I always thought it would be cool if my website was a piece of art in and of itself. The question is how do I make it a piece of art and not distract from the diverse art I post everyday? This will take some discovery and experimentation, but the header seemed like a good place start.
My header has in fact been a source of much contemplation over the last nearly six months of keeping up my website. I have been mostly content if not entirely satisfied with the simple header I have been using, my thinking being that my art should speak for itself.
This being said, my basic criteria for a header is as follows:
- Readable
- Reflect and convey my artistic identity
- Not distract from my daily artistic musings
I also don’t really want to develop something that is so polished that it depersonalizes the site. I have a very personal connection with my art and I want your experience of it to feel personal as well.
And now, I put it to you. I have developed my first header option. Should you be some wayward follower from the future and my site header has already changed, here is how my header looks today:
And while I may have run a foul of a few of my own guidelines this is the new header option I have designed (click for a larger view):
The crazy cool and potentially distracting design in the background comes from a section of an original Simian style piece which I have yet to blog. The lines are classic pen and ink which I inverted in Photohop.
For me, it satisfies the personal requirement and it may be readable enough. My big hangup is whether it might be too distracting from my art. My brother loves it and I’m still on the fence. Feel free to tell me what you think.
