Highlights of this site include:
- Front Door - This brief page features an attention grabbing image of Marilyn Monroe and a corresponding quote from Frank Lloyd Wright.
I think it works really well in that it gets the viewer interested in the subject in a mildly entertaining way without presenting too much information right off the bat.
- Entry Hall - This next brief page gives a little more info on one of Wright's most peculiar design projects through the use of two edited images.
Wright's sketch is broken up into two pieces and given a weathered look by the Texturizer Filter in Photoshop, and the blurred drop shadows give the page a slight 3D effect.
- Main Page - This acts as a sort of table of contents for the site where all the options present themselves with brief descriptions so that the viewer can decide in what order to digest the info.
Notice the large image formed by overlapping four smaller images in Photoshop. Each smaller image has a fading blue border and blurred drop shadow that when combined with the others creates a dynamic overall image.
The yellow words that head each section are also images created in Photoshop. These make use of both the drop shadow and the gradient tool - notice how the words start to fade to white at the bottom.
The text descriptions give the viewer a little preview of what they may find in each location. The layout of the page is facilitated by tables, while the indenting of the text is achieved by specifying the proper width for a one pixel transparent GIF image.
The navigation area at the bottom of the main page is an imagemap that allows the viewer to send me email or checkout the guided tour and credits sections.
- Design - Take note of the navigation area in the upper left corner of this section as well as in the other three main sections of the site.
It's actually setup using a table in such a way that the images will line up properly no matter how your browser or monitor is configured.
The four main options are listed and linked, while the page that is currently being viewed shows up in red letters. The large initial cap that starts off the text was made in Photoshop and gives it a nice presentation.
Some of the images on this page were originally in color but I converted them to greyscale so as to give the site a consistent and refined appearance.
I think with architecture it is much easier to study the forms in black and white without the distracting effects of color getting in the way.
The captions were also added with Photoshop and the text was laid out with the images through the use of tables - as it is almost everywhere in the site.
The font for the text throughout the majority of the site is either Arial or Geneva depending on whether you view from a PC or a Mac - it's a little more elegant and a good change from the standard HTML font.
- Two Houses in LA, Quotes, Links - These areas are pretty much straightforward and make use of the same HTML and Photoshop techniques
as the Design and Main pages. Two Houses in LA has lots of good info and photos of the two structures, some of which I took myself last summer and just scanned recently. The quotes section is brief but I think the selection of quotes is varied and entertaining.
Finally the Links page ensures that anyone wanting more of Wright will not be at a loss for direction.
- The page you're viewing now is setup similar to the others but the text here is displayed through the list element of HTML which breaks it up rather nicely.
