Project Name: Outdoor Adventures
Industry: College Project
Tools Utilized: Adobe CS5 (Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash) | iMac Desktop
Have you thought about going on an Outdoor Adventure recently? I did, over 8 years ago! Although, I didn’t have to go outdoors for it, so to speak. Hence while I was in college, the teacher assigned a project to create an interactive mini-site. As a result, the project was for a fictional travel agency called Outdoor Adventures.
This Story Seems A Bit Fishy!
This adventure might be over in a flash! This project was one of the first interactive pieces of work I ever created! Therefore it was definitely a learning experience using the old Adobe Flash animation methods. Furthermore the objective at hand was to craft a mini map. Its purpose was to lure people into buying travel packages to fishing locations across the south eastern corner of the United States. Additionally, a banner ad was also required. The target audience was outdoorsy. Male individuals who were aged 25 and up were the focus group.
Hook Line and Sinker…..
Our work was cut out for us on this one! Initially, the adventure didn’t seem to start right away. Because the class was tasked with researching demographics. As well as understanding the audience. Therefore learning the key words or phrases of the hobby, and the symbolism associated with the past time of fishing.
Mapping out a Course
Next on the deck, was plotting out wireframes for the site. This would involve thinking about banner ad functionalities. Each page’s interaction and destinations were required to be charted out. Under these circumstances, the designing stage could then be commenced. After creating numerous thumbnails, I decided on a classic tackle box. This would be complete with various fishing related equipment. Additionally, the equipment would be sprawled about inside many compartments.
Just keep Swimming!
The main focus of interactivity of the site became a weathered map. This would house all the fishing locations displayed. Subsequently, the horizontal main navigation bar would be interactive as well. If the user would hover on one of the locations, a fish icon would move in the map. Moreover, when clicked this would take them to a photo with an info tag about that location. Once all these design elements were anchored down, it was time to reel in the banner ad.
Catching Their Attention
Ultimately, I needed to get their attention before they swam away. Usually we can achieve this by utilizing a bold headline and breathtaking imagery. After experimenting with different outcomes from my thumbnails, I sailed the seas of the web to find my treasured photo. I managed to snag an image with a sunset and fisherman throwing the reel. I also had enough dark space to add my headlines. This was perfection! The final bend of the project was animation. After all that trial and error, I successfully got everything interactive. Next, I converted the design files into SWF files.
The finished piece is something I’m still proud of to this day. Everything came together to create a stellar addition to my portfolio. Last but not least, an immersive experience for the perfect outdoor adventure! Check for more similar stories under the projects category and other great designs in my portfolio!
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