Theme #1: Dara 
The pros of this layout is that there is enough space for photos as well as content. I like that the front page has a photo bar that you can scroll through, and I like that this layout has options to click links at the top to take you to content. I am a visual learner, so having space for photos and dropdown menus is a must. I also like that the bottom has possible links, but I’m not too sure that I would need both the top and bottom sections to get my point across. It might be too much space. One of the cons of this layout is that it makes your eye follow and F pattern, which may lose effectiveness eventually. I’m not too sure that I would need to use the social media buttons at the top, but I feel like I could possibly delete those if need be. I also would like to change the colors if possible, because this is a light blue/teal color and I would rather incorporate the colors from my UX project.
Theme #2: Sela
The pros of this layout are similar to that of Dara. I like the visuals it provides as well as the menu on the top. I like that at the bottom, it has room for contact information as well as navigation, personal profile of the web designer, etc. I also like that the About section is at the bottom instead of the top, allowing for the information architecture hierarchy to only include main points instead of a sort of happy talk. Again a con would be that I am not too sure I would use the pictures with the preview option, but that may be something to play with. Another con would be the color scheme, as I would want to use my own. I’m sure this is editable though. The last con is similar to that of Dara, and I don’t think I would find use for the social media section.
Theme #3: Baskerville 2
The pros of this theme is that there are multiple sections with previews and visuals that I would love to use, as well as top bar navigation. There is also a search button, which I have not seen on many of the layouts. Again, I really don’t think I would use the social media buttons unless I was showing this to a job interview and wanted to show off my instagram page or instagram pages that I have run. But, since I do not have an instagram for strictly mountain stuff or things suitable for Roam, I don’t think I would use it. I also don’t think I would use the bottom “recent post” navigation, but I think the tags and the “about” section would be useful for Navigation. I like the color scheme of this one the best, but would probably still want to put my own aesthetic twist on it. I like the aesthetic appeal of this one in general, and it doesn’t strike me as just a basic website layout. It’s different, and that’s why I like it.
Rankings:
- Theme #3: Baskerville 2
- Theme #2: Sela
- Theme #1: Dara
I like Baskerville 2 the most because it is different than a basic website that you would visit. It has a lot of visual appeal, which is what I like the most about it. It gives opportunity to include imagery to make the page more interesting. It’s “crisp” as the WordPress website describes it, and I think it fits my goal aesthetic the most. I like the way the navigation is set up, as it is unique compared to my other two options.
UX Design Portfolio 