The next stage of my project focuses on bringing everything together, combining my written case studies with my chosen website layout and beginning to build. I will explore aesthetic options such as colour, typography, and layout style to ensure my portfolio feels cohesive and professional. This phase will also involve deciding how I will construct the site, whether through coding or a website builder, as this stage marks the transition from planning to creation, where my portfolio begins to take shape visually and functionally.
The first step in my creation phase is to establish a strong brand mark that represents me as a designer and ties my portfolio together visually. Creating this identity will give my portfolio a sense of ownership, consistency, and professionalism, helping viewers instantly recognise my work and style. I decided to focus on this early stage after reflecting on the success of my banking app project, where consistent branding played a key role in its impact. Daniel also suggested that I develop a lasting mark or visual identity within my portfolio, something memorable that connects my CV, website, and overall presentation. To achieve this, I’ll be exploring typefaces, colour palettes, and hero imagery that can define the look and feel of my site while aligning with my personality and design approach.
For my font choice, I decided to look back at my previous completed projects to identify any patterns in my design style. I noticed that I consistently used Poppins as my main typeface across most of my work. While it’s a widely used and popular font, I believe it still suits my current direction perfectly. The clean, modern, and versatile nature of Poppins aligns well with the aesthetic of my CV design, helping to maintain visual consistency between both. More importantly, its readability and simplicity fit the overall tone I want for my portfolio website**:** clear, approachable, and professional, allowing my content and visuals to stand out without distraction.
For my colour palette, I wanted to maintain the same clean and balanced aesthetic that runs throughout my work so far. Similar to my approach with typography, I aimed for visual consistency and simplicity by drawing inspiration from my CV design, which features a neutral mix of grey, black, and white. This combination creates a sharp, minimal, and professional look that aligns well with my overall design style. A peer of mine also suggested that I apply the 60-30-10 rule to help create balance within my palette, using white as the primary colour to keep the interface clean and open, grey as the secondary tone to add subtle depth and structure, and ****black as the accent to highlight key elements such as text or interactive features. Following this approach will ensure that my portfolio feels cohesive, visually clear, and reflective of my design personality.
Once I had established my font and colour choices, I moved on to exploring an area I was initially less familiar with, creating hero images. Although I had designed similar visuals in past projects, I hadn’t fully realised their purpose or how significant they are in setting the tone and personality of a website. After learning more about them, I felt much more confident in designing my own for the projects I plan to showcase in my portfolio, including my banking app, music app, smartwatch app, and sports dashboard. Creating these hero images will help provide strong visual support and identity for each project, making my portfolio more engaging and giving viewers an immediate sense of what each piece represents.
For my banking app, I designed a clean and professional hero image that reflects the brand’s values, like trust and simplicity. I used the app’s blue primary tone, complemented by white and light neutral shades, to maintain a modern and open feel. The hero includes a realistic phone mock-up showcasing a key dashboard screen that demonstrates how users can quickly view their spending and savings. The inclusion of the my apps logo and minimal typography adds structure and balance, allowing the design to feel professional and approachable, fitting for a financial-based application.
My music app, BopBot, takes on a more expressive and energetic visual identity. I incorporated its bright, rhythmic brand colours, a mix of vibrant pinks, purples, and dark tones, to represent creativity and liveliness. The hero image uses layered mock-ups that show off both the main player screen and playlist browsing, giving an immediate sense of how the user would interact with it. Including the app’s word mark in a bold style gives it personality and flair, aligning perfectly with the playful nature of music and entertainment-based design.
For my Pathway smartwatch app, the focus was on accessibility and ease of use, and I wanted that to come across visually. The hero image features soft greens, which are all qualities associated with accessibility tools. The mock-up itself shows a close-up of the smartwatch screen displaying navigation features, helping communicate its real-world functionality. The simplicity of the layout and colour choice ensures that it feels inclusive and user-friendly, mirroring the values behind the app’s design.