Similar sites: personal portfolio / self-presentation

http://www.heartandcross.net

• Solid portfolio site for a young artist/designer. Nice clean animation. As the site is meant to exemplify the author’s design skills, the various elements all work to further that basic goal. Showing the site examples on screens makes them difficult to see; this is partially mitigated by live links to the pages being shown.

https://www.jkrowling.com

• This site has been built in Flash or another similar environment—allowing Rowling’s Web designers to avoid the uncertainties of HTML display and specifying the display area. The site allows Rowling to communicate directly with her fans, and it seems infused with her personal voice. Interestingly, the Flash architecture seems a bit constraining to me as a user, though I’d imagine that many kids who are J.K. Rowling fans would be quite pleased to find this. Note: the site has not been updated for some time, perhaps because of touring demands or etc. For a similar used of controlled space to ensure a user experience, see www.bluedot.com.

http://www.billviola.com

• Given Viola’s technologically advanced art, it’s surprising that his site is so lackluster and basic. It seems much more like an artist’s catalog placed online than an online interactive experience. Perhaps Viola has strong feelings about showing his works in a venue that he controls—overseeing lighting, projection via plasma screen, etc.