Junior Web Designer

Objective: Develop a comprehensive site blueprint and wireframe of a fictional company’s homepage and one subpage. This task focuses on planning, conceptualization, and the early stages of web design, emphasizing layout planning and user experience design.

Task Description: In this task, you will design the initial blueprint of a website for a fictional company in an industry of your choice (e.g., technology, fashion, food, etc.). You are required to make strategic decisions regarding information hierarchy, navigational elements, and user flow. Your design should include a detailed wireframe illustrating the placement of headers, footers, content sections, and interactive components. Experiment with different layout options and annotations that explain the design choices.

Key Steps:

• Research and choose an industry for your fictional company.
• Sketch a rough layout on paper or using a digital tool (Figma, Adobe XD, Balsamiq, etc.).
• Create detailed wireframes for the homepage and one subpage, ensuring clarity in information hierarchy and navigational structure.
• Annotate your wireframes with design rationale and strategy explanations.

Expected Deliverables: A single file (PDF or image file) containing your detailed wireframes of both pages with clear annotations and explanations.

Evaluation Criteria: Your task will be evaluated based on the clarity of your wireframes, the strategic rationale provided in the annotations, the organization of design elements, and how well the wireframes address user experience and navigational efficiency. The overall creativity and strategic approach in laying out the design schema should be evident.

This task is designed to be practical and requires you to apply planning and strategy skills integral to the role of a Junior Web Designer. Make sure to invest time in detailed annotations and consider multiple layout approaches before finalizing your submission.

Objective: Transform your initial wireframe design into high-fidelity visual mockups using design tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. This task will enhance your ability to create pixel-perfect designs that capture both aesthetics and functionality.

Task Description: Based on your week 1 wireframes, you will now create polished visual mockups that include detailed design elements such as fonts, color schemes, imagery, and interactive UI components. Your mockups should reflect a cohesive visual style that could be realistically used for a live website, paying attention to the visual hierarchy and consistency of design elements. Focus on using layers, proper typography, and color contrasts to enhance usability and visual appeal.

Key Steps:

• Open your wireframe designs and select a design direction that aligns with the fictional company's brand identity.
• Create detailed visual mockups for both the homepage and the subpage using Adobe Photoshop and/or Illustrator.
• Incorporate design principles including consistency, balance, and contrast. Add UI elements such as buttons, iconography, and other interactive components.
• Ensure that your design reflects a responsive and engaging user experience.

Expected Deliverables: A single file (PDF or image file) that includes your high-fidelity mockups for the homepage and the subpage, with annotations explaining key design decisions.

Evaluation Criteria: Submissions will be evaluated on visual quality, coherence of the design, adherence to the principles of good design, clarity of annotations, and the overall creativity in the design execution. Ensure that the mockups are detailed and ready to be the blueprint for further development.

This task requires a hands-on approach and practical use of design tools, reinforcing key skill sets necessary for a Junior Web Designer.

Objective: Translate your visual mockups into a responsive web layout using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This task bridges the gap between design and development, emphasizing practical coding skills and responsive design principles.

Task Description: In this task, you will convert your previously created visual mockups into a functional responsive layout. Your focus will be on coding the structure using semantic HTML, styling with CSS (including media queries for responsiveness), and implementing basic interactivity with JavaScript. The final deliverable should work effectively on both desktop and mobile devices. Ensure that the design integrity from your mockups is maintained throughout your coding process.

Key Steps:

• Set up a basic project structure with separate files for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Recreate the layout of your homepage and subpage as per your visual mockups.
• Incorporate media queries to ensure the design is responsive across various screen sizes.
• Add simple JavaScript interactivity for elements like navigation menus or slideshows, if applicable.
• Test your website on multiple devices or use a responsive design testing tool.

Expected Deliverables: A zipped folder containing all source files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) that represent your responsive website layout.

Evaluation Criteria: Your submission will be evaluated on code quality, adherence to responsive design principles, functionality across devices, and overall visual integrity compared to the mockups. The clarity of your code structure and comments will also be considered.

Take this task seriously as it requires integrating your design skills with front-end development, a crucial aspect of a Junior Web Designer role.

Objective: Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your current website design and layout, focusing on usability and user experience. This task emphasizes the importance of UI/UX feedback and iterative design improvements.

Task Description: In this task, you are required to perform a heuristic analysis of your responsive website. Analyze it with respect to key UI/UX principles, identifying potential issues such as navigational difficulties, visual inconsistencies, and elements that may cause user frustration. Based on your evaluation, propose a set of iterative design enhancements aimed at improving overall user engagement and usability. Document your findings and suggestions in a detailed report. Your report should include annotated screenshots illustrating the issues and suggested solutions.

Key Steps:

• Perform a heuristic evaluation of your current website design using common UI/UX guidelines, noting usability issues and areas for improvement.
• Create annotated screenshots that highlight problematic areas and suggest specific improvements.
• Discuss at least three actionable enhancements based on your observations.
• Revise parts of your website layout in a staging version to demonstrate your proposed changes (optional but recommended).

Expected Deliverables: A PDF report that includes: a detailed evaluation of your UI/UX, annotated screenshots, and a description of the proposed enhancements. Optionally, a link to or zipped folder of the updated website version.

Evaluation Criteria: The report will be evaluated on the depth of your UI/UX analysis, clarity of your arguments, quality of the annotated evidence, and the practicality of your proposed solutions. Attention to detail and clear documentation of your evaluation process are critical.

This task is critical for ensuring that you not only design visually appealing sites but also user-friendly and efficient digital experiences.

Objective: Integrate feedback and iterative changes from previous tasks to refine your website project. In addition, create comprehensive design documentation outlining your design decisions, methodologies, and final implementation strategy.

Task Description: In this final task, you will combine the elements from your previous weeks into a cohesive, refined project. Revisit your visual mockups, responsive code, and UI/UX feedback to ensure that your design is coherent, functional, and user-friendly. In parallel, create a detailed design documentation report. The report should cover your design process, the rationale behind key design decisions, the challenges encountered, and the strategies used for iterative improvements. This document will serve as a reference for the entire project lifecycle. Emphasize the connection between design theory and practical implementation in your report.

Key Steps:

• Review and refine all components of your project: visual mockups, HTML/CSS/JavaScript code, and UI/UX adjustments.
• Ensure that the website functions smoothly across different devices and browsers.
• Prepare a detailed design documentation report (minimum 500 words) outlining:
• The design objectives and the creative process
• The key challenges and how they were overcome
• The specific tools and techniques used in your work
• Your reflections on the entire design and development process
• Conduct a final test of your website, ensuring all links and interactive elements work as expected.

Expected Deliverables: A zipped folder containing the final refined website source code and a PDF document of your comprehensive design documentation report.

Evaluation Criteria: Your final submission will be assessed based on the quality and functionality of the refined website; the comprehensiveness and clarity of the design documentation; the integration of feedback; and your demonstrated ability to effectively manage and iterate on the design process. Detailed, well-documented work that connects design theory with practical application is key.

This task encapsulates the entire internship experience and expects you to synthesize all learned skills into a professionally presented project ready for further development or client presentation.