Pre-existing Design collectives

Bread Collective 

'Bread Collective is a network of creatives working across a variety of disciplines, based in the heart of East London. We specialise in illustrative typography, murals and installations, as well as art direction, graphic design and branding. We're very flexible and work on a project by project basis, from large scale to small.

We have an authentic design aesthetic and aim to maintain the balance between digital and traditional media, embracing both past and present techniques. We're happy getting our hands dirty, often finding that getting away from a computer screen helps stimulate more creative outcomes.'

How did I personally find the website? 

Hierarchy is evident through the sizing of type, allowing important information to come across initially. Little typography is expressed, in turn allowing for a fast, less daughting read. The typography itself is legible, with a serif typeface being used when mass text is present, in turn further promoting legibility. 

In terms of navigation a top bar has been put in place so that no matter what page the user is on they can easily navigate to other pages. This is essential when thinking about click count. 

The general aesthetic of the piece appears clean and clear. It is evident that a grid system has been put in place in order to promote structure. White has been expressed throughout all background spreads to create impact between the images used. 

Sweet Art Collective

'Sweet ‘Art is dedicated to the promotion of artists through the delivery of regular site-specific exhibitions. With a specific emphasis on working with artists who are marginalised from the marketplace, Sweet ‘Art aims to provide an accessible and inclusive space for looking at, thinking about and debating art.'

How did I personally find the website? 

The website appeared very unbalanced with mass text being used. The typography itself is very unclear, with the typewriter font appearing very overwhelming upon a mass scale. This is mainly due to the stroke width, as the thin stroke appears somewhat illegible against the contrasting white background. 

London Design Collective 

'What brings us all together is a love of design. From digital to handcrafted bespoke art, design is a beautiful things to be shared and celebrated. LondonDesignCollective.com is run with good design as a priority above anything else.'

How did I personally find the website? 

The general aesthetic of the website appeared very strong, with bold typefaces being used in order to develop hierarchy. Mass text is not present, in turn promoting easy navigation in which focuses upon the distribution of fast information. The way in which different creative disciplines are separated is effective, although this would not apply to my design collective.  The website also does not promote individual designers, a factor in which I believe to be limiting. 

What have I learnt from this exercise? 

From completing this exercise it is evident that certain design factors help for easy navigation around a website. Firstly, each page should easily lead back to the landing page. Secondly, a website is much easier to navigate if negative space is present. White backgrounds are most effective as they do not appear overwhelming. It was also discovered that websites in which are effectively sectioned work far more effectively.