Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
attributes that lead to visual quality. Many bad designs come from non-art and
non-visual disciplines. Technology experts may be poor designers because
they focus too much on technology bells and whistles and less on the user.
However, design is emergent and eventually everyone can get better with
practice and exposure to design.
I hope this chapter will act as a catalyst for people who already have a Web
portfolio to assess the quality of their design. I would like the new readers to
begin to build good habits in their actions as visual and communication
designers. Regardless of discipline, when you create a Web portfolio you
become a designer. You are developing an information product that serves to
solve a communication problem. Therefore, you are playing the role of
information designer, communication designer, and graphic designer. These are
roles which you must take seriously because they affect persuasion and
appearance. Making your Web portfolio site look good is as important as
feeling good about it, because if it looks good and you feel good about it, you'll
tell people about it. Remember, the goal of the Web portfolio is to promote you
and your accomplishments, so looks count.
The idea that the visual rhetoric of the Web portfolio is vital to its success is
supported by Kimball (2003):
Just like words, appearance can play and important role in how
a piece of work is assessed. This is particularly true in a Web
portfolio, because the Web is such a visually intensive medium.
The Web gives authors tremendous flexibility to design have the
documents look, any appearance of the documents can make a
big impact on how readers perceive the content and the author.
(p. 25)
Kimball's point cannot be clearer. Visual design effects user perceptions. He
also suggests that the established Web design principles of “subtlety, consis-
tency, easy navigation, legibility, and a clear page design” guide you through
your Web portfolio page designs. We reinforce these suggested principles
extensively throughout the text. As your experience with Web portfolio design
increases, so will your fluency with visual design. Remember that the Web
portfolio provides an appearance for you as a professional and a specialist in
your field. Ineffective communication caused by poor visual design will result
in a lack of credibility.
