Web Planning

In order to visualise my website, I created a template of how I intend it to look.

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Layout & Navigation:

As learnt during my research, the layout of a music artist’s website usually features the artist’s logo in the top left-hand and a navigation bar / drop down navigation list placed horizontally across the top / vertically along the sides of the website. I intend to follow the conventional pop artist website layout as it will enable easy-navigation for viewers who likely will have previously visited websites of a similar structure. The pages which I intend to create for my website include: ‘Home’, ‘About’, ‘Music’, ‘Store’ and ‘Events’, as these were the most common pages across the websites which I looked at during my research.

Photos: The images used on my website will be as follows –

Home Page ‘Artist image’ (image 8 on Photography Plan):

The image used on my Home page will be either identical or similar to the image featured on my digipak cover, by way of promoting the album; it will be one of the photos taken on set at Groudle Beach, in which my model will be posed side-on facing forward, engaging in direct eye contact with the camera and displaying a serious, composed expression. In the Photo, my model will be dressed in the outfit shown in the music video: a bright, yellow top; ripped, over-sized jeans and a pink coat. The image will be a mid shot of my model in front of the scenic Groudle sea line and cliffs.

About Page ‘Artist image’ (image 4 on Photography Plan):

On the ‘About’ page, a full shot of my artist sat on the Peel promenade railings will be present. In it, my model will engage in direct eye contact, face forward and maintain a serious, composed expression. The image will show my model dressed in a yellow jacket and jeans.

Events Page ‘Artist image’ (image 17 on Photography Plan):

The image present on my ‘Events’ page will be a full shot of my model on Douglas beach, dressed in green trousers and a striped top. She will be posed side-on, facing forward whilst maintaining direct eye contact and a serious, composed expression.

Conventional Design Features: On my website, many music artist website conventions are present, including –

Images: My website will be highly visual, much like many pop artist websites. Images will consist of appealing full body, medium and head & shoulder shots of my artist. This will create the conventional sense of star appeal present on artist websites, as well as appeal to my target audience who will likely want to see images of the artist.

Font & Text: The font and text of my website will be conventionally sanserif in order to allow for easy legibility, as well as to give the website a modern edge. The size of the font used on my navigation bar will be large and cap locks, in order to allow for clear and easy navigation for the user. The text will be predominately black to stand out against the light coloured background.

Colour: Although there is no single convetional colour for an artist website, it is very common for them to use colours consistent with the branding of their latest album, as a form of further promotion. This is something which I very much intend to do.

Encoding Meaning: My website will encode meaning in the following ways:

Images: The images featured on my website will be highly appealing, in order to entice the viewer; they will show the artist engaging in direct eye contact, contain bright appealing colours, and will feature scenic backgrounds. This will provoke a response from the viewer; with the subject looking directly into the lens of the camera, you can create a connection between the model, and the viewer of the photo. The costuming of the model within the images will be vibrant and on-trend, to further appeal to the viewer. Facial expressions and body language will appear happy and relaxed, with the exception of the homepage image which will be reminiscent of the emotional photo used on the digipak cover.

Font & Text: The font used will convey a modern edge; it will be sanseriff. Text colour will be predominately black in order to contrast the light-coloured backgrounds of the website; this will continue the sense of modernity, as well as being appropriate for visually impaired / restricted viewers.

Colour: The colours that will be used within my website will be consistent with those seen on my artist digipak (light pink) and thus will carry the same connotations: it promotes the artist in an approachable, appealing way; the colour’s femininity represents that the music takes place from a female perspective (it reflects her experiences and issue; it reflects the delicate, ‘soft pop’ nature of the album’s music.