For our final project, we have been tasked with creating a website inspired by an extract from The Street of Crocodiles using HTML and CSS. The goal here is quite straightforward in the sense that we have to capture the text’s mood and themes through both coding and design. This is a valuable chance to put my web skills into practice, especially as I have less experience in this area, and to see how I can translate the extract into a visually engaging and functional site.
As I have never read this novel before, I found that The Street of Crocodiles is a surreal and atmospheric work by Polish author Bruno Schulz, blending dreamlike imagery with fragmented narratives. It portrays a city that feels both familiar and strange, where reality merges with imagination, and ordinary details take on symbolic meaning. The extract we are working with is rich in description, mood, and metaphor, making it ideal for visual interpretation. Its relevance to our project lies in how it invites creative freedom. The abstract and layered nature of the text allows for a wide range of design responses, enabling us to experiment with layout, typography, colour, and imagery to reflect its tone. In translating it into a website, we can explore how storytelling works in a digital space, using design and code to evoke the same atmosphere Schulz creates with words.
I can utilise The Street of Crocodiles novel for design creativity by treating it as a visual and emotional springboard rather than just a piece of text. Schulz’s writing is highly descriptive and surreal, making it ideal for translation into design. Imagery and motifs from the novel, such as crooked streets, strange shop windows, or decaying buildings, can be incorporated as visual elements in backgrounds, illustrations, or subtle animations. The mood of the novel can be reflected through colour choices and typography, using darker tones or distorted fonts to mirror the sense of mystery, while bolder contrasts can highlight its more surreal moments. The fragmented structure of the narrative can inspire unconventional layouts, layered elements, or interactive scroll effects, giving the website a dreamlike quality. Additionally, the symbolism embedded in everyday details can inform subtle icons, patterns, or hidden animations, adding depth to the experience. In essence, the creativity of the novel lies in its rich atmosphere, abstract imagery, and emotional resonance, which can guide not only the visuals but also the overall user experience, turning the website into an immersive and interpretive journey.
My initial thoughts for designing a website based on The Street of Crocodiles start with gaining a strong understanding of the novel itself, its themes, and its surreal, dreamlike atmosphere. I feel it’s important to immerse myself in the mood and imagery Schulz creates, as this will guide every design decision I make. Once I grasp the tone, I can start thinking about visual elements such as colour palette, text layout, and font choice. The colours should reflect the mysterious, slightly eerie yet intriguing world of the novel, while the font and text layout should complement this by being clear but expressive, possibly with a slightly unconventional or artistic feel to echo the story’s fragmented and surreal style. Additionally, considering which images or graphics to include is key; these should enhance the storytelling, support the atmosphere, and perhaps reference motifs from the text, like unusual architecture or symbolic objects, to create an immersive and cohesive website experience.
I’ve put together a basic sketch layout of how I’d like my website for The Street of Crocodiles to look. I decided to experiment with a more open and minimal approach, giving each section space to breathe. The layout includes large areas of text paired with images that correlate directly with the passages shown beside them. This approach allows the visuals to enhance the story while keeping the reading experience clear and engaging. By arranging the text and images side by side, I can create a balance between narrative and imagery, highlighting the surreal and atmospheric qualities of the novel without overwhelming the viewer.
Looking at my sketch, there are a few areas I might want to revisit or refine when it comes to finalising my website design. One of the first things is the balance between text and imagery, while I like the open layout, I may want to experiment with how the text flows alongside the images, perhaps exploring different alignments or varying image sizes to keep the viewer’s attention. I might also reconsider the overall spacing, ensuring it feels intentional and not too empty in places. Another area to explore is how interactive elements, such as hover effects or subtle animations, could add depth and reflect the surreal tone of The Street of Crocodiles. Colour choices could also evolve, especially once I test them on screen to see how they affect readability and atmosphere. Finally, the typography may need adjusting to ensure it’s both legible and stylistically fitting, so it complements the narrative without distracting from it.
The next stage of my project is to investigate and research the specific details I’ll need to include in my website design, starting with typography. From the outset, I considered two fonts: Poppins, which I often favour for its modern and clean look, and Inknut Antiqua, which I’ve used in previous projects. After experimenting with both, I decided that Inknut Antiqua would work better for this website. It adds a sense of professionalism while also conveying a feeling of age, which aligns well with the historical context and tone of The Street of Crocodiles. The font’s subtle classic qualities help reinforce the atmosphere of the novel, making it a fitting choice for the textual elements of the site.
