Week 2 Concept Statement Assignment

1.     Create a list of all users that may visit your site (not from the WWW but those you’d invite).

·      Potential clients in need of: logo and brand identity, photo illustration, conceptual illustration, storyboarding, mural design/execution, print advertising design, photography or video; fine art.

·      People: via Inbound links from my blog, LinkedIn, resume, other

·      Friends, friends of friends, family

·      Engine Spiders

2.     What will each of those users want to see in order to enjoy their visit to your site?

I would think a good representation of my work, both fine and professional, presented by a memorable, easy-to-use website would make for the best visit. But, I have heard from people in the industry that a portfolio site should only display professional graphic design or “proposed” project work. Therefore, I’m not exactly sure how to proceed, because I do sell fine art. Do I need two separate sites? Or can there be a hybrid, balancing all of the above?

3.     Name your intended audience (the person(s) you need to persuade.)

Intended audience (i.e., most valued) is the potential client or customer, or networker to bring in aforementioned.

4.     Describe what you need to inform and persuade them of:

·      Promote my: Professional work, art for sale, and other talents that may lead to work. Also act as a conduit for networking, contacts, and blog.

·      Goals of the site are: To be an easy place to see my work, my work and education history, and get in touch with me.

·      My ultimate message/philosophy (about who you are): I see myself as a visual translator, turning other peoples visions into reality, and offering my interpretations as improvisation along the way.

·      What is the story you are telling? Artist returning to his roots, seeking creative, hands-on work after a long stint in the non-profit sector.

5.     Write a 200 word concept statement based on the user, your persuasion, navigation and the assets. See below

6.     List the assets you need to persuade the user: Which 7 (minimum) projects? scans of what?, photos of what objects? images from what computer graphics program? what descriptive text? list them.

·      The Scartlets – photos of product: CD artwork, CD cover/jacket design, poster design

·      EBS – Jpegs: brand Identity graphics, logo, print ad (newspaper ad)

·      Boldfish.com – 3 logos: pen & ink, scanned

·      Sun Path Energy – Jpeg: Promotional Card

·      Where To Turn – Photo: Resource Guide Book for Volunteers of America

·      Proposed – PDF: iPhone App presentation, “iSpyArt”

·      Clocks – Photos: sales items, handmade

·      Fine Art – Pending answer re website (If so: Murals, Illustration, Multimedia/built)

7.     For the purpose of structuring your website portfolio pages, list the categories of work you will show. (for a Photographer, for example, it may be portrait, product, sports photography categories).

·      Graphic Design: logo and brand identity, photo illustration, conceptual illustration/storyboarding, print/advertising design

·      Fine Art: Murals, Illustration, Multimedia/built

8.     Concept Statement:

I want this website to be many things, but not seem like too many things. I want this site to display the breadth of my core skills, both in past work that I’ve done for clients, and work I’ve done for myself. Both are potential money-makers, and although this is a portfolio –a culmination of my best work to show for hire, I don’t want the site to give off a desperate air that demands that You hire Me Now. My user will know whether or not they want to hire me based of my site –a well developed, simple to use, stimulating user experience that invites everyone to return, without bombarding anyone with flashy bells and whistles, sales pitches or wannabe-clever hooks. My work should speak for itself, and where it cannot, I want a brief, modest explanation. This is not a mountaintop for my ego, but a display case for my prize trophies. The navigation will be intuitive, basic, trimmed down, and obvious –just like my content and assets. In only a few clicks, I want the user to be able to see whatever specific type of example of work they want, understand it based on a clear, articulate description, and be able to find their way back, to my blog, or contact me within a single click.