Once all of the elements of the episodes are complete, there still needs
to be a place that puts all of that information and entertainment together
on the Web for you to see. Ursula O'Steen designed the Chi-Chian area of
SCIFI.COM. She was given a set of the comic books, a disc full of images
from the series, and the directive that it needed to feel like an organic
space due to the subject matter of the series. She did a beautiful
job. Here is an interview with Ursula on designing a site.
How does the design process start for you? What do
you look for?
Design for me always begins as a response to the
subject matter/content. Not just to mimic the content,
but to bring the most essential qualities out to the
audience. Most things use familiar sets of visual
elements and idioms that have been organized into
styles. While you want to be attentive to these
elements, to design only as a response to style limits
the ability of any work, website or otherwise, to
address more substantive areas. The trick is
responding to the content wholistically.
What are your goals when designing for the Web?
What were your goals for the Chi-Chian site specifically?
The goal of designing websites (at least commercial
ones) for me is achieving as near a completeness of
visual presentation as possible, while keeping the
interface structure natural to the point of feeling
invisible. For Chi-Chian, the goal was to create an
immersive environment for the series that at the same
time would not get in the way. In other words, to
extend the presence of the animation without being
distracting.
What is your traditional art background? How did
you come to design for new media?
I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting. Most of
my work has been painting, installation, and
underground comix. I came to web design by a
combination of curosity and debt. (A painter minus a
trust fund equals a security guard.) Web design was a
brand new thing, and the idea of learning something as
it was developing was intriguing.
What do you like about working in a digital
environment?
I like the oddness of creating something that
isn't material. It can change on a whim. Also,
developments happen every year needing fresh artistic
responses. Being compelled to think on your feet keeps
web design interesting.
Do you have any other words of wisdom you'd like to
empart when designing a site?
Wisdom? No matter how visually beautiful you want to
make a site, remember to keep the code clean. It's
like a National Wildlife Area, the next visitor
doesn't want to start their visit by cleaning up
garbage. Well... that's not really wisdom, just a
suggestion.
Design for me always begins as a response to the
subject matter/content. Not just to mimic the content,
but to bring the most essential qualities out to the
audience. Most things use familiar sets of visual
elements and idioms that have been organized into
styles. While you want to be attentive to these
elements, to design only as a response to style limits
the ability of any work, website or otherwise, to
address more substantive areas. The trick is
responding to the content wholistically.
The goal of designing websites (at least commercial
ones) for me is achieving as near a completeness of
visual presentation as possible, while keeping the
interface structure natural to the point of feeling
invisible. For Chi-Chian, the goal was to create an
immersive environment for the series that at the same
time would not get in the way. In other words, to
extend the presence of the animation without being
distracting.
Wisdom? No matter how visually beautiful you want to
make a site, remember to keep the code clean. It's
like a National Wildlife Area, the next visitor
doesn't want to start their visit by cleaning up
garbage. Well... that's not really wisdom, just a
suggestion.
