the navigation, while all illustration is black and white when static.  These illustrations recede into the background, allowing the focus of the page to become the work itself.

The final section is for links to pages outside of my site, this blog included.  I wanted to utilize the same overall design methodology as the rest of the site, but incorporate a third unique look within this thinking.  Looking through the site, you will notice that lions are the focus of my illustrative work.  These lions represent several things for me.  They are drawn as the pair that guard the Art Institute of Chicago, a tribute to the city where I was raised.  It will always be one of my favorite places in the world and seeing them makes me feel like I am home.  This is why I chose them for my homepage and why they are always seen in pairs.

The two lions also serve as a metaphor for traits that I work to uphold in my daily life.  These traits are loyalty and pride, both commonly associated with lions throughout the ages (though arguably not so much in scientific terms).  I strive to be as loyal as possible to those close to me, holding these relationships as the basis for my strength in life.  I also take great pride in what I do and where I am from; not wanting to forget the past, but use it to improve the future.

It would seem that everyone has their own preferred format for a portfolio, so I wanted mine to be representative of my personality.  Hopefully this has provided some background and insight into why the site is what it is.  And as this design is never final – critique and feedback are always appreciated.  Hopefully some of you out there will see things I have missed!