Introductory Questions

1. My name is Elena Biske! I'm a junior majoring in Communication Design.

2. I have a strong background in illustration, specifically of a cartoony nature. I also have some experience creating comics and animation. As someone who may end up doing freelance work in the future, this class provides critical knowledge for both personal work (portfolioi) and potential commissions (graphic design)!

3. I have absolutely no experience with any form of coding, but am excited to learn!

4. I hope to develop the skillset to create my own portfolio website, and especially one that reflects my artistic style rather than merely being functional.

5. When designing for the screen, you have to take into account the difference in human interaction. Some interactions are more obvious, such as what happens when scrolling on a page or rolling over a link. Other elements are a little more subconscious, such as a viewer's attention span or how their eyes move over a page. All of these are critical compoennts to effective design!

6. I've always loved the website for my hometown cafe, https://beantreecafe.net/. I think it has a great mix of simplicity and elegance, matching the mood of the restaurant, and keeps what's important at the forefront- food and coffee!

7. In terms of effective communication, I've always thought that https://www.slam.org/ works really well. I've never had any issues finding the information I need on their site! It also places the articles patrons are most likely to look for at the very forefront- new and rotating exhibits.

8. One of my favorite websites is https://www.canva.com/. Canva is essentially a browser-based design tool that features a ton of free and premium templates and graphics, so one would naturally expect its design to be both visually engaging and functional. Outside of the design tool, the website makes getting started on a project or engaging with its other features really simple. The tool itself also has great search functionality and is super intuitive, especially compared to some of the more elaborate design tools out there (see: Adobe).