Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Fortunately, your portfolio, having a very specific and limited purpose, requires
a subset of interface design. You don't have to know everything to create an interface
that won't frustrate your visitors or unknowingly cause you embarrassment.
One of the first things we learn about onscreen content is that each file or
screen is a “page.” That sounds like a book or magazine, doesn't it? There is only one
tiny problem—it's a very inaccurate metaphor.
Although both physical book pages and online pages
contain text and image content, the way we experi-
ence that content is completely different in each
medium. In fact, the same set of content, if presented
onscreen in exactly the way it would be in a book,
will frequently fail to deliver its message accurately
and effectively.
The most important difference is obvious, yet
it's the most frequent cause of badly designed portfolio interfaces. Except for referenc-
es—like a dictionary or encyclopedia—you experience topics sequentially. It is not
possible to faithfully mimic that experience with digital content. If you design your
interface the way you would a book, you will drive your audience berserk. We need
different metaphors to think about a portfolio interface.
How is your digital portfolio “page” not a physical portfolio book page?
What makes us pass on a portfolio
when we see it? A clear lack of
understanding of the digital world.
You don't want to scratch your head
and wonder if you're looking at a
print or web portfolio.
—Thane Calder
•
Multiple entryways.
Experiencing a physical book is like walking down a
hallway. You start at one end, and finish at the other. Experiencing an inter-
face is like walking into an atrium, with multiple doors around the walls, the
floor, and the ceiling.
•
Linear versus dimensional thinking.
A book is meant to be experienced in
a straight line. An interface is more like a deck of cards. You can pull out
different pieces of information, randomly or with a purpose, and experience
them in any order. In fact, you can jump back and forth from one deck of
cards to completely different ones. As a result, the interface designer can
never be sure what each visitor's experience with their work will be.
•
Visual control.
When you design a book, you control all decisions that
affect the reader: order, legibility, style, texture, color, position, size. When
you design an interface, there are many contingencies you can't control. You
can't know your audience's monitor size, resolution, or brightness; their type
of computer; or their browsers or plug-ins.
