RESEARCH: Website...

The first thing I need to decide upon is the name of my website. This is the most vital part of the first impression I have on a potential client. Anything complicated or confusing will put a busy client off. The length is important as if the address is too awkward to type, it will once again put clients off having to enter it.

First name thoughts:

stishillustrations.co.uk = NO.

Although it feels easy to type and it isn't too long and complicated, it looks wrong visually. If it is glanced at quickly, the amount of 'S' and 'L' letters seem too close and makes it look messy.

theworkofstish.co.uk = NO.

Same problem regarding the untidiness. In this case however, my eyes make out “the work o fish” when looked at quickly. Although this is just my personal optical illusion, I cannot risk a potential client experiencing the same embarrassing situation.

emilywhite.illustrations.co.uk = NO.

The stop has broken up the words so it is clear to see. My only problem is the use of my real name. I had originally chosen the alias “Stish” because it is more like a brand name for my work. It can be applied to more products than just a normal name.

stish-illustration.co.uk = YES.

I have decided to go with this as it ticks all my requirements. It feels easy to type, visually it is clear and it describes exactly who I am and what I do in two words. I feel a hyphen is better than a stop to break up the words as it gives a wider break between the words and it still visible at reading eye level. This is important as if someone did not see the stop, they could dismiss it and if passing on information to another possible client, they could copy the address incorrectly, potentially losing me exposure and custom.

Next, I want to look at how I want my website to look and be laid out.

CASE STUDY 1: Eri Wakiyama (www.eriwakiyama)

Eri is a fashion illustrator based in New York but originates from Japan. Since 2007, she has kept a Blogspot which soon spread onto a inspiration Tumblr blog. Recently she has created an official portfolio website.

My favourite features...

Home page:
Home page consists of a large single image which also incorporates her name. The different categories of her work are listed down the left side. Buttons to bottom right also invite the viewer to share the page on Facebook and Pinterest.

Portfolio Flash:

I really like how the page moves in the style of a slideshow left and right. It also flows up and down too to move to the next and previous projects. I think this Flash coding would be a bit too complicated for me, plus it does take up the entire website. Everything has to revolve around this coding and I don't think that this in particular is suitable for me.

CASE STUDY 2: Isabel Greenberg (isabelnecessary.com)

Isabel is a young recently graduated British illustrator. Mainly focusing in narrative work, Isabel also turns her hand to many other projects.

My favourite features...

Home page:

Nice and straight to the work, Isabel's home page displays a neat arrangement of thumbnails that direct the viewer to that particular project. The projects are also listed down the left hand side of the page. Personally, I think the writing is too small and in a difficult font for one to quickly skim a glance down and find a particular project title. However, I suppose any more would overshadow such nicely presented thumbnails. I do like the fact that links to the about section, shop and blog are in a different colour. This separates the projects for the additional information.

About section:

The writing again is small but clear to follow and consistent. The main thing that first catches the attention, however, is the 'self portrait' illustration, nearly in the centre of the text. When my eyes were drawn to this, I found that contact information borders the top and the bottom. The top being her direct contact and her agents information underneath.

The use of third person I personally think looks better and more professional. Here, Isabel directs attention to upcoming projects, important information such as her University, her past clients and awards. This would be a very good idea to do something similar but currently in my illustration career, I don't feel like I have got enough of a repertoire just yet.

Shop:

Although it looks small, Isabel has for sale pretty much the same things that she takes to shows and conventions. This shows a reliable and constant stock of work. The use of Big Cartel is interesting too.

CASE STUDY 3: Keaton Henson (www.keatonhenson.com)

Keaton has become a very popular illustrator and musician over a progression of years, with exposure ranging from BBC and The New Yorker Magazine, to clothing lines Topman and Drop Dead. However, it is widely known and emphasised that he is a recluse and does not like too much interaction. Recently this behaviour has seemed to lessen due to his fanbase and popularity but when he was still promoting his illustrations, he was deemed a very mysterious person to talk to and get information from (see this illustrated interview, where he refused to meet the interviewer in person and answered questions through drawings.). His website shows this old, hard-to-follow personality working alongside the new popularity and demand.

My favourite pages...

Start page:

This is the first point of advertising new/upcoming releases and events and now is mainly directed towards his music career. Something on these lines would be exceedingly useful, especially by ways to promote my FMP narrative when it is complete and in a physical format.

Navigation/home page:

The term 'navigation' is more appropriate in the case of Keaton's home page. Central navigations that distort when rolled over by the cursor animate this first-seeming bleak and empty screen. The nest is also a link to his Tumblr blog. Nothing is really clearly marked as to which link can direct you to a particular page. This brings on an inquisitive game of 'trial and find' until you fall into Keaton's frame of mind and recognise symbolism and clues to get to your hopeful destination.

“Gather”:

For his about section, the term "gather" is used in the sense of gathering information about Keaton. This was created back when he was very reclusive, as shown through "he doesn't like to talk about himself". The use of a mailing list button is a very handy idea, especially now his music has become more desired. This way, automated messages get sent to fans who wish for it.

“Acquire”:

This is the shop front to take the viewer to different sites when you can buy particular items. This is a very useful idea as Keaton has music on iTunes, yet he has stockist of physical CDs and vinyls. Some special edition music pieces creep onto the 'Merchandise' site. However, this is mainly kept aside for apparel and his first book "Gloaming" (Published by Pocko Publishing, 2012). 

“Procrastinate”:

This is a very odd and interesting section to the site! The title "procrastinate" is self-explanatory. The collective collage of images are flash-based and individual objects highlight when the cursor crosses them. In most instances, this would indicate that it is an active link to another area. In this case it is completely the opposite. There is no link to the object, so this confuses the viewers and draws them into a challenge of 'find the working link'. It leaves you inquisitive for an amount of time and even more so when the cursor-sensitive area for each object is specific. This means you can highlight an image, but roll over the same image on a different area, and nothing happens.