PPP: Live talk 4 [Slanted Publishers]

• Publishing/magazine/Editorial/Curation
• Was interesting to listen and look at different books that have been published.
• However, it was mostly just describing what the books are about, rather that how they have been made, would've been good if they also talked about the book making process.
• Although, it was nice to see the range of works from architecture to fashion, which shows the difference in how design was approached in a way too.
• Most enjoyable part their own personal journal curation of visuals that they've collected over the years. 
  
  
  

PPP: Live Talk 3 [Caserne]

Branding Identity - Packaging, Product Packaging

• They have a very distinct style and brand which is shown throughout their products and projects.
• Have done a lot of drink products like kombucha, beer etc
• I particularly enjoyed their 'Regie' publication - the illustrations, type and stock consideration was really cool and the newspaper size was so effective as they illustrated the wine bottles in their actual size.
  

• Looking into their other projects in their website, I found that their style very prominent but at the same time they hone it really well according to the type of brand, project that they are doing.
• The designs are also very youthful and playful especially with the beer projects that they've done. Aiming for wider and younger audiences. 
• Overall, they have a really extensive amount of work and projects however it was interesting to see how their style remained the same yet different throughout as well as how their style has evolved from one project to another. 

Having an interest in Brand Identity, it was rally great for me to see the process of how Caserne has adopted their style to the brands that they're doing. It's also something I want to work and imporve one more, as as of now I feel that I don't really have a particular style yet (visually nor conceptually-thinking wise-approach to content). The range of products they have worked with as well have told me how they have evolved as designers which is also what I want to achieve in the future.

Extended Practice Brief #1: Evaluation

Overall, I am satisfied with the outcome of the website, although the very initial thoughts for this brief was quite different I think this is still was a good way of presenting the idea effectively. Looking back at the intention of the brief, I think the outcome is particularly effective in presenting information to its users/audience as it is clear and concise. Thus, I think it'll also engage audience better. Although, I did ponder whether or not it was too simple of a website I ultimately decided that it was best to keep it this way as it should serve it's main purpose which is to help users learn Baybayin, although illustrations could be argued to give the website some playfulness, the characters (typeface: Matatas One) themselves could also be viewed as illustrations, their soft and 'bubbly' aesthetic already gives the website a sense of intrigue and engagement therefore adding illustrations would seem unnecessary. Also, there are some nuances within the website that are clearly Filipino e.g. the poem extract in the main page, most of the website is quite neutral; though the cultural and societal aspects are still intact in the information heavy 'About Page', having purely Filipino visual nuances would mean to create a much more in-depth information pages of the website in order for users who are not Filipino to fully understand their meanings and this I think would just take away from the purpose of learning solely about the script but a whole culture that the script is used in. Although the website doesn't teach/show the whole past and culture it acts as a catalyst for users to delve more into the culture of Baybayin and Filipinos in general.   

In addtion, if I were to point out a visual characteristic from the website, to some people it may look a bit clinical due to the blue and white colour palette used, however despite this though I think the colour choices are still effective in bringing out the tone and idea of the website which helps engage the audiences into it, along with it's clear UI that allows for a smooth and easy UX. 

Extended Practice Brief #1: Final Outcome

This is the final outcome of the website...

Comparing the final outcome to the initial low fidelity sketches the website became simpler to navigate and the each page structures and information also became more systematic. Due to the familiar navigation structure of the website navigation icons became redundant for the website, adding the simplistic look and each transition page is natural and predictable that it takes the users in a clear and concrete journey throughout, making it easier for them to focus on the contents of the website. Along with the clear navigation is the minimal colour palette used which not only highlighted the characters effectively through the contrast of the yellow on the blue background but also made it easier for users to concentrate as the cool tone of the page made for a calm and serious character for the website that the users can definitely feel. The use of a fresh serif typeface (Mazius Review 20.09) also lended itself to highlight the characters more as the typeface contrasted how curvy and soft the characters are compared to it's sharp serifs and strong stems and curves. The information and content of the website is also clearly grouped and separated in order for users to not feel overloaded with information that it may feel too bothersome for them to learn. This also means that by grouping certain information together, certain sections and pages of the website will be written heavy. For example, the 'About page' is particularly long as it covers the history, theories and origins of the script; covering most information needed in order for the users to understand the cultural and societal meanings and symbols of the script in order for them to appreciate the script even more. On the other hand, the 'Characters/Learn the characters page' is short and straight to the point as it is intended to focus solely on how the characters are used and written, providing straight to the point descriptions and easy examples that the users can use as guides on how the characters can be used in the appropriate context. As simple as the website is, it serves it's appropriate purpose to the brief it is answering as well as provide a sufficient way for its audiences to learn more about the script, Baybayin, in a very easy way whilst still presenting the audiences with the right information along with a minimal yet effective aesthetic.

Extended Practice Brief #1: Design Development - Website Content Update!

Updates on the website UI/UX and website content...

Homepage:

• The main page of the website
• The white bar at the top which includes the: About page, 'Learning Baybayin' homepage and Learn the characters page are constant in ALL the pages - giving an easy access for the users to go to whichever page they want to go to and also indicates how simple the website is keeping a minimal design and content for users to easily digest the information that they want to get. They are also kept at a 15pt (Poppins Medium) type size to make it noticeable enough, at the same time appear 'invisible' in each pages, during tests a bigger type size looked to heavy and distracting.
• The About page will slide left whilst the Learn the characters will slide up - this gives the website a clear navigation direction and won't feel all over the place when the users navigate through the website.

Learn the characters:

• All the character are displayed centred on the page but instead of breaking it down to vowels and consonants I thought it was better to show them simply like - as it indicates that there is a breakdown and further information to follow. 
• Downward Scroll - the page can be scrolled to show all the characters 
• Tap for Transition - the users can anywhere on the page to go to another page, where the next page will slide left and ease in and out; sliding left rather than down seemed more appropriate to make the transition more seamless and make the UX feel shorter. 

This is important as its an information heavy website and and centred around learning so it's vital that the transitions make it seem like all the information are in one page rather than detaching each segment with heavily animated transitions. I thought the only 'heavy' or more noticeable transitions should only be applied on pages with a completely different information e.g. About Page to Practice page, so it indicates better to the users that it's a different info, therefore they can approach it fresh to absorb the information they are getting as well as provide breaks for the stagnant style of the website.

Characters Page:

• After the Main character page the break down of the characters are shown on another page transitioned to slide left. 
• The first page is blank then users can click on whichever character they want to show its details. 
• The page is split into two sections, one showing the characters in blue and yellow and the other in white and blue and white and the highlighted letter in yellow in the examples. As they split in two sections, its navigated through further scrolling and though without any icons provided users will automatically know anyways due to the previous page (also, adding navigational icons make the website too crowded and messy as it already has a lot of writing involved, therefore it's best to keep it simple with familiar transitions and navigation that users are already used to doing elsewhere. )
• Characters - the characters here are split into three sections; vowels, consonants and strokes. The sub headings and the romanised alphabet under eawhitch character are in the Mazius Review 20.09 typeface and it is changed into 25 pt along with the additional content on the white half of the screen to clearly divide the information.
• Contents - the contents is broken down in sections and translated in English and Tagalog. The character is centred with it's description split on both sides. Also, instead of using typography the characters are described in a more visual way and compared to everyday things that the users can easily associate it too in order for the users to remembers each characters. Also as the script is most accurate when using Tagalog words rather than English a note is also written to let users know the phonetical accuracy of the script on written. In the example, the character that's been selected has been highlighted in yellow, making it stand out and be picked out quickly especially for users who may still be unfamiliar with the script at any stage of when trying the script. 

 About Page:

• The about page link is consistent in every of the website as it's linked onto the white bar on the top of the website. 
• Content - also I previously mentioned that I'd like the about page to be short, I decided that it was better to include everything here as opposed to breaking it down further on each character page. It would be best for users to rather get a full background writing on the script on the about page as it would uniform the consumption of information and type of information they are getting, as the history, theories and origins are included in the about pages where as the characters page is purely focused on learning the usage and learning how to write the script. Just like how the navigation is supposed to be simple and systematic what and how information is consumed by users is also groups and broken down accordingly. So in this case, it became appropriate and inevitable that the About page is long and hefty. 
• The page will overlay and slide to the left on whichever page the user is currently on with the current page blurred; rather than transition to the actual page. Overlaying the page cut down of navigation time and steps, as well as keeps the users focused on the page. Furthermore, the About page may not be the first page users may go to, so overlaying is more appropriate as it could just be for users to remind themselves of the history or read further details when learning the characters.

Practice page:

• This page is only available when users begin learning the characters. When learning the characters, the top right information changes to 'Practice/Magensayo' (it was originally planned to put in below in the content page, however placing it top works better as it kept the style of the website and didn't add new navigational instructions for the users to get used to especially as it is already a 'sub' page in the website. 
• A pretty simplistic page dedicated for users to write and practice the characters that they have just learnt, with only essential functions shown e.g. undo button and character reminder. 
• 'Character Reminder' - the only function with navigation icons. I thought this was appropriate as the page is empty therefore the users don't have any queues that other information are further scrollable. 
• When the character reminder icon is tapped all the characters will appear overlay (slide up)halfway on the current practice page and scrolled down to show all the characters. Originally, I planned it to be sliding left to right as the navigation purpose, but with the navigation style already implemented through the rest of the website, it would feel too time consuming for the user and really inconvenient especially if users may want to look at a character that is further down the alphabet. 

Thoughts & Reflection:

I think the website is overall nearly done, looking back on the initial low fidelity sketch that I made, I think the website became even simpler and how each page transition and move with one another have also changed as I became more aware of how each movement felt when creating the prototype itself. Transitions and information placement that felt easy and appropriate in writing, actually was inconvenient during the prototype process, e.g. the top bar became consistent with three main pages, rather than one/two and overlaying pages rather than transitioning completely was way more appropriate for some pages, therefore they were naturally changed in order to fit the use and purpose of the website. However, because of how simple the website is I did think maybe it's too simple, and thought of adding more illustrations or information structures, however ultimately I concluded that they weren't necessarily needed and it was best to keep it simple as the original intentions of the website was for learning and for it to be informative, therefore having simple and familiar structures was the most appropriate. 

Extended Practice Brief #1: Design development - Website High Fidelity Wireframe

Following my low fidelity wireframe I made I started to make the high fidelity version.

Homepage:

 

• Centred is the title 'Learning Baybayin', 'About' page on the left and 'Learn the Characters' page on the right.  They are also translated in Tagalog, providing a duo-lingual purpose for both speaking and Filipino users. 
• They will act as the main/ permanent bar on the website for navigation.
• 'Learning Baybayin' - can be clicked to go back to the homepage on ALL pages.
• 'About' - can be clicked to get more information about the History and Use of the script (the writing will be translated in both EN and FIL). 
• 'Learn the Characters' - can be clicked to go to the main characters page. Provides a clear and simple navigation system to learn each character in an efficient and quick way with minimal writing - focus on how each syllable is pronounced, used in terms of Tagalog and English and additional context. 
• The illustration on the bottom half is 'Baybayin' in its original script form. It's simplistic and fits the homepage well as it gives an intriguing look to how the script is written and look. 
• The information used is the final section of a Filipino poem called 'To My Fellow Youth" (Sa Aking Mga Kabata) which talks about loving the native language(s) of the Philippines  .
• The last stanza implies the use and lost of 'Baybayin', there I thought it was the most appropriate as gives the users an indication the the purpose of the website - which is to educate people who wants to learn the language, whilst giving linking back to traditional Filipino art and methods to promote the usage of the native language.

"Our language is like that of others,

With its own alphabet and its own characters,
But they vanished as if a sudden storm had come upon

A boat in a lake in an age long past."

"Ang salita nati'y huwad din sa iba
Na may alfabeto at sariling letra,
Na kaya nawalá'y dinatnan ng sigwâ
Ang lunday sa lawà noóng dakong una."

Learn the characters:

• The Main characters page which is intended to initially show all the characters/ punctuation in the alphabet. 
• Split in sections according to their kind e.g. Vowels/ Patinig or Consonants/ Katinig. 
• Slipt in three's for larger projection on the screen as well as scrolling function to see all the characters. 
• How the characters are pronounced are written in the Roman alphabet.
• The page or any characters can be clicked on in order to go to another page that show more details of each characters.  

More Details Page:

• Split into two sections showing the characters in smaller size and space for more details of each characters.
• When a character is clicked more info on the character is shown in the space and illustration showing it's definite character.  

Typeface:

• The title typeface used is Poppins Medium 15pt capitals - for it's simple and approachable sense of geometrical character which fits perfectly with the learning and educative aspect of the website.
• The body text used is Mazius Review 20.09 Italic 35pt/ 30pt - which contrasts well with the characters of Baybayin for it's modern sharp construction giving it a strong and contemporary feel and look. 
• The Baybayin typeface I used is 'Matatas One' 'Matatas' meaning fluent in Filipino. It is a modern approach to the traditional scriptive/calligraphic style of baybayin writing for it's more rounded and shortened curves and stems and modified strokes. I chose this typeface as it's easier to read than most calligraphic styles which helps with learning it as well as it's more legible and easier to remember and write. In addition unlike the traditional Baybayin alphabet, the 'd/da' and 'r/ra' are differentiated with a different character for better understanding when writing in words/sentences especially in Tagalog where a lot of words have both sounds/letters it helps it to be less confusing and easier to understand for beginner learners. 

Colour:

• I'm using a very limited colour palette of white, blue and yellow to use as a highlighting force for the characters in yellow rather than to overshadow it with various colour choices. The characters themselves evoke interest and a sense of playfulness and intrigue that it is helped with a colour which balances information, aesthetic, legibility and an 'educative' 'serious' mood that helps drive the informational purpose of the website. The colour choices aren't too much nor too dull but enough to keep the website looking fresh to the eyes. The three colours are also main colours of the Filipino flag, giving a subtle reference to another Filipino culture context, which users may see when viewing the website themselves. 

Thoughts & Reflection:

A good start to the website I think, but even though I have made the low fidelity wireframes there were still small functions that I didn't consider enough like the transitions and how they can be done in XD since there are lots of restrictions so having to get around them has slowed me down a bit. But, so far, I will continue to create the website and the illustrations for the about page and its content for me to continue designing the Characters page and hopefully refine the website after all contents have been made. 

Extended Practice Brief #1: Initial Idea - Website Low Fidelity Rough Draft

I've drafted the UI/X that I am intending to create for my website, from my sketches you can see that I've gone through various process in order to draft the most efficient interface as I want the website to be:

• easily navigated (minimum clicks and page/tab changes)
• mimic the 'waves' (linking to the *new theory of clams  used in the development of the baybayin script) drag up/down actions for the website to make the page changes unnoticable.
• continuous scroll - for fluid navigation and efficiently/ quick delivery of message (so users won't get frustrated in trying to learn - it's laid out in an easy format, kind of like flipping a page of a book) 
• simple, clean website aesthetic 

Pages:

• Title/ Home Page
• About Page
• Characters Page
• Practice

Low Fidelity Draft with more info...

Thoughts & Reflections:

By having the low fidelity structure drawn out, I can easily start prototyping the website on XD, as I already have set out the exact actions and information I want on each page, it'll also be easier to add/alter if I find more things to add etc. because of the base structure ready. Tomorrow I will create the illustrations for the 'About' page and the characters in order to start my website prototype in the coming days. 

Extended Practice Brief #1: Website Initial Ideas * Base Info

Important Info to be included:

• characters 
• brief history (written in both English and Tagalog - for better understanding)
• Fact/ history behind the 'gyphs' (??) 
• show how it sounds through phonetic letterings
• As it's specific to Filipino, English words may not be translated properly - Filipino words will be used as examples but will have and English translation
• Examples are Filipino nuances/traditions to further emphasise it's use and be relatable to it's main target audience. 

*History

• NEW ORIGIN THEORY *The origin of the script was first proposed by Filipino sculptor and professor Guilermo Tolentino in his book 'Ang Wika at Baybaying Tagalog' (The Language of 'Baybaying Tagalog). *See Article - https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/the-life-death-and-resurgence-of-baybayin-a1962-20170811-lfrm "clams essential to the development of Baybayin?'
• Believed to have started in 14th century pre-colonial Spanish with vague origins - the closest in to Kavi script of Java or Buginese script/ related lost script form the island of Sulawesi.
• Characters inherently carries the vowel 'a' and to represent different vowels a 'kudlit' is added - a dot above to represent 'e/i' and below for 'o,u'. 
• Only one symbol for 'Da' and Ra' and ('Pa' and 'Fa') as they are allophones in most Filipino languages/dialects. e.g. 'dangal' (honour) to 'marangal' (honourable) when the 'd' is between two vowels.
• 'Nga' has it's own symbol 
• The script is monocameral (does not distinguish proper names or initials or word starting sentences.
• It's written in one continuous flow - a single '/' or double '//' distinguishes a dot, comma or word separations'.
• Traditionally written on palm leaves and bamboo with knives - the curvy nature of the script became natural as straight lines would cause the leaves to tear.
• in 17th century Spanish priest had a hard time translating their books, Fr. Fransisco Lopez created a 'kudlit' called 'sabat' that cancels out the vowel on a consonant and conform to alfabetos. It's a '+' to reference Christianity. 

Thoughts & Reflection:

I think I gathered lots of information for the website, so I need to make sure they make sense and are concise for people to understand it quickly and fast rather than having lines and lines of paragraphs explaining it. Particularly for the 'origin' part since there's no clear origin I'll have to explain both theories inna concise and easy way to start the website. I was thinking of putting the info alongside the characters particularly the 'clam' theory which is easier to understand and gives an insight to pre-colonial culture and traditions.

Extended Practice Brief #1: Peer/Audience Question: Why Baybayin specifically?

I asked my Filipino friends on my idea to celebrate and promote Baybayin for this project and got mixed responses on it more than I expected.

Some said it's a good idea, however some said that it's not highlighting other ancient scripts in the Philippines, and it got me thinking on how I'm delving into my idea and project...

Firstly, as 'Baybayin' is the ancient script used by 'Tagalogs' in the northern region of the country, there are many other scripts used for example the region I'm from which is in central Philippines which is called 'Badlit'. From I know, there are at least 14 others, but due to the Spanish colonial era enforcing Spanish to be spoken and the American occupation in the Philippines they were lost and never used afterwards. They come in as spoken language rather than their original script writing.

The idea that using Baybayin as another way to 'erase' other ethnic cultures in the Philippines is something I completely understand (as Tagalog is also the national language in the Philippines today). However, on the other hand I also believe that Baybayin rather than erasing other regional scripts, it would rather start a wave of inspiration to learn the regional scripts as well. As said by the Chairman of Gov. Commissions on Language and Culture, Virgilio Almario, "We need Filipino(Tagalog) as a bridge language but we should also appreciate the languages of all communities". 

It's part of the diverse culture of the Philippines, which is a country that has over 170 dialects today and dozens of ancient regional scripts, however due to strong societal 'colonial mentality'; has shun others against the rise of Baybayin. It's part of our many Filipino cultures and our identity as a Filipino rather than seeing it as erasing other regional cultures it can be seen as the start to a rise in ancient script interest across the country.

Ultimately, I want to create this project as a way to also celebrate and inform people (Filipinos and language enthusiast) about Baybayin, with a neutral approach but lighthearted and relatable approach, which would hopefully make people learn the script thoroughly like other script language and slowly use in their daily lives, as pointed out by Joselito Delos Reyes a professor in University of Santo Tomas, "It will just be a novelty, for display". Learning the script first and foremost in the most important basis in using the script in the modern times now.

https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/the-revival-of-baybayin-an-ancient-philippines-script-ripped-up-by-colonisation-1.892860
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/artandculture/323262/four-things-you-may-not-know-about-our-baybayin/story/
https://cnnphilippines.com/life/style/design/2018/05/07/Baybayin-New-national-font.html

Extended Practice Brief #1: Baybayin (Research)

https://www.behance.net/lloydzapanta

Lloyd Zapanta

• Filipino designer and art director who first became interested in Baybayin when he found out about the ancient script during his high school years. 
• As a way to promote and celebrate the ancient script, he recreated famous local and international brands with Baybayin to show how they would look like if the script was still used today. 
• He also created sets of usable fonts which people can download to use and as well as a book that shows how to use Baybayin as further way to promote the script that is beginning to emerge again.

https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/chinese-type-archive-synoptic-office-graphic-design-290120

Synoptic Office "Wikipedia for Chinese Typography" 
THE CHINESE TYPE ARCHIVE

• Open source website that lets designers use Chinese typography in their designs 
• A catalogue of 230+ typefaces with definitions and resources with explanations in both English and Chinese. 
• Explains compositions of characters and design history
• Created in order to gives designers access to type that is historic but also give designers knowledge about the language they are using in their designs. 
• Effective way to showcase the typefaces and give them as much importance as calligraphy, especially in Chinese culture
• Having it as a digital archive increases efficiency in finding specific typefaces fast and can also reach a wider audience.
• Translating in both Chinese and English will also entice people that may be interested in Chinese typeface construction that can't necessary read Chinese to learn about the typefaces and understand the meaning behind, and knowing the appropriate way of using them. 

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/corners-beautiful-language-of-han-gul-work-graphic-design-041218

Corners Studio KR
ART IS FORM 미술은  포폼이다

• Exhibition Identity for Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art
• “We wanted to show the movement of lines and the movement of screens in a simple, clear way.” Through the use of basic graphics and fluid layouts, the identity is composed through elements of the keyword ‘Form’ in various bold lines.”
• The studio used Hangul's (Korean Language) composition and strong geometrical layout in order to create consistent lines which is prominent throughout the design and showcased the beautiful visuals of the language and the letterforms themselves. 
• Effective use of the Korean characters as the 'grid' for the designs which made it visually entertaining and pleasant to see. 
• Deep understanding of the character structures helped in designing the work and use it' advantages to created meaning aesthetically and also conceptually. 

Extended Practice Brief #1: Baybayin (How can Filipinos learn (more) about Baybayin?)

From reading articles about reviving Baybayin The House of Committee in Basic Education and Culture has approved a bill to make Baybayin the national writing system of the Philippines however the main problem is:

• People can't read them in the first place
• Even teachers have to learn it first before teaching it to students who will hopefully know it 'naturally' in the future
• It still needs to be translated to the Roman alphabet therefore some may consider it redundant

Therefore learning Baybayin will have to start from scratch for everyone regardless of age/profession/ even class. As Philippines is one of the most technological savvy countries it'd be appropriate to create a digital platform that virtually anyone can access and learn Baybayin from. 

Ideas:

• Creating a website that shows the basics of Baybayin and how it can be applied to current Filipino traditions and societal norms and cultures.
• Social media platform link - e.g. to facebook (to intice more people to use the website as Filipinos are the 12th highest Internet users in the world with 63,000,000+ Internet users out of its 104,000,000,000+ population.
• Dictionary type book that could be handed out to students in school as a way to encourage them to learn Baybayin and write in Baybayin and to get used to the script easier.

PPP Personal Branding: Collateral Research

Josh Walker

• Bristol based designer and illustrator
• “The design Inspiration was pulled from my personal traits and things that I like in my day to day life, such as colours, shapes and typography. I landed on simple, clean with a hint of playfulness which I think sums me up in a good way!” 
• used bright and vibrant colours against darker shade to give a memorable impact as well as to be on trend. 
• Carefully considered card stock as it was printed on 400gsm uncoated paper giving the card some texture.

Mathilde André

• branding and editorial self promotional material
• very consistent in the application of colour and type on each part of the collateral overall making it strong and cohesive. 
• Interesting use of quote as well giving the promotional material a unique flair. 
• Field of expertise is clearly demonstrated within the promotional materials and the branding showcases her style as a designer clearly. 
• Choosing darker and deeper shades of colour highlights the mood and style of the brutalist typeface used overall complimenting the aesthetic of the collateral. 

Thoughts & Reflection:
Overall, both designers have effectively created personal branding materials and design related to them and their practice, using colours, items and stock reflective of their work and style. Similarly, to them I will also aim to create personal branding that is reflective of me and my practice.

PPP: Making my Website

To make my website, I decided to use Cargo Collective. Cargo Collective has an extensive range of templates that are very versatile I can use to create my website as I don't know how to code. The site also kind of specialises to be more like a portfolio website which is why is think it is the most appropriate for e. Also, I like the clean designs for the template which matches the aesthetic for the personal branding that I am looking for. I am also quite familiar with the website already as I have found several designers through the website from my previous researches.  

Information on the website:

• project info - descriptive copy of each project showing the concept/design
• Contact Info - Instagram, number, email

Out of the templates available, I have chosen to use this template:

• The template is quite dynamic in a way that it utilises a more irregular grid format for the photographs giving it a very playful looks, as well as a click and zoom function to let users zoom further into certain photographs for better view. It can also be used to showcase more important photographs in bigger more eye-catching formats. 
• It has an infinite scroll function allowing the users to automatically navigate the website without much needing for it to load or click too many pages into. 
• Although the type is sans serif, it can be changed to a serif type during the design process to fit more of the personal branding that I have started to establish. 

Upon using the template to start creating my website at first it was fairly easy and I could change colours, typefaces and content easily as it is easily navigable. It offers a range of options as well making it easier for me to change certain things to fit what I wanted. 

However, the more I played around with the template, the more I felt that it wasn't really highlighting the projects well and did not match the functions that I had in mine.

What I didn't like about it is that:

• The irregular griding made it hard for me to place certain photographs where I wanted them to be placed. It also became quite annoying how when trying to change the photographs size that it would suddenly lock in place somewhere on the page - I also tried the free floating functions however, it wasn't as helpful either. 
• I realised that because the website relies on the infinite scrolling that that more project I have on it the more inconvenient it would be as users will have to continue navigating through photos - therefore it wasn't appropriate to the sue that I wanted anymore. 
• The template was also more minimal than I thought - altho in a sense that it had less functions it it than I wanted. But, it did make me learn more about other functions that I can add to the template like adding link functions and adding and stacking pages giving me more knowledge on how to use the website, but other than that it was overall very inconvenient to use and was not exactly what I wanted for my website.

What did I like about it though:

• I like how it's minimal in the sense that the website looks sleek and clean. It gives it a modern look but also not chaotic or too boring for users to feel bored or disorientated looking through the website. The minimalism is highly functional and saves the users time clicking and navigating through unnecessary things on the website.
• Is that it made me rethink my visual branding a bit - as I tried using a serif typeface on it, it gave quite old time feel and was quite out of place with all the minimal design which was something that I liked. Therefore I decided to use the sans serif typeface within the template instead. 
• As I develop the website more, the visuals of my personal branding may change depending on how effectively the website can reflect the characteristic that I want to portray.