As anyone who’s read my blog on a regular basis will know, I’m a sucker for retro style design, whether that be vintage Victoriana, art deco, or 1950s modern. Today I’m highlighting a site that doesn’t exactly fall into a particular period, but still has a great, bold retro feel. It’s a blog that unfortunately hasn’t been updated in a good while, but has a great visual impact that’s well worth looking it.
Portfolio And Blog Of Jeff Sarmiento
Toronto based web designer Jeff Sarmiento’s site is pretty simple. A blog, a little bit of background information, and an archive of his design work. He’s not a freelancer, so he’s not using the site to directly pitch for work, it’s merely a showcase of his skills and a useful online presence.
The sites biggest strength is how it achieves a vintage feel while retaining a really clean and modern feel. The style hints at a kind of 1920s sci-fi mood, think something like Metropolis, with great use of color and a very bold rocket ship image giving the header a real punch. The main content has a really subtly distressed background, with a heavily contrasted sidebar.I particularly like the way the latest tweet is highlighted in the sidebar.
It’s a site where the little touches have a hugely positive impact. The font selection seems perfect; ITC Avant Garde Gothic Medium has a really clean look that’s easy to read and attractive, and contrasts well with some minor use of the more handwritten Bruno JBStd. The use of shadowing bumps up the impact of the main content section, and Jeff hasn’t been afraid to use more white space than usual. It gives the site a really accessible feel.
He’s also incorporated some nice functionality and added interest. The flickr feed on the front page is subtle but really well integrated. The slight differences in mouseover for the navigation menu demonstrate an attention to detail, while his work portfolio is presented in an attractive and welcoming way.
Would I Change Anything?
I’d try to address some of the minor validation errors on the site. Though in truth these all appear to be generated by the flickr feed, so it may be that it’s something that can’t be changed. An example I think of taking the benefit of a nice site addition without worrying too much about the W3 accessibility checklist.
I was trying to decide whether I’d center the site, which is currently left aligned. The alignment means that the small wallpaper border is subtle rather than overwhelming, and it also means the dark gray sidebar is highlighted even more effectively. Hmmm, not sure, I think Jeff probably made the right decision.
Other than that, the only thing I’d do with such a great site is keep it updated (though judging by some of the back posts and his Twitter feed, he might have been getting sidetracked by minor issues like getting married!).
What Do You Wish You’d Designed?
Interested in showcasing a site that you wish you could take credit for, and what’s great about it? I’d be happy to welcome any submissions for the “I Wish I’d Designed…” series, just email robin@fogofeternity.com.
One Comment
Just found this post. Ironically, I quite like your site design, and wish you updated your blog a little more…